Confessions of a Mompreneur

Back to school has inspired me to mix up my “Confessions.” This time, we’re talking the working mom or “Mompreneur.”

This new school year is a game changer! For 4 years now, my beastie taxi service (you know, my other job) has taken up 2 hours of every. single. weekday. Why? Our beloved pre-school (we truly love The Children’s Corner!) is 30 minutes from our house! While I am very sad to say goodbye to this chapter in our lives, I am looking forward to a more productive future!

Now that Tristan is in Kindergarten, my taxi service is only 20 minutes total! 20 minutes!!! I’m gaining 1 hour 40 minutes of productivity! Now…life is more than just work, I know that. But, if I’m being honest, I haven’t really lived that. Kids are a full time job. I also have a full time job. Therefore, I spend a lot of my time juggling these two jobs. What lays before me now is balance. Balance! A mythical word for Mompreneurs with pre-school children. I’m no longer trying to figure out when I’m going to get the work squeezed in, but creating clear boundaries for work and family. It’s been a longtime coming!

For all Mompreneurs out there still hustling, there’s hope! Here’s how we have evolved:

Ages newborn-2: wake up every 2-4 hours throughout the night, start the day by 6am. Pick ONE outing for the day (food shopping, library, park). One is all we could handle. 10am: baby naps for 2 hours. Lunch. Toddler naps an hour later. Second baby falls asleep as toddler wakes up. Witching hour 6pm. Babies go to bed at 8:30pm. Mompreneur works until 2am.

Workload: I am taking on family sessions, newborn sessions, corporate sessions, about 10 weddings/year, and my busiest season is the holidays! My schedule goes from nothing to overload, and I take on all the work I can!

Ages 2.5-4: sleeping through the night . Still waking up at 6am. Breakfast & play until The Children’s Corner at 10am Mon/Wed/Fri. Mompreneur works from 10:30-4:30 Mon/Wed/Fri. Tues/Thurs: we have baby play dates with other Mompreneurs. Babies love other babies! Witching hour 6pm. Beasts go to bed at 8:30. Mompreneur still works until 2am.

Workload: I am taking on family sessions, newborn sessions, cut the corporate sessions, about 15 weddings/year, and my busiest season is still the holidays! My schedule is more steady, but I’m starting to spread out my bookings.

Ages 4-6: Waking at 6:50am. We’ve made progress! The Children’s Corner everyday 9-4! Mompreneur spends a majority of her editing days at Priscilla’s Pantry. Pick up beasts at 4pm. We have replaced witching hour with activities like gymnastics, karate, soccer, ballet, and Mathnasium! Momprenuer decides she needs help, and finds an editor. Kristen Neiditch was sent from God. Seriously, I now go to bed at 9pm!

Workload: I am cutting back on family sessions, no more newborn sessions (they take all day!), about 20-30 weddings/year. I have replaced full family sessions with mini sessions, but I’m still really busy around the holidays!  Getting an editor was the best business decision I’ve ever made, and I’m starting to think about other ways I can serve my clients better, and simplify my life!

School age children: I’m one day in, so I can’t quite describe our “routine” yet. If I’m being honest, I’ve been celebrating my mid-day freedom and not accomplishing much. I’m blaming it primarily on my preparations for the fall wedding season 😉

Workload: I have narrowed my focus a lot this past year! Weddings and couples are my primary focus, I’ve limited my weddings to 25 per year. Limiting my weddings and other portrait sessions, I’ve been able to nurture more meaningful relationships with my clients! For now, I have found my niche.

Encouragement for Young Momprenuers

I don’t mean Momprenuers who are “young” per se, but for Mompreneurs who have young ones! It is not easy. I started my career while pregnant with my first child. This is in reverse for most people. I built a slow and steady business, taking what I could, when I could. I actually feel like it’s harder to grow a business quickly, have babies and THEN slow down in order to be present for a growing family!

A few things I think all Mompreneurs can agree on:

1. You are capable of way more than you ever thought possible. Thoughts like “what did I do before I had kids?!” cross your mind daily. You are juggling keeping little humans alive and keeping a business going. You’re a super hero.
2. At the end of the day, you’re doing a good job. Even when I didn’t think I was doing my best, I realized that I was doing all I was capable of doing minute to minute, hour by hour and day by day. Looking back, I have regrets. However, I don’t know that I could have done any better!
3. Witching hour is a real thing. I found that the only remedies were wine or ice cream…or a healthy mix of both.

 

My mom (also a Mompreneur with THREE kids) once told me, probably during witching hour, “the days are long, but the years are short.” Of all the encouraging words I’ve heard, and there are many, I’m reminded of this daily. Do I miss the days when my kids were babies? Sure, they were adorable! I mean, the nickname “beasties” didn’t come from nowhere…but they are still incredibly cute. But I love to see progress and growth. I’m excited for this new chapter in their lives, to see what they become! I am hopeful that I will continue to manage work time and family time, so I can be there for both!