J.Starr Stylized Weddings: Life as a Mamapreneur

Happy Monday Friends,

Special thank you to my intern Emily. I've put her in charge of making sure my marketing stays consistent this summer. I received a text from her about an hour ago reminding me that my topic to write about today is "Life as a Mamapreneur." Deep sigh... I'm digging deep, here we go.

Well for starters, what is a "Mamapreneur," you may ask?
A "Mamapreneur" is a women who is the primary caregiver of her children and also runs her own business. Does that sound ambitious with a touch of crazy? Well, you nailed it. It is.

I often have a hard time relating to "stay at home moms" and also "corporate/working moms".... That's because I'm stuck somewhere right in the middle, I identify with both and neither...all at the same time. And honestly, I really wouldn't have it any other way. But there are certainly times that are very difficult...as any role is for any parent.

I'm often asked, "Do you have a nanny?" Nope. "Do you have an assistant?" Nope. "Do you have a house cleaner?" ...ha ha ha, you're funny. My children are still small and growing just as my business is, so I'm not in a place where I'm able to bring in hired help (yet). So how do I do it? (here's where the touch of crazy comes into play.)

I'm often told "Wow, you do so much! How do you do it?" I never really know how to answer that question, because I've always enjoyed being a busy person. And truth be told, "time management" isn't something that comes easy to me (ask anyone who knows me really well.) I'm a dreamer/creative type, so I'm very easily distracted if I suddenly become inspired by a new idea. Having children has definitely forced me to sharpen my time management skills and through this process I've learned a few "musts" that have helped me, so today I thought I would share a few...in case they help to inspire you..... regardless of your profession or season in life.

"J.Starr Mamapreneur Musts":

List Making/Scheduling Out my Day the night before ~ Every night I make a list for the next day and divide it into 4 quadrants: Health, Babies, Home, J.Starr. This helps me to visually have awareness for a better balance of life on a daily basis. I also write out a daily timeline. This has helped me immensely to stay on track....as I'm easily distracted.
Waking up 2.5 hours earlier than my kiddos~ always. It makes me feel like I've got a much better handle on the day.
Running ~Not everyday, but ideally four to five times a week. If I can get in a 30 minute run before I do anything else, my days so much more productive.
Coffee~ Enough said. Warm in the morning, Iced in the afternoon.
Eating Breakfast~ Before the kiddos wake up. Otherwise I forget to eat and start to feel lethargic.
Social Media Time Blocks ~Huge time saver! HUGE. Like I said I get easily distracted so scheduling only three blocks a day to check in, update posts, publish blogs, etc. The internet can be take up a ton of time. I always sign out of my accounts completely, so I'm not tempted.
Tracking my Food ~life changing habit that I learned in Weight Watchers (amazing program by the way). I track, and measure my food, the best I can. It's like balancing a check book, after it becomes a habit it becomes a lifestyle..it's not always fun..but it's super powerful in making good decisions and being able enjoy indulgences from time to time.
Answering Emails in Blocks ~ Same as social media. I try and answer/send emails in batches rather than every time I get a new email (again too distracting). I also just recently started to answering emails from the bottom to the top (oldest to the newest). Maybe the rest of the world already does this.
Interns~ My interns help me immensely and really help to keep my daily office hours consistent.
Office Hours~ Speaking of office hours, five days a week (1.5 in the morning + 2.5/ 3 hours in the afternoon). This is perfect for my current workload. These areas are devoted strictly to office hours...I'm really good about never wavering, because I really can't. This is when I bust out emails, contracts, marketing, accounting, special projects, clients, prospective leads, etc.
Scheduling Something Creative (Non Work Related) The best way to work in a creative field is to allow yourself time to be creative (just for you!) I try and do something, each day....like home design projects.....or currently I'm loving creating personal photo albums with "Project Life."
Date Nights ~ The reason I stay sane (most days) is because my husband is an awesome supporter of my goals. I'm so incredibly grateful. Being parents and having careers isn't always easy....for anyone. So date nights are the best thing ever. Wish we could do more of them, but I'm thankful for the times we can escape a bit and catch up (have actual interrupted conversations).