Balancing Business Life and #Mumlife Like a Boss
Inevitably there comes a time in each of our lives where we realise that we simply cannot do it all... I remember the day I realised I was in fact not SuperWoman! For so long, my business was my priority and focus, 'doing it all' was just the way it was.
All my energy went into making my business a success and that’s what made me happy. I was a businesswoman, that's how I saw myself.
But as my life progressed, so did my priorities. Before I knew it I found myself in a new role with new priorities... #Mumlife. I realised I needed my next success to be the emotional well being and opportunities for success for my children.
I pride myself on putting my everything into anything I pursue. I do nothing by halves. But it soon dawned on me, however, that being both a businesswoman and a Mum brought challenges that I could have never anticipated.
I realised that I was carrying a certain sense of guilt—either that I should be spending more time with my children, when I was at the salon, or that I should be spending more time on my business, when I was at home and my team were working. It never seemed to end, it would keep me up at night.
I was trying to do it all, trying to be Superwoman and not realising that this was not sustainable.
One of my podcast listeners, a salon owner asked me recently how I juggle #Mumlife and Business life while still getting the best of both worlds. A fair question I felt. This didn’t always come easy. Nailing the juggling act of responsibilities took many 'sanity checks', time and practice. I have learned some valuable lessons over the last 12 years of #mumlife that I would love to pass on.
So, here are my top tips for juggling #Mumlife and Business life.
1) Something’s got to give!
Be kind to your self... Stop trying to do it all. If you are struggling with adjusting to the juggle of both #Mumlife and Business life, much like I did, the first step is to realise that you CAN DO IT ALL... just not all at the same time.
There are only 24 hours in the day.. the same as Beyonce. If you attempt to fit in your #Mumlife alongside your Business life, without making any changes, your life will overflow into stress and overwhelm.
Like anything, you need to make space for the new part of your life so that the old and the new can happily coexist, and still have room left over for you.
To move things around and ensure that there is time and space for the things you hold most important you need to learn the fine art of "Automate, Delegate or Delete" - It’s time to take back your freedom from your business. I write a blog about it once!
If you don’t take the time to make the time, there will never be enough time.
2) Work smarter not harder
As a business owner, we make so many decisions day in and day out... it chews up much brain space. Delegation then becomes an important part of leadership. Invest your time in what 'only you can do' and making sure that you’re not responsible for anything that a team member could be taking care of.
If one of my team comes to me with a question that I know they could answer themselves, I ask them to suggest a few ideas of the solution, then empower them to take action themselves. One less decision for me - and more empowered and committed team members on my team #winning. This was an important skill that I learned early on in my business life—I figured out that less decisions = less stress = better leadership = better team = better Mum = better life. Haha, you get my point.
However, I soon realised that this is also something that can be easily applied to #Mumlife. I started to delegate and outsource some household tasks so I could be present in the life of my kids the best I can.
For me, this was getting some help around the house with cleaning & folding. It's so much nicer for both myself and the kids to have that extra time to spend together. It also makes my day as a business owner that much easier too.
3) Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
I realised that I had previously been somewhat afraid of asking for help. I think Mum guilt can take over sometimes, and you feel like you should be doing it all yourself. When my first child was born, I could hardly ask my husband to make me a cup of tea -um, doh!
Asking for help is brave and admirable, and if it makes both you and your kids’ lives easier... and saves your marriage too, then why not do it, it's worth the investment!
One thing that helps me with the#Mumlife juggle of business life is online shopping. For years, we used MyFoodBag, a food delivery service where the ingredients and the recipes for that week’s dinners are delivered to you. I loved the way that this allowed me to make fewer decisions.
Something as simple as having my family’s weekly meals decided for me was one less thing to decide about in my personal life, freeing up space for more decisions in my business life or my kids' life. It can be so effective to utilise the tools you have available to you, just to make life that little bit easier!
4) White space, white space, white space!
When most of your time is either spent on your business or your family, it can be super easy to forget about YOU!
But, at the end of the day, the success of your business and the health and happiness of your family starts with you. In order for you to look after other people, you first need to look after yourself. Agree?
Making time for yourself to unwind and relax can feel hard with a long to-do list - I get it. Taking time away to rejuvenate and regather your thoughts can feel counter-intuitive. But it will not only provide you with fresh inspiration and ideas for your business, it will also allow you to be more present and happy when you are with your family.
Creating white space can sometimes be just the thing you need to stop the brain fog. Your to-do list will be safe at home and ready for you when you come back. You'll approach it with a clear head when you’ve walked away. It is easy, to feel guilty about taking time away to yourself. But this time is vital for you to be the best Mum, business owner, partner, friend, and human that you can be!
5) Life’s too short
When it comes down to it, life is WAY too short to constantly feel overworked and overwhelmed. You only get one body, one life and one shot at this— you may as well make it one to be proud of.
Life is meant to be enjoyed, and not wasted. This is your chance! Remember to be present in your own life; it’s the only one you’ve got. I think that life is all about making smart decisions that work for you in order to get where you want to be. Instead of trying to make your life fit into a cookie-cutter picture, make that picture yours. Make sure that your business runs in a way that fits your picture.
If I can work out how to juggle #Mumlife and business life, then you can too.
I would love to hear any tips that you may have for juggling your responsibilities. How do you make time for your family, whilst owning a business, and what do you do to look after yourself, too?
Come jump into the Salon Owners Collective group and tell me your best tips and tricks. It surprises me every day how many other people struggle with the same things as I have, so I know you’ll feel welcomed into the community. We are all working together towards a life of more Freedom & Profit, and we can all do more!
About the author, Larissa
Business Coach & Marketing Strategist: After 20 years of salon business I worked in online marketing & technology development, Business Development Manager at Timely Salon Software and co-founded HAIRshare app for Stylist.
I love helping stylists & salons with marketing strategies, the latest technology and working smarter, not harder in salon business.
Salon Owners Collective is an online community with the mission of inspiring and empowering Salon Owners from around the globe to grow beyond owner operator. Turn your ideas into a reality, build successful businesses and live with clarity and purpose.