I admit, I have business crushes. Women that I follow on social media and marvel at their shiny lives. They are successful, they have families, they look great in swimsuits, and their kids are always having amazing accomplishments. It looks like the perfect mom-preneur dream! Now I get it, it’s the shiny side of the mom-preneur dream. They are not lying about any of those things, it’s all real. It’s just that you don’t see the behind the scenes activity going on to get to the successful business, happy family, great body, and accomplished kiddos. I did not understand that when I was new in business. I always looked at them, then looked at me and wondered, “How do they do it?” And the less positive, “What’s wrong with me that I can’t do it?” So I am going to invite you into a behind the scenes look at this multiple 6 figure mama’s non-shiny life.
5:45- Alarm goes off. Why does husband always set the alarm before we really need to get up? Tell him to reset the alarm for 6 am.
5:56- “Mama where are you?” 2 year old is up. There goes my precious 4 minutes of sleep. Quickly bring the 2 and 3 year old into bed with me so that I can have 3.5 more minutes of time in bed. Sleep is out the window, but I’ll take what I can get.
6:04- Talk about who’s turn it is to get the boys up and ready for school and who gets to sleep in. It’s my turn to get up
6:05- Wake up the older boys. One doesn’t want to get up and sadly tells me the woes about being a bus rider and how he doesn’t get enough sleep. He doesn’t appreciate my suggestion to go to bed earlier and I don’t appreciate his suggestion that I drive him to school every day. I tell him I love him and he needs to get moving.
6:10- Start making lunches
6:25- Making Green Smoothies and toast from our home made, delicious and healthy wheat bread that my nanny bakes every Tuesday. Eating healthy only happens with planning and help in this house.
6:30- Sit at the table with all 5 boys, pray, encourage sleepy boys to eat instead of laying their head on the table.
6:40- Remember we haven’t read any scriptures yet, pull out the scriptures, read 3 versus while one son complains there is no time.
6:41- Tell boys to run and brush their teeth. Pretty sure someone didn’t comply.
6:45- Bring the dogs in so they don’t chase the bus as the boys run down the lane to the bus stop.
6:48- Realize they all forgot their lunches and I run out the door in the rain, in my bare feet and pjs’s yelling to the kids, “Boys, you forgot your lunches!”
6:50- Bus comes. Lunch crisis averted. I had no time to drive the lunches to school today.
6:55- Get the babies dressed. Kind of like wrestling an octopus. Read the Foot Fook and Hop On Pop.
7-8:00- Shower, get dressed, journal, read my bible.
7:30- Nanny comes. Whew backup is here
8:00- Realize I am exhausted already and that if I fall asleep immediately I can squeeze in a power nap. Mama’s best friend!
8:30- Get up, put on makeup, fix hair
9:00- Client appointment
10:00- Start hosting an all-day online training for all my clients and wonder why there are only 3 people online.
10:20- Realize that the event actually starts at 10:30. Oops, at least now I have time to go to the bathroom and get some snacks
10:30– Restart the event. Amazing how my clients are actually online when I start at the right time.
12:00– Clients are doing a writing exercise. Come out to check on everyone. Take cute pic of my 3 year old sleeping on the couch. Heart swells with love for his sweet face. Post on social media about how working from home is the best. Momentarily forget about how he was screaming and I’m sure all of my clients could hear it just 30 minutes ago.
1:30– Dogs start barking outside my door, they are definitely carrying something in their mouths they shouldn’t. Dang naughty dogs. Tell my clients to hold on while I go and pull some white gloves out of their mouths. 4 pairs of white gloves. We don’t own white gloves. Where in the world did those come from? Sorry neighbors!
3:45- Kids get home, come say hi and ask about their day while clients are working on a writing exercise. Husband gets them started on homework. Say goodbye to nanny. Husband starts working on dinner. Love and gratitude to an amazing husband.
4:30- Internet connection keeps going out. I only have one more hour of training. Good grief!
5:30- Pulled through the internet troubles and finish an AMAZING day of breakthroughs with my clients. I’m feeling inspired by them. I love what I do! Revel in the moment for 2 minutes.
5:35- Check email to see what I missed today.
5:40- Time to leave for the school music performance. Why is 3 year old only wearing under pants? Find pants, shoes, shirt, and jackets.
5:45- Go out to the car, boys are fighting over who sits where. I tell my oldest, “In the car or in the house, we have to go.” He chooses the house and I am frustrated that I offered such a dumb choice. Don’t offer if you don’t want them to take it.
5:56- Arrive at the school grateful we are not late.
6:00- Sitting on bleachers while the babies run all around me, climb over me, jump off the bleachers, fall down, won’t sit on my lap and are having the time of their lives. Sorry to everyone sitting near us that actually wanted to listen. Listen to my son play the xylophone.
6:45- Arrive home. Talk to oldest son. Apologize to him, ask him to apologize to his brother. Have a good parenting moment. Warm up dinner. Everyone else already ate.
7:00- Boys want a little screen time. Check emails, submit a couple of articles.
7:30- Play with my baby.
7:45- Put two youngest to bed. Uh Oh, The Foot Book and Hop On Pop are missing. Search the house. Still can’t find them. Read Peter Cottontail instead. Sing the Choo-Choo song for the millionth time. Get kids dressed. Octopus wrestling session number 2. Teeth brushed. Prayers said. Hugs and kisses. A little bit of crying, not too much.
8:00- Tell the middle boys to go to bed, brush teeth etc.
8:15- Repeat
8:30- 2nd son remembers he didn’t finish homework.
8:45– Homework done. Now go to bed for REAL!
9:00- Seriously! What are you doing still up and why don’t I notice until 15 minutes later. Also time for the oldest to go to bed. Son, I said go to bed, not practice the drums.
9:00- Read a book. Not an educational one, my brain can’t take any more work for today.
10:00- Go to bed
The truth is, being a 6 figure mom-preneur is hard work. I may not show it all the time, but I’m hustling! You may only see the pictures of us working happily together as a family. Or me with other trainers at an event. But beyond the shiny, there is a whole lot of normal going on behind the scenes. It is a challenge, but I LOVE it! I love watching my clients succeed. I love teaching them how to be successful. I love speaking. I love the growth that I get from stretching in business. I love the fact that I am a better version of myself and have more to give to my family. I love that I get to wake the kids up, get them off to school, read their stories, and be at all of their performances. I love that we have great relationships. It is a challenge, but I would much rather have this challenge of balance than the challenge of financial struggle! Life is full of challenges. I figure I might as well choose the challenges that come with success.