As mothers running businesses, we had this idea of doing things on our own terms – taking time off, vacations, spending time with the people we love.
But the more our businesses have grown the more it’s taken away from the freedom and flexibility we wanted to create. Luckily, we have the privilege of being able to create that freedom and flexibility with the power of choice.
Every day in your business, and in your home, you make choices that stack up to create your current situation. Where you are now is a product of the choices you’ve made, and while that likely puts you in a great financial situation, it’s taken a toll on your mental wellbeing and your relationships.
What you need is to make changes that will allow you to effectively lead your business on the terms you thought you were signing up for when you started.
After working with hundreds of successful women and building multiple businesses of my own, here’s what I know is necessary for the freedom and flexibility you want;
Better Manage Your Time - With a lot of moving parts you need to get specific about what you are doing and when, at work and at home. The less overlap between roles the better.
Create a Home Team - Create more structure in your home schedule and delegate responsibilities so everyone who lives in your house is helping to get things done. Asking partners to step up, kids to step in and outsourcing the things you hate gets your time back instantly.
Be More Efficient - Lean into automations, technology and blocks of time where you are focused on one single thing. Bouncing back and forth between too many things not only feels overwhelming, it’s a waste of time. See where you can improve your systems, processes and procedures as well because a few minutes saved here and there adds up.
Get a Work Phone - Accessibility is wonderful for a lot of reasons but also the easier it is to work the more likely work is getting brought into everything you do and pulling you out of the present moment. This is one I implemented this year that has been a game changer, taking work apps off my phone is a boundary for me and allows me to be present in one role (CEO/Coach/Mom/Wife) at a time. Pro tip: Use an old phone and set it up with your work apps and then you can still use it anywhere where there is wifi, you don’t actually need a second phone line.
Team Structure - Have the right people in the right roles to support you, take things off your plate and continue growing the business. Oftentimes leaders will hire either the wrong person or the wrong role, and sometimes it’s the right role for the wrong person – be willing to step back and look at what you really need help with in the business and get creative with the roles you hire for.
Clearly Communicate - As a leader and mother, people need to clearly know what you want and when you need it. It’s easy to continue to take things on without thinking about the reality that we are out of space, or energy,
Elevate Your Standards and Your Pricing - As an established business owner you have the expertise and the experience, and you should be paid well for it. Charging top dollar for your services ensures that you can give the best quality work without overworking yourself or your team.
Know Your Capacity - Don’t let fear and scarcity drive your decisions, if you are afraid of missing out on an opportunity and constantly chasing the next sale – you could be pouring more energy into the clients you have already. You need to know your personal capacity for the time and energy you have to give your highest quality, and your team's capacity to make sure you aren’t taking on more than the team can handle.
More than anything, every change starts with a decision. So, you have to decide that you are no longer willing to speed through your days feeling scattered, overwhelmed, pulled in too many directions and constantly reacting to everything that’s occurring around you.
Freedom and flexibility as a business owner isn’t a pipe dream, in fact I believe that it’s a necessity for longevity and sustainability. And freedom doesn’t mean you are vacationing every two weeks (especially for us moms!) but it does mean that we have adequate space to do the things we want to do, take care of ourselves and be the women we want to be in this life.
Making the uncomfortable decision to lead your business (and your life) differently is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, your children and everyone who is depending on you to keep going.
Welcome to 2024, let’s kick ass without sacrificing ourselves in the process.
Need help figuring out the strategic structure to support the life and business you envision? Schedule a call with me here.