If you are a Momprenuer, (yes, I LOVE that word for many reasons), who believes you need to organize your life in "little compartments", then this episode is for you.
Tammy delves into the challenges of juggling entrepreneurship, motherhood, and personal life. She discusses the importance of harmony over compartmentalization and shares personal insights and stories on finding work-life balance while walking in your purpose.
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[00:00:00] If you are a mompreneur or if you are a woman who is a mother, a wife, has a small business and you're trying to juggle it all, I want you to come a little bit closer because this episode is for you. Welcome to The Messy Mind Podcast, a show to support you in seeing that messiness can lead to your light bulb moments. I'm your host, Tammy L. Davis.
[00:00:27] In December of last year, a close friend of mine invited me to a Woman on the Move event in Baltimore. The event was celebrating bold career pivots made by black women and the women who were a part of the panel all shared how they started off in their careers, respectively stayed for years climbing that corporate ladder, but each one of them had a defining moment which led them to shift into entrepreneurship.
[00:00:56] It was a very interesting discussion indeed. And you know I love a great backstory. I love hearing about how these women not only made the pivot into entrepreneurship, but how they are working within this new world. Many of them have been in entrepreneurship for years, but a lot of them, surprisingly, had just pivoted into entrepreneurship. So in any event, it was interesting to hear their backstory and how they made the shift.
[00:01:24] After the panel discussion, we moved into the Q&A segment and one question resonated with me. The question was, how do you find work-life balance when you are walking in your purpose?
[00:01:38] When the woman in the audience first asked this question, I started to chuckle to myself and thought, why do people want to compartmentalize their lives? In other words, as a mom who's also an entrepreneur, just in case you didn't know the terminology mompreneur, that's what we are. Some people love it. Some people hate it. I really still thrive on the word. I enjoy it.
[00:02:03] But in any event, it is being a mompreneur. Again, a woman, a mom, a wife who's an entrepreneur, or she may not be a wife. She's a mom. I tend to enjoy using that word mompreneur because it encompasses so many things. It's a rewarding yet challenging journey. Juggling the roles of a small business owner, a wife, and a mother, needless to say, life can be hectic.
[00:02:29] There are some days when I know I'm a rock star and there are some days where I'm a complete dud. But for the days in which I'm a rock star, I truly believe that one of the keys to success lies in my ability to bring everyone along in my journey.
[00:02:46] So my husband, who's also an entrepreneur, our kids who have only known an entrepreneurial household since they were born and they're now 18 and 20, close family and friends have all supported us when we needed extra support with the household, with the kids, and even our business.
[00:03:06] I mean, there were times in which my mother-in-law needed to meet us in a different city where my husband and I had business meetings scheduled so she can be with our daughter for fun time while we worked. You see, during the Q&A session in which that woman asked that question, the women on the panel were saying how it was important to compartmentalize their lives. But I believe it's harmony.
[00:03:33] How can you possibly be the best version of yourself when you're flowing in and out of your life? Meaning that you're one version of yourself in business and you're one version of yourself to your family. Then you're one version of yourself to your friends. You're another version of yourself to your clients. I mean, stop it already. I should have yelled out compartmentalizing is a lie.
[00:03:58] The only way to find work-life balance while you're finding your purpose is through harmony. I already said that some weeks I feel like a rock star and some weeks I feel like a dud and I embrace that. That's the work-life balance. Now listen, there have been times when I have made the conscious decision not to scale or grow next level.
[00:04:22] To a level where I wanted to because I desired to be at that parent-teacher conference. I wanted to be at every single basketball game, whether it was home or away. And I wanted to be that Valentine's Day room mom. Those are my choices because I felt time was fleeting and I knew my kids wouldn't be that age forever.
[00:04:46] And I'm going to tell you that you may have been faced with those choices as well while you're finding your purpose. Keep your eyes on the prize. Your timing to discovering your purpose is already written. And who's to say that the time you choose is preparing, meaning the time that you choose to be with your family and letting it all flow together, that time you choose is preparing you to walk in your purpose.
[00:05:15] All those times I chose family moments as opposed to business opportunities enhance my empathy skills. They enhance my compassion skills along with my decision-making skills as well. In the end, you get to find what is going to work for your journey. But as someone who has found my definition of work-life balance, I did it through these four things.
[00:05:42] Knowing that it takes a village, having a supportive partner is mandatory, taking time for myself, and remembering to breathe. And you also get to remember that, again, what works for you and your life without comparison, guilt, and more importantly, judgment. There are times in which my father and other family members have questioned what my husband and I have done from an entrepreneurial standpoint.
[00:06:11] Yes, we've experienced that judgment. But for us, for me in particular, I could care two clucks. It doesn't matter. What works for me and works for you is just that. There is no room in your space to feel guilty that you might need 20 additional minutes for that call. Or you can't remember the last time you personally cooked a homemade meal as opposed to somebody else.
[00:06:41] Heck, my daughter had practice tonight. She just called me and said, hey, we're going to pick up something to eat. We had a home-cooked meal last night, but that doesn't matter. Remember, we are in this messy, chaotic, beautiful space together. So let's embrace it. Let's stop compartmentalizing our lives and find your work-life balance through harmony. That's it for today's episode of the Messy Mind Podcast.
[00:07:07] If you found this episode valuable, please, please, please be sure to subscribe. I would love for you to leave a review and share it with another mompreneur. Until next time, continue to thrive in the mess. It can lead to your light bulb moments. Thank you for joining us this time on the Messy Mind Podcast. Please visit our website at themessymindpod.com. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss an episode.
[00:07:38] While you're at it, if you found value in this episode, we'd appreciate a rating on Apple Podcasts or simply tell a friend about the show. Always remember to embrace the messiness. It can lead to your light bulb moments.