Q: How do you do it all and stay motivated and start so many businesses? –royaldee
A: Yikes. Loaded question. As you know in 2009 I opened my first real company, full blown brick-n-mortar company including the ridiculously high overhead and all stress to boot. That was one of the biggest learning experiences of my life. I let go of that business in 2010 & it was one of the best decisions of my life. From that experience I learned my priorities, and so many crucial business things that I know today. Bigger isn’t always better. Family ALWAYS comes first. Your first ideas aren’t always the best & sometimes you just have to roll with it.
Q: What do you do for me time? – Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve
A: Me time, huh? Since A arrived she is my 24/7 but continuing to blog and reading other blogs is my “me” time. Sometimes at night after I nurse her and I’m rocking her to sleep I catch up on my favorite blogs or write out the ideas bouncing around in my head, via my phone!
Q: How do you balance being a wife, momma, blogging & working? -Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve
A: First things first – being a wife and mama always come before blogging or work. If I have an urgent client matter for one of my business clients I work and entertain A at the same time, or if I’m lucky I can work while she naps. Other times (most commonly) I only work when she naps or when Ryan gets home. Same for blogging.
Q: What is your absolute favorite thing to do? – Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve
A: Great question, I could list lots of things I love to do but if I have to choose just one (not including things including being a mama) it would be sitting outside on a cool summer night where the sky is clear and the stars are bright and I can just look up and soaking it all in, that’s my favorite.
Q: Is there anything you had the opportunity to do but didn’t and now regret it? – RinderceIIa, Neathering our Fest
A: Yikes, this one is tough. I can think of two big opportunities that I had and didn’t take. I can’t say I fully regret either, I genuinely try to live without regrets & I’m a pretty firm believer that all happens as its meant to, including missed opportunities. One opportunity that I didn’t take was being able to open a small location to provide children’s art classes. When I had my brick-n-mortar business I had the space to start having children’s art classes like I always hoped to, but opted not to which ended up being for the better since I got rid of the location (see above in Q1) but it is something that I would enjoy doing in the future.
Q: how did you get into your business? How did you come up with the products? -Pamela, Pamela’s Heavenly Treats
A: this is a two part answer. I started my virtual assisting company in 2007 when I would get my dad caught up on invoices. After I really fell in love with small business after my lessons learned in 2009, I really hit the ground running helping small businesses find affordable marketing solutions, amping up social media and helping them free up more time in their day by taking on tasks needed to run the business so they can focus on their passion.
For the shop…I opened up after years of encouragement of friends and family. For years I would create to simply give the items away. Most products I create either OOAK (flower pots, canvas paintings), or if they are a regularly offered item I have found and created them all out of my joy of the products.
Q: Did you both always want to have A? -Shirley, A Bow for Mama
A: I have always known I wanted to be a mama, in fact, that’s something that I’ve always been sure about. Our entire relationship we have talked about kids, in fact, we have had a boys name picked out for years and always referenced our theoretical child by the boys name, little did we know we would be blessed with a little girl that changed our hearts and lives more than we would ever imagine!
Q: what is your favorite date night food or snack? Ours is a pint of sorbet. –Domestic Bella
A: Mmmm! Raspberry Sorbet is a favorite of ours!!! Yum!
