Lesley, what does writing the blog mean to you and why did you become an entrepreneur in the first place?
I love being creative and being in charge of my time and my future.
I love setting new goals for myself and growing by learning new things. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love being able to pack a bag anytime you want and take your work on the road for as long as you want!
I was drawn to entrepreneurship mainly for my desire to be independent and be in control of my schedule. I deeply desired freedom and flexibility to put my family above my career. My home business has enabled me to do that.
What is your business about? How did you come across your idea?
HireMyMom.com is a boutique service connecting Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners to top-notch Virtual Professionals across the country.
I like to call it the Match.com of small businesses and mom professionals looking for remote jobs and projects.
After having my first child, I desperately wanted to be at home with her. I had just finished my Master’s degree and had always dreamed of climbing the corporate ladder.
But after having my baby, I wanted nothing more than to work from home and be able to be an integral part of her life.
Since you are also a mom… How do you balance your personal and professional life?
I feel there are times when being an entrepreneur can distract you from being the best wife and mother you can be.
I feel it is extremely important to constantly be aware of how you are spending your time and where your focus is. There is a fine balance between being a great entrepreneur, wife, and mother.
I feel our roles as wife and mother should come before that of achieving success as an entrepreneur. And I believe it’s something you constantly have to work on balancing.
Have you made any adjustments to your personal and professional life to juggle these two roles?
Yes, I have been running my own business for 25 years so there have been seasons where my family requires more time such as having a baby.
There are other times in my business where a new launch or project will require more of my time.
I just aim to never have them be in conflict so if my family is in a season of me needing to be there more then I would not plan any big launch for my business or I would have a team in place to do all that needed to be done.
What is the greatest obstacle you have faced in achieving the success you desire? How do you overcome it?
When I first started out, I quit my full-time job which meant we needed to cut our living expenses significantly until I could get my freelance business going.
We sold one car, got rid of cable TV, and cut out every other bill we could. We ate more ramen noodles (hello cheap!) than I care to remember.
It was rough getting started, but it gave me such drive to make sure I was successful. It paid off and I am running my business 25 years later.
Another challenge has been being a solopreneur. When you work for yourself, there’s no one above you to teach you things you don’t know how to do. You are responsible for learning new skills and staying on top of new technologies, trends, etc.
I was brand new to the working world so I had much to learn and taught myself everything from creating my first website to learning all sorts of new apps and programs along the way.
I’ve overcome those challenges by reading books, listening to podcasts, asking questions to other business owners, joining peer groups, and working with a business coach.
What are the things that help you stay organized throughout the day and get time for everyone and everything? Is there a special time planner, or workspace design, or technique that you use?
Tell us your time management secrets!
There are several tools that have been very helpful in getting and helping me stay organized. G-Suite has been amazing. I also love Slack, Trello, and SmartQueue for efficiency and organization.
When I want uninterrupted time to work, I close out my email and set my phone to “do not disturb” so that I can focus and maximize my time.
I also love to batch tasks and complete them all at once so I’m completely focused and more productive. For instance, I do my YouTube interviews on Thursdays so I’m in the zone.
Any recommendations to Moms who dream about being entrepreneurs, but just can’t get started?
The best advice I can give is to research options and business ideas that really excite you and resonate with your strengths and interests.
I strongly suggest that people find a business they truly enjoy — because then it’s not just work.
Most people who jump into a quick way to make money fail. They start something that they do not enjoy and they quickly burn out.
I would much rather love what I’m doing and earn an income than dread it even if it pays better. Life is too short to dread your business or job!
Have you enjoyed this interview? You can follow Hire My Mom on Instagram or check out Lesley’s blog. See you there! 👋
