Jannine, what does writing the blog mean to you and why did you become an entrepreneur in the first place?
Creating an online community has given me the opportunity to connect with so many other moms in the online space while giving me the freedom to create a personal brand and work on my terms.
I’ve had the entrepreneurial spirit since I was a child selling beaded geckos to my friends on the playground.
I always knew I would run my own business and creating a blog was the next step after my digital marketing program in college.
What is your business about? How did you come across your idea?
I started blogging in a different niche, beauty, and fashion, but after having my son my whole world changed.
I was struggling and found it hard to connect with the picture-perfect family lifestyles I saw all over Instagram.
It pushed me to pivot to create an honest space about motherhood filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
A place where moms could connect to know they’re not alone while providing practical tips to make life easier.
Since you are also a mom… How do you balance your personal and professional life?
It’s a constant struggle. Having a blog has provided me the opportunity to spend my children’s early years with them at home.
It’s something I don’t take for granted and pushes me to work countless late nights and early mornings so I can spend their awake time with them.
I’ve reserved two nights a week as relationship time so my husband and I always have an opportunity to connect and I can drop the guilt of spending so much time on the computer.
It’s also important to have a personal social life and prepandemic I would prioritize playdates and time with friends every single week.
Being a work from home mom is incredibly isolating, and I need that social interaction for my mental health.
Have you made any adjustments to your personal and professional life to juggle these two roles?
Definitely! It’s been a journey and has taken time to find the right balance.
I know I need to prioritize both, but they both can’t take the front seat every day.
Some days are more work focussed, and I make up for it with other days being more family focussed.
I’m not perfect, but I have found my limits and am much better at saying no to putting too many things on my plate so I can be more present for my family and more focused on my priorities in my business.
What is the greatest obstacle you have faced in achieving the success you desire? How do you overcome it?
Time management. The to-do list is never-ending, and in this season of life, there is only so much I can physically do. 🗓️
I’ve had to narrow down the priorities in my business and focus on what’s driving income.
Sometimes that means things get left behind, but with such limited hours, I have to make them count and outsource what I can.
My kids are only young for so long and I want to spend time with them. In a few years, they’ll be in school and I’ll have more time to put into the business and really drive growth.
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!
I’m a huge list and planner person. ✅ We have a family calendar and I will only schedule a certain number of events per week so I don’t get overloaded.
In addition to my planner and content planner, I have a master to-do list that’s broken down into four categories, Business, Sponsorships, Digital Products, and Marketing.
To create a stable income I need to make sure all of the wheels are turning and I prioritize something from each column every single week.
It’s easy to get caught up in creating digital products or working on the business, but without regular content and engagement, I won’t have anyone ready to purchase when products are available.
Timers are also a huge lifesaver. I set them to challenge myself for home management tasks and set them when working on the business to help me spend my time wisely and be productive with the limited hours that I have.
Any recommendations to Moms who dream about being entrepreneurs, but just can’t get started?
Take the leap! The time will pass anyway, so you may as well get started now. If you’re not sure where to start looking at your skillset.
👉 What do you have to offer to solve a problem?
👉 Next, look at your target market and develop a plan to serve your customers while being mindful of the time you actually have.
These are the basics that are going to form your business and your messaging.
Spend time on them and create the foundation for the business you want.
Have you enjoyed this interview? You can follow Easy Mom Routines on Instagram or check out Jannine’s blog. See you there! 👋
