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Stay at home to raise your children or have a challenging career in the “real world”?
June 11, 2008
Traditionally this question has required a clear choice; one or the other but rarely both. However, the line is now blurring as many of today’s moms are questioning the assumption that they must choose between going back to work or staying at home with their kids.
Erin Wilson, Chief Momma for Lots 2 Say Baby, battled this question herself after her first child was born. “I loved staying at home with my son but found that I needed something else in my life to energize me and use the skills I had worked so hard to grow in my career.”
Lots 2 Say Baby was born last fall when she and her husband launched their first line of designer pacifiers. The brightly colored pacificers are emblazoned with 11 well designed and often funny sayings such as “Volume Control”, “Got Latte?” or “ttyl, Much Later”.
Erin believes staying at home and working from home works well for her, but it isn’t without its challenges. “The path I have chosen is so rewarding and right for me – but it does have challenges. Juggling hats as a mother, wife and business owner each day is hectic. Most days it drives me and energizes me – but we all have those moments when we ask if it’s worth it.”
More and more women are starting their own businesses. According to the 2007 WOW! Quick Facts: Women, nearly 10.4 million companies in the United States are now owned by women (which is over 50% of all companies), employing more than 12.8 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
Have you been thinking about starting your own business? If yes, here’s some great advice from Erin:
- Be passionate about your business: If you’re going to create a business you need to be passionate about it.
- Understand the space: I am my first customer. I understand what Moms like me need and want. Quality, functionality and design are all important to Moms, so these are the tenets of our business.
- Plan your day: It’s easy to dive right in each morning and go at a crazy pace until you drop at the end of the day. To enjoy your new business it takes a plan. I don’t work from the time my son wakes up (around 7am) until he goes down for his nap (10am). It seemed counterintuitive that working less would help, but, I discovered that having those hours in the morning to play with my son and get the house in order for the day made me ten times more productive during my work hours. I spend less time feeling guilty that I’m not enjoying my son AND the house is in order (mostly).
- Take a day off: We go to the zoo or Science Museum or just for a long walk at least once a week. I feel more energetic after the break and my son and I have wonderful memories of our adventures.
Lots 2 Say Baby’s designer pacifiers are available online and in boutique baby shops across the USA. To view all of their sayings or learn more about the company, visit www.lots2saybaby.com.
~ Lisa Quast
Topics: Create Work/Life Balance | No Comments »
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