Recently I was taking with someone about this subject who suggested that it would make a great podcast episode - and I totally agreed, so here we are!

Knowing and understanding the concept of opportunity cost in both life and business is super important, and in this episode I'm breaking down what exactly it is, how to assess it and how to use it as a tool to make better decisions.

If you have ever been in business, sales, gambled or just know someone who likes this phrase, then you’ve heard the term opportunity cost before.

Here's how I like to think about: opportunity cost is the cost of continuing on one path at the expense of a pursuing a potentially better path.

You know I love a good analogy, so here are a few real life, practical examples of opportunity cost that might help you grasp the concept a little better.

Example 1:

If you are gambling, there is an opportunity cost to continuing to put money into the pot even when you think your hand won’t win, simply because you’re already invested.

At some point you have to recognize and evaluate the opportunity cost, cut your losses and run otherwise you'll continue to bleed money and lose the game entirely.

Here's another example for you....

Example 2:

Let's say you're dating someone that you know isn’t right for you long-term, but you're staying because you've invested time, energy and emotions into the relationship.

The longer you stay, the greater the opportunity cost because you're potentially missing out on the opportunity for something that would be much better for you in the long run.

Example 3:

If more time freedom is important to you in your business, but all you're spending all your time trading hours for dollars as opposed to creating passive income streams, your opportunity cost will grow higher every day that you continue that pattern.

The Reality

We have to learn how to consistently measure the opportunity cost of what we’re trading now at the expense of something better.

If you never stop and make that assessment you’re always going to be stuck in the same rate race.

In any area of life or business that isn't working the way you want it, there is an opportunity cost involved with not addressing it, and we need to know what that is in order to make better decisions and appropriate pivots.

Start by asking yourself what situations you may be dealing with right now that are costing you better potential opportunity? What are you holding onto that would be better moved on from or switched up?

One thing I want to mention: there should hopefully be some things in your life and business that you don't need to count the opportunity cost for, because it's working and you're happy. Don't look for problems where there aren't any. Just be happy!

However, for the other things that you aren’t 100% positive about, you need to develop a process for deciding when it's best to cut your losses and change course OR what deciding factors are going to help you continue moving forward.

And hey....if you've just been skimming through this article without actually listening to the podcast, now's the part where you need to click play because I'm sharing a SUPER personal story about why I really wanted to name this episode "Don't Wait Until Your Business Throws a Spoon at You." Trust me.....you want to listen ;)

We invest a lot into our businesses, just as we invest a lot into our families. We love what we create and usually feel a massive connection to the investments we've made. This is all normal and fine.

Just don’t feel let those feelings keep you stuck in patterns that aren't working out in your favor. Learn how to recognize the opportunity cost of what you're doing and how to cut your losses and move on to bigger, better things when it's time.

Episode Sponsor: Raising Your Business

Raising Your Business is an 8-week self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through the 10-point path you need to follow in order to raise and nurture a truly successful business.

This program is perfect for you if you’ve started your business, but don’t feel like you are super clear on how you will structure your brand, programs, pricing, and content. If you know what you want, but don’t know how to get there, then this is a great fit!

If you want to know more about Raising Your Business, be sure to check out my newest live workshop, Your 10 Point Path to Raise a Successful Business, where I will walk you through the process to ensure you’re raising your business the right way. Save your spot today!

Connect with Dana

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

Money and personal finance is something that can make a lot of people's heads spin, and chances are you may be one of them! Today's guest is the amazing Jen Hemphill, a Motivational Money Coach, an AFC® (Accredited Financial Counselor) and host of the Her Money Matters Podcast.

Jen is super passionate about helping busy, ambitious women transform their finances from being overwhelming to bringing joy, simplicity, and confidence. When she's not talking money, she enjoys photography, coffee, chocolate, traveling, working out and spending time with her husband and two boys.

I just know you're going to love what she has to say, so go ahead and jump in below!

Listen + subscribe on iTunes // Stitcher

Jen's Boss Mom Journey

Jen describes the start of her journey beginning back in 2000 when she married her husband, becoming a military spouse and living in the middle of nowhere.

Soon after, Jen recognized that it would be impossible to sustain career stability for herself, so she began brainstorming what she could do moving forward, also knowing she and her husband would soon begin growing their family.

“I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. I wanted to be at home with the kids, and I wanted to have a career.” (1:43)

When her oldest child was born a few years later, she made the decision to stop working (a difficult decision at the time as she earning more at her job than her husband).

Despite going from two incomes to one and bringing in substantially less income, she dove in, managed the money well and made it work (though she couldn't tell you how, now!)

Over time she became sought after by friends, family and others for financial advice as people saw the kind of lifestyle Jen and her family were able to live on their reduced income. And that's when the entrepreneurial bug bit.

“I realized that was really my calling, that was my strength - being able to teach people about personal finance.” (4:55)

What is Personal Finance Exactly?

Jen explains that personal finance isn't just about budgeting, saving money, paying off debt, etc. It's ultimately about learning to become your own money expert over time.

There are so many wonderful money gurus out there to learn and glean from, and they give fantastic advice. But the problem is that we often tend to hold tightly to the one size fits all principles shared by these gurus and forget to tune into OUR needs and desires financially.

“The money experts out there are experts in money, but they’re not experts in you.” (6:19)

The backbone of Jen's business is empowering women to really learn how to become their own money expert by staying tuned into their wants and desires and being specific and intentional in setting and reaching their financial goals.

She encouraged women to look at things with a long-term, big picture perspective and have a holistic approach to how you handle your finances.

Keep it Simple & Do What Works

The simplification of personal finance is something that can feel overwhelming and out of reach for a lot of people, which is why Jen is so passionate about keeping things as simple as possible.

She says that's "her thing," stating, "the simpler it gets, the better it is!"

We discuss the reality that complicated spreadsheets aren't the only way to go about managing your money, and the importance of figuring out the tools and systems that will actually work because you use them.

How to Budget & Save Realistically

Jen's first bit of advice when I asked her about where to start from a practical standpoint with realistic budgeting, is to acknowledge the fact that, like you, your finances are a work in progress.

"I still mess up, and I'm transparent about that."

But don't let the setbacks, missteps and mistakes hold you back from moving forward and growing.

She says for most people, budgeting the fixed expenses is the easy part. It's the variable expenses that are harder to manage and get people overwhelmed to a point of just ignoring their financial planning instead of owning it.

Jen encourages us to be intentional about making decisions regarding how much money we will spend on things, breaking it down into consistent monthly numbers and then separating that money and treating it like bill money. Getting things automated would be even better!

When it comes to saving, you also need to treat that money like part of the bills. Come up with research rough estimates, and then break your total number down based on the number of months you'll need to save for something.

Get it automated by using something like a virtual envelope system, which will allow you to "set it and forget it" as you watch the money accumulate and you never have to worry about those variable (and sometimes unpredictable!) expenses.

Managing Family, Finance & Business

When I asked Jen how she manages juggling all the things she does, her answer was:

“I ask myself, ‘How did I get myself into this?!” (28:49)

She goes on to share her struggle with prioritizing self care and has been actively trying to improve in that area of her life because she knows it makes a world of difference.

One of the biggest things she has worked through in recent years is learning to give herself permission and grace to not have to do it all and be perfect, advice that we could all stand to take to heart as the hardworking boss moms we are.

Referenced in the Show:

• Ashley Shelley Budget Notebook
• Eating Clean Cooking Dirty
• Mint.com
• PowerPay.org
• Tonya Rineer

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Trello

Are you tired of trying (and feeling like you're failing) at juggling #allthethings in your life and business? I've totally been there, but the day I discovered Trello my life (and business!) completely changed - for the better!

To show you what I'm talking about, I've put together an epic FREE training on how exactly I use Trello to organize my life and business and manage my team like a total Boss Mom!

Over 6,000 women have used this training to bring more balance, organization, peace and productivity to their lives and businesses, and I want YOU to be next. Click here to get instant access now.

PS: Did I mention it's totally free? The training AND Trello itself! #winning

Connect with Dana + Jen

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)
• Jen: Website / Facebook / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

A huge part of running a successful business and embracing your role as CEO of your business is learning how to become a good decision-maker. But let's be honest: knowing how to make the best decisions for both your business and your life can be super hard.

In this episode NJ and I are exploring a few thoughts and strategies for determining what things should get your "yes" and what things should get your "no" in business. 

1. Do you have the capacity?

Knowing your capacity and bandwidth is SUPER important, because if you aren't honest with yourself and others in this area, you're going to consistently over-promise, under-deliver and overwork yourself at the expense of what matters most (typically your self care, your family, etc).

2. Does it align with your business goals?

You can't (and shouldn't!) say yes to everything, so be really clear about why you're saying yes. Does the opportunity you're considering make sense with regard to what your business goals are? Ask yourself three sub-questions here: What are my business goals? How would this opportunity support my goals? Will this opportunity set me back from meeting my goals in any way?

3. Will it move your business forward?

This stems from the last question about aligning with your goals. When you know what your goals are, then you can determine if the opportunities you're considering will significantly move your business forward in any way. At the very least, you don't want to set yourself back. Ideally, you want to save your "yes" for those opportunities that will really move you and your business forward.

4. Does it fit within your schedule constraints?

This is an obvious one, but we too often act like our schedules have no limitations (when really, the exact opposite is true and time after time we sacrifice things of great importance.) Consider whether your schedule can really accommodate the opportunities you're considering. What will the effect of saying yes have on you? What about your family? Others?

5. Is the cost worth it?

Determine how much it will cost to say yes to an opportunity, and work backwards to figure out whether the tradeoff will be worth it. Maybe something that has a high initial cost is worth it because of a beneficial long-term payout. But maybe it will just be a lot of money spent with nothing really substantial to show for it from an investment perspective. Be rational when considering whether something is worth investing your time, energy and finances in.

6. Is it going to serve your position as an expert in your niche?

You want to be strategic in everything you do and sometimes opportunities will arise that won't serve you and the platform you're trying to build for yourself. Think about how saying yes to something will position you to look to others. Will it improve people's perception of you or damage it?

7. How will you be able to leverage it?

Know with a decent amount of certainty the specifics of how you will leverage an opportunity long-term before you say yes. If you can't leverage something, it's probably not going to be worth your "yes."

Referenced in the Show:

• Notting Hill

• My Best Friend’s Wedding

• Pretty Woman

• Sing

• Mommies Helping Mommies

• She's Building Her Empire Live

• Boss Mom Minis One-Day Workshop

• Amazon Fresh

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Connect with Dana & NJ

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)
• NJ : Website / Instagram (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

Do you have a hard time stepping away or taking time off from your business? You are not alone my friend. As entrepreneurs we live very different lives from our traditionally employed counterparts, in that we are ultimately responsible for and affected by everything that happens with our businesses.

Woah, that's a lot of pressure, can I get an amen?! In this episode I'm sharing 3 things we can do as business owners to help combat the "separation anxiety" we often experience, so that we can move forward in continuing to grow our businesses without experiencing as much of the worry or stress that can go along with it.

I don't know about you, but I have personally had some experiences since becoming an entrepreneur where other people who aren't entrepreneurs just didn't "get" the way I am or the way my life works.

I've even been accused of working too much, not being able to step away from my business, being on my phone too much and not having healthy boundaries. (And yes, if you're wondering, those kinds of words do hurt).

Non-entrepreneurs often don’t get it. We live in a different world where the weight of all the things rest solely on us, as opposed to only being responsible for the execution of someone else’s vision. We can’t just clock out and forget about it because our tasks are done.

The reality is that, as business owners, we often wear all the hats. We are the CEO, the manager, the doer, etc. And that reality makes it really difficult to completely turn things off and step away.

When we have people and projects to manage in our business, and the accountability for those people and projects falls to us, there is a great level of ownership involved.....so it's no wonder why fear, worry and anxiety can often come into play.

Entrepreneurism is not just about doing what you love or what you’re passionate about, or finding your gift and monetizing it. Business is about making decisions and taking ownership of everything that means. THAT is what we signed up for. Which, by definition, is really darn scary.

If ever you feel like you're alone, I want you to remember that you. are. not. Even really successful people experience the same kind of intimidation about the weight of their level of ownership and accountability for the effects of their decisions.

To combat that scary feeling, successful people are intentional about surrounding themselves with people who get it AND who are sharp and give them greater confidence in their decision making.

In addition to surrounding yourself by other positive, encouraging, smart and successful entrepreneurs who understand the journey you're on and can help bolster your confidence as a business owner, you can also do the following 3 things to help stave off feelings of separation anxiety from your business.

1. Know your deadlines

I am a BIG fan of mapping out everything in your life and business on an annual calendar, because it requires you to make well-thought out and well-planed decisions for both your life and business for an entire year. It eliminates the element of surprise that can often contribute to feels of worry or anxiety. When you know what's coming next, you can more easily let the small things go because you're focused on the big pictures.

In addition to planning out your annual calendar, I strongly encourage you to revisit and reexamine it regularly. Make adjustments as you need to- nothing has to be permanently set in stone! The point is to make decisions about things before they come up, so you can rest easy and feel like you have more space for the unexpected things that really ARE out of your control.

If you don't feel confident in your ability to map your annual calendar out, find a person or resource that can help you get things nailed down. Find who or what you need for decisions support (my new webinar training Your 10 Point Path to Raising a Successful Business is all about this!)

2. Know your business' different cries

As business owners, just as with being moms, it's critical to learn the difference between our business' different signals or cries. There are usually two categories that most issues fall under: the urgent and the important. Usually we end up spending the most time on the urgent, those fires that constantly pop up needing put out right away. Typically the urgent isn't actually that important in the long run, but we spend most of our time there.

When we shift our focus to what's actually important, coupled with knowing what's coming next down the pipeline, we are better able to accomplish what we really need to without feeling the constant need to be a firefighter in our businesses. We want to live as much as possible in the place where things are important, but don’t feel urgent.

When something comes up in your business, ask yourself why it feels like a fire so you can determine if it actually is a fire that demands your attention. Can it wait? If so, make it wait! We waste time feeling like we have to be present all the time, doing whatever we can to put out all the fires that come up.

But just like we do a disservice to answering every little whimper our kids make, we do a disservice to our business by not teaching it and equipping it to resolve things on its own. Certain cries require an immediate response, and others don't. Learn the difference in your business.

3. Be proud of yourself

Have you ever heard of positive and negative emotional attractors? Did you know that it takes on average 5 positive experiences to outweigh the impact on 1 negative experience? That's crazy....but valuable information.

Taking time to regularly reflect on all you've accomplished, how far you've come and how hard you've worked can make a world of difference in your outlook. When we develop a practice of celebrating ourselves and our businesses, we become much less likely to focus on the negative things that inevitably arise in favor of remembering that, even though challenges will come, everything will be alright.

Tell yourself every day that everything will be okay. You and your business are going to survive until tomorrow. Nothing except the end of the world is ever the end of the world.

And just remember: there really is no such thing as work/life balance. BUT we can make decisions that helps us be decisive so we can avoid separation anxiety and just be good leaders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, etc.

Referenced in the Show:

• Natalie Gingrich
• 10 Point Path to Raising a Successful Business

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Raising Your Business

Raising Your Business is an 8-week self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through the 10-point path you need to follow in order to raise and nurture a truly successful business.

This program is perfect for you if you’ve started your business, but don’t feel like you are super clear on how you will structure your brand, programs, pricing, and content. If you know what you want, but don’t know how to get there, then this is a great fit!

If you want to know more about Raising Your Business, be sure to check out my newest live workshop, Your 10 Point Path to Raise a Successful Business, where I will walk you through the process to ensure you’re raising your business the right way. Save your spot today!

Connect with Dana

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

In this episode I am having an awesome conversation with author Liz O'Donnell about the realities working moms face in the world today trying to balance home life and work.

Liz is is the general manager of Double Forte, a PR and digital marketing firm, as well as the author of Mogul, Mom & Maid: The Balancing Act of the Modern Woman, a book that examines the impact women’s personal lives have on their careers and the ways business can support working women.

Tune in for some very candid discussion that will be eye-opening at the least, and more than likely have you cheering from your seat!

Liz's Boss Mom Journey

Our conversation begins with Liz sharing a bit about her background, recounting that she always "wanted to want" to be a mother....but never actually wanted to. She felt like one day she may regret never having kids, but just didn't feel maternal.

Her husband was on board for not having any kids, and they went on their merry way as just a happily married couple.....until one day, he changed his mind! Liz got on board, got pregnant at age 35 and was shocked to discover she actually liked being a mom!

But, she also LOVED working (while her husband did not) so they came up with an arrangement they felt would work best for them: she would work full-time and he would be the stay-at-home dad.

As she developed and honed her skill set working in PR, social media and digital marketing, she was also doing the same in a few side ventures as well. In 2009 Liz started blogging, eventually wrote a book and recently shut down that original blog to start a new one called WorkingDaughter.com.

Now Liz's children are 12 and 14 and her husband is preparing to make his way back into the working world, but in the beginning when they were just figuring things out, everything looked a little different.

When she initially went back to work (after 10 weeks of maternity leave) her husband was still working so they had to juggle back and forth a little bit. She remembers finding a great daycare for her son, then getting laid off shortly after returning from maternity leave after having her daughter, which meant they would have to pull their son out of the daycare they loved and that he was thriving at.

It's experiences like these as a working mother that have fueled Liz's passion to examine and address the realities of working moms trying to balance it all in a culture that's not always been the easiest for working moms to navigate while having a real life.

The Path to Writing Her Book

Liz shares that she had always wanted to be a writer, so it was no surprise (especially after being a blogger) that she eventually ended up sitting down to pen her own book.

She knew that she had to write the book she did because of the things she had experienced as a working mom, and how widespread an issue the disparity between life for working moms and life for working dads had become.

She shares that there is countless data that shows women are still doing 40-60% more housework and childcare in the home, regardless of who's working.

“Nobody’s talking about this to the level that I want to talk about it.” (8:02)

We discuss how in our culture the public school system still operates under the assumption that there will be a parent at home during the day, and 9 times out of 10 if there is an emergency or need of some kind they default to reaching out to the mom first.

This is just one example, she says, of how women often get the short end of the stick when it comes to work/life balance and validation of their vocational status.

She also talks about the reality that, while women are often pulling more weight in terms of all the things they juggle between work and home life, it's painful and uncomfortable to feel upset or resentful at your spouse because most aren't bad people.....they've just grown up in a culture that has conditioned them to perceive and expect things to be a certain way.

Especially when there are often more variables at play than just one. Case in point: what Liz calls "maternal gatekeeping" which is where moms habitually jump in even when their partners are trying to be more involved and take ownership of responsibilities within the home, because they constantly feel like they could do a better job.

From Liz's perspective, we live in a society where most work cultures that expect you to check your "real life" at the door in the name of professionalism....which often hurts working moms in a different way than their working counterparts.

“I think what we really need is not just work/life policies, but we need work/life cultures, and they’re two different things.” (24:42)

Continuing the Journey

Since writing her book, she has shifted her focus a bit in starting her new blog and working on her new book that is about recognizing that there are 44 million people in this country giving unpaid elder care support (to parents, grandparents, etc).

Liz states that, as a culture, we need to solve the issue of work/life balance for everyone regardless of what their unique circumstances are (being parents, being elder caregivers, etc).

She proposes the introduction of a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the workplace, which would enable you to excel at your job, while being able to take the time away from work to handle things in your personal life without being interrogated or made to feel like your job has to come before your personal obligations to your family.

“We’re not expected to be humans at work, we’re expected to be professional!” (31:09)

But the reality as moms and/or elder care givers is that we are all the things, all the time and shouldn't constantly be expected to take hats off in order to put other ones on.

What Women Can Do to Make Better Spaces for Themselves

In addition to advocating and championing policies like "don't ask, don't tell" in the workplace, Liz also suggests that women actively take care regarding their attitudes toward men.

She talks about how it can be easy to be resentful or angry at men across the board, but the reality is that if anything is going to change in our society, it will require the support and involvement of men.....and many men aren't trying to propagate these issues on purpose, so there should be a modicum of grace extended their way.

Liz also encourages women to constantly assess whether they are in a good space that is working for them, or if they're regularly having to give up too much of themselves and sacrifice their personal lives on the alter of their work lives.

“You don’t want to see women suffering and sacrificing themselves through the whole experience.” (37:33)

One of her favorite sayings is to "Put down the mop!" which she says means finding the things in your life that you can let go and move on from, because at the end of the day they don't actually matter that much!

Let go of the drive to prove to other people that you love your kids, or that your house is always neat and tidy, and so on. At the end of the day your only obligation is to stay true to yourself and figure out what works best for you and your family.....so let everything else go!

Referenced in the Show:

• Mogul, Mom & Maid: The Balancing Act of the Modern Woman
• Lean In
• Liz-ODonnell.com
• WorkingDaughter.com
• Working Daughter FB Group
• Finding Balance as a Working Daughter Worksheet
• She Starts
• Double Forte
• TaskRabbit

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Adoption STAR

The adoption process can often be confusing and frustrating. Adoption STAR offers support, knowledge, assistance, and most importantly, personalized attention, to make this process easier. Clients of Adoption STAR are pleasantly surprised that their adoption journey is one filled with education, individual choices and compassion.

Adoption STAR’s international programs are open to residents of New York State, Ohio and Florida. Adoptive couples or singles who wish to adopt domestically with Adoption STAR are eligible if they reside in New York State, Florida, or Ohio. Adoption STAR is also Connecticut and Illinois Approved. In addition, each year a a few applicants outside of these areas are considered for the domestic program.

The agency offers consultation, counseling, educational classes, a resource library, home studies, updates, post-placement, post-adoption support, expectant parent, birth parent and adoptive parent counseling, child placements and so much more.

Begin your adoption journey today by clicking here to request your free information packet!

Connect with Dana

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

The biggest thing to think about when it comes to preparing your business for travel is how you can not only prepare for the time you'll be away, but also for your return. There is nothing worse than letting things get backlogged so you end up having to work when you weren't planning to, letting things fall through the cracks, OR having a great time away, but having to jump back into chaos immediately upon returning.

Here are a few of our best tips that will help set you and your business up for success the next time you travel!

1. Create space in your calendar

During the weeks leading up to a trip or vacation you want to be proactive about how you'll be spending your time before traveling. Pull your calendar out and identify what things can be taken off and what you'll need to say no to in order to create space for you to make the necessary preparations for leaving your business. Get your ducks in a row little by little leading up to your trip and you won't feel like a crazy minute trying to get everything figured out right as you're heading out the door!

2. Work IN your business instead of ON your business.

More than likely it will be in your best interest to focus on the inner workings of your business and stay in "create & sustain" mode versus focusing on business growth and adding high level things to your plate right before traveling. Because honestly, who needs that extra stress? Be intentional about taking care of the things inside your house versus the things outside (you can do that when you get back!)

3. Determine if you will work while you travel.

Sometimes there will be instances where traveling provides you the perfect opportunity to work on things in your business that you wouldn't normally get to in regular life. Other times there are things you will have to do while you're gone, such as checking into a Facebook group that you run or hopping on the phone for client calls. But there are other times (ie: vacation) where you won't want to (and shouldn't!) touch a phone or computer. Figure these things out in advance. Decide what you will and won't do, and prepare yourself and your business to accommodate that decision.

4. Get your automation systems in place.

Automation is a beautiful, beautiful thing for us busy mom entrepreneurs on a normal basis, but it's especially amazing during times of travel. Figure out what can be automated while you're away and do the work to get those systems in place and running so you don't have to even think about it until you return.

5. Clearly define roles & operations information to your team.

If your business is to the point where you have a team of people supporting you, make sure to prepare them for your absence and set them up for success while you're gone. Clearly define who will be responsible for what, make sure they have what they need, and make sure they have access to everything they'll need access to (including you, in cases of emergency!) Pro tip: don't try to micromanage and allow your team members to own their roles.

While we can't promise that if you do all these things that your life, business and trip will go off without a hitch, we can guarantee that it will be a whole lot easier than if you didn't prepare in advance ;)

Referenced in the Show:

• ThredUp

• Lilah Higgins, The Higgins Creative

• Natalie Gingrich

• Boss Mom Minis

• Raising Your Business Webinar

• Kelsey Murphy

• Pat Flynn

• Danielle Roberts

• Boss Mom Feature in INC.com

• 50 Shades Darker

• Sparkle. Hustle. Grow.

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: The Biz Chix Podcast

BizChix.com encourages, educates, and promotes entrepreneurial women with educational content and training, a community support system, masterminding, coaching, and events.

Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Connect with Dana & NJ

• Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)
• NJ : Website / Instagram (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

Ok, first I want to make sure to give you fair warning before you dive into this episode: I totally recorded it in the front seat of my car sitting in my garage because my brother is visiting from out of town and he is upstairs with my kids building forts and causing chaos (as all uncles should do with their nieces & nephews!)

So, let's talk quizzes! Quizzes have become pretty popular over the years and can be excellent tools for business owners to really get people engaged with what they're doing. In this episode I'm diving into what the basic function of quizzes is, how to go about brainstorming your next quiz and how to then actually create it (all of which can feel overwhelming and daunting at first!)

Listen + subscribe on iTunes // Stitcher

If you don't know my personal background, I actually used to build behavior modification courseware in Corporate America that included things like surveys, quizzes, etc. Now I want to share the knowledge and expertise I gained in that role to help walk you through implementing these powerful tools in your own business! (I promise, it's really not so hard!)

There are three primary questions that most people ask themselves when they decide to create a quiz:

1. What kind of quiz should I build?
2. What is the point behind my quiz?
3. How am I actually going to make my quiz?

Let's explore each question and I'll give you some practical, actionable tips for moving forward in creating your very own quiz.

Phase 1: Brainstorming

Many people often decide that they are going to create a quiz and get hung up on trying to first decide on a title. I'm here to tell you that starting with the title will probably make your life way harder than it has to be. Instead, I recommend starting with the end in mind.

First, begin by deciding what you want the outcome to be. Reverse engineer your way through brainstorming the why and the what behind your quiz. Ultimately you want your quiz to draw people in, keep them engaged and clearly illustrate for them why they need whatever you're offering in their life.

Upon completing the quiz they should experience an "aha" moment that directs them straight to your opt-in, which is the "first date" part of your free to paid journey. 

Second, break down your end result into categories and questions. Think about what you'll be leading your people to and how what you're offering can apply to different kinds of people. Use the categories you decide on to determine the kind of information you need to gather from them in the form of quiz questions.

Brainstorm as many questions as you can think of that might help you get them to that "aha" moment, and then narrow your list down to the most important, relevant and helpful questions.

Third, put your end result, categories and questions together to brainstorm some possible titles for your quiz. Again, brainstorm as many as you can think of! Brainstorming isn't about getting it all perfect - it's about getting it all out!

Narrow your list down to three different options, then take them to your community and have them vote on their favorite (and share WHY it's their favorite!)

Phase 2: Building

The next part is all about figuring out how to build your quiz. This part can also really trip people up because they get stuck on figuring out the best tools to use to execute.

There are several things out there that you could use, but my personal favorite and recommendation is Interact.

When you are building your quiz, I want you to consider a few key things:

1. Where can you include pictures in your quiz to keep things fun and exciting 
2. Will you require quiz takers to input their email address to receive their results or not
3. Make sure you aren't building it alone!

When it comes to quizzes, you want to remember that your strategy is all about enticing people, drawing them in and keeping them engaged so they feel good about the time they spent taking your quiz.

Including pictures (specifically as answer choices!) can make a big difference in how they experience taking your quiz.

Now you need to decide where you want to ask for people's email addresses. I'm sure you've seen some quizzes require an email address to receive your results, which can definitely work.

However, my personal opinion is that it's more powerful to be generous up front by giving them their results right away and then seamlessly leading them to your opt-in when delivering their results. By providing an opt-in offering that perfectly aligns with the quiz result they've received, they'll feel personally connected to (and excited about!) giving you an email address in exchange for your opt-in.

Lastly, make sure you aren't building things in your business alone! Clarity comes in the building phase, and greater clarity comes from brainstorming and hashing things out with other people. Be sure to engage with your community and let them help you make decisions as you build not only your quizzes, but all content.

Referenced in the Show:

• Interact
• Trello Training
• Boss Moms FB Group

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Kerstin Pressler

Kerstin Pressler is a fine artist and mentor to creatives who believes that anyone can make a living out of their passions just as she has done. In 2013 she founded the Biz School for Creatives, where she provides the tools, structures, techniques and strategies creative entrepreneurs need to succeed.

She also LOVES all you fabulous Boss Moms, which is why she has put together a special FREE website checklist just for you, to help you make sure your website is really serving you and your business in the best light.

You can click here to access that checklist for free AND, if after checking out any of her artwork, coursework, jewelry, etc you see something you like, be sure to use code BOSSMOM at checkout for 20% off!

Connect with Dana:

Instagram // Facebook // Facebook Community

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

In this episode I am hanging out with Maria Dismondy, an award-winning children's book author who is passionate about inspiring lives through her poignant stories about topics challenging today’s modern child.

Maria’s background in early education and commitment to teach the importance of character building enables her to touch lives the world over while touring as a public speaker in schools, community forums, and at national conferences.

When Maria isn’t writing, she can be found embarking on adventures throughout southeast Michigan and beyond, where she lives with her husband and three book-loving children.

Tune in to hear us discuss her journey to becoming an author and building a thriving business (and family!) while following her passions.

Listen + subscribe on iTunes // Stitcher

Maria's Boss Mom Story

As we dive in, Maria shares that she never actually intended to be an entrepreneur. Growing up she wanted to be a teacher and a mom - both dreams she would later go on to fulfill!!

To both her and everyone around her it was quite a shock when she made the decision to leave teaching and pursue writing her children's books. But the decision was fueled by both a passion to fulfill a need that she saw, and do what made sense for her growing family.

"I felt like there was a problem, that we were lacking children’s literature with realistic kids - real characters that kids could relate to with real world problems.” (3:36)

So, Maria wrote her first book Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, and a few weeks later she got pregnant with her first baby!

After her book came out and her daughter was born, she went down to teaching part-time, and didn't have much of a plan beyond that. One year turned into two, and eventually she realized that she wanted more time to pour into both her growing family, and her growing business (which she was LOVING!)

“It wasn't just writing books, but spreading these amazing messages to children and families.” (4:10)

A Day in the Life....

When I asked Maria what her day-to-day life as an author, publisher and mom looked like, she shared that it didn't look like what most people would think.

“Being a writer you would think that I would spend my days writing and I don’t!” (4:30)

As a work-at-home mom to three kids (ages 2, 5 and 7) her days start early so she can get some good creative work time in, as well as some self care.

She also books around 75 speaking engagements per year, but most all of them are local as she has made the decision not to travel away from her family if she can help it.

Maria also describes that every day is a journey to just figure out what works best in that season.

“I didn’t plan for any of it, and Dana I am a planner so when baby #3 came along surprisingly (and was due on Christmas Day!) I thought, ‘This is a sign from the universe that, Maria you don’t get to plan your life and it doesn’t go accordingly1" (7:25)

The Importance of Outsourcing & Delegation

Having three kids was a complete game changer for Maria and her family - one she describes as sending her into complete overwhelm.

“I just said things have to change, I cannot do it all. I need to delegate and outsource things.” (8:13)

And so, she did just that! They hired help both inside the home and in her business, which she says has made a world of difference, though it was difficult for her to let things go at first.

On Kicking Mom Guilt to the Curb

Our discussion took a great turn as we explored the differences between moms and dads, and how moms often seem more inclined to feel guilty about things that don't tend to ultimately matter as much.

I share how the "put-together" moms at daycare made me feel especially un-put-together until I realized the freedom that I have because I don't have to show up to a job and instead get to spend the morning playing with my kids.

Maria on the other hand, is one of those moms who is put together first thing in the morning - because it's important to her! And also her only real chance during the day to make sure getting ready happens.

It's all about figuring out what matters and what works for you.

“We are so quick to compare ourselves to other people without knowing the whole story, and that’s hard. I wish we didn’t put that on ourselves.” (12:43)

Building a Business as an Author

After Maria's first book was released in 2008 she was asked to do a few speaking engagements, which she quickly realized she loved.

She then decided to spend time building her speaking career to allow her the time and space to write more books.

“I felt like every additional book added credibility to my speaking platform.” (13:48)

Another big point she shared is that marketing is a really key component to building a business as an author.

“A huge part, about 75%, of what I do is marketing in a non-sales and very authentic way trying to get my messages out there so that people do want to hear me speak and do want to bring my books into their homes.” (14:57)

We discuss the ramifications of publishing traditionally (which she did with her first book) versus self-publishing (which she does now, for both herself and other authors through her publishing house Cardinal Rule Press).

She shares that in addition to writing and speaking, she began consulting for other aspiring authors, but she didn't completely love the process of consulting, so creating a course to impart her knowledge instead.

“I want to educate other published authors on how they can use their platform to market their messages.” (16:23)

And - Maria is a BIG believer in anyone being able to write the stories that matter to them. She says she often has people suggest book topics to her, but believes that any person who has a story in mind should be the one to write it themselves!

“When you have the personal experience and the passion for that topic that will drive your business and that will make you all the more successful because you have passion behind the idea.” (24:06)

On Dealing with Overwhelm

Towards the end of our conversation we dig deep into the realities of being a boss mom and discuss what Maria does to deal with the inevitable overwhelm we all experience at times.

She shares that exercise, meal planning, making lists and putting everything into ONE calendar are what keep life afloat for her, and she's really had to figure out what tools work well.

We compare different organization tools like Asana, Trello and Bootcamp and how different platforms work better for different people, so it's important to figure out which is best for YOU.

“Don’t give up! If one doesn’t work, try a different one.” (30:22)

Referenced in the Show:

• Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun
• New Book: The Jelly Donut Difference
• Cardinal Rule Press
• Publishing Services & Courses
• Createspace
• Asana
• Trello
• Eating Clean, Cooking Dirty
• Find Maria on Instagram

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Adoption STAR

The adoption process can often be confusing and frustrating. Adoption STAR offers support, knowledge, assistance, and most importantly, personalized attention, to make this process easier. Clients of Adoption STAR are pleasantly surprised that their adoption journey is one filled with education, individual choices and compassion.

Adoption STAR’s international programs are open to residents of New York State, Ohio and Florida. Adoptive couples or singles who wish to adopt domestically with Adoption STAR are eligible if they reside in New York State, Florida, or Ohio. Adoption STAR is also Connecticut and Illinois Approved. In addition, each year a a few applicants outside of these areas are considered for the domestic program.

The agency offers consultation, counseling, educational classes, a resource library, home studies, updates, post-placement, post-adoption support, expectant parent, birth parent and adoptive parent counseling, child placements and so much more.

Begin your adoption journey today by clicking here to request your free information packet!

Connect with Dana:

Instagram // Facebook // Facebook Community

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

In case you hadn't noticed, online courses have become all the rage in the last few years. Seriously - you can find a course online for just about ANYTHING.

While there are tons of benefits to being able to find quality information and training on pretty much any subject you want, when it comes to choosing courses as investments into your business there are definitely things you want to consider before pulling the trigger.

In this episode we are chatting about best practices when it comes to buying courses and then how to actually leverage them once you have purchased. Because no one likes wasting time or money, right?!

1. Don't get caught up in the hype.

Oftentimes affiliate marketing will play a big role in the overall marketing strategy of course launches and how it can be easy to get sucked up into the hype course affiliates are putting out there. It's important to "vet" your sources and try to determine if they genuinely love the course....or if they're just greedy and in it for a payday.

2. Research the course creator - do your due diligence!

These days anyone can make a course about anything - you don't need a degree in rocket science to put together some slides with Wikipedia'd information and upload it to an online platform to sell. When you discover a course you are interested in, do your due diligence in terms of properly vetting the course creator. Ask yourself, "Do I trust this person? Do they have the chops to teach me x, y and z?" Evaluate the actual reasons you have for why this person is the right person to teach you what you're wanting to know. Do you research and sell it to yourself.

3. Determine if the course will actually be worth your time.

Many business owners when they're just starting out try to learn and do #allthethings because they don't want to outsource tasks until they feel financially capable of taking that step. Learning how to do #allthethings via courses seems like a good starting point - and often times, it is! But you have to consider the very real possibility that there are some things you just shouldn't spend your time doing because they will never fall in line with your gifts and will actually continue to waste your time rather than make your time more profitable.

4. Determine if your business really requires this skill or information.

It can be easy to think that your business needs #allthethings in order to be successful in the online space....but that's hardly ever true. There are tons of different approaches and strategies and tools out there that can help you grow your business....but you won't need all of them, only the ones that are right for you and your business. Don't just invest in a course because you think you need to.

5. Identify your "course personality."

Not all course takers are created equally! Typically there are two types of course takers: the "Doers" and the "Thinkers." The Doers just want to get in, zero in on the parts that they want, devour them and then act on what they learned. The Thinkers want to go through systematically and thoroughly consume all the information so they can fully own it and then implement. Some courses are laid out to accommodate both types of people. Some are not. You don't want to get stuck with a course that isn't in a format that will be conducive to your course personality type. If you aren't sure, reach out to the course creator to ask!

6. Assess whether the course aligns with your business goals.

Sometimes a course will seem like a good idea, but when you actually stop to think about it, maybe it's not the right time in your business to focus on whatever that course topic is. You need to make decisions in your business surrounding what you should be focusing on now. Ask yourself, "Will this course help me move me toward my current business goals or slow me down?"

7. Assess whether the course aligns with your calendar.

The reality is that time is not an unlimited resource and even if we desperately want to be able to take a course that seems valuable, our calendar and schedule may simply not allow it. Be honest with yourself about the time you have and make decisions accordingly.

8. Recognize that you will have to do the work.

Magic doesn't just suddenly happen the moment you hit the "buy" button and enroll in a course. Think of it like a college class. The professor will show up and impart his information to you, but you have to show up and do the work to actually get anything out of it.

9. Know what you want to get out of it before you buy

Speaking of getting what you want out the course.....you'll want to know what exactly it is that you want to get out of it BEFORE you buy. Lay it out for yourself. What will this course help you accomplish in terms of moving your business forward? Is the primary focus to learn a skill? How will that skill help your business? What do you want it to gain you? Do you want more clients at the end? More confidence? More leads? Know what you want so you can stay focused as you move through the course.

10. Plan to follow through

Too often people get jazzed about a new course, sign up.....and then let it sit there taking up space on the internet instead of in their brain or business. If you're going to be decisive in taking action to purchase a course, follow it up with blocking out time in your calendar to actually complete the course. Set yourself up for success the moment you purchase. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to actually leverage your investment.

Referenced in the Show:

• Dawn Marrs, Marrs Marketing
• Raising Your Business
• Boss Mom Academy
• Marie Forleo's B School
• Stacy Tuschl
• Kelsey Van Kirk

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: The Biz Chix Podcast

BizChix.com encourages, educates, and promotes entrepreneurial women with educational content and training, a community support system, masterminding, coaching, and events.

Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014.

You can listen to the podcast here.

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

A harsh reality of being a business owner is that there will be those unavoidable times when you receive negative feedback. It happens to the best of us! Seriously.

In this episode I want to get super real with you by sharing some of my own experiences with receiving negative feedback, as well as a few steps I think you should take when you inevitably experience negative feedback yourself.

Sidenote: This episode is going to be short, sweet and to the point because life is a crazy, beautiful, sometimes unpredictable thing and it is always better when we learn to just go with it. Confession? Things have been a little crazy around here trying to catch up after the Boss Mom Retreat and I just found out my brother is coming into town to hang out with us, which means.....I've gotta get it together!

Anyway, go ahead and dig in so that hopefully this will help next time you encounter negative feedback in your own life.

Listen + subscribe on iTunes // Stitcher

1. Give people space to feel what they feel

Everybody has a right to their negative feedback. Nobody is going to be happy with everything you do all the time. Sometimes their feedback will make sense to you, and other times it won't. But bottom line: people have a right to experience the feelings that they do, and it's our responsibility to give them that space.

We never know what is going on behind the scenes in peoples' lives. Maybe on one day a certain thing wouldn't bother them, but on a different day, amidst different circumstances, that same thing hits them the wrong way.

It's normal to get angry, upset, defeated and want to throw your hands up and cry. There is a flood of emotions that comes with receiving negative feedback because we feel attacked - even if everything the other person is saying is true!

In those moments, take a deep breath and remember that everyone has a right to feel however they feel - the other person, and you! The important thing is to give both the other person and yourself the space to feel those feelings before moving into a place of reaction.

Take a step back, go for a walk around the block and give yourself space as you let that person's voice be heard. Oftentimes what they need most is just to be heard.

2. Be honest and recognize what you can change

The reality is, sometimes there will be times when you receive negative feedback from a place of truth. When that kind of feedback finds its way to you, take a good look inside yourself and try to recognize what, if anything, is valid in what the other person has expressed.

Oftentimes when we get negative feedback we tend to want to dismiss it and get angry or defensive. Remember: no one is perfect! You're not going to get everything right all the time, and you shouldn't expect that you won't ever mess up.

So ask yourself honestly if you dropped the ball in some way - if there was something you did that you could have done better, handled better or phrased better. Don't let feelings of indignation or pride stand in the way of your own personal growth.

Negative feedback provides you the opportunity to recognize where you have room to grow and courageously step into that. When you own that, you can move forward and make things better.

3. Call someone who loves you and let them love you

Let's be real....even if we understand the reason behind why negative feedback came our way, and even if we want to make things right, it can be really hard to actually fix or address anything positively when you're an emotional mess yourself.

My favorite thing to do when I'm emotionally reeling after receiving negative feedback? Call someone who really loves you, let them know you need some extra loving, and then let them fill you back up with love. Choose someone you know can and will give you what your soul needs in that moment. Choose someone who you will believe - not someone your brain will tell you has to love you by default (a parent, husband, etc).

Love is an incredibly powerful thing, and when you make it a priority to care for yourself by inviting someone in to refresh you and fill you back up, you can be empowered to go back and address the negative feedback from a good place.

Confession? I had a really bad day recently and the feedback I got on this day was pretty much all true. I’d been really overwhelmed since the Boss Mom Retreat trying to get everything done - and not being able to get it all done.

In a few instances this has actually damaged my ability to deliver on some of my promises, which totally and completely eats me up inside. Even though I desperately wanted to do whatever I could to make things better, the reality was that the feedback hurt and made it difficult to actually get in there and fix what needed fixing.

I, along with you and every other business owner that has ever existed, doubt myself and whether I'm really doing something meaningful and worthwhile. Don't ever think you're alone when you experience the same thing yourself.

Instead, get vulnerable, share where you're at with people who love you, and do your best to not let those feelings keep you stuck or get in your way. Feel those feelings, express them, get refreshed and move forward. Let it be your fuel to make things happen.

Remember that just because you run a business that works, doesn’t mean everything is going to work all the time. You will make mistakes, and people won't be happy with you all the time. People will ask for refunds, you will let people down, and you'll let yourself down. It's all part of the gig.

But, when those times happen, remember to give everyone space to feel what they feel, recognize what you can do to make things better and call someone who loves you and let them fill you up with love.

You've GOT THIS. Now go on and keep doing amazing things in this world, you beautiful Boss Mom, you.

Referenced in the Show:

• Liz Thompson // Slaying the Enemies of Good Writing
• Episode 171: How to Write a Book & Be a Stepmom with Liz Thompson
• Natalie Gingrich // More Mom Movement

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Raising Your Business

Raising Your Business is an 8-week self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through the 10-point path you need to follow in order to raise and nurture a truly successful business.

This program is perfect for you if you've started your business, but don’t feel like you are super clear on how you will structure your brand, programs, pricing, and content. If you know what you want, but don’t know how to get there, then this is a great fit!

If you want to know more about Raising Your Business, be sure to check out Dana's newest live workshop, Your 10 Point Path to Raise a Successful Business, where she will walk you through the process to ensure you're raising your business the right way. Save your spot today!

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

In this episode Dana is chatting with Racheal Cook, a green smoothie enthusiast, restorative yoga advocate, and award winning business strategist who believes entrepreneurs can grow their dream business while living their dream life, right now.

Since launching TheYogipreneur.com in 2008 and RachealCook.com in 2014, she’s built two multiple six-figure businesses inspiring over 20,000 entrepreneurs around the world to create profitable, sustainable businesses they can be proud of, all while navigating the beautiful chaos of raising three kids with her husband Jameson.

Tune in to hear them discuss Racheal's journey through entrepreneurship and motherhood, how she's navigated creating a sustainably profitable business herself, and how she works to help other business owners do the same!

Racheal's Journey

“My journey of being an entrepreneur and a mom kind of happened simultaneously, without meaning to.” (1:55)

Racheal started her career in financial consulting after receiving her MBA in college. She was newly married and working 75 hours per week which meant she only got to see her husband on Sundays (and even then she was basically passed out from exhaustion!)

Three years in, she found herself completely burned out and ready for a change.

“It got to the point where I was burning out and I was looking around going ‘Ok, we’re newly married, we want to start a family….how is this going to happen?! I can’t do that if I’m working like this, it’s just not going to work for me.’ It just wasn’t the life I wanted.” (2:29)

So, she left her career and decided to take a 3 month sabbatical to figure everything out.

“I really had no idea what I was going to do for my career, but I knew that I wanted to start a family, knew that I actually wanted to have a marriage and not just see him on Sundays when I was actually conscious.” (3:14)

What Happened Next

At that time she'd been seeing a yoga instructor almost daily to get her health back on track and recover from the burnout she'd experienced.

Her yoga instructor knew the situation she was in and expressed her need for help running her business. She was struggling with her business model and needed the kind of strategy and expertise Racheal had to offer.

“It never had occurred to me to that point to work with really small businesses - like solo entrepreneur businesses where it’s just one person.” (3:50)

All of Racheal's former experience had been with working startups or what were considered to be small businesses, but really had anywhere from 50-100 employees. She realized there was an opportunity to market and share her skills with smaller, solopreneur businesses.

She began working with that first client, got a website set up, officially "started" her business and worked mostly one-on-one by referral....then she got pregnant!

Life as a Boss Mom

Just six months after starting her business Racheal discovered that she was pregnant for the first time, and a month after that she learned she would be having twins!

After her doctor told her that she would need to be placed on bedrest, Racheal had some decisions to make about how she would continue running her business.

“Ok, I’ve got to figure something out here if I’m going to be on bedrest and then have to take care of two tiny people. How is this even going to work?!” (5:03)

At that time (around 2009) business was just beginning to really take off online and she recognized the opportunities there were to leverage her skills and technology in the online space.

“It’s been amazing to work with people online because now I’ve got clients all over the world, which I never imagined, and I’m able to do it while I’m home with my 3 little people.” (6:34)

Racheal and Dana discuss the many benefits of being a work-at-home mom, like being able to still get work done and be productive even if you're home, in your pajamas taking care of sick babies!

Racheal also mentions that she grew up with two entrepreneurial parents and she remembers that there was a lot of shuffling back and forth with scheduling, trying to find babysitters, and making sure everyone was where they needed to be, doing what they needed to do.

“The nice thing about this business model that I’ve set up for myself is, I’m able to shut things down at 2:30 and go pick the kids up off the bus and there’s no question about who needs to shuttle kids around because I’m available and it’s really, really flexible.” (9:55)

Infusing Your Passions & Gifts into a Focused Business Model

Now Racheal provides business growth strategy for consumer-facing small health & wellness businesses. She is passionate about working to restructure her clients' businesses to work efficiently and sustainably in a way that benefits both the business owner and the clients.

“Suddenly the value just shoots through the roof and now they’re able to work so much more efficiently, and work less, which is what they all really want. They can work less, earn more and get a life!” (12:22)

Dana and Racheal discuss how many people seem lost when it comes to really knowing what their business model even is, and how people often get stuck on the first superficial level without going deeper.

Questions business owners need to ask themselves are, "What am I offering? How am I going to sell it? What's my marketing strategy? What's the big picture and how does it all fit together? Are all the pieces of my business supporting my end goal, as well as serving my clients?"

Dana suggests that business owners are sometimes afraid of digging deep to really get to the meat of what their business should look like. She thinks brainstorming for your business should be tumultuous and uncomfortable (like a storm) or you’re not going deep enough.

They also discuss the common practice of basing your business model on what others in your industry are already doing.

“The problem is, they don’t know if that’s going to work for them, if that’s actually going to pay the rent for the space they have, they don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes.” (15:41)

This is why it's so important to build a solid foundation yourself, based on your unique passions, gifts and goals for both your life and business.

Navigating Seasons of Transition

After a few years of running a launch-based business model that worked well, but was running her ragged, Racheal recognized that it was time to make some adjustments.

“It is so time and energy intensive that it’s like you disappear from your life for a solid month. I wish I could say there was an easier way around it. (20:03)

She has since moved away from a launch-based model toward an evergreen model, which has helped her create sustainability for the season of life she's in with her family. She and her husband also worked really hard to map everything out so they could bring him home from his job during that season.

When it comes to knowing when and how to navigate seasons of transition in your life and business, Racheal recommends to keep things simple, and take everything one step at a time. Don't rush it!

“We took our time, we planned it out, we really wanted to make sure our ducks were in a row.” (37:05)

Staying Focused & Consistent

Racheal also shares that she is a big believer in slow, steady, well-thought out consistency being the key to making things happen sustainably in business. It's common for business owners to want to move quickly - especially in the online space, always trying to create something new or launch something new, one thing after the next, after the next.

“I think a lot of people overcomplicate launching and creating because they think they need something new all the time, and I’m like ‘No you don’t! You need one awesome program, you need one awesome offering, one system that you can rinse and repeat because you’ll make it better, your clients will get better results, and it’ll be easy for you to continue to duplicate it and run it again and again.”  (41:31)

Dana and Racheal agree that beginning by working with clients one-on-one can really help business owners figure out what their main core offering should be. After working with several clients, you're in a great position to move forward in leveraging a proven system you've created that has worked with your one-on-one clients.

“Take your time! You don’t have to rush because if you rush to throw something out there hoping that it’s going to be the magical launch, chances are you’re going to be pretty disappointed on the other end.” (44:44)

If you can get results for people one-on-one and you have a process and a journey that you take people on, you’ve got something that will really work long-term. 

Referenced in the Show:

• TheYogipreneur.com
• RachealCook.com
• Sweet Spot Strategy
• Your Business Sweet Spot: Simplify Your Business. Amplify Your Results.
• Find Racheal on Facebook
• Find Racheal on Instagram
• The Boss Mom Academy

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: Adoption STAR

The adoption process can often be confusing and frustrating. Adoption STAR offers support, knowledge, assistance, and most importantly, personalized attention, to make this process easier. Clients of Adoption STAR are pleasantly surprised that their adoption journey is one filled with education, individual choices and compassion.

Adoption STAR’s international programs are open to residents of New York State, Ohio and Florida. Adoptive couples or singles who wish to adopt domestically with Adoption STAR are eligible if they reside in New York State, Florida, or Ohio. Adoption STAR is also Connecticut and Illinois Approved. In addition, each year a a few applicants outside of these areas are considered for the domestic program.

The agency offers consultation, counseling, educational classes, a resource library, home studies, updates, post-placement, post-adoption support, expectant parent, birth parent and adoptive parent counseling, child placements and so much more.

Begin your adoption journey today by clicking here to request your free information packet!

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

Let’s get real: running a home and running a business at the same time is really hard. What do you do when you’re the captain at the helm of both, and you start feeling like you’re going under?

In this episode Dana and NJ are exploring their strengths and struggles when it comes to running their homes while running businesses, and you’ll hear them share some practical strategies that you can steal from the world of business and apply to how you run your home.

Listen + subscribe on iTunes // Stitcher

Staring at the wide space between where you are now and where you want to be in terms of how you’re running your home can be completely daunting. So, here are some practical ideas and ways to shift your approach and begin tackling things step-by-step.

Assess the Situation

You can’t figure out how to get to your destination if you don’t know where you are to begin with! Take a few minutes to brain dump out a huge master list of all the things you do in a day, from morning to night. Then, assess what areas you feel like you have under control and what areas you’re really struggling in, then you can begin tackling each area of struggle one at a time. Remember: you can’t change everything all at once, but you can significantly improve things by focusing on one area at a time and building out from there.

Establish & Communicate Expectations

Just as employees perform best when their job description and responsibilities are clearly outlined, children (and people in general) thrive when they know what is expected of them. If you find that your family often operates in a state of chaos, consider whether or not you’ve clearly outlined everyone’s “roles and goals,” as NJ suggests.

Figure out how each person thrives best, and what the family needs as a whole to operate as optimally as possible. Make sure that each person’s role within the family is clearly defined, as well as the goals you’re all working toward, so each person can take ownership for their behavior and attitudes as members of the same family.

Implement Automation

It’s a well-known fact that implementing automation in your business saves you time and makes you more money because you’re able to spend more time doing those things that make you more money. Implementing automation in how we fun our homes can produce equally beneficial results in terms of saving you time, energy and stress.

One great place to get automated is in your household finances. There is so much great technology out there today that allows you to set up things like automatic bill payments and automatic savings transfers. Utilize them to save time and keep you on track with your money!

Shopping online can also save you boatloads of time and hassle as well. There are tons of great online grocery delivery services like Amazon Fresh, Amazon Prime or Thrive Market, and many regional grocery stores offer online shopping with pickup or delivery as well.

Get Organized with Systems

As with automations, having the right systems in place in your home can be the difference between constantly feeling like a chicken running around with its head cut off and feeling like the Superwoman you really are.

Think about some of the bigger or recurring things you do in your life and figure out how to break them down into a system to keep things organized and streamlined.

For example, NJ suggests putting together a master list of important annual family dates (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) and buying cards and stamps in bulk for the year so she’s always prepared and never gets in the weeds.

There are also great tools out there like the My Proxy Fox app that allows you to outline your rhythms, routines, systems and important information related to your home and family, store it all in one easy-to-access place and share it with other family members, home service providers or caregivers.

Figure out what systems will make the greatest impact in your home and family life, and schedule in some time to get those systems set up – we promise, you will thank yourself!

Know (& Uphold!) Your Boundaries

It’s important for everyone in an organization to know what the boundaries are, and for the leader to uphold those boundaries. Our children need to understand what the boundaries are and we need to be consistent in enforcing them for the wellbeing of everyone.

Invite your kids to take an active role in respecting boundaries and explain to them why boundaries exist so they feel empowered to rise to the level of the expectations you’ve set.

Affirm & Nurture Your People

Everyone needs to be reminded and reassured from time to time that they are loved, valued and appreciated. Make sure that you are intentional about carving out time and space to connect and grow in your relationships with each member of your family. Building trust and depth of relationship will help ensure everyone wants to work together and there is a mutual understanding that everyone’s end goal is the same.

Referenced in the Show:

• Amazon Fresh // Amazon Prime
• The Girls Shave Club
• My Proxy Fox
• Kelsey Van Kirk
• Danielle Roberts
• Natalie Gingrich
• The Eye of the Prophet by Khalil Gibran
• The Boss Mom Academy
• The Sharing Exchange
• Kelsey Murphy // Whisky & Work
• Marrs Marketing
• Boss Moms Facebook Group

(Just FYI, some of these links may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links I may receive some love in return!)

Episode Sponsor: The Biz Chix Podcast

BizChix.com encourages, educates, and promotes entrepreneurial women with educational content and training, a community support system, masterminding, coaching, and events.

Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014.

You can listen to the podcast here.

We love hearing from you!

If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com. Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in her happy place, the Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

This is a Nurture Your Business segment with Dana. Dana shares why you shouldn't make ideal products for your non-ideal clients. This episode is sponsored by Raising Your Business.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• What happens when the muse visits us.
• As entrepreneurs, we create things to fill the needs we see.
• Are we doing things to fill a need for our non-ideal clients?
• When we stop chasing the money, the money will come to you.
• Our brands have to include us as the business owner.
• Questions on how to make sure you're focusing on the right idea client.
• Is what you're creating serving you how you want to be served?

Sponsor: Raising Your Business

Raising Your Business is an 8-week self-guided course that walks you through the 10 point path to Raise & Nurture a Successful Business. This program is perfect for you if you have started your business, but don't feel like you are super clear on how you will structure your brand, programs, pricing, and content. If you know what you want, but don't know how to get there, then this is a great fit.

Check out the 10 Point Path webinar and get signed up today to find out what Raising Your Business is all about.

Referenced in the show:

*affiliate links may be present.

• Episode 166: Nurture Your Business: Are you Cheating on your Business with Dana?
• Tonya Rineer
• Trello Training
• Trello
• Natalie Gingrich
• Boss Mom Academy
• Boss Mom Facebook community

Can I quote you on that?

• I am not the solution to every problem. Even if I can, it doesn't mean I should. - Dana

Connect with Dana: Instagram / Boss Mom Facebook Community (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you guys! If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com Or, you can always find Dana hanging out in our Boss Mom Facebook Community. 

How to Shift Your Business to Align with Your Desired Life with Janine Esbrand. In this episode of the Boss Mom Podcast, Janine talks about being a lawyer and her transition from lawyer to life coach. This episode is sponsored by Organize 365.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Janine went from lawyer to business coach and mum to her sweet baby boy.
• Why lawyers work so many long hours and why Janine has moved away from corporate law.
• Janine's current job and coaching practice.
• Self-awareness, time management and dealing with overwhelm.
• How Janine finds her coaching clients.
• Her visibility plan to find her ideal clients.

Sponsor: Organize 365

Lisa has the resources to start and finish your home organization. The Sunday Basket is her system for helping you get a handle on all the DAILY and ACTIONABLE papers that are floating around in your kitchen, car, bedroom, dining room, mailbox, etc. Head to Organize 365 to find out more and organize your home.

Recommended links and resources:

*affiliate links may be present.

• Trello
• Asana
• Passion Planner
• Boss Mom Facebook Community

Can I quote you on that? 

• Are all the things I really have to do a priority? In reality, what's really the priority and what can I move over? - Janine

More about our guest, Janine Esbrand.

Janine is the founder of LightBOX Coaching, which helps female lawyers to build careers they are love whilst raising a family. She is also a commercial lawyer and the host of the More Than A Lawyer Podcast. In her free time, she enjoys family time and meeting new people.

The Lawyer to Mum Coaching Program helps female lawyers successfully integrate motherhood and their career. This 6-month program helps women to get clear on their definition of success and then craft a plan that allows them to build a life and career that truly reflects their values and what is important to them.

Website / Podcast / Facebook / Instagram

Connect with Dana: Instagram / The Boss Mom Facebook community (her total happy place)

We love hearing from you guys! If you’ve got a question about today’s episode or want to leave us some inbox love, you can email us at hello@boss-mom.com Or, you can always find both Dana hanging out in our Boss Mom Facebook Community.