How To Babyproof Your Business

It’s been six weeks since I had my daughter, and I’ve got to say- everything I thought mom-life would be is accurate (and even better), and everything I thought running my business would be has been completely inaccurate.

I had a plan to have big things in place to launch while I was on maternity leave- but when the time came, I was a shell of myself and was not focused on anything but my daughter.

My pregnancy was smooth, delivery was a breeze (I know that labor isn’t fun, but I have to say my experience was something I’ll never forget and I enjoyed for what it was) and the first two weeks at home were bliss.

The third week was HARD. The lack of sleep severely caught up with me, it shocked my system and I wanted nothing to do with work. I guess that’s why  maternity leave exists, business owners just know it doesn’t really exist for us!

Although my 6 weeks so far have not gone entirely as planned, I wanted to share the few things that truly saved me and had me feeling “on track” in my life and business despite not really being able to work.

1. SAVINGS: Having money set aside for this time off and preparing for it financially really helped to alleviate some of the stress.

2. HIRED HELP: If you are thinking about hiring for your business, do this way before major changes (like kids or big moves) and get this person dialed in for when you need to step away. Yes, I may have been texting Abbi while I was in labor, but it was just to say “BYEEEE you got this!"

3. PLANNING: Any projects, ideas, launches, etc were all discussed leading up to my delivery, and while most things weren’t executed as quickly as I though they would be, the wheels were in MOTION and that’s all I cared about.

4. ONLINE SHOP: If you are a service-based provider, you know that you are limited to income and this is why an online shop is so vital to your business. If you haven’t set one up, think about adding this immediately- that way it’s something you can promote virtually and at your convenience. IMO, every beauty professional should have products available online. You should absolutely be selling retail and have it available for purchase on your website (If you need help getting started with this, you can book a coaching call with me).

5. FOOD: You have to take care of yourself and your body FIRST. I've been making sure I’m constantly eating and drinking water. I have snacks I love on hand and candy when I want it- also mini diet Coke’s. A girl's gotta live.

I had to let go of the idea that I could run my business and be a new mom, and do them both well. What was surprising and refreshing to me was the actual desire to let go of parts of my business in order to focus more on family and work more efficiently. It has been so nice channeling my energy into my daughter, and I know my business will be okay while I am away, and maybe even better when I return.

My best advice is to embrace the change, put down your phone (you honestly can’t type and hold a baby very well anyway) use the time during pregnancy to prep your business best you can, and then step back- because you’ll never get to enjoy this time again.

For more on taking care of yourself first and your business second, check out this blog.