Do they work all the time? How does she run a company while also being a mom? How does she work remotely? Are they on Instagram all day long?

Since you must have all these pressing questions about what our lives are really like, we’re inviting you to a typical day in the lives of Urban Southern’s two power moms.

Regina’s Typical Work Day

7:00 a.m. | Wake Up

Get dressed, wake my daughter up and get her ready for school.
Make coffee, try to get her to eat something for breakfast. She is a slow riser, and this is the most difficult part of going to school for her!

 

8:00 a.m.

My husband comes home from taking her to school, and we sit down with our coffee and chat for an hour or so while our five-year-old son eats breakfast and gets dressed. Yes, he does that by himself, and it’s amazing. I used to think it would never happen.

 

9:00 a.m.

Jay and little man head to the shop, and I do a quick clean up, wash dishes, sweep, etc.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I spent all morning with my two little toddlers, feeding them, cleaning up after them, begging them to play with toys for “just five minutes!” Now they spend so much time with Jay at the shop that I feel I have to try to spend time with them! I wasn’t ready for that to happen so quickly, but I’m so glad they can spend so much time with him.

 

9:15 a.m. | Work Time

Get my computer out and check email.
On Mondays and Thursdays I ship orders, so on those days I usually do that before I start any other work projects. It’s actually a favorite part of my job, carefully packaging all those leather bags in paper and tucking them in boxes.

 

11:30 a.m.

Put my computer away, and start lunch. Usually, I do something super simple such as leftovers, soup, a quick salad, etc.

 

12:00 p.m. | Lunch

Jay, my sister Ruby and the little guy come home from the shop, and I pick my daughter up from school, then we all eat lunch.

 

12:30 p.m.

They all head back to the shop, even the kids. Somehow playing at the shop is much more fun than hanging at home and helping me with anything! I take a little break and check Facebook, Instagram, or read a chapter in my current book.

 

1:00 p.m.

If I have errands to run or grocery shopping to do, I usually do it one afternoon a week. Since I live in a small community upon the mountain and far away from Kroger, it usually takes me all afternoon just to run in and get groceries. If I get them in less time than usual, I allow myself a quick stop at TJ Maxx or Kohls.

If I don’t need to run errands, I spend an hour or two answering emails, writing blog post drafts, or finishing up any other details. I try to finish work by 3 p.m.

 

3:00 p.m.

Clean a few rooms, do some home projects, get something out of the freezer for dinner. Work on some laundry.

 

5:00 p.m.

Jay and the kids come home from the shop. I start dinner.

Since I don’t spend much time making lunch, and cooking relaxes and inspires me, I like to do something more fun and creative for dinner. Maybe try a new recipe, or make my own salad dressing.

Recently my friend Sharon made her own caesar dressing, and we completely fell in love. So I’ve been experimenting with several versions I found on Pinterest. Something about crushing garlic, shredding parmesan, and shaking in mineral salt is satisfying. Not to mention that it is preservative free!

 

6:00 p.m. | Dinner time.

We eat our dinner, then clean up the kitchen. Often we’ll all jump in the jeep and go for a ride back on the hill. Or I sit outside on the porch and watch Jay play softball with the kids.

 

7:30 p.m.

Now it’s time to get comfortable! I get my PJs or something cozy on and put the kettle on for a cup of tea. In the winter, we played card games with the kids a lot, but now that it’s warm outside we sit on the porch and sip wine, or build a fire on the patio. After dark, I get the kids washed up and ready for bed.

 

8:00 p.m. | It’s bedtime for the kids!

After the children are safely tucked in, Jay and I settle in on the couch to read, talk or watch a show. This is also when I get to read all the blogs and fun IG accounts I like to follow. I’m also a huge fan of lifestyle books, and usually, have one or two I’m currently reading.

 

10:00/11:00 p.m. | My bedtime

Zzzzzzzz.

Meg’s Typical Work Day

4:45 a.m. Wake up.

Go for a walk. (I used to shower first, but since spring is here and it’s warm enough, I often walk a mile first and then take a shower. It’s still dark and quiet outside when I walk and I like that.)
Get back. Put water over to heat for tea. Take a shower.

 

5:45 a.m.

Take 5-10 minutes to journal and find a word of intention for my day.

 

6:00 a.m. | Start work.

Check emails.
Read something inspirational along the lines of business, leadership, design, or marketing.
Get the first social post posted or at least written. Often I find something inspirational to write about after having gotten some fresh air and my word of intention for the day.

Mompreneur note: You CANNOT give inspiration to others without filling your soul first.

 

7:00 a.m. | Make breakfast.

My daughter stumbles sleepily out of her room for morning hugs. I absolutely love how much she loves to cuddle. I pack her  school lunch and we eat breakfast together before I take her to school.

 

8:15 a.m. | Back to work.

I look at my task list and choose which three tasks have priority for the day.

Sometimes Regina and I have a call to check in with each other and chat about what we need to be focusing on. This always makes my day more productive, because I constantly have more tasks than I have time to get done (as the story goes for us entrepreneurs!) and need to be able to prioritize and focus instead of getting overwhelmed and going around in circles.

 

10:00 a.m. | Block off undistracted work time.

Productivity tip: I am most productive when I block off a set amount of time to work without checking email or social media. I often lack “feeling” inspired or motivated, but this is where mind over matter comes into practice. I turn on one of my work beat playlists, and I get stuff done!

 

12:00 p.m. | Lunch Hour

I make lunch and stretch after sitting for awhile. At this time is when I also like to do some dishes, pay bills or return personal calls, maybe go for a short walk and check on our social media.

 

1:00 p.m. | Back to Work

This is another potential “block of time” when I tune into music and work on my tasks.

Sometimes I run to a local coffee shop for a while. Often I don’t feel as productive with the distractions of these surroundings; however, coffee shops are LESS busy in the afternoon. Also, feeling less lonely by being around people ends up having a positive outcome on the rest of my week, so I have learned that this is important.

The Challenges of Working Remotely: From One Mompreneur to Another

Listen, this thing isn’t easy.

I’m still learning this remote-working life balance. It’s hard in ways that I never anticipated, but I’m learning how to cope with it. Humor helps. Honestly, I’m not in the mood to glamorize working from home because I get tired of it. Regina and I can both tell you that entrepreneurship is scary and difficult, to say the least.

While I don’t want to complain, I do want to be honest with you. That’s the whole point of this post. This past winter I felt like I nearly lost my sanity, drowning in the isolation of working remotely. I felt like I was acting like I was okay or like this is always “fun” when I’m not and it isn’t.

Tip 1. Talk to someone and find a community of fellow entrepreneurs.

I’ve learned to communicate with Regina more often when I feel like this. I have also found an online community of fellow entrepreneurs that I can depend on for accountability and companionship. They motivate me, challenge me and get excited when I contribute.

Tip 2. Reward yourself.

I have also learned to make self-care a priority. While I might really want a new outfit, spending money on a massage is actually more important for my mental health.

If you have no one to motivate you or reward you, you have to create your own motivation system and figure out how to reward yourself.

Tip 3. Establish daily habits.

You have to have some regular habits that make you disciplined as an entrepreneur. Take your work seriously, and take yourself seriously. Establish daily habits, and be disciplined. This will help you to be consistent and push through the hard days.

You also have to give yourself the freedom to create — find a good balance of consistency and loose creativity.

 

2:30 p.m. | Time to pick up my daughter from school.

On certain weeks, we have fun after-school activities planned. If it’s a Tuesday, we often go to a local Mexican restaurant for street tacos. If it’s a Thursday, you might find us getting frozen yogurt.

The Fun Calendar

We plan our fun activities on what we call a “Fun Calendar.” I cannot tell you how much we both love our “Fun Calendar.” It helps me remember upcoming birthday parties and school outings. It also helps me to be intentional about making special little dates for my daughter and me. She loves looking at our calendar and counting down the days to our next “Fun Thing.”

 

3:30 p.m. | Back to Work

My daughter works on homework, and I go back to my work.

Sometimes my daughter gets tired of “mom working all the time” and sometimes I hate that it feels this way to her. I’m a single mom. Growing up Amish and Mennonite, this was never a reality that I imagined in my future. I had the mindset that I would always have a husband who would work while I would stay at home with our children.

Being independent and having a career has introduced me to a whole new world of wonderful opportunities as well as difficult challenges. Honestly, I would not trade this journey for anything else.

I have embraced my role as a single parent. I see this season of life as one that is maturing both of us. I believe my daughter will grow up with a less cushioned reality than a lot of kids and she will benefit greatly from this.

I hope my daughter will realize that if she wants something, she has to be willing to sacrifice and work hard for it. I believe she will be more adaptable and more compassionate. I intend to raise her to have a backbone and a good handle on her own value because she has learned what she is made of through her own trials and through watching her mom handle her own… like a boss.

 

5:00 p.m. | Dinner Time

I try to quit work by 5 o’clock. Then I help my daughter with any homework she needs to finish while I work on making dinner.

 

7:00 p.m. | Bedtime routine for my daughter.

I wish I could say that we always bathe, brush teeth and put jammies on before angelically cuddling as we read bedtime stories. However, it’s my goal to get better at this bedtime routine with her.

 

8:00 p.m. Light’s out.

This is where I crash and relax on my couch. I usually end up reading, because I’m not much of a movie watcher when I’m alone. If I’m not too tired, I like to spend some time painting.

10:00 p.m. | My bedtime.

Zzzzzzzz.

 

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Inside Your Life

Now that we’ve shared what our typical days are like, we’d love to hear about yours!

Do you have a favorite productivity hack you’d like to share with us? Do you stick with a daily routine or is each day different from one to the next?

We’d love to hear from you!

The post Take a Peek Inside the Lives of Urban Southern’s Two Power Moms appeared first on Urban Southern.