Following on from our podcast episode about thriving as an entrepreneur and as a parent, we decided to get some insights and tips from more women we admire.
First we spoke to the amazing Debbie Clarke of debbiedooodah – we’re BIG fans! We asked her about how she thrives as a parent to her daughter Robin AND as a business owner. Keep reading to find out the biggest challenge she faces balancing both roles PLUS her time management tips!
You’ll remember Debbie from the podcast episodes we recorded live at our podcast launch party! If you missed it – listen HERE
Get more tips about thriving as an entrepreneur and a parent by listening to THIS podcast episode!
Contents
What’s the biggest challenge you face when trying to balance your life as an entrepreneur and a parent?
Keeping everyone happy, including myself! Running your own business is not generally a 9-5 affair, and while I set up my business so that I could be more present in my daughter’s life, there is often seepage of the work into our family time!
I get to do fabulous things, like walk my daughter to school every day. (Although there are occasional early meetings that means I have to rely on my partner)
And I get to pick her up from school 3 nights a week. (But I can also end up saying, oh I just need to take this call for 40 minutes, could you watch some TV)
And I get to have the holidays off with her. (But I’m writing this during the Easter holidays and 9.50 and have about another hour of work to do before we can go and play in the sun!).
So both me and my daughter have learned compromise.
A juggling act of; if you just give me 2 hours alone this morning, you’ll have me for the rest of the day and won’t have to go to school holiday clubs!
We’re both navigating that territory!
But she gets to see me as a strong independent women creating something for herself that she loves and I reckon that’s worth it’s weight in gold!
What time management tips would you recommend to other entrepreneurs with children?
Well, when I’m really pressed for time I do tend to set a 20-minute timer, which makes me really focused on that task.
You have to be really focused on what you can actually achieve in the day.
Especially if it’s a day where I’m dropping off Robin at 9am and picking her up at 3.30pm.
At the start of every day I write a list of task that I’d like to get done. Work out what the ‘must do’s’ are and drop them into 30-minute slots and the things I can’t manage to fit in I leave until the next day.
I also like to create space in my diary each month of a couple of days where I work ‘on’ my business, rather than in it.
Self-development and creating new products and services is vital to growing, so I make sure I create space for this.
Want to hear more from Debbie? Find her in all these places:
Instagram: @debbiedooodah
Facebook: facebook.com/debbiedooodah
Website: debbiedooodah.co.uk
Have you listened to our latest podcast episode? Our CEO – Mary Baird-Wilcock, CSEP helps you simplify in life and in business.
FIND ALL OF OUR EPISODES HERE!
