lundi 26 mars 2007
Work at home and stay focused
There are days when I have so many ideas in my head about making my business grow. So many strategies I'd like to implement, new products I'd like to add, suppliers I need to call... But these are the days when I don't have the nanny at home... So I make lists. Lots of them. On the fridge, in the car, on my bedside tables...
Then the day the nanny shows up, I have 5-6 hours in front of me. I should be relieved. But no. I panic. I keep telling my self "prioritise". Do the things that will have an impact on genereting a revenu down the road. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear for 1 week and do everything I have on all my lists. But then I tell myself: "What's the point of being a WAHM then?" Oups...
I also use to work with huge marketing budget and it was not my money. That was so easy to spend, so easy to build scenarios to get more... Now my reality is quite different. Yes I know how to measure CPC and how to analyse an ROI, but I simply don't have the budget to invest in a major campaign that will involve these skills to pay off.
I know there are lots of things you can do that will not cost much and that might generate some traffic. But you have to try them out, slowly but surely. Some fails, some works. I wanted to be able to select the working ones when the nanny is there and work on them and accomplish them all. NOW! But after 2 years doing it, I have realised that it takes time and that I have to tackle one small thing everyday and that down the road I see sparkles of a nice little business to work for. I am also trying to stay focused on the original idea and expand on it...
This is quite an adjustment to be a WAHM. But I like to be able to say at 1PM on Wednesday: "OK kids, let's go to the pool now!"
Then the day the nanny shows up, I have 5-6 hours in front of me. I should be relieved. But no. I panic. I keep telling my self "prioritise". Do the things that will have an impact on genereting a revenu down the road. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear for 1 week and do everything I have on all my lists. But then I tell myself: "What's the point of being a WAHM then?" Oups...
I also use to work with huge marketing budget and it was not my money. That was so easy to spend, so easy to build scenarios to get more... Now my reality is quite different. Yes I know how to measure CPC and how to analyse an ROI, but I simply don't have the budget to invest in a major campaign that will involve these skills to pay off.
I know there are lots of things you can do that will not cost much and that might generate some traffic. But you have to try them out, slowly but surely. Some fails, some works. I wanted to be able to select the working ones when the nanny is there and work on them and accomplish them all. NOW! But after 2 years doing it, I have realised that it takes time and that I have to tackle one small thing everyday and that down the road I see sparkles of a nice little business to work for. I am also trying to stay focused on the original idea and expand on it...
This is quite an adjustment to be a WAHM. But I like to be able to say at 1PM on Wednesday: "OK kids, let's go to the pool now!"
Libellés : WAHM
mercredi 31 janvier 2007
What do I do for living?
I have said that many times on my blog. But I have two children. Rosalie 5 year old and Eloise 2 year old. They are probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I am a stay at home mom. As a matter of fact, when did I start to call my self a “stay at home mom”? I mean “officially” and without blinking when asked “What do you do for living?”
I have a MBA, I am very goal driven and never thought I’d put a stop on the career path I had. I was absolutely sure I’d just have my kids and keep on working. I specialise in product marketing. You can not really work part time in that field and if you stop, you loose the edge. So I was going to keep working. I wanted to keep the edge.
Then you realise that you have 2 little ones that need you. They are "reel" and you love them. You want the best for them. You have the option to consider taking a break from work.
And so many things go through your mind :
-Do I need to keep the edge?
-Who will drive them to preschool & danse classes?
-Who will teach them to eat properly, to be polite, to count, to sing, to write, to be confident, to share, to love… ?
How can you achieve all of that if you are out of the house 50 hours a week and all you really do is get them out of bed and put them back to bed?
You have to hire somebody you trust that will take care of them. I couldn’t do it. I mean I could probably have found somebody, but I wanted to be THAT somebody.
Then you make the decision to stay at home. But for a year or so, you kind of deny that “new situation”. You call yourself “an ex-Marketing Director”. When asked what you do for living you answer : “I used to be in marketing”.
One day, you assume it. You answer the impossible answer : “I am a stay at home mom”. It hurts a bit the first time and then as time goes by, you start to like it. You feel like is has become a reel “position”.
I now proudly answer that I am a stay at home mom. I can spend time with my kids. I see them growing up. And I know exactly how much broccoli they eat (and don’t eat!) It makes me feel good to be the one guiding them. My MBA is not lost (like some of my university collegues might think) Staying at home with the kids, gave me lots of ideas on starting a small business. One of them actually made it from fiction to reality.
I started www.surpriseinthemail.com
a few years ago.
So there I am leading a successful small business. Surprise in the Mail is an excellent gift idea for kids. It will provide your kids with hours of fun. It will teach them various skills and will get them excited everytime they receive that bright envelope in the mail. And as a mom when you ask yourself : “how do I keep them busy today?” Just get the craft out and enjoy the time while they are crafting.
The company is growing, improving and very challenging. On the family side, it allows me to spend time with my girls as I can decide of my own schedule. They even help me with some tasks, which makes it a common goal that we share. Rosalie use to know every new subscribers by their name. She can’t anymore as we have too many, but she still really enjoy selecting the craft and holding the focus groups with me. On the personal side, it allows me to develop new skills and to keep my e-marketing knowledge up to date. It gives me an accomplishment other than the kids. Which, I believe, is necessary for a stay at home mom.
You might want to know what I answer now when asked what I do for living? Simply: "I am a stay at home mom, there’s my business card!"
Isabelle Larose
Mom of 2 girls, Rosalie & Eloise
Owner and founder of www.surpriseinthemail.com
I have a MBA, I am very goal driven and never thought I’d put a stop on the career path I had. I was absolutely sure I’d just have my kids and keep on working. I specialise in product marketing. You can not really work part time in that field and if you stop, you loose the edge. So I was going to keep working. I wanted to keep the edge.
Then you realise that you have 2 little ones that need you. They are "reel" and you love them. You want the best for them. You have the option to consider taking a break from work.
And so many things go through your mind :
-Do I need to keep the edge?
-Who will drive them to preschool & danse classes?
-Who will teach them to eat properly, to be polite, to count, to sing, to write, to be confident, to share, to love… ?
How can you achieve all of that if you are out of the house 50 hours a week and all you really do is get them out of bed and put them back to bed?
You have to hire somebody you trust that will take care of them. I couldn’t do it. I mean I could probably have found somebody, but I wanted to be THAT somebody.
Then you make the decision to stay at home. But for a year or so, you kind of deny that “new situation”. You call yourself “an ex-Marketing Director”. When asked what you do for living you answer : “I used to be in marketing”.
One day, you assume it. You answer the impossible answer : “I am a stay at home mom”. It hurts a bit the first time and then as time goes by, you start to like it. You feel like is has become a reel “position”.
I now proudly answer that I am a stay at home mom. I can spend time with my kids. I see them growing up. And I know exactly how much broccoli they eat (and don’t eat!) It makes me feel good to be the one guiding them. My MBA is not lost (like some of my university collegues might think) Staying at home with the kids, gave me lots of ideas on starting a small business. One of them actually made it from fiction to reality.
I started www.surpriseinthemail.com
a few years ago.
So there I am leading a successful small business. Surprise in the Mail is an excellent gift idea for kids. It will provide your kids with hours of fun. It will teach them various skills and will get them excited everytime they receive that bright envelope in the mail. And as a mom when you ask yourself : “how do I keep them busy today?” Just get the craft out and enjoy the time while they are crafting.
The company is growing, improving and very challenging. On the family side, it allows me to spend time with my girls as I can decide of my own schedule. They even help me with some tasks, which makes it a common goal that we share. Rosalie use to know every new subscribers by their name. She can’t anymore as we have too many, but she still really enjoy selecting the craft and holding the focus groups with me. On the personal side, it allows me to develop new skills and to keep my e-marketing knowledge up to date. It gives me an accomplishment other than the kids. Which, I believe, is necessary for a stay at home mom.
You might want to know what I answer now when asked what I do for living? Simply: "I am a stay at home mom, there’s my business card!"
Isabelle Larose
Mom of 2 girls, Rosalie & Eloise
Owner and founder of www.surpriseinthemail.com
Libellés : WAHM
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