NITTY GRITTY MOM BOSS THOUGHTS | ASHLEE MACDOUELL MEDIA

Photo | Tory Stender

Hi! I’m Ashlee - I’m a business owner and mom to two beautiful boys (we recently “graduated” from having two kids under two - although something tells me that it doesn’t mean things are about to get easier). We’ve been living in the area for just over 4 years now and currently live just outside of Edmonton. You’ll usually find me dance partying with my kids, eating, working or cooking!

I’ve been an entrepreneur on and off since I was 15 years old. I started a photography business in high school, and went from getting my first paying gig at 15 ($100.00 for a 6 year old’s birthday party) to shooting weddings at 16. I spent all of my free time on weekends and during summer breaks doing photoshoots and editing photos. Eventually, I realized that photography on it’s own wasn’t the right path - and it took me some time, and some unrelated career paths, but I found my groove helping businesses by freeing up some of their time and getting them new customers and clients through my social media management business - Ashlee MacDouell Media.

Photo | www.jessleighartist.com

Here are my thoughts...

1. Running a business is hard work. Running a business while on maternity leave is HARD work. Running a business while taking care of 2-3 kids is HARD WORK. Getting up early even though you were up in the night with your baby is your worst enemy and your best friend. You need your sleep but that 45 minutes to an hour that I have to myself in the mornings is probably some of my most productive work time.

2. If you have anxiety - don’t up your coffee intake to compensate for the above ^.
   I had to break up with caffeine recently. It was a sad day. I discovered it made me feel real crazy when coupled with lack of sleep and already existing anxious tendencies. Instead, I learned to give myself grace and allow myself to “sleep in” until the kids get up or head to bed early. I still have the occasional decaf coffee and herbal teas are my best friend.

3. I LOVE food - so I’m jumping in here with a few ideas. Keep easy to grab snacks on hand, or batch make some homemade granola bars, muffins, etc. Also, slow cooker is your bestie. My favourites are: pre washed spinach, protein bars, apples, cheese, pepperoni sticks, pretzels, nuts & seeds, hummus, chopped veggies. I also make these breakfast cookies fairly often (I think I lived off of them for a month when my first son was born) They freeze well and it’s easy to substitute many ingredients in the recipe.

4. Scheduling calls is really interesting when you’re a business owner and a mom. To clients/potential clients of mombosses… if you hear Paw Patrol and kids screaming in the background - we’re doing our best.

5. Want to be a Mom Boss? DO IT. Take the plunge, go all in, stop spending so long trying to decide if it is right and take a risk. I think it’s harder on us moms because we have a family that depends on us and we have that added pressure beyond what other entrepreneurs feel to succeed. That self-doubt? That fear? That imposter syndrome? X1000 for mom bosses. But don’t let it get you! You’ve got this.

6. My biggest advice for moms in general has to be GET OUT OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT THE KIDS. Just do it. They will survive. Even if they’re eating cookies and juice while you’re gone and you-don’t-usually-allow-it-cause-health or they wake up and you’re not there, it’s allllll good. You will be back soon and they will learn to enjoy the company of others. The sooner, the better! I recently started going out about once a month for a late dinner with friends and it is SO GOOD.

7. Kitchen dance parties. By yourself, with the kids, whatever. We love Spotify - find a playlist you love, or make one - and get your groove on even if you’re awkward and can’t dance. Get out of that funk you’re in or have fun with your kids they will love it!

8. Social Media Tips - If you’re a business owner and a mom - here are some tips for you when you start feeling like social media is too much of a time suck or you just don’t know what to post anymore: Spend 10 minutes or so looking into some social media planning apps that can help you pre-load some posts so you’re not scrambling when you realize you haven’t posted in two weeks - also, don’t be afraid to showcase who YOU are. When people are shopping local or supporting local or supporting women-owned, mom-owned etc. They do that because they care about the makers, let them see you! You are your brand. After all, you’re the one who started this business, right?

Photo | Tory Stender

XO - Ashlee

instagram.com/ashleemacdouell

facebook.com/ashleemacdouell

instagram.com/ashleemacdouellmedia

www.ashleemacdouellmedia.com

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM A #MOMBOSS - Kendra | Kendra Allen Design + Photography

kendra3

Hey YEG Boss Babes!!

I’m Kendra of Kendra Allen Design + Photography. I have a branding firm that specializes in helping small businesses look great online. I do brand design, brand photography, as well as consulting, content creation, and social media management. I am currently working towards launching more consulting services and workshops this year specifically for women who need clarity on their brand image.

After the birth of my first daughter, I found my passion in helping small local businesses and entrepreneurs after my time making hand printed baby apparel and selling at local markets. I was freelance designing on the side, but this was when I found my niche and dream clientele!

Being a mother is a whole circus act of it’s own. Having my first daughter right out of college, my drive to hone my craft of graphic design and photography pushed me into entrepreneurship.

You could say I gave up a traditional career at just 19 years old when I took my first gig as a self employed brand designer. I had been freelancing for the past three years while in school, and now, as a new mom, it was a perfect fit. My partner had a steady job which allowed me to stay home with my daughter. But this wasn’t without a whole lot of mixed emotions.

While in the depths of post-partum depression,  I knew I needed a steady flow of creativity back in my life. Enter, House of Posie Design and Apparel. It was 2014, and this was before walmart, superstore, and all the rest started carrying cool kids clothes. Believe it or not, I couldn’t find anything I loved in stores. Target, sometimes, but then it went out of business here in Canada. I felt an indescribable need to start up my own clothing business. I had this crazy idea of doing things as handmade as possible.

After having been working on a computer almost exclusively while I learned Graphic Design, I needed to get my hands dirty again. Back in high school I had learned the art of lino cutting, also known as block printing. This allows oneself to print things by hand without the annoyance of burning screens with chemicals in the dark like screen printing. My favourite part about lino cutting was the unique look of an illustration carved into a block. To me, there was nothing more beautiful. Fast forward a year and a bit and I was expecting my second child. Another hard pregnancy called for me to slow down with the hand printing. While I adored the local handmade community that I discovered on Instagram and in local markets, my passion project quickly became too hard to maintain. And I knew that with two littles, I would never catch up. Next came a diagnosis of hypothyroidism when I was 19 weeks pregnant. I had to listen to my body and pull things back a bit. But, I couldn’t stop creating. I learned that already.

Around this time I decided it was time to finally take my Graphic Design and Photography a bit more seriously and at least make an instagram account to showcase my work. After my two year old would fall asleep, and my ‘morning sickness’ would subside, I stayed up late laying in bed working away on my laptop. My body would rest, but I was still fulfilling my need to create. With my clothing business for babies and toddlers, I realized how much I LOVED helping handmade businesses with their businesses.

IG

I joined the local chapter of Tuesday Together by The Rising Tides Society, and became fascinated with creative entrepreneurship. I was enthralled with all of the people I had met both online and in the community. And I knew I wanted to help these people grow their businesses.

I started photographing friends and making logos for local brands and was finally putting my long-time love of brand design to work! I had been doing the odd job of logo design over the past couple years, but I decided to take it a bit more seriously and go after the work I wanted.

Now, I am in my 6th year as an entrepreneur, and my 4th year as a mother; with my second daughter being born just a year ago. After 6 years, I may have finally come to terms with who I truly am. An entrepreneur by blood. I am still figuring everything out as I go, but I can feel that this is the year for me to finally align my goals for my business with reality! Being a mother and working from home (although by choice), isn't easy. And I commend all who do it! I treasure this time I have had to figure out who I am as a person and raise my babies. Now, on a new path as a single mother, the #momboss game has shifted a bit.

Instead of juggling a million balls at once, I am now able to take my time with my children and dedicate it fully to them. And then once they are with their dad, I can focus on my work. It makes it so my work schedule is a bit all over the place, but it works for now! So what have I learned from all of this? Let me break it down for you.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

kendra_1

1. One thing you can be sure of, you never know what the future will be like. So ride the wave, have big huge goals, but, be willing to adapt to the ever changing world. For example, social media has exploded since I was in school, so I have now added social media management and content creation to my expanding list of services! Being adaptable and keeping up with the trends is what will allow you to make this all work.

2. If you have a kid like my three year old, you won't get any work done until they are in bed. Most times I pass out at the same time as them, so ya, its an every day struggle! She is currently sitting on my lap drinking a yogurt drink and my one year old is standing up in her high chair. Don’t worry, multi tasking quickly becomes a mom bosses best skill.

3. Indoor playgrounds and kid cafes are amazing for meetings with fellow mom bosses. Edmonton is totally rocking it lately with kid friendly cafe’s! They are popping up every where. And I am talking super chic adorable places with little play areas in the corner. Awesome instagram stories of fancy AF lattes, here I come.

4. Non work related, but if you are a mom-to-be, expect to have to sacrifice your cute styled coffee table and anything under, like, 3 feet for years to come. Thrifted and pre worn items make the vandalism of children slightly less noticeable and also less heart breaking when you haven’t spent a ton of money on it. Is shabby chic still cool??

5. The soundtrack to my life is baby bum youtube nursery rhymes. Now that I don’t have my kids half the time, I am trying to bring music back into my life that is actually made for people above the age of four. I am looking for playlist recommendations and suggestions on your fave vinyl records!!

6. Something I tell people all the time is, rarely take me seriously. If these random thoughts make me sound bitter, I am absolutely not. I like to find humour in life and I suggest you should too! Getting out of your head and just laughing about the ridiculousness of life seriously helps.

7. Mom brain is real… and there should be a support group for that.

8. I may forget a pen for our meeting… but I’ll always have diapers on hand.

9. Accept the ebbs and flows of work flow, and of your own wellness. I have personally struggled with a lot of health issues and drastic life changes likely, and it is ok to slow down. Slowing down is good.

10. Enjoy the little things. My favourite part about being a mother is being able to live vicariously through my children’s eyes. The taste of a bubble gum lollipop and the way the rain smells. One of my goals for 2018 is to embrace my inner child. We are all just pretending to be adults anyway, so why not let go of it all once in a while and just act like kids again. There’s nothing better. I would like to finish this final point off with one of my favourite quotes: “the creative adult is the child who survived.”

@kendraallen.yeg

Photo Credit | @_sydneydawn

RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM A #MOMBOSS - Mekaila | Huddy Buddies

Huddy.jpg

Hi everyone, my name is Mekaila. I am “mommy” to two great little munchkins, Hudson(4) and Delilah(2) and I am also the maker behind Huddy Buddies.

Huddy Buddies are handmade, soft soled booties. I started up this business by accident in 2016 while I was on my first maternity leave with my son Hudson. Hudson was a sleeper. I was that mom asking the Doctor if it was okay that he slept all the time. While he napped during the day I decided to learn how to crochet using YouTube and made Hudson a pair of boots. After being asked multiple times by other moms where I had bought the boots I decided to put them up online to see if anyone was interested in purchasing a pair. That's when the whirlwind of Huddy Buddies began.

20882139_1969814156594220_745853640010575809_n

There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into a business and there has been no lack of those since I started. During my busy season I usually head down to work from 7pm (after the kids are in bed) till 2am completing market prep and orders. My Husband is my savior. He grounds me, supports me and helps however he can. As a mother of two I am still working on finding a good balance in the chaos of motherhood and running a business. Here are some of the things that have also helped me so far on my journey to find that balance. This includes the realities of what business is really like as well as actual resources I use to help me get work done with kids.

1. Surround yourself with the love and support you deserve. Cut out the negativity because happiness is what makes life great and gives you the desire and momentum to do great things.

2. In the beginning there are more lessons to learn than successes to be had. Every business has growing pains but each one is necessary to come out stronger in the end. If someone is making it look easy they are likely just handling their struggles with finesse… or they are liars and I suggest you keep your distance haha!

3. Find ways to mom and boss. As a mother of two I find it hard to get anything done with my kids around. Here are a couple of things that I find give me a little extra time in the day to get work done while they are awake

4. Parent Link: Free family resources for your littles ones. I take my kids to the play and stay and while they play at the centers I will reply to emails and set up social media campaigns. http://www.familyfutures.ca/

   1. Edmonton Rec Centers offer 2.5 hrs of childminding in their family rec pass and they are run by Early Childhood Educators and my kids love it there. Not all rec centers have childminding but it is offered around the city.

   2. Take turns with another busy mom. I started dropping my kids off on Tuesdays and then I get an extra 2 kids on Thursday. WORTH IT!

   3. Business apps I love include PREVIEW for Android or PLANN for iOS users. These apps allow you to organize your Instagram and schedule posts. I usually do a month of posts in an hour. Hootsuite is great for Facebook and Canva is all around amazing for creating professional graphics.

IMG_6907

My biggest advice, whether you own your own business or not, is to get mommy friends. Friend therapy is the best form of relief for me. My mom tribe has gotten me through the good, bad and ugly moments of my business and motherhood. I found these mamas through ParentLink so no excuses why you can’t get out there and make your own tribe. I thank my lucky stars on a daily for the ladies in my life. If you are a mom get out there and meet some moms! You wont regret it. Even if all you talk about is poop, no sleep and what's for dinner, It's worth it.

IMG_1378

Photo Credit | Cheryl Ip Photography