Mompreneur – Unlikely Martha

My Morning Routine | 3 Things I Do To Stay Sane Throughout the Day

Although I work contract for a steady paycheck, hands down I consider myself an entrepreneur because I spend a lot of time throwing stuff at the wall hoping something sticks. I also spend a lot of time doubting myself, loving myself, and wondering what my sole purpose in life is multiple times a day. Multiple.

Getting my day off on a good note, keeps me from sinking into my negative thoughts, and keeps me pushing toward my entrepreneurials goals… especially on days when I am not even sure there is one.

A good foundation of any type can certainly hold you up when you face difficulties, and I believe how you start your day has a lot to do with how it goes.

I’m all about positivity these days, and I’ve become very intentional about controlling my thoughts and ideas. Since I’ve been doing this, I’ve found that I am a lot less stressed, and I practice finding gratitude in the small things more often. These simple steps have truly been enlightening.

While no two days around here are ever the same, these things are a consistent part of my morning routine, and I think I am better for them. Hopefully, they will help you make the most of your days as well!

WAKE UP SLOW

I know they say you shouldn’t hit the snooze button, but it works for me. I don’t like to “hit the ground running.” I like to ease into my mornings, so I set the alarm an hour before I’m supposed to be up. Unless I’m really tired I never drift back off into a deep sleep. I lay, pray, and think about what I have to do for the day before rushing into the hustle and bustle of it.

READ A DAILY DEVOTIONAL AND/OR AFFIRMATIONS

Devotionals and affirmations are my jam. I have the Bible app on my phone, and once I’m up and out of the bed I get a dose of devotion and prayer. Also, I am currently reading (affiliate) Big Idea Food: A Weekly Devotional for Entrepreneurs, Side Hustlers & Dreamers. There are so many good affirmations in there, that I have been reading one or two pages daily…then depending on how crazy the day is I may dip back and re-read a few. You know how it is sometimes when you need a reminder that all is well, or at least it will be!

The importance of this step in your day is to have something positive to think back on when things go haywire during the day. Whether you are a praying person or not, there is nothing like a good dose of positivity to get you back on course.

PLAN THE DAY

I always plan my day. It’s not always intricate, but there is always some idea of what will happen, what time I have to be somewhere, what time I have to leave to get to said place, what we are eating for dinner….

I’ve talked about how I plan here. I like to write things down, it helps me remember what I have to do. I highly encourage people who say they don’t have time to plan, to make time. The mental scribble scrabble of having to remember things, and hope you don’t forget them is stressful in itself. Even with planning, I still drop the ball on things… so I can’t imagine how much stuff I would be messing up if I didn’t plan.

These three simple things have a huge impact on my day, and I feel the difference in my day when I don’t take time to ground myself with my morning routine. Of course, this is just one part of the day, if you want to see how my morning looks in terms of action, here’s a video I did on YouTube highlighting my morning routine as a work at home mom to include getting the kids off to school, cleaning and working!

What does your morning routine look like?!

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Mompreneur• Unlikely Market

Market Monday

Outside of oversharing here, some of you may not know I also run a growing online boutique that specializes in apparel, monograms, home decor & more.

Unlikely Market is a little over 1 year old. Growing the business has taught me a ton in the last year and as I continue to grow the business I am constantly learning that closed mouths don’t get fed.

Soooooooooo……..

When you start thinking about Christmas gifts, or you have that one friend that monograms any and everything I would be so appreciative if you mentioned and supported Unlikely Market this holiday season and beyond.

These are a few of my best selling items. All items ship free! Save 10% off your first order with code UM10

MONOGRAMMED BASEBALL CAP

KIDS FOX SCARF

INFINITY BLANKET SCARF

DUAL SIDED TARTAN + PLAID SCARF

PERSONALIZED NAME NECKLACE

MONOGRAMMED BOOT TOPPERS

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Living• Mompreneur

Five Things To Consider Before Starting an Online Business

My recent venture into e-commerce entrepreneurship has been an incredible ride. I entered into the venture knowing it wouldn’t be easy but it was some of the more simple things that tripped me up in comparison to the more difficult aspects that I was sure would take your girl out.

If you are thinking about starting an online business here are a few of my tips and things you need to consider before venturing out. I’m not an expert by far but had I thought out some of these items prior to starting I could’ve saved my self some time. Some things you won’t know aren’t useful until you try them but taking a few minutes to think out these simple things may save you a bit of sanity.

PICK YOUR PLATFORM

There are so many platforms out there, all have different fees, features and attributes. I’m not an expert by far on helping you pick one but this post really helped me decide on going with Shopify.

While there are other cheaper alternatives there are things that I thought I would need once my store got larger like reporting and integrated apps. After a whole lot of not knowing I finally pulled the trigger on Shopify and I haven’t regretted it. When making the decision on a platform consider what features you will need once your venture grows instead of where you are right now. I would rather grow into a platform than have to adjust when the risks and costs associated are more involved.

DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED YOUR WEBSITE TO DO BEFORE IT IS BUILT

All platforms and templates are different. If you are not able to have someone design the website for you, and you are going for the DIY look, plan as much as you can before you start to build. If you will be offering products that come in a number of colors and sizes try drawing a mock up of what your website needs to say and do. Think through the what ifs and have someone else check your options ensuring they make sense to someone not connected to your vision. You want your site to be user friendly and asking someone for their opinion may help you catch something you would’ve missed.

JOIN E-COMMERCE GROUPS | LISTEN TO PODCASTS | ASK FOR HELP| FIND YOUR TRIBE

Just posting your products to Instagram and Facebook and hoping the sales will roll in is not how any of this works. Strategy is a large part of growing a successful online business. Tap into — USEFUL groups. Do not just tap into these groups and suck out all you can, be active. Bring your expertise and questions. Entrepreneurship is a difficult thing and connecting with like minds in a supportive setting will boost your morale and force you to keep going when you want to throw in the towel.

DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE

More than likely you will find your audience will evolve past who you thought they would be or they may turn out to be completely different, the key is to start somewhere. Starting an online business doesn’t give you the luxury of hoping your ideal customer will walk by and stop in like a brick and mortar business. You will have to go find your customer, grab their attention and get them to buy. If you don’t have a clue who you are looking for it will be very difficult to market to them. Be open to redefining your audience if you find something doesn’t work but have an audience in mind before you start. One thing we highly recommend doing as your audience base grows, is investing into a business telecoms system such as Gamma Horizon. This will help your audience see that you are a professional business with professional systems in place.

ARE YOU A BUSINESS OR A PERSON

Stick with me. With the growth of online business and Etsy shops if you look closely you will find that often Etsy shops are marketed as small businesses with a mom or creative individual at the helm. They tell us about their families and share a peek into their lives. This somehow makes us want to support them because of the personal connection.

On the other hand some would rather have their business be seen as just that without the personal aspect. There is nothing wrong with either, however I suggest you decide what it will be when starting. I believe this affects how you will market and plays a part in your strategy and what your online copy and other business correspondence will look like.

Experience is the best teacher, I enjoy connecting with individuals who are honest about their entrepreneurial journey. I hope I have offered you a little something to think about or gave you a starting point. If I can be of any further help shoot me an email or leave a question in the comments!

See you tomorrow….cause NaBloPoMo!

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Featured• Mompreneur• small business spotlight

small business spotlight: bloom beautifully box

Bloom Beautifully is a bimonthly self care subscription box service for busy women. I was happy to connect with Tara Jefferson, the founder and chief curator of the Bloom Beautifully self care box to ask her a few questions on how she manages everything and what was her inspiration behind creating a self care box for women.

Being a wife, mother and entrepreneur it doesn’t take a genius to know that juggling all three requires a lot of hard work. For the woman that is looking to jump into the arena of business ownership, what is the one thing you would like her to know about the rewards and challenges that come with walking in entrepreneurship while running a family?

Being an entrepreneur is all-consuming, and so is motherhood. So I’ve found that the only way to make it work is to bring my children into the discussion. They are old enough now (9 and 7) to serve as my “creative team,” and they give me feedback on designs, vendors and pricing. When they were younger, I found it easier to work with them on my lap than to have my brain half focused on work and half focused on what they were doing in the other room. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that it doesn’t have to look one way. You can shape it to work best for you and your family.

Your self-care box is not your first wildly successful business venture. Looking at your track record you are one remarkable and astute business woman who has created businesses, products and conferences that center on uplifting and encouraging young mothers and women. Why not just stop there, what was your thinking about expanding into something as important and overlooked as self-care

I didn’t realize as I was doing all those other things (the self-care retreats, the conferences, the books) that everything I was dabbling in was bringing me to that moment. It’s one thing to attend a retreat once a year and focus on your self-care for a weekend, but it’s another thing to have something that comes to your house and rewards you for just being you. Women tend to be invisible to themselves, putting everyone and everything ahead of them, while their core self withers. I wanted something for women that would make their self-care habit-forming. Thus, the Bloom Beautifully box!

I’m just going to ask the infamous question that I think every woman who dares to be an entrepreneur has heard at some point. “How do you do it all?”

I have a very, very full plate, so I’ve learned to take small bites and not chew too fast. That means I don’t worry as much about tomorrow and instead try to focus solely on today. I make sure my to-do list stays manageable, no more than four things at a time and I rely on my calendar exclusively. If it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t get done. I also make it a point to be available to my kids. If they ask me to play with them and I’m knee deep in work, I take a deep breath, push away from the computer and go play. I’ve found that those breaks with my children actually make me sharper, creatively and it’s a joy to be there, watching them grow.

A huge thank you to Tara for sharing her experiences and words of wisdom. I hope it encourages you to go after that dream or take a moment to yourself.

To learn more about and order the Bloom Beautifully Box visit the website at www.TheSelfCareBox.com

Tara Pringle Jefferson is the founder and chief curator of Bloom Beautifully, a bimonthly self-care subscription box for busy women. She is also the writer behind TheRenaissanceSuite.com and TheYoungMommyLife.com. Her work has appeared in Jet, Essence, What to Expect and Sirius XM. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. Find more information about the box at www.theselfcarebox.com and follow her on Instagram at @TaraJefferson

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