Archive for the ‘E Profiles’ Category

E Profile-Nannies Galore Founder’s Time Tips for Parents

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Tamara Mickelson-Founder & CEO of Nannies Galore

Tamara Mickelson-Founder & CEO of Nannies Galore

Being a parent is a wonderful privilege and an incredible responsibility. Nannies Galore founder and CEO Tamara Mickelson shared these time management tips for succeeding as a working parent:

1.  Keep Lists! If you are like me, you keep a list for everything.  Grocery list, chores, bills that need to be paid, etc.  Lists seem trivial to some, but are a lifesaver to me. It is a habit that I formed years ago, and has proven to work over and over again. Crossing things off of my list gives me a sense of accomplishment, leading me right into my next task.  Keep a list!

2.  Say No! When I started my own nanny website, it was pretty easy at first.  But as the weeks went on, businesses began calling and asking for favors, articles, money for advertising, events to host; basically asking for my time.  Working full time outside of the home, raising my daughter alone, and operating a website business are things that I need and like to do, but I have to structure my time to make it effective and harmonious. So, when it comes to scheduling parties, events, charities, etc, I just learned to say no (thank you) to those that I truly cannot commit to.  Say No!

3.  Breathe! If you are not in an exercise program yet – you need to be.  I understand that gyms and classes cost money and our economy has left most of us without any; however, you can do a lot of things at home.  You can run or jog around your neighborhood and even do yoga.  Just simple stretching to music that calms you will help tremendously – you can meditate at the same time.  Look for free downloads on the internet on exercise, yoga and meditation. Schedule time to breathe!

Tamara’s Web site is filled with nanny profiles from all over the United States so families can find quality childcare: Nannies Galore Check it out & read more about her story below.

To your work/life brilliance!

Elizabeth

A bit more on Tamara:
I am a single mother working full time and raising my child alone.  Due to unfortunate circumstances a few years ago, I found myself in desperate need of a live-in nanny for my one year old daughter. I logged onto a nanny website and was lucky to find one right away. She worked for me for 6 months. It was a wonderful experience and we still keep in touch.

Since then, I have been hiring my nannies and babysitters from websites just like this one.  Being a member of several nanny sites gave me plenty of choices when it came to the right care. As a parent, I like having choices when it comes to hiring someone I trust to take care of my child.  My daughter is now 4 years old, and we still have a live-in nanny.

In 2008, I developed a strong desire to create my own nanny website, so here I am! I will be hiring my next nanny and babysitter from nanniesgalore.com.  Will it be you?

Good luck with your search!

Nannies Galore is featured in the January 2010 issue of Sacramento Magazine ~get your copy at Starbucks or your local grocery store.

About Real Life E®

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach & professional speaker who empowers individuals to build businesses and achieve work/life brilliance™ through Schedule Makeovers™. Her empowerment coaching frees individuals from guilt, overwhelm, and frustration!

Discover how you can start enjoying your life TODAY! Look forward to talking with you!

Elizabeth has been featured in Inc magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and on NBC, and is happy to be interviewed for your broadcast or publication.

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Posted in E Profiles, E Tips, Mompreneurs, Resources | No Comments »

E Tip-Work at Home Mom’s Time Management Tips

Friday, April 24th, 2009
Holly Reisem Hanna-The Work at Home Woman

Holly Reisem Hanna-The Work at Home Woman

Another recent Twitter mompreneur friend is Holly Reisem Hanna. Holly is the founder of The Work at Home Woman, an online business resource and blog for women and mothers who wish to work from home or become self employed. (Basically, she’s living the dream and wants to help you do the same!)

As a mother of a busy two year old, the founder of The Work at Home Woman, and as a Social Network Liaison for a small publishing company, Holly knows how important it is to balance her professional responsibilities while creating quality time for her family and friends.

Here are Holly’s Top 3 Time Management Tips for Creating Work/Life Balance:

Create a Schedule for Yourself: I work at home part-time so it’s easy to get distracted by the laundry, household chores and family members. My two year old requires the majority of my attention so I schedule my work time in before she wakes up in the morning, and then again while she’s napping in the afternoon. This allows me time to write and work without interruptions. By creating a schedule you designate a time slot for all the activities in your day keeping you on track.
If you are working full-time from home and have small children or an elderly parent that requires the majority of your attention, try hiring a college student or care assistant to help you out. This will help to alleviate distractions and allow you to stay focused on the task at hand.

Stop Multi-Tasking and Start Single-Tasking: For most of our lives we have been taught to multi-task, and in some situations it is called for, but the majority of the time it is a huge time waster. By single-tasking, you can fully focus on the task at hand and complete it without interruptions. Give yourself a block of time to complete each task, and stop watching the news, catching up on email and answering phone calls, you’ll be surprised at how much more efficient you’ll become.

Cut Out The Television: T.V. can be a wonderful escape from reality, but nobody needs more than a few hours per week. Make time to watch your favorite programs, but then turn it off and make time for those activities that you say you never have time for. Try reading a new book, sign up for a Pilate’s class or spend quality time with family and friends. By cutting out the mindless television watching, you can free up many hours of extra time to do other more rewarding activities.

These are great tips for any work-at-home entrepreneur! I follow all of them and find it really helps me to put boundaries on my work week.

Do check out Holly’s Web site at The Work at Home Woman for Work at Home Jobs and Resources!

Have a brilliant weekend!

Elizabeth

P.S.–If you’re interested in taking control of your time so you work at home effectively, contact me to set up a consultation.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time empowerment coach who frees business owners to achieve their dream lifestyles. She specializes in empowering women business owners to achieve work/life brillianceTM

Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where Elizabeth has appeared, and she’s happy to be interviewed for your publication or broadcast.

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Posted in E Profiles, E Tips, Entrepreneurship, Mompreneurs, Resources | 3 Comments »

E Tip-How a Mom Juggles a Job and a Startup Business

Friday, April 24th, 2009
Mompreneur LeNesha Carey

Mompreneur LeNesha Carey

Hello friends!

This year, I’ve really become a fan of Twitter (I am RealLifeE). One of my favorite parts of this social networking tool is that I can easily connect with people of similar interests. One of my recent connections was with LeNesha Carey (On Twitter: MBAMompreneur) who is in the process of starting her first business along with working as a project manager for defense contracts.

Here’s what she has to say on work/life brillianceTM:

Everyday, I’m gaining tips on how to balance business and mommy duties as I am in the
process of working full time, while starting a business, maintaining a blog, and being mom/wife/friend. (Wow!)

Here are Her Top Three Tips:

Empower Children to Help in the Home: I’ve empowered my 11-year-old daughter (since she was 8 years old) to do chores, cook, wash her own clothes, etc.  We have scheduled days in which she will even prepare dinner for the family.  Not having to focus on the everyday things that our children are more than capable of completing has saved me tons and
taught her real life skills.

Delegation is Key!: With my business startup activities, I focus on those things that I’m passionate about and am successful at.  I delegate as much as possible of everything else.

Make Use of Travel Time: To catch up with friends, family, or a good book.  When home, I can focus on business activities or mommy duties.

Sounds like spot-on advice to me. If you’d like to read more about LaNesha’s “Real-Time Journey Starting a New Business,” check out her blog at: http://www.MyBusinessAdventures.com

It contains tons of useful links and information on mompreneur events and resources.

Still one more post to go in our mompreneur series!

Elizabeth

P.S.–If you’re interested in taking control of your business so you have more time to build your business, contact me to set up a consultation.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time empowerment coach who frees business owners to achieve their dream lifestyles. She specializes in empowering women business owners to achieve work/life brillianceTM

Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where Elizabeth has appeared, and she’s happy to be interviewed for your publication or broadcast.

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Posted in E Profiles, E Tips, Entrepreneurship, Mompreneurs, Resources | No Comments »

E Tip-Franchise Owner’s Tips on Work/Mom Balance

Friday, April 24th, 2009
Tammy Huinker, Molly Maid Franchise Owner

Tammy Huinker, Molly Maid Franchise Owner

Hello friends!

In my last post, I featured Tammy Huinker who has successfully built a Molly Maid franchise while working just three days a week so she could spend plenty of time  with her three boys.

I’m very close with my family (including my mom, dad, two sisters, and brother) and enjoying spending time with many friends. But I haven’t experienced the blessing of children yet so I thought I would turn the floor over to Tammy and two other mompreneurs for their tips on balancing their mom and business duties.

Tammy’s Work/Life Balance Tips after 14 Years as a Franchise Owner:

Set Your Hours: Tammy decided up front that she wanted to work strictly 8-5, and once she had twins, she decided to work three days a week. By making and keeping her goal of reducing her hours from corporate life, Tammy focused on “working smarter, not harder” and experienced her dream lifestyle.

Find and Keep Great Employees: At the beginning, Tammy brought in an employee that could cover for her when she was out of the office. By training and trusting her staff, Tammy gave herself the flexibility to work less.

Keep Expenses Low: To purchase the franchise, Tammy took an SBA loan but made it a personal goal to pay off the seven-year loan in just five. The first “fleet” car she bought was brand new, but she “never did that again.” Now Tammy purchases used cars and rented for 12 1/2 years before building her own facility.

Her advice for building a business without burning out: “Start Small and Work Up.”

Sounds brilliant to me! Stay tuned for Work/Life BrillianceTM tips from two more mompreneurs!

Elizabeth

P.S.–If you’re interested in taking control of your business so you have more time with your family, contact me to set up a consultation.

To find out more about Molly Maid, go to: www.MollyMaid.com. If you’re in the Ankeny, Iowa, area and are interested in house cleaning services, you can contact Tammy at Molly Maid Ankeny at 515-964-4111.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time empowerment coach who frees business owners to achieve their dream lifestyles. She specializes in empowering women business owners to achieve work/life brillianceTM

Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where Elizabeth has appeared, and she’s happy to be interviewed for your publication or broadcast.

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Posted in E Profiles, E Tips, Entrepreneurship, Mompreneurs, Relationships | 1 Comment »

E Profile-3-Day Weeks Leave Time for 3 Boys

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Tammy Huinker, Molly Maid Franchise Owner

Tammy Huinker, Molly Maid Franchise Owner

In 1995, Tammy Huinker had a 4-year-old, a corporate job, and a burning desire to own her own business. “This was a huge risk,  but something I needed,” Tammy says.”After years of thinking about starting a business, I decided I wanted to run a franchise. If I was going to take the plunge and put money into a company, I wanted the trials and errors at someone else’s expense!”

Tammy knew one of her big priorities was a schedule that fit with her family, including not working nights and weekends. “This left about 5 percent of the businesses,” Tammy laughs.  Of the ones remaining, Molly Maid fit her requirements in terms of day-time hours, a quality reputation, and a high level of professionalism.

In July, Tammy quit her job and opened her doors for business on September 1.

Family-Focused From the Start

“My son was already in a daycare situation, but at my other job, I had to pick him up at 6 p.m.,” Tammy says. “I told myself going into my business that I would work strictly 8-5 so I could drop him off and pick him up at 5:15 p.m. I decided I didn’t have to work 50–60 hours a week, and except for the occasional evening estimate, I didn’t work nights or weekends.”

Six months later, Tammy had a surprise–make that two! She was pregnant with twins.

“I brought in another office person–who is still with me–and when I had the twins, I went down to three days a week,” Tammy says. “My twins are 12, and I’ve only worked 24 hours a week since they were born, unless I’m covering for someone’s vacation.”

Still Growing Strong in Just Three Days a Week

Over the past 14 years, Tammy’s business has grown to include three office personnel and 23 cleaners. “I just feel it’s all in the management of having your business under control and people you can rely on,” Tammy says. “I could personally make more money, but I don’t want to put in 40 hours a week–that’s just my choice. I feel mentally healthier because my kids need me and love that every other day I’m home. I’m just a happier person that way.”

Tammy is a perfect example of building her business in a way that empowers her to live her ideal lifestyle. Discover more of the secrets to her success in next week’s post!

Until then, have a brilliant day!

Elizabeth

P.S.–If you’re interested in taking control of your business so you have more time for your kids, contact me to set up a consultation.

To find out more about Molly Maid, go to: www.MollyMaid.com. If you’re in the Ankeny, Iowa, area and are interested in house cleaning services, you can contact Tammy at Molly Maid Ankeny at 515-964-4111.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach who empowers entrepreneurs to build businesses without burning out.

Inc magazine, NBC, and The Chicago Tribune are just a few of the places where Elizabeth has appeared, and she’s happy to be interviewed for your publication or broadcast.

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Posted in E Profiles, Encouragement, Entrepreneurship, Internships & Jobs, Mompreneurs, Psychology, Relationships | 1 Comment »