Meet: Jenn Kampmeier, "MomPreneur" 

The Business: purplepail.com, purplepail.tv, ladieseveningout.com

1. A good support system:  I am a single mom so at times being a business owner I have meetings at night and need for a close family member to watch Zane. I also have different friends that I call depending on the ‘life situation’ that I am handling at the time. It takes a village to raise a child and to keep a mom sane! 

2. A good organization tool: Whether that is a Smartphone, a notebook, a paper calendar. One place where you write everything down and carry with you. 

3. Outsource when needed: For my business I outsource the accounting, graphic design, and legal items. This allows me to focus on what I do best which is running the operational side of the business.

Meet:

The Business:  Yarn Love, an online yarn retailer

Finding Balance:  Balance? What's balance? :-) I work full time as a senior director for a major managed & cloud hosting company, in addition to running my business "on the side", in addition to running our household and being a wife to my husband and mother to my son. The ONLY way I achieve any sort of balance is with help - I have a part-time assistant (who's also a knitter) who helps with Yarn Love by doing almost all the hands-on work. I couldn't do it without her!

I'm also finding that rigorous schedulding and schedule management is absolutely a MUST. I try to schedule everything Monday - Friday. From my drive time to work, to getting my son ready for bed. If the time is unscheduled, it's fair game to be "grabbed" by someone. This also helps me to be realistic about what I can fit into my day (and still sleep). I scheulde "work time" - where I don't check email or answer the phone - but dedicate my time to a particular task or series of tasks. As with so many of us I can get sucked into an email black hole, or (let's face it) a Facebook or Pinterest black hole. 

Best Advice for a Working Mama:  Set your priorities and stick with them as well as you can. "Family first" is easily said, but for those of us who's income is required for our household, we often make hard decisions, like missing a soccer game for a work trip, or missing a family dinner in the evening to work late on a critical project. FORGIVE YOURSELF.  Only you know what your work (or not working) means to your family, and only YOU know what's best for your family. Don't let anyone else tell you what you should be doing.

Top 3 must haves that make your life easier:

1. My iPhone w/ email, calendar, and Internet with me at all times (it's a blessing and a curse!)
2. Downtime - I don't schedule the weekends if I can avoid it.
3. Sleep - I used to let it be the first thing to go, now I make sure I prioritize *my* sleep or I'm useless to everyone.

For more information or to buy yarn - go to www.yarnlove.com. Use coupon code MMCMB for an additional 25% off yarn for Mommy Magic readers through the end of June!

Meet:

The Business:  Hamilton County Family Magazine

Finding Balance:  In our business, this is a challenge i must admit.  There is always something i could be doing!  I just keep reminding myself, FAMILY FIRST!  My kids are good at reminding me too--

Best Advice for a Working Mama:  Put everything in perspective--put your family first and make sure things are taken care of on the home front.  Makes working so much easier!

 

 Top 3 must haves that make your life easier:

1. Email on my phone!
2. An organized family calendar.
3. Kids that are willing to pitch in and help me out!

The Business:
Hi Ho Vacations – a free Disney Travel planning service.  We help families make the most of their money and time when visiting any Disney owned property – Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney, and new this year Aulani in Hawaii.  So often families become overwhelmed with the options available to them when heading to a Disney Destination,  many times overpaying for options or simply not knowing how to take advantage of amenities they have paid for.  To date we have saved families thousands of dollars – not to mention time and stress. 

Finding Balance:
This is the toughest part of owning your own business.  Balance!  I’m still learning to deal with the dishes in the sink and a living room that seems to always need vacuumed.  I do have a wonderful family who pitches in with the day to day “business” around the house.  It’s becoming our new normal and is teaching my boys the importance of valuing their belongings and their home. 

Best Advice for a working mama:
When you spend time with your kids and family focus on them. I’m sure many working moms could tell you that just because your PHYSICALLY there – does not always mean your THERE.  I do my very best to be present with them.  No cell phone – no e-mails.  It’s hard at times but I’m improving.

Top 3 must haves that make your life easier:

1. My support system, the indispensable people that help with my boys.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to know while I’m working, my boys are happy and well taken care of.
2. My iphone.  It allows me to be away from my desk for periods of time but still available to clients if needed.  I can find meals on the go-check my calendar – return emails from the ball field….
3. Yoga.  There can be a lot of pressure planning the perfect vacation for our sweet clients.  I could not get through a week without my Yoga and Pilates sessions.  The best stress reliever!  

For more info: www.hihovacations.com or 317-586-4002

Meet:

The Business: Pediatric Speech and Language Solutions is located in Carmel, Indiana. We provide individualized speech and language screenings, evaluations, and treatment for children ages 0-18 with a variety of diagnoses. With over 11 and a half years of experience, our therapists, Jaime Miller, M.A., CCC-SLP and Angie Wall, M.A., CCC-SLP work with families and their children to provide the best possible outcome for growth with speech and language skills.

Finding Balance: Finding the balance between work and home is the biggest struggle for me as a working Mom. Any working Mother will tell you that you cannot be the best at both. Setting priorities, both at work and at home, help me to accomplish the most that I can. I try to achieve balance by involving my family in my work when I can. Fortunately, my business involves working with children. My family often assists me when I am planning a new activity for my clients. My two boys enjoy making crafts, playing with food, or playing a new game while I get to spend time with them. 

Best Advice for a Working Mama: If you enjoy what you do at work, you will be happy. Your positive attitude and happiness will then carryover into your home. Like they say, “If Mama is happy, everyone is happy.” Make it a priority to spend one-on-one time with each of your children and your husband every day. Ask for help when you need it. I am guilty of not doing this and trying to do it all myself. I have wonderful friends that would be glad to help if I asked. Take time for yourself. Find something you enjoy and do it for as much time as your schedule allows every day. Make sure when you are having time to yourself that you leave work at work and family at home. Running is my “me time,” and I enjoy training for half marathons.

Top 3 must haves that make your life easier:

1. Organization-through my smart phone I can see my commitments and others that my family has. With the help of the Pinterest application, I can find menus, dinner ideas, and fun activities to with my kids quickly.
2. Communication with your spouse, children, and co-workers. I have dry erase and memo boards at home and work so that we can all stay on the same page.
3. A skinny chai latte!

For more info: visit www.pediatricspeechandlanguagesolutions.com or call (317) 569-0086

The Business: Jennifer Alderman Photography. After having my first baby I saw a need for a different style of family & children’s photography. Photography had always been a passion and hobby and I was so dissatisfied by the portraits I would get from a traditional studio because they just seemed so forced and posed. I wanted photos that captured my child’s true personality and I knew other parents did as well, so I started my own photography business. It is my goal to capture all the “small moments in a big life”.

Finding Balance: I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, and it really caused me to reevaluate my priorities. Many of the things that used to be so important simply are not in the grand scheme of life. Now I ask myself, “Is this worth the stress?” before I take on another commitment or client, and if the answer is “no” then I decline the offer and move on.

Best Advice for a working mama: Don’t feel guilty about loving your work! I have certainly felt bad many times for leaving my kids with a sitter so that I can go photograph other families. But I love what I do and I know that following my dreams ultimately makes me a better mother. I believe I am teaching my kids that with hard work and dedication they can make anything possible.

Top 3 must haves that make your life easier: #1. My iPhone! Its keeps me on schedule, tells me where to go, helps me find the right recipe for dinner. #2. Good help! People ask me “How do you do it all?” and I respond,  “I don’t!” #3. My Crock-Pot! I can get so much more done in the afternoons if dinner is already cooking!

For more info: www.aldermanphotography.com

Meet:

The Business:  A new casual employment website for ALL busy people.  Connect with a local mom to complete a task or project from your to-do list, or be the mom that gets hired while defining your own schedule and rates.  Working with Co-founder and friend Stacie Gopsill helps keep it all fun and demonstrates the power of what can happen when 2 moms are on a mission to help others!

Finding Balance:  We’re still looking for it!  Our site is all about helping moms find their balance.   Take a stressor off your plate by hiring or bartering with another mom… or work a few hours a week because you want to. 

Best Advice for a working mama:  Outsource!  Whether your job is a “stay-at-home” mom, or you work in an office… be receptive to help from others.  It’s the give and take that helps keep our spirit alive.  We’ve witnessed women doing absolutely everything themselves and becoming resentful because there often isn’t much praise for all their hard work.  Running a household means you need to know when to delegate – just like any man would!!!

Top 3 must haves that make your life easier: 

1. My smart phone helps me stay on top of emails while getting updates on kid sports schedules, cancellations and events. It’s amazing what can get done in a car pool line or during a practice!
2. A dog.  Sounds strange but if we didn’t have a dog I’m not sure my husband and I would make the time to walk each night and connect.  It’s so hard to find time with each other when everything else eats up our day.
3. A sense of humor – always comes in handy when raising a family.

For more info:  Visit GetOutMom.com or contact Dana@GetOutMom.com

Follow us: 

• www.Facebook.com/GetOutMom
• www.Twitter.com/GetOutMom

Meet:
Jennifer White. Lucky mom of 2 boys ages 6 and 4, married for 18 years to a loving, supportive husband, and an entrepreneur living the dream in Carmel, IN.

The Business: (what it’s all about):
After a successful career in Real Estate and Project Management, Jennifer formed The Plan-it Group, LLC. A group of businesses that were developed out of lots of ideas and the desire to work from home and raise a happy, healthy family.  Dream it, think it, do it!

pictureplan-it! Real Estate marketing is a marketing company specializing in photography, floorplan renderings, virtual tours, websites and specialized marketing for the real estate industry.  We are known throughout the industry for our pictureplan-it! floorplan tours using our own proprietary software.

GoodEatsandMeats.com is a blog that started from an organic meat co-op in Indianapolis. A group of  like minded Moms buying locally produced, sustainable meats and saving money by buying co-operatively. The blog continues to grow and share ideas about life, food and family.

Finding Balance:
My family keeps me balanced and in check along with what I call “flexible organization.” I try to plan ahead and keep a regular schedule which allows me to know which blocks of time are available to get work done and always build flexibility into my mindset knowing that something always comes up. I have found that I do my best, most creative thinking in the evening - capitalizing on that allows me the opportunity to focus on my family during the day.

I am the first to admit that I embrace technology to help with planning of day to day activities and communicate with those on my team. This is a huge factor in allowing me to continue working from home and keep what’s important in perspective.

Best Advice for a Working Mama:
I have a saying that is often written on the chalkboard in our kitchen: “The sign of a good Mom is sticky floors, dirty oven and happy, healthy kids!”  It’s important to keep your perspective, not strive for perfection. This is a great thing to remember on those busy days when you feel that life has gotten the most of you…it’s OK.

Top 3 "Must Haves" That Make Your Life Easier:
It goes without saying that a good support system at home is helpful and makes life much easier. Along with that, I would say that my 3 “go-to” tools are:

• My cell phone, which keeps me going on the run and keeps my kids entertained in traffic
• Any and every meal planning/grocery list idea I can get my hands on
• The big chalkboard in my kitchen. Whether it’s a quote of the day, or countdown to an important day…it’s a great place to stop, breathe and focus.

Online @ www.pictureplanit.com, www.goodeatsandmeats.com
Email: jenericrocks@gmail.com 

Meet:
Cary Heise, wife and stay at home mom of two from Raleigh, NC.

The Business: (what it’s all about):
Stay at Home Rock Star llc  Tees for Moms that Rock!  Stay at Home, Part-time Stay at Home, Work from Home.... We all Rock!  American made and locally printed products that encourage and empower moms through their sometimes messy, always crazy life at home.

Finding Balance:
I let my week dictate what I can and will do while keeping my family as my first priority.  I have to be flexible.  I don’t have childcare other than preschool and elementary school hours.  What I can get done, I do!  What I cannot get done, goes to next week’s to do list. When I look at my week, it all falls into place.  We keep a pretty regular schedule; Sunday- church and family, Monday- school and volunteering and so forth.  I choose to be home with my kids and that is my focus, my full time job.  With both kids  in elementary school soon, I’ll have more time soon to be creative and work on my t-shirt line.

Best Advice for a Working Mama:
Learn to be okay with saying no. I am not superwoman.  My house isn’t always (ever) clean.  I have to (and want to) say no to mommy lunch dates occasionally to use time wisely for work and being creative while kids are in school.  I have to (and want to) unplug on the weekends to be with my family. This is a big one--- business pressures and expenses. Just because your friends and your clients want a new product, it must be researched and introduced in your timeframe. Saying yes to my family, allows me to say no when work weeds its way into my personal life.

Top 3 "Must Haves" That Make Your Life Easier:

• My Mac!  It is okay to splurge on items that are truly beneficial to your work and save you time.
• My iPhone! You see a trend here, right?
• My supportive husband! He understands and supports my risk-taking and entrepreneurial drive. At the same time, he keeps me grounded when my creativity is overflowing!

Online @ http://www.stayathomerockstar.com
Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/stayathomerockstar
If you are a Raleigh, NC parent, Cary is also creator and owner of www.socialbutterfliesnc.com, your online guide to local kid and family events.

Meet:
Molly Tittle

The Business: (what it’s all about)
MFitness is a fitness production company. MFitness provides elite workouts through many media sources including fitness DVD’s, online coaching, instruction & inspiration and on-site classes available for the corporate community and public at Reform Movement in Fishers and Invoke Studio in Indianapolis.

Finding Balance:

You need a good supporter or group of supporters to help you accomplish balance in your life. Your husband, your siblings, your family or friends can all help when you need to manage all your daily to-do’s. Be organized, be kind, ASK FOR HELP and repay all those that help you!

Best Advice for a working mama:
Incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Exercise is more than “taking time for yourself.” It is a preventative measure for your longevity and the health of your family and relationships.  It is often an afterthought after everything else has been accomplished then you can exercise. It needs to be re-prioritized. Exercising is as important and preventative as brushing your teeth (which we all find time for that!) It is also essential for your energy supply and self confidence. The residual benefit of exercise is that you will burn calories, build or keep muscles tone and of course look and feel good. A little goes a long way. Do squats in the kitchen as the microwave ticks by, pump your arms up and down as you climb the stairs. Go up and down your stairs several times before you go on your way. Contract your stomach muscles as you drive. Little bursts of exercises can add up over the course of your day. Be creative.

For more information log on to: www.mfitnessonline.com to securely purchase Molly’s Quick Cuts Pilates Practice DVD through PayPal as well as find out more about the services MFitness has to offer. Follow molly on twitter under mollytittle. Email Molly at molly.palmatier@comcast.net