Cool Mom Business - Pediatric Speech & Language Solutions

Meet: Jaime Backer Miller    

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

Meet: Jennifer Alderman

All moms have an innate ability to multi-task, think on our feet & are flexible so naturally they you're great business owners!

Each month Mommy Magic highlights a different mom owned business that I think are super cool!

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

Cool Mom Business - GetOutMom.com

Meet:  Cami Back, Founder of GetOutMom.com

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

Cool Mom Business - The Plan-it Group, LLC

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 

Cool Mom Business - Stay at Home Rock Star

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.