Today is our second entry in our series interviewing moms who have successfully achieved their goals. Last time, I interviewed two single moms who were able to make full-time income freelancing and were therefore able to stay home with their kiddos. You can check out their stories here.
Today we have another interview with a mama who I think a lot of moms can relate to. She is a working mom who wants to be able to stay at her job while also getting quality time with her kiddo.
I love this one because it shows you that your goals don’t have to be crazy ginormous to have a great impact on your life. Entrepreneurial goals aren’t the only worthwhile ones.
Not every mama wants to start their own business and leave their 9-5. Some people enjoy their jobs. Goal setting isn’t one size fits all. It’s about doing the things that make you feel fulfilled and happy.
So, without further adieu, meet Jennifer!
Tell us a little about yourself and your family
Jennifer: I'm Jennifer, wife, mom, and dog-mom! We live in central Massachusetts and enjoying spending lots of time outside. We're an active family and love music. We have family dance parties all the time (our current jam is anything Whitney Huston!)
What is one major goal you were able to achieve, personal or professional, as a mom?
Jennifer: I wanted to be able to continue to work after my daughter was born. I also wanted to be able to spend quality time with my daughter, something I had to fight to do.
What was the why behind your goal?
Jennifer: My mother always told me that I needed to be able to support myself, no matter what. In my industry (technology), skills go stale after five years. It's impossible to get back in. I also wanted to set an example for my daughter and other girls by showing them that women can succeed in the technology field.
What kind of planning and time management tactics did you use to allow you to achieve your goal?
Jennifer: I had to get ruthless with my time. Anything that wasn't work related or family related needed to go. I became insanely productive at work because I was focused on getting everything done in less time so I could leave at the "normal" time instead of staying late. I had a planner and conducted weekly reviews to make sure that I was getting things done. And when I was at home, I set clear boundaries. I don't have my phone with me when I'm having mommy-daughter time. My focus is on her while I'm at home.
Did you get help from others, family members or friends?
Jennifer: I had some family members that would help when I needed it. If my daughter was sick, I could work from home if someone came over to watch her. I had supportive co-workers as well, which made a huge difference at work. They made sure they got me everything in a timely manner and understood that I would be heading home and not always staying late.
Is there anything else that you found essential to achieving your goal?
Jennifer: I had to prioritize. There wasn't any other choice. Spending quality time with my daughter and still working meant that some things needed to get cut. Some of the cuts were easy (watching TV, spending hours on Facebook), but others were hard (saying no to some visits from friends and family so we could spend time as a family unit on some weekend days). It was an adjustment for everyone, but well worth it. We're still seeing benefits of setting boundaries and prioritizing!
Tell us a little about your blog and where we can find you.
Jennifer: I started my own business a few months back so that I could have more flexibility and potentially bring in more income than before. I went back to my first love (sorry husband!) of web development and now I help women entrepreneurs create converting websites so they can spend more time with their families and less time driving traffic to websites that don't convert. I blog about web design and technology for women at jenniferanastasi.com/blog
I just want to thank Jennifer so much for taking the time to share her story with us. Clearly she has figured out how to really align her actions with her priorities. Definitely go check out the fantastic content on her blog!
Let me know in the comments below if you like these kinds of inspiring posts so I know to keep them coming. I have several more interviews that I would love to share with you all.
Cheers,
Emily
