So you have worked hard your whole life to get where you are in your career right? Some of you are probably doing something you love, but chances are most of you are not. I chose the entertainment industry because I love movies and I figured if I'm going to work at something, at least the field should be interesting. I wasn't excited about finance or business or insurance. I sort of fell into my niche in the industry, creating special feature content for Blu-ray and DVD. It was the best of many worlds - I got to meet and interview famous stars and directors, but I didn't have to work irregular production hours. I got the stability and regular paycheck of a movie studio. And before I started climbing the corporate ladder, I got to be involved in less of the creative "fun" stuff. As my title and salary went up, it started to shift more to things like staff management, the politics of dealing with higher up executives, and lots of spreadsheets (I mean I like a good spreadsheet but some of these were crazy!) And then once I had children, the work/life balance definitely became an issue for me. My passion was for my family more than my job, which I think is pretty normal. Some people can find a happy place with that. But I began to see that I could not. So while I still adore movies and think the movie industry is a really cool place to work, it no longer fit my lifestyle and I wasn't passionate about it.
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| Me and Will Ferrell |
So what are you passionate about? If you were to write down your top 10 hobbies and pastimes - what would they be? Take out a piece of paper and write them down. It could be sports, travel, cooking, arts and crafts, music, fashion....what makes you happiest? What are things you spend time on that you currently aren't getting paid to do?
Then RESEARCH what is out there in these 10 areas. Are there home based business or products? Franchise opportunities? Companies that offer telecommuting?
For my money, nothing beats a home based network marketing business. You can start it "on the side" and work on it while you still have your full time job, until you build it up to replace your income. There is usually a very small up front investment. Most companies offer free training. The "team" that you join has a vested interest in you succeeding so you will find that many companies have a family like atmosphere (or maybe I just got lucky!)
The internet is amazing! You can live in a podunk town in mid-America and reach millions of people from your computer. Do not think that you have to hit up your friends and family or "I don't know anyone". #1 you know tons of people and #2 there are tons more out there looking for what you have to offer.
For me, one really big thing was always fitness. Growing up overweight, I tried every diet or workout plan out there. I never stuck to anything. I wanted to be an actress as a kid but I was chubby and self-conscious, and hated rejection, so that didn't last long. I used to joke about actors and actresses, well they basically get paid to stay in shape. Hey I want a job like that, where I get paid to get and be fit. It's ironic that years later, I found an opportunity that fits that description. I had bought Slim in 6 and P90X years before there was a coaching arm of Beachbody, and they gathered dust in my garage. But I never thought for one second at that time, that you could have a career based around fitness that could match my six figure movie business job. It wasn't until I saw a friend having great success with it, that I realized it was possible.
What is that "THING" for you??
As a busy working mom, you probably have ZERO free time right? Work, your commute, family time, kids activities, and the like fill your days. TIME is one of the reasons you feel so stuck. You probably think, I can't get out of the situation I am in because I can't find anything that will immediately replace my current income and I don't have the time to start something else on the time. That is exactly what I thought. I was lucky enough to be able to watch vicariously as a friend of mine who was just as busy as I was started her own business, in an industry that I was very interested too, and I saw that she was able to do it. It wasn't easy. She put in a lot of extra hours and gave up some sleep, but now she has a six-figure business working from home while her kids are in school, picks them up every day and the rest of the day is dedicated to them. That is exactly what I wanted. A big part of success is modeling what you do after someone who has what you want. And one thing most successful entrepreneurs and "mama-preneurs" do is this:
So let's take a serious look at your time.
Television - how much time do you spend watching TV a day? Are there a few shows you could give up if it meant achieving the life you want?
Commute time - do you listen to talk radio or music on your drive? Use this time for personal development (audio CDs) or other trainings; or use this time for conference calls for your business
Lunch break - do you eat out with co-workers every day? Can you use that time to work on your business (online doing social media, prospecting, communicating with customers etc)
Hobbies - we all need an outlet and some fun for sure. But can you put any of these hobbies "on hold" for just a couple of years and use that time to build your dream life? I think so.
One big time block that mama-preneurs often use to work on their businesses is after the kids go to bed. Can you clear out your 9pm - midnight schedule, whatever you do now during that time, and make it "Six Figure Mama" focused time??
Success doesn't come without sacrifice. Can you find 10-15 hours a week to dedicate to a business? That's the minimum I feel like you need to start a serious business.
