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Over at Sola Salon Studios, artists who have opted for the suite life are sharing their personal journeys and talking about navigating that delicate balance between work and life. As we approach the weekend and the annual celebration of Moms, everywhere, Sola asked some of their artist-entrepreneurs how they keep all those beautiful balls in the air! Here are some of their best tips, direct from Sola. Enjoy!
This Mother’s Day, Sola Salon Studios wanted to know just how all the hard working mamas out there do it. What’s your secret? How do you keep it all together? These #MomBoss entrepreneurs had a lot to say, just in time for Mother’s Day.
Get It In The Books
The key to balancing everything these Mom bosses have going on boiled down to one key component – scheduling. While everyone’s responses varied a bit, the biggest commonality was taking advantage of the freedom from Sola to create their own schedules. And this is not limited to the work schedule! These wise women like to make sure they are scheduling clients, family time and, most importantly, “me-time.”
Schedule Family Time
Roxanne Muir loves to book her family into her calendar first as if they were a client. She prioritizes this time before booking her clients, letting her clientele work around family time rather than the other way around. In doing so, she says, “If I book dinner with my family – it sticks!” We love this way of prioritizing family first, while still keeping the client schedule on track.
Kim Bennett describes her balancing act using SolaGenius. She explained, “I am a single mother and it is important for me to plan ahead when organizing my salon, daughter and personal calendar. I take advantage of having the digital assistant in Sola Genius to keep me on top of hustling in the salon when my daughter is not with me, and most importantly, I book time out for when I am with her so that I can walk away and give her my full attention. That time is so special! It is such a relief to know that my business is being taken care of so I can focus on being a mom at that time!!”
Elom Thompson likes to arrange her schedule in more of a block scheduling fashion, where she organizes her week into four salon days and three days off for family time. She still sneaks in family dinners and evenings when she chooses to leave work early on her working days, but she can also feel good about working a long day because she devotes the other three days to quality time with her kids. This must be working for her, as she professes, “being a mom and salon owner is the best thing one can have.”
Me-Time and Self Care
Just like scheduling salon and family time is crucial, you can’t forget to also schedule the most important time of all – time for yourself!
Mahogany Plautz loves the freedom to set her schedule in a way that ensures she is experiencing life with her kids and not missing out on life’s big moments. She even uses her schedule flexibility to take time to volunteer at her kids’ school. The big challenge comes in knowing when to turn it all off and take time for herself. “Kids [at home] and guests in the salon can require a lot of energy. That energy has to be replenished.” The challenge is prioritizing that so needed me-time to restore her energy. To make sure she is taking time for herself, she likes to schedule in self-care (like getting her nails done) and taking a lunch break every day that she is behind the chair.
Roxanne encourages mothers to, “make sure to spend a little time away from the salon and family, do something for yourself – whether it’s yoga, an art class, time with friends, or whatever you’re into! Make sure to book that in too. No exceptions! Book it out!”
We love this wisdom – after all, we all need time for self-care and replenishment – especially when you’re giving so much to others. You can’t give from an empty cup! Make sure yours is full before tending to everyone else.
Activities for Stress Relief, Release and Grounding
We love Kim’s method of goal setting as a way to get grounded. She describes, “I try to also think of a goal for every day whether it is a little daily goal or setting a bigger future goal and doing something towards it that day. It is important to feel like you can accomplish something every day. When you are moving forward it is always a great release!”
Some other ideas for staying relaxed and grounded include regular exercise, cooking healthy food (both the cooking and the eating can put you at ease), taking all-natural stress relief supplements, yoga and meditation, scheduling regular vacations (or staycations) and staying in touch with family and good friends. When you stay grounded, you can better serve your children and clients for the long haul.
Advice for a Mom Returning to Work? Set Your Priorities
Elom recommends that a returning mom should make her priorities very clear before delving in. She suggests that salon owners “put her baby first, herself and then clients. She should also choose to work in a flexible, comfortable and happy place like Sola!” While everyone’s priorities may shake out differently due to different lifestyles, we love the idea of getting clear on your priorities. Given the freedom of salon ownership, you’ll have to choose what works best for you and stick to it.
Quality Over Quantity Time
Roxanne suggests changing your mindset to overcome “mommy-guilt” while running your business. “Mommy guilt is horrible! ‘Am I spending enough time with my kids? Am I missing milestones with them? But I really need to be a boss mom!’ – the guilt is crazy.” While your kids do need you, your time in the salon is also making their lives better by showing them the power of following their dreams. Get in quality time whenever possible, and remember it’s the quality of time, not the quantity of time, that is most important. You can be a loving mother and a hardworking entrepreneur – just get present with your kiddos whenever possible and don’t be so hard on yourself!
Independence and Freedom
The independence to craft your schedule to accommodate your life as a mother is unique and not often offered in other careers or conventional salons.
Roxanne revels in her scheduling freedom and the ability to book her own hours to accommodate her life. She recommends to “book yourself first!”
Similarly, Elom loves to be able to “command [her] own time.” She describes, “I open my Salon door at my time and close it at my time. I like that I’m always ME when I’m in my studio and not doing any inventory for anybody but ME.”
You Can Have It All
Kim and her daughter get to enjoy the #MomBoss Sola lifestyle together. “I would have to say that you really can do it all! I know my daughter, Evie, is proud of me! It is an honor to be a role model for her and show her that I fully support her and also can have a career that is successful for us. I know Evie feels no matter what happens or whatever she needs…..Mommy’s got this!!!”
We are so inspired by you #MomBoss salon owners! You truly are wonder women.
Happy Mother’s Day!
