Nothing can fully prepare you for parenthood, but you can prepare your business
If you are a small business owner who is considering having a baby, this is a must-listen episode! Mariah Stockman, Founder and Creative Director at Ms. Creative, a marketing agency for women, shares with us the four areas she’s evaluating and tightening up in her business as she looks ahead to starting a family with her husband. Plus, Tiffany shares tips from the other side of parenthood - things she wishes she had known going into it as it relates to juggling a career and parenting.
Even if you’re not planning to have a new baby any time soon, the strategies that we talk through in this episode can apply to anyone who wants to make their business more resilient should they need or want to take a step back.
Mariah’s agency, Ms. Creative, provides everything from social media marketing mentorship to full-service implementation. Her incredible team of women bring a wealth of knowledge, passion, and insight.
We also announced more details about our upcoming course: You Can Do This - A course to teach busy parents how to work for themselves
If you’ve been on the fence about going out on your own, nervous about how to actually run the business and operations side of things, or not sure how you’ll find clients, price yourself, and juggle it all, now’s the time to educate yourself and get out there!
For just $29, this course will teach you how to:
✓ Figure out what service(s) you’ll offer to potential clients.
✓ Price yourself based on value, not on an hourly rate.
✓ Find clients and dispel the myth that you’ll always be hustling for business.
✓ Understand and set up a streamlined financial structure.
✓ Pay taxes and know when it’s time to get expert help.
✓ Get your online presence cleaned up and ready to go.
We’re also including multiple templates, additional downloads, podcast episodes and more, so that you can go deeper on any topic.
Plus, you will get free access to our online community of other parent entrepreneurs just like you!
We are aiming to release by early December 2020. Learn more here!
Here's what you'll find in this episode...
[:12] BIG NEWS! Coming December 2020, we will be offering a $29 course called You Can Do This that will give you a solid launching point for becoming a bonafide freelancer
[7:23] Mariah's marketing agency is all about women supporting women, and we are here for it!
[9:41] Non-kid workdays are pretty sweet; Mariah doesn't even set an alarm! She used to work 16 hour days when she started out, but realized that working for herself meant that she could set her own boundaries
[13:00] Let's be real, it feels unfair that women are the ones who have to have the baby and lose some control and energy in their day-to-day
[15:20] Anyone else annoyed by the phrase "mom-brain?"
[18:33] Tiffany went back to work just weeks after having her daughter, and she can't lie; she felt powerful AF. However, once she realized that the job controlled her time and energy, she had to make a change. The real power, for her, was in setting her own boundaries
[22:06] Two 'buckets' for getting ready for baby: the practical and the emotional
[22:25] For Mariah, the practical part is helping prepare the emotional part
[23:40] First, Mariah looked at her finances, at her team, and at her branding. She hired a new, client-facing, team member whom she could trust to manage crucial pieces of her business
[27:01] Additionally, Mariah is setting up her financials so that the whole team gets a bigger piece of the pie, and is incentivized with each client contract. Mariah is trading off some equity so that she knows her team is invested when she has to take a step back as she grows her family
[30:58] The next thing Mariah looked at was her branding, and started asking questions about things like hiring a CEO, COO, and all those other corporate titles
[36:11] For the financial piece, Mariah needed to make sure all systems were a 'go:" she needed software, a CPA, a virtual assistant, project management software … she needed the backend to be able to run without her
[39:05] Throwback to So You Wanna Be A... with Teresa Ruiz Decker when we talked about this massive pro tip: don't be afraid to hire a virtual assistant
[42:10] Don't know where to hire a VA or contractor? Check out Facebook groups, where Mariah found her freelance peeps
[43:56] Front-loading costs: Mariah assessed major costs, like a new, safe car, before baby and while she is still making full-time revenue
[47:35] You can be a freelancer and still run your business like an agency, and can set yourself up for success by having a cash reserve
[50:15] Tiff Tips: drop ALL expectations of what this will be like. Your wants and needs can change, and that's cool. Don't try and expect that you're going to go back to work by any certain time. Set up a plan for having some help with the baby (like a postpartum doula). Make a list of the things you can let go of, both professionally and personally
[56:21] Remember to not be too hard on yourself: everyone's a perfect parent until they have a kid
[1:00] Follow Mariah's journey on Instagram @mariahstockman
