Time-Saving Strategies for Parent Entrepreneurs, with Productivity Blogger Paul Minors

project + client + time mgmt Feb 11, 2021

Productivity as a parent does not have to be elusive.

We set out to interview Paul Minors, Productivity Blogger and Virtual Consultant, to pick his brain about his best productivity tips for busy parent entrepreneurs. What we ended up getting was a whole lot more! This episode is full of all kinds of helpful stories, tips, and advice specifically for parents who are freelancers or consultants, or who are thinking of taking that leap.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Paul built his consulting business while working full time, and when he knew it was time to take the leap.
How he evaluated his corporate experience to figure out what services he could offer, and how he then validated that he could actually get paying clients before he got too far into it.
How he uses Time Blocking to plan out his days and seamlessly integrate his work life and family life.
Why he uses content marketing to get clients, and how he splits his time between his podcast, blog, YouTube channel, and client work.
How his consulting business has evolved over time, especially once he had his son in 2018.
And other super helpful tips and advice for parent-entrepreneurs!

Resources mentioned in the episode...

Detailed Show Notes

[:50] Introducing the great Paul Minors, productivity extraordinaire, consultant, and fellow podcaster! He's also a father of a toddler, a husband, and a New Zealander
[3:15] Paul landed on productivity because it was something he was good at, and something he could sell (BTW, we can help you find that same thing in your life!). Paul started teaching people how to best use the project management software, Asana
[5:42] Within a few months, Paul was able to quit working for the man and work for himself while earning a full salary
[8:04] Paul used Clarity (like Upwork, but less formal) to prove out his skillset, and that people would pay for it
[9:22] Like all new freelancing parents, Paul was nervous about how he was going to keep up his one-man show with a new baby. He managed that by being very transparent and clear with his clients about his life change; to his surprise, it was a nonissue for his clients
[12:30] We ask the productivity expert the burning question: how the heck do you stay productive while parenting? Paul's first tip? Time blocking.
[14:15] Have a hard stop to your work day, especially when you work from home, and allow yourself to be present with your family (or with yourself)
[17:15] Let's dive a bit deeper into this whole time blocking thing. How does Paul figure out how long tasks will take? In part, it just comes with practice and consistency. If he's unsure, he tries to pad the time to give himself enough time
[19:10] Like many parents who work for themselves, Paul recognizes its been great for his family, and for him as a parent. For him, being a parent actually makes him better at self-employment as it requires a different discipline.
[21:31] Benefits of blogging are numerous, and Paul explains how simple it can be to create one. Plus, it has helped him learn to communicate his ideas concisely.
[25:03] Yep, Paul needs to teach college kids how to time block!
[25:57] Paul's got a YouTube channel, a blog, a podcast, and he serves clients (!) He reminds us though, he didn't do this all at once (and you should not either)
[28:03] Time blocking is super important for Paul's content creation, and he designates time each week for those activities. Plus, as a New Zealander, his Monday is Sunday in the US, so he gets some time traveling benefits ;)
[31:57] Let's get real: be prepared for a lot of work, and be prepared for some things to fail. Great things take time! Paul took years to build his blog and his client base
[36:38] When you get started, don't spend time on things that aren't productive. Find clients, and get paid for what you do. Don't fall victim to imposter syndrome
[39:08] Action item right now? Figure out one thing you want to do in this next week, and block time on your calendar for it. Time blocking is your productivity friend!