I get asked this question a lot. Usually by my friends who are not in business.

“How can you work with your husband. If I did that he’d drive me insane….or I’d kill him!”

That’s what they usually say. But the truth is, I like working with my husband, and I really didn’t know why, until I heard Mary Blackburn from Beyond Success who also works with her husband (for over 30 years) say this:-

If you really want to grow as a person and know yourself better, go and do a personally development course.(afterall isn’t that the true path to self fulfilment - knowing yourself?)

If you want to up the ante a little, the get into a relationship with an equal.(They have to be equal, because then they will challenge you and make you be the best you can be. Not walk all over you, or let you walk all over them!)

.And if that’s not enough, have children with them. (Boy, there’s no faster way to humility than having children!….plus you certainly learn your breaking points at every level.)

And if you want to speed it up even more, go into business with them. (Ah! I get it now. A problem shared is a problem halved. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger. You are most angry at the ones you love the most, etc etc)

What do you think? comment below:-

Wow- what an amazing adventure it has been. If you did not know, I have been attending the last ever Marketing Blue Print Workshop- run by my mentor, Ali Brown - in L.A.

Last Ever….they always say that to fill the room right?, but I truly believe this will be the last ever event run by Ali for the 500 mainly women attending. Why?

You, see Ali Brown has some big dreams and she is taking action like I’ve never seen any other women before. She has hired a “Billionaire” women mentor that lives on the other side of the world to push her forward. She is putting all her fears aside, the economy aside and stepping into her greatness as a leader for women in business.

I asked her about finding women role models, and having the courage to do what she is doing…….did she ever get nervous or scared?……Ali stood there quietly and started to teared up.

If you didn’t know, Ali Brown now runs a multi-million dollar on-line marketing business that she runs from home, and created in under 5 years. When she started, there were no role models doing what she does. Only men. Many telling her it could not be done by a women. Women don’t like buying off women, women have no money to spend on business stuff, etc etc etc.

There was only one way to do it - like a man….you had to have B.A.L.L.S. to survive in the cut throat world of marketing on-line.

You know what she said to me….”be your own role model… step into your greatness and allow yourself to be the best person you can be.” Why?

WHY NOT?

It meant the world to me, because I have been told the same thing.

The other comment I often get is…… “women don’t support other women”….my answer is - “Well the women I hang around do!”

Today, one of the women came back with an interesting thought. We do have Balls, us women in business. It goes like this……

Balance.
Attitude.
Lifestyle
Leverage
Sensuality.

SO HOW DO YOU FIND THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL?

If you want some clarity and focus about where to go next, you might enjoy this exercise in finding yourself a mentor.

Write down all the traits you would like in your perfect mentor. I did, and here’s what it looks like:-

She is a smart and Saavy Successful Business Women.

She has empathy for others and especially for me!

She is Sassy & Fun Loving.

She loves her family and her children.

She is nurturing & loving

She is playful & fun to be around

She holds me accountable.

She is authentic.

She can see the best “me” I can be!

She respects others and respects herself.

Now,while I’m waiting for her to show up, my job is to BE THAT PERSON! How about you? What is your perfect mentor like?

Whilst I’ve been a mother - I have always been in business. I have two beautiful children, now of school age. I run four businesses, one of them a multi-million dollar business and the majority of time I work from my home office during school hours.

I love being in business. I love the flexibility of it, I love that I have control over what I earn (or don’t) and I love the lifestyle that it gives me.

I love being a mother. I love watching my children have new experiences and watching it through their eyes. I love seeing myself in someone else (the good and the bad) and learning from that. I love how they bring me back down to earth - when life get’s so overwhelming.

But the question I so often get ask?

How do you do it?

Well I’m going to give you my 8 tips to make it work. I hate to say it - but you will have to read my book to find out the details “If I’m So Successful How Come I Never Get To Be On Top” available at Dymocks in Australia or on www.amazon.com

8 tips to being a MOTHER IN BUSINESS.

1. 90% is Ok. Actually 80% is too. You don’t have to be a perfect mother and a perfect business women. Doing both of them 80% right is still great and doesn’t make you an exhausted wreck. The ironing can wait. The email can wait.

2. Part-time work is a great compromise when your children are under school age. Use the downtime to educate yourself. When the children go to School you will be so much more effective and up-to-date. It will help your business sky-rocket forward.

3. Guilt is a wasted emotion. Repeat after me! Mother Guilt achieves nothing. You have two choices. Fix the problem or make up for your mistake and move on. This is a unique time we live in. Don’t base what it should be like on the past. Choose how you want it and work towards that.

4. You may have to sacrifice income. When the children are young, unless you want to have them in full time care, you may have to earn a little less. Enjoy the time, and use it to learn.

5. When you are at work - spend 80% of your day on income producing activities. Don’t waste your day on silly emails and gossipy chats. You should be 100% focused when you are at work. Enjoy your social time when you are home with friends and family.

6. Be in the moment. When you are with the children - be with the children. When you are at work - be at work.

7. LOOK FOR LEVERAGE in everything you do. Ask yourself “how can this be systemised, done cheaper or faster by someone else?” What could be automated on a computer, could you use a virtual assistant, or out sourced to another company that is far more effective that you learning a new skill.

8. Be kind to yourself. I feel somedays being a mother in business is like standing on a SEE SAW. Some days I slide down one side - and I’m a great Mum and a lousy business women. Other days I slide the other way and I’m a great SUPER business women - and a lousy Mum……every now and then……………………………………………………………………………

I’m standing in the middle of that SEE SAW, with both fists in the air - absolutely aceing it.

LIFE IS GOOD.

I’m sure I’m not the only women in business, that as soon as I stand up for myself I get called the “B” word.

If the act of being assertive is coming from a rational and calm place, then “what others think of us is none of our business”.

It’s important to know what your values in business are, and what you will and won’t compromise on. It’s important to understand how you cope with stressful situations in business. We all cope differently. If standing up for what you believe in get you called the “B” word, then so be it.

One of the best learning curves for me was doing a personality test.

I learnt how I do cope under pressure and as confronting as it was, it was a great opportunity to improve myself. See our product list for a great personality test tool.

My good friend and women’s health expert Gabriela Rosa tells me many women find their hormones play a big part in their reaction to stressful situations. Remember we are different to men. Our bodies operate in cycles and our hormones play a big part with that. Our hormones can make us get teary, feel self conscious, become angry and irrational.

I have obtain a fabulous recording of Gabriella explaining “How you can quickly and easily stop hormones sabotaging your success and start taking control of youir life.