How to Best Show Up for Ourselves
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Episode Summary
Welcome to today's episode of the Project: Mom Podcast. If you missed my last solo episode, which was released just a couple of weeks ago on July 3, I pondered the realities of how we were actually showing up for the new moms in our lives. So today, in this episode, I wanted to focus on this question: how can we best show up for ourselves? We've talked about this in a variety of ways on the podcast before – topics such as self-care and what that means, finding your community, who builds you up, how to identify burnout before it happens, how getting clear on new priorities and advocating for yourself is vital. But in this particular episode I want to really hone in and focus on the intricacies of asking for help so that you can get some time back to move the needle in your own business, hobby, or passion project.
Topics Discussed:
The intricacies of asking for help so you can get back more time in your home and in your business
Giving yourself the space to create a business or hobby that allows us to reconnect with the favorite parts of yourself
Why it may be time for you to hire a team to outsource some of the items on your to-do list
How Emily is expanding the support she offers to the community to give back more
Episode Resources:
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Emily Gorrie:
Welcome to today's episode of the Project Mom Podcast. If you missed my last solo episode, which was released just a couple of weeks ago on July 3, I pondered the realities of how we were actually showing up for the new moms in our lives. So today, in this episode, I wanted to focus on the question, how can we best show up for ourselves? And we've talked about this in a variety of ways on the podcast before. topics such as self-care and what that means, finding your community, who builds you up, how to identify burnout before it happens, how getting clear on new priorities and advocating for yourself is vital. And this particular episode wants to really hone in and focus on the intricacies of asking for help. What can you take off your plate? Evaluate your ability to outsource. What can you do to get back with that time? I am not necessarily talking about, at this moment, leveling the mental load with your partner. And while that is a whole lot of work, 100% necessary, right? Read Fair Play if you haven't yet and are looking for a place to start. But more so, where can you outsource support on tasks in your day-to-day life, whether that be at home or in your business? For me, there is something so much cleaner about asking for help when an exchange of money is involved. It becomes simpler. I'm paying this person to help me with these precise tasks. You know when? and you know how it's going to be done. I've noticed quite loudly that there is an element of guilt, an emotional rollercoaster, so to speak, that comes with choosing the non-traditional path and starting a business with young kids at home. There's guilt around choosing something for me as an individual that requires me to outsource child care to someone, whether that be another family member, a daycare, or a nanny. We're ingrained generally as women from an early age through narratives of generations before us, we are meant to be a mom. That individual martyrdom is expected, and we must put ourselves on pause and put our kids in their needs first. So when we get to this point of attunement with ourselves that we choose this non-traditional path, I expect most of us, like I did, experience a level of guilt or insecurity around that choice. And then, personally, I experienced this, right? We get to a point where we try to do it all. We want to be a full-time stay-at-home mom while also working part-time on a business that probably only gets attention during nap times or in the evenings when everyone else has gone to bed, right? Or perhaps we thrown our babies in a baby sling and a bouncer or do some work while we narrate out loud for our babies' entertainment and development. We all know where that path is leading, burnout, exhaustion, frustration, fogginess. And ultimately, we can't show up as our best selves for any part of our lives when that happens, whether that be at home or in our business. So that's what this episode wants to focus on. How can we support ourselves through this intense stage of having young kids at home that require immense care from us? as they lack the development that's needed to take care of themselves just yet, or just not there yet? And how do we still give ourselves the space and permission to create a business, a hobby, a passion project that allows us to remember the amazing individual parts of ourselves? We talk a lot about supporting ourselves in motherhood, outsourcing child care, finding time for self care, hiring a cleaning service, use a laundry service. Hell, just put the laundry away unfolded, right? Et cetera. But what about in our business? Can we identify tasks or roles within our business that we can outsource that frees up our time to spend it? back on the bulk of the things in the business that bring us joy, right? The reason why we most likely started this business or hobby or passion project in the first place. And on the surface, right, when you're looking at the elements that a successful business has, right, you're probably touching on a handful of the following tasks, right? Marketing, maybe client sales, product messaging, time management, accountability, overhead costs, client pricing, execution. materials, things of that nature. And when do you find time to do all of that? And perhaps maybe before you had kids, you had the time. But now that your kids need you 24-7, the pull and the needs of those young kids is dramatically different than what you experienced as an individual, as well as the needs of teenagers and those who are more self-sufficient. So guilt. And the push and pull of both of these worlds for us is intense. Maybe when you're with your kids, your mind is elsewhere. Maybe it's almost resentful like it was for me that I didn't have the freedom that I once did, that I long for again at times. And I'd argue that maybe now is the time to build out that team of people that you can lean on to support your efforts in business. specifically. Can you build a team that helps you spend your time where you want, whether that be on the business that you're creating, on topics that make you happy, or maybe it is just more time with your kids at home without the heft of your business to-do list weighing on you, right? So can you find a team to help you move the needle in your business? It's time, right? This is your sign. And look at your list, right? What can you outsource? Is there a website designer can get your site up and running. I mean, how long has that been there? It's about time maybe we took that down, the coming soon, the under construction landing pages. Maybe it's an accountability coach to help you hone your efforts and make progress. Or maybe it's admin tactical tasks that you can give an assistant. Virtual assistance is readily accessible these days and is truly such a blessing. From personal experience, I started outsourcing the editing and social media, as well as the scheduling of both of those for this podcast. And it has been incredible. The opportunities that it gives me, the chance it gives me to do the part of this project that I love the most, which is the content and the conversations, is huge. Those pieces bring me such joy that with this help, I was able to do it. get out of my way and just start doing it. And as some of you know, I have a sales background. And half of my job was to take a product or a service and break it down and make it more tangible and digestible to others, as I shared its story with the external world. And a lot of sales work is listening, communication, whether that be orally or written. And those are the parts of the job that I loved. And it's a blessing. for me to still be able to do that and continue that now with this podcast. I get to listen and share the stories of women who are just like myself who are navigating motherhood and this burning desire to start a business. And it wasn't until I started outsourcing was I actually able to spend more time in those realms and less bogged down in. the nitty gritty, how do I actually execute and put this podcast out in front of the ears who need it. I was able to finally make some forward motion, momentum. And I was able to do that with the outsourcing of childcare. I found a daycare that I love for my daughter that she loves. It's outsourcing the editing, the scheduling, and initial creation of social media that has really afforded me this space and this clarity to move forward into a place of creation within this project that truly lights me up. So it is with that I'm excited to share officially here that I've been able to expand the support of this community to give back to those who are listening, who have the same drives that I do, to put to work all of these new skills and experiences that I've gathered in these last 2 and 1 by years of being a mom. It's through my own outsourcing, ultimately, that I've been able to include. more project-based work. And it's focusing on administrative work that supports women entrepreneurs who are looking to grow or start their business with young kids at home. It's the tedious administrative tasks, email communication and systems, the repurposing of content, crafting ideal client-friendly materials from things you've already envisioned and created. Those are the tasks that tend to weigh us down. These are tasks that have been maybe holding you back or sitting on your to-do list for too long. And that's ultimately where I want to come in to help move through the stagnant energy and get the freedom flowing again, to be there to show up for you when you're unsure really of where to start, where to go next. And it's really the one-off projects that I align with most. The no need for a commitment, no long-term projects or retainers. It's a service, really, for when you need help in the now and nothing more. When you want to dip your toes maybe into the extra support and see if the efficiency and the efficacy is there. As moms and business owners, we have a million thoughts running through our minds. So I urge you to reflect, to evaluate, how can you get yourself some help? with some of those thoughts and those tasks. So that's the homework here, the reflection prompt when you're journaling. How can I support myself in this business? If it were simple, what would I ask somebody else to do for me? If you want to hear more about how mompreneurs have found success with outsourcing and asking for help, be sure to check out the list of episodes in our show notes as well as on our blog post of past Project Mom These women share their absolutely incredible, inspiring stories. You won't be disappointed. I promise. If you're interested in connecting on how this podcast or project-based support can support you in where you want to go in this business, let's talk, right? Find me on Instagram at Project BOMB Podcast or head over to my project-based website, www.EmilyGori.com. And ultimately just be sure to turn in to next week's episode.