Awesome. So glad to still have you here with me!

Let’s jump into my story, to my self-paid maternity leave.

Spring 2021 I had my first child and was so excited to be home enjoying all the baby snuggles.

I was also so glad to have this time off because my husband and I were super underprepared for the workload. Let’s face it, we were overwhelmed new parents.

Days and nights full of breastfeeding on-demand and trying to change a diaper quick enough so we don’t get peed on. 🤦

Side note: The first time my husband or I had changed a diaper was at the hospital after the nurse first demonstrated it to us. Looking back, that first month was full of really bad diaper jobs. 🤣

Seriously, why isn’t there some training for having a kid?
And I hear it gets much harder when they start talking!

Back to that overwhelmed new mom. I’m glad I had the flexibility in my work schedule to take time off.

My goal at first was four months off like a standard maternity leave.

I wanted to pay for it myself and have the time off. This was how I was going to prove to myself I was successful.

Yes, I will admit it, that’s why I set the goal originally. I’m always striving for new goal milestones, but I have a funny way of never appreciating the milestones I’ve already achieved. Anybody else?

Well, once I was on my actual maternity leave, my days were a total blur and most days I was lucky to have a shower.

My systems kept working, though, behind the scenes.

New videos went up, emails went out, orders got fulfilled.

I still made money.
Even though I didn’t work for four months.

My systems worked so well that, when the four months maternity leave was over, I wanted more.

And why not, right? Everything was working smoothly on autopilot so why not take more time off!

I took two more months off but this time it was different.

My reason wasn’t like before, where it felt like a status symbol to “pay for my maternity leave”.

This time I knew I was truly doing it for me.

You see, one big piece I haven’t mentioned, is that I had been struggling privately with Postpartum Depression.

Thankfully, I have a very supportive network and having struggled with depression previously in my life, I knew when it was time to call in help.

One of my first sessions with my therapist she asked why I created my business.

My answer was “flexibility”. I want to have flexibility of time and flexibility of income.

When I answered that, though, I realized where one of my pieces of anxiety was with the “flexibility” of my day.

I was just starting to get back to work and I was working the craziest hours. Some days it would be 45 min and other days it was 4 hours. There was no structure.

Ok, so this was TOO flexible for me.

Well then, what about a mix?

Currently I’m working from 10am-3pm then taking the rest of the afternoon off for family time. Some nights I’m recording videos for my YouTube channel or for my courses, but I try to get it all done in that 5-hour block.

So, if I was to ask you the same question my therapist asked me, how would you answer?

Why did you create your business?

If you don’t know instantly, then that could be costing you.

Costing you revenue, customers, fans…

Let’s Figure out your Why & Do The Math!