Each week, you'll meet a new mama who is crazy creative, juggles a busy family with a busy business, and get some advice from these incredible women about how you too could be a MOMpreneur in the making!
Kristine runs a lovely shop called Cherry Tree Soaps, and quite honestly...from the first look at her sugar cube scrubs, I was in eye-candy-heaven! She's fun, flirty, but oh-so-real and she comes from such a wonderful and honest place...it's hard not to fall in love with her!
What do you do? I create fun, fresh, natural and gentle soaps, as well as other bath and body products that are good for your skin. All of my items are handcrafted with care, using only the finest natural ingredients available. You won’t find any harmful chemicals or harsh detergents in any of my products. And I have tons of fun dreaming up colorful, unique, and deliciously-scented soaps – the wheels are always turning, and you never know what I will come up with next!
How do you maximize your time as a busy mom running a business? It’s definitely a challenge! I have two very active little boys, ages 3 and 1 ½, who keep me on my toes all day long. I have learned to sneak in working time while they are playing nicely and quietly together (which is rare, LOL!) but mostly I work while they are napping or are in bed at night. I also have the absolute best parents in the world, who help watch the boys for me during very busy times with the business. I can’t yet say that my days flow perfectly with everything on my plate, but I continue to work hard at finding just that right balance between my family and my small business.
Dipped Candy Apple soap gift set
How do you maximize your time as a busy mom running a business? It’s definitely a challenge! I have two very active little boys, ages 3 and 1 ½, who keep me on my toes all day long. I have learned to sneak in working time while they are playing nicely and quietly together (which is rare, LOL!) but mostly I work while they are napping or are in bed at night. I also have the absolute best parents in the world, who help watch the boys for me during very busy times with the business. I can’t yet say that my days flow perfectly with everything on my plate, but I continue to work hard at finding just that right balance between my family and my small business.
Dipped Candy Apple soap gift set
What do you see as your greatest challenge being a MOMpreneur? Most moms will agree that once you become a mother, your own needs fall to the wayside as you strive to provide for and take care of everyone and everything else around you. With two little boys at home and a husband who has a very demanding job, I am no different than these mothers I’ve described. Add a self-run small business to the mix, and it magnifies the issue. My biggest challenge right now is finding time for myself, and trying to take care of my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, so that I can function at the top of my ability for my family and for the business. An overwhelmed, exhausted, and malnourished mom/business woman is not good for anyone, so I need to constantly remind myself that I need to be taken care of once in a while, too!
Ginger Orange Bar Soap
What advice do you have for other moms looking to start a business? Start slow. There’s always room and time to grow, and you want to make sure you do this right. The biggest mistake I’ve probably made is to jump in with too much, too quickly. From the beginning, I’ve had people all around me making requests to see this product or that in the online store, and in an effort to try and please everyone and accommodate every request, I quickly became overwhelmed. Trying to do everything all at once soon made me realize that I needed to take a step back, evaluate what my very best products were, scale-down a bit, and re-focus. I now have a much more clear vision of my brand, and where I would like my company to go.
Amarette Egg Nog Sugar Cube Scrubs
Is there anything additional you'd like to tell our readers?
Ginger Orange Bar Soap
What advice do you have for other moms looking to start a business? Start slow. There’s always room and time to grow, and you want to make sure you do this right. The biggest mistake I’ve probably made is to jump in with too much, too quickly. From the beginning, I’ve had people all around me making requests to see this product or that in the online store, and in an effort to try and please everyone and accommodate every request, I quickly became overwhelmed. Trying to do everything all at once soon made me realize that I needed to take a step back, evaluate what my very best products were, scale-down a bit, and re-focus. I now have a much more clear vision of my brand, and where I would like my company to go.
Amarette Egg Nog Sugar Cube Scrubs
Is there anything additional you'd like to tell our readers?
Cherry Tree Soaps is currently having a giveaway! To enter, visit my blog and follow the directions posted there. You could be the lucky winner of TWO huge 15 ounce jars of our brand new Bath Salts in the scent of your choice!
2 comments:
Great advice, Kristine!
Love the interview and LOVE your product!
Wonderful article! So true that we can become overwhelmed with all the requests. We can't be everything to everyone, and you made a very smart decision for you and your business.
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