by Sue Ismiel
Work/life balance is something that women in business talk about a great deal, and while there is no single solution to suit every woman’s situation, there are some core life lessons that I have learned while creating and running my own business while raising a family.
-Let Go Of Guilt
When the responsibility of starting and sustaining a business disrupts our daily routine, we panic and guilt kicks in as we start associating the time we spend on the business with neglecting our family. Consuming yourself with guilt is not only really harmful for your health, it also cripples your ability to succeed in business. Of course there is always an element of guilt when I am jet setting around the world attending to business needs, however I have to constantly remind myself and my family members that I have to stay true to my role as the Global Brand Ambassador.
-Build Your Support Network
From my experience, having a solid support network is crucial to succeeding in business. My family was involved in the business from day one, and having that support was invaluable to my success. Working from home gave my husband and I the opportunity to attend to our young family’s needs both at home and at school. My husband, Sam, has always been a great support from the very beginning, making sure that he filled the gap when I was absent from home and he still does. You could say that the roles have reversed in our household, but we are still a happy, loving family. My husband’s sister also helped us a great deal as she lived with us and helped with the household chores.
-Get Your Family Involved
I believe being a working mother has given me a great opportunity to demonstrate first hand to my three daughters that you can achieve anything you want in life by being hardworking, a visionary, a strategic thinker and a relationship builder. My three daughters hardly remember life before Nad’s, and involving them from a young age gave each one of them the opportunity to build their own dreams and desires around our family business needs. They each chose their own career path and we supported them in their decisions. It is very exciting and rewarding for me to be able to create critical roles within our business for all of them. Watching them grow and become extraordinary women is the greatest achievement of my life.
-Prioritize Your Health
Looking back today, I cringe about the pressure and stress I put myself through in the early days when things didn’t go as planned. Knowing what I know today, I would’ve avoided that level of stress and switched off the negative chatter in my head. I know now how important it is to take care of all areas of your life, mainly your health and wellbeing. If you are struggling and feel your health is suffering as a result of imbalance, this is where your support network becomes invaluable. Don’t suffer in silence, instead be open, develop a plan of action with your family members, agree to the strategy moving forward and adhere to it.
-Embrace Technology
Modern day technology allows us to connect with our loved ones whenever we need to, wherever we are in the world. For women that need to travel a lot for work, this can be a great way to keep in contact with their family and can help to ease some guilt that they may be feeling. Skype is such a great low cost tool for staying in touch while travelling and can make it seem like your loved ones are in the room with you.
————————————————————-
Successful entrepreneur, Sue Ismiel, CEO/Founder of Sue Ismiel & Daughters, makers of Nad’s, created an internationally renowned hair removal company from her own kitchen 23 years ago. The idea was born from her desire to solve her daughters unwanted hair problem and now the Nad’s range of depilatory items are sold in major retail chains in Australia, USA, UK and NZ.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
