As a working mom of four children for over twenty years, momprenuer Marci Fair has had her share of ups and downs, hits and misses. As she continued managing the motherhood journey, she realized she wasn’t alone in the chaos. And, rather than chase the never-ending dream of balance, she embraced the messiness of life and turned her focus to what matters most.
Today, Marci teaches other moms that balance is impossible and memories are better in her latest book TILT: 7 Solutions to be a Guilt-Free Working Mom. We sat down with this super mom to learn more.
KellerINK: Where do you struggle when it comes to balancing your career with your role as a parent?
Marci: I have struggled with having so much that I want to do and not enough time in my day to do it. So I set thoughtful goals on what is most important to us, and I focus there. The rest – the 80% – I “let go” of.
KellerINK: Do you have a mentor or coach to help you navigate the balance between your professional and family lives? How did you find him/her?
Marci: I do not have a coach for that purpose. However, if someone is really struggling with this issue, I highly recommend a coach. A “life well lived” is in many ways defined by our happiness along the way. So this is an important piece to navigate. Get help if you need it.
KellerINK: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received on building your business? On balancing a family with building your business?
Marci: The best piece of advice I have learned on building a business is to clearly understand what makes up the 20% that moves the business forward. All the attention needs to be there, and build a team around you to take care of the rest.
The best advice I have received on juggling a family and business? I do not believe in “balance;” I teach people how to TILT instead. That means going in and out of balance over time, to achieve your ultimate goals and objectives.
KellerINK: What does being a “mompreneur” mean to you?
Marci: Most importantly, it is setting a leadership example for my children to go out and create the life they want to live. It is an entrepreneurial way of building businesses around your motherhood to support the goals and objectives you have for your life and family.
KellerINK: We often talk about “leaving a legacy” for our children. What would be the one lesson you would want your children to learn from your experiences in business?
Marci: The most important legacy we will leave for our children is to help them become self-sufficient, independent adults who have the ability to live without us. From our business experiences, they will have learned how to fail and grow as they go after their dreams.
KellerINK: What’s your drive as a business woman? As a mom? How do these overlap?
Marci: My drive as a business woman is to positively impact people around me, to inspire and encourage them to grow and reach for their possibilities. My drive as a mom is that my children know beyond a shadow of a doubt how deeply I love them, and how sincerely I believe in all that they can become. Both of these drives are about inspiring, teaching goal setting, and sharing with others how to focus on what matters most, in order to live a more fulfilling and accomplished life.
KellerINK: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Marci: A magician. In a way I am – I have “magically” created things that were not in existence before like four children, Kares 4 Kids, businesses with my husband and now TILT.
KellerINK: What’s your favorite part of the day?
Marci: I have favorite parts all day long. The quiet time after I have dropped the kids off at school. When I am working on helping women through TILT or helping children through Kares 4 Kids. At the end of the day when I am with my family and enjoying our fun, sweet relationships.
KellerINK: If a young person you really cared about asked, “What’s the ONE Thing I can do for my business life such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?” what advice would you give them as a mom?
Marci: The ONE Thing that you can do as a mompreneur to find balance between work and family is be very clear on your values and have an “18 Year Plan” for your motherhood. I teach about it in TILT. It is a plan for the most important things you want to accomplish with your children when they are still at home.
Through an 18 Year Plan you can be the mother you want to be, as you also pursue your professional objectives. Accomplishing the 20% in both of those worlds creates a fulfilling and accomplished journey.
KellerINK: How do you find a mentor that’s right for you?
Marci: The mentor who is right for you must be in alignment with your values and with your beliefs around family. They cannot talk it; they must live it. They should have accomplished more than you in life so that you can learn from their experience. They should push you to become the best version of yourself.
Our motherhood should be taken as seriously as we take our professional growth and development. At the end of the day, it will be the richest accomplishment in our lives and the only real legacy that we leave behind.
Original Source: http://www.the1thing.com/applying-the-one-thing/top-tips-for-working-momsfrom-the-imperfect-mother