For all you MOMtrepreneurs who need to monetize your blog or website by creating a sales page/ membership site/ forum .... I'm currently testing (for Wordpress based sites) the Optimize Press theme, with Wishlist plug-in and Simple Press plug-in.
Stand-by for my feedback....
Check-Out Optimize Press HERE:
Check-Out Wishlist Member HERE:
Check-Out Simple Press HERE:
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Love In The Time of Call-Her-Ma
I'm not sure where the time went, but Valentines Day crept-up on me this year. Thankfully, it's not the big event in our family that it is for others, but I still felt like an ingrate when I crawled into bed around midnight and my hubby muttered "... and a Happy Valentines Day to you, too".
Did I forget V-Day? Yes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not usually detached from reality. I do strike a decent work-life balance (about 50/50 each). But problem is that ratio of Professional time to Personal time would be more accurately labeled 50% Professional "Mommy" and 50% Personal "Mommy" ... with ALL of my Personal time going toward childrearing and nothing left for my dear hubby.
There's no excuse for it. I recognize there is a problem with this scenario. But I'm not sure what to do about it ... and even worse, in my mind, I'm somewhat justified.
You see, I've been ramping up for a humongous business model overhaul in my law practice, and between the staffing shifts, systematizing, content creation, and coaching calls with my professional mentor ... I've created a whole new entity that didn't functionally exist before. Because this business is my brain child, no one else can do it except me, and I feel like IF I step away (even for a moment), it could take a fatal tumble and never recover.
Ironically, that is almost the same for my actual child. Although he's an toddler now (25 months) I am still a full-time mother, devoted to hands-on parenting without the use of institutionalized daycare. I'm raising him bilingually, and thanks to our daily work with amazing programs like Kindermusik and YourBabyCanRead, he's actually years ahead of his age group ... and I'm fiercely committed to his growth.
So, I'm "Mommying" fulltime in my worklife, and "Mommying" fulltime in my homelife, and focusing all my time and energy on cultivating these two small beings that can't fend for themselves yet. Whereas, (in my mind) my hubby is a "big boy", and can "take care of himself".
Was V-Day really something that my hubby would get his boxers in-a-bunch about? ... Hardly.
My husband is a man's man. He doesn't break a sweat on a 400 lb. bench-press, but when you start a conversation about "feelings" he suddenly needs some air. So I really took a moment to analyze my relationship approach when he made a comment about something as "silly" as Valentines Day. But it wasn't about Valentines Day .... it was about the relationship that is represented by ValentinesDay.
To his credit, I don't acknowledge him enough. I'm a "big vision" person, and when I'm marinating in some big new idea, he picks-up the household pieces that fall through the cracks. When I'm up against a work deadline, he steps-in and manages the cooking/cleaning/bathtime/bedtime and mommy duties. I sometimes take for granted that he "gets" what I'm trying to accomplish and why, or that he understands my quest for professional growth.
And this is one of the biggest lamentations that I hear from fellow MOMtrepreneurs...
... how to balance the traditional "mommy/wife" role with the modern professional role? The answer is "carefully and with lots of help!" While time-hacks do help me accomplish more with my day, my husband will tell you that I have an infuriating tendency to fill that "extra" time with more work. I justify it to myself because I'm passionate to achieve as much as possible as quickly as possible ... but undeniably and inevitably, my husband picks-up some of my resulting household slack.
While most of us would posit "that's just what spouses are supposed to do," as busy professionals we cannot deny that we couldn't accomplish what we are, without the love and support of our other halves. Whether it's once a year on a commercial holiday, or once a week on "Date Night", we need to take every available opportunity to remind our household support systems/families/spouses that we appreciate their efforts and sacrifice. We need to share in an expression of thankfulness for a partner who stands by our professional dreams.
So actually, a "silly" holiday like Valentines Day isn't so silly after all ...
... because as a hard-charging femme professional, it forces me to slow down and take a moment to recognize the romance in my life. It is a bright red heart-shaped reminder that I haven't said "I love you for sharing my vision" as often as I should. It's a symbol of a larger dynamic of mutual respect and involuntary sacrifice by my spouse, while I take time away from my romantic relationship and instead invest it in the formative years of my "brain child" and my real child.
What does love look like in your world?
Did I forget V-Day? Yes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not usually detached from reality. I do strike a decent work-life balance (about 50/50 each). But problem is that ratio of Professional time to Personal time would be more accurately labeled 50% Professional "Mommy" and 50% Personal "Mommy" ... with ALL of my Personal time going toward childrearing and nothing left for my dear hubby.
There's no excuse for it. I recognize there is a problem with this scenario. But I'm not sure what to do about it ... and even worse, in my mind, I'm somewhat justified.
You see, I've been ramping up for a humongous business model overhaul in my law practice, and between the staffing shifts, systematizing, content creation, and coaching calls with my professional mentor ... I've created a whole new entity that didn't functionally exist before. Because this business is my brain child, no one else can do it except me, and I feel like IF I step away (even for a moment), it could take a fatal tumble and never recover.
Ironically, that is almost the same for my actual child. Although he's an toddler now (25 months) I am still a full-time mother, devoted to hands-on parenting without the use of institutionalized daycare. I'm raising him bilingually, and thanks to our daily work with amazing programs like Kindermusik and YourBabyCanRead, he's actually years ahead of his age group ... and I'm fiercely committed to his growth.
So, I'm "Mommying" fulltime in my worklife, and "Mommying" fulltime in my homelife, and focusing all my time and energy on cultivating these two small beings that can't fend for themselves yet. Whereas, (in my mind) my hubby is a "big boy", and can "take care of himself".
Was V-Day really something that my hubby would get his boxers in-a-bunch about? ... Hardly.
My husband is a man's man. He doesn't break a sweat on a 400 lb. bench-press, but when you start a conversation about "feelings" he suddenly needs some air. So I really took a moment to analyze my relationship approach when he made a comment about something as "silly" as Valentines Day. But it wasn't about Valentines Day .... it was about the relationship that is represented by ValentinesDay.
To his credit, I don't acknowledge him enough. I'm a "big vision" person, and when I'm marinating in some big new idea, he picks-up the household pieces that fall through the cracks. When I'm up against a work deadline, he steps-in and manages the cooking/cleaning/bathtime/bedtime and mommy duties. I sometimes take for granted that he "gets" what I'm trying to accomplish and why, or that he understands my quest for professional growth.
And this is one of the biggest lamentations that I hear from fellow MOMtrepreneurs...
... how to balance the traditional "mommy/wife" role with the modern professional role? The answer is "carefully and with lots of help!" While time-hacks do help me accomplish more with my day, my husband will tell you that I have an infuriating tendency to fill that "extra" time with more work. I justify it to myself because I'm passionate to achieve as much as possible as quickly as possible ... but undeniably and inevitably, my husband picks-up some of my resulting household slack.
While most of us would posit "that's just what spouses are supposed to do," as busy professionals we cannot deny that we couldn't accomplish what we are, without the love and support of our other halves. Whether it's once a year on a commercial holiday, or once a week on "Date Night", we need to take every available opportunity to remind our household support systems/families/spouses that we appreciate their efforts and sacrifice. We need to share in an expression of thankfulness for a partner who stands by our professional dreams.
So actually, a "silly" holiday like Valentines Day isn't so silly after all ...
... because as a hard-charging femme professional, it forces me to slow down and take a moment to recognize the romance in my life. It is a bright red heart-shaped reminder that I haven't said "I love you for sharing my vision" as often as I should. It's a symbol of a larger dynamic of mutual respect and involuntary sacrifice by my spouse, while I take time away from my romantic relationship and instead invest it in the formative years of my "brain child" and my real child.
What does love look like in your world?
Monday, February 7, 2011
MOMtrepreneur Mondays ... coming soon!
For now, I've decided to aim for every-other-Monday as a projected post date. I'll be calling those biweekly Mondays my "MOMtrepreneur Mondays", and as they become a staple in my household (and hopefully yours), I'll look forward to trading tips and sharing insights through your comments and feedback.
In the interim, thank you for your patience as I get acclimated to my new blogging platform. So far, I've slipped twice and accidentally published posts that were works-in-progress, but aside from an errant email here and there, you can expect to hear from me every two weeks.
Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! Destination: Mondays.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
INAUGURAL POST!
Welcome Lawyer-Moms & Mom-Enterpreneurs ... kick back and share a coffee break with me.
Although this is my inaugural blog post, I'm going to postpone introductions until I can do them properly..... (I mean, what's an online intro without photos, right?)
So, I'll just dive right in and share that I've just put the finishing touches on an article for the "SmallLaw newsletter", published by TechnoLawyer. It's about "time-hacks" (productivity shortcuts) for busy professionals.
It's not yet in circulation .... (link to SmallLaw coming soon).... so I'm pasting a copy for you here.
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Three Thrifty “Time-hacks” from a MOMtrepreneur
Have you ever imagined what your law practice – or your life -- would look like, if you could add another 4 hours to the day? If you’re like me, you actually fantasize about that sometimes.
Now that I’m a solo-practitioner, traveling professional and parent, my feet hit the floor at 6:00am and I’m inevitably juggling the toddler, the pets, three phones, two faxes, multiple emails, “urgent” client demands, and the numerous household distractions -- “responsibilities” -- that come from being a full-time wife and mom. Some days, every single conversation starts with:
“ [Attorney] can you …”, or
“ Mommy, will you …”, or
“ Honey, did you …”.
Their expectations keep increasing, but my time is tapped-out.
Fortunately, amid the daily barrage of “can you/will you/did yous” , I’ve struck a work-life balance and salvaged about four “extra” hours a day. Is that really possible? Yes! By leveraging available technology, you too can create a productivity work-around (a.k.a “time hack”) and streamline your professional and personal life, via:
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Three Thrifty “Time-hacks” from a MOMtrepreneur
Have you ever imagined what your law practice – or your life -- would look like, if you could add another 4 hours to the day? If you’re like me, you actually fantasize about that sometimes.
Now that I’m a solo-practitioner, traveling professional and parent, my feet hit the floor at 6:00am and I’m inevitably juggling the toddler, the pets, three phones, two faxes, multiple emails, “urgent” client demands, and the numerous household distractions -- “responsibilities” -- that come from being a full-time wife and mom. Some days, every single conversation starts with:
“ [Attorney] can you …”, or
“ Mommy, will you …”, or
“ Honey, did you …”.
Their expectations keep increasing, but my time is tapped-out.
Fortunately, amid the daily barrage of “can you/will you/did yous” , I’ve struck a work-life balance and salvaged about four “extra” hours a day. Is that really possible? Yes! By leveraging available technology, you too can create a productivity work-around (a.k.a “time hack”) and streamline your professional and personal life, via:
Time Tracking -- (Estimated time saved: 0.5 hrs per day)
First, to recapture time you have to know WHERE it’s spent!
- Try tracking your activity through Chrometa, a downloadable program which produces a graph summarizing your entire day, ($19/month, or FREE in Beta format). This saves you the hassle of having to take notes, and has the added bonus of assigning your activities to individual clients for billing purposes. According to Chrometa, my average work day used to be 12 hours long. Approximately 50% of it was spent on the computer (i.e. building and marketing my three businesses, legal researching, drafting, blogging, emailing, surfing, etc.); 25% was on the phone (i.e. answering calls, client reminders, teleconferences, etc.); and the other 25% were miscellaneous activities. At the end of the day, that realistically left only three non-work hours to divide between my family and myself, and that was UNacceptable.
Time Blocking -- (Estimated time saved: 2.0 hrs per day)
Start slashing distractions! Recent studies show that it takes 15 minutes to return to “serious mental tasks” after an interruption, so ditch distractions and begin working in uninterrupted “blocks” of time.
- Take your business or other project(s), and set aside specific days to “work ON” them (i.e. managing, developing, growing) and specific days to “work IN” them (i.e. providing service, delivering content). If you’re a solo-practitioner or small firm partner, you know how valuable this distinction is, so don’t fail to apply it.
- Commit to check your email only at set times. I check mine briefly at 8:30am to scan for changes/cancellations, at length around lunch (11:30am), and once again before close of business(4:30pm). The key is deactivating the #1 distraction -- the New Mail pop-up window -- and instead activating the auto-responder, (mine says “Thank you, your Email is Received, and I will reply before day-end. i appreciate your patience while I devote my attention to one client at a time.”)
- Eliminate distractions with Email Filters. You can do this by increasing your SPAM filter settings, setting filters to capture emails from groups/listserves that land in their own folder for later reading, and changing your RSS subscriptions to a FREE blog reader instead of email. It clears out the inbox, and helps to avoid tempting email distractions until you have time for them.
- Organize your Inbox with email folders. Create one for each project or client, so that your Inbox gets emptier as you answer emails and file them. I also suggest folders for “Short-Term” (within 1-14 days) and “Long-Term” (within 15-30 days) action items. Once they are categorized, they’re out of your Inbox and easier to handle. Stop fighting with your email, make it work for you!
Delegating – (Estimated Time Saved 1.5 hrs per day)
Those of us who travel regularly know the importance of delegating. This used to be a costly concept involving on-site staff and added overhead. But time-hackers today are taking advantage of outsourcing, and shifting simple and essential tasks off-site.
- Time-block your phone calls by delegating the answering and routing to a Virtual Receptionist. I currently use My1Voice (about $10/month), to answer phones with an auto-attendant, and route callers between office extensions or my voicemail (which says “I have received your message, and will return all calls at 3:30pm”). What is indispensible for me is that My1Voice sends me an instant text message with the transcript of each voicemail so I can screen for emergencies. It’s been so indispensible in cutting down unnecessary “chatting” that I’ve implemented this system for my personal calls too.
- Next, delegate routine administrative tasks to a Virtual Assistant. I outsource my travel and appointment making, faxing/follow-up, and client reminder calls to AskSunday (monthly plans around $14/hour). It is such a relief to know that a competent professional is on the call, and because I’m not on the phone I don’t get stuck fielding questions or chatting with clients. (Note: it can get addicting, I’ve now delegated preschool planning, playdate scheduling, and online shopping to them, too.)
Although they are simple, these three low-cost “time-hacks” have streamlined my life. I’ve reclaimed my 8-hour work day, (now consisting of 50% Computer, 20% Phone, and 30% Misc.), and best of all have seven non-work hours each day to split between my family and myself. Those four “extra” hours each day equates to twenty “extra” hours per work week, and that can really change your work-life balance! What you do with your 20 extra hours is up to you, but now there’s no excuse for leaving those Christmas lights up past Valentines Day.
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I would love your comments, insights, and recommendations for additional time-hacks, and look forward to trading thoughts around this virtual water-cooler.
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