Tina Kingstree
Video Production
Distraction and Delegation: Finding Balance as a Woman Entrepreneur
As women entrepreneurs, we face unique challenges because of our gender. From managing the mental workload of our home lives, to overseeing every aspect of our businesses; from struggling to be taken seriously by our male counterparts, to carving out time to network and mentor other women entrepreneurs; from working around the clock, to trying to maintain our relationships. We risk serious burnout. Throw the endless distraction of smart phones into the mix and the haphazardly balanced lives we’ ve juggled are destined to come crashing down.
Interestingly, many of us became entrepreneurs for the freedom and flexibility, imaging an ideal work life. While many of us are fulfilled by the business we’ ve built, my initial daydream did not match the reality of starting and building Torch7 video and animation company. I knew it would take a lot of unpaid hours to start up, to market myself, and to build a clientele. But I was challenged by a work life that overflowed into my personal life. I had to find balance.
Essential to creating a sustainable work-life balance is creating boundaries and limiting distractions. I made sure that I wasn’ t overbooking myself with appointments or projects and supported that by minimizing social media and email use. I created an actual work day for myself and began leaving work at work. This meant taking my work email off my phone and only checking it during my‘ work hours.’ I removed social media apps from my phone to prevent me from mindlessly perusing and getting lost in the endless feeds of information. I installed a“ News Feed Eradicator” on my web browser to replace my Facebook news feed with a quote. These two steps not only improved my family life but they also made me more productive during my work day.
Christina Louise Photography
The biggest hurdle for me, but the one that has made the most impact, was moving my business into an office and hiring staff – I needed to start delegating work. Start by delegating the parts you hate doing, and as your business grows begin hiring staff to assist you with your core service. When you’ re starting out, it’ s easy to get caught in the“ keep expenses down” and“ do everything yourself” trap, but it’ s just not sustainable. By freeing up more time in your work day, you give yourself more time for what really matters: doing the work you love, being a lifeline to your peers, and spending time with your family and friends. Ultimately, balance benefits both you and your business – it’ s just a matter of making it a priority.
Video Production TINA KINGSTREE
Torch7 Creative Media Inc Torch7. com tina @ torch7. com Phone 780-716-9104
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