Mompreneur Monday: Jenny Ingram a/k/a @JennyontheSpot

I am a mom of 3 (Why is that always the intro sentence? But I am and that is probably the most consuming and beautiful part of my life…). I live in a small town near Seattle. We take a ferry to get to Seattle (So romantic! Actually, it is quite expensive…). I started my blog in 2004, but didn’t start approaching it/social media as an avenue of gainful employ until mid-2008. I love coffee, sparkly things and recently realized I really love sunshine. Which is causing a bit of a crisis of the Vitamin D kind since I live in the Pacific Northwet.

I knew before 2008 there there was potential to build a business in/around the blogging world. I began to openly embrace my “blogger” title around ’07… despite odd looks and whispers. I pushed on, bearing judgment of people who just didn’t get it. In ’08 I went to the BlogHer conference in San Francisco and was empowered. I had finally met others like me who saw the same potential, who shared the same passion… and finally HEARD about HOW one might go about making this little hobby a business.

Family first. But critical deadlines first too *wink*. I work hard to be aware of deadlines and their scope so I can maintain my MOM status. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday were all about catching up with work, after days of family time. Half of Thursday was helping at school and investing in friendship… For me, it is constant mindful effort to “balance” it all. I think the things that takes the biggest hit is sleep, then exercise. Actually, I just made a video about time… talk about timing… heh… http://youtu.be/QhwHvnFfjSI

It’s hard. My husband and I have to talk and re-assess often. The things I am doing are short-lived burst – many projects… Lots of beginnings and endings that take up different levels of time and energy. One filter is I want to be able to help in my kids’ classroom a few times a month (not a ton, but it’s kid-free time I could spend working)… if I get to the point I can’t be in there school from time to time, then something is very wrong.

It’s TERRIBLE. A too-small desk in my bedroom. I will often take the laptop to the couch in the living room or into bed and work in those spaces. OR, my kitchen counter… And when the house is out of control – a local coffee shop with wi-fi. Truth is – I have been thinking a lot about my work space and how I use my work time. I have been thinking about my work space a lot lately… realizing I need to make some changes. But that takes time, and…

Exercise. And as I answered in a question above, that is one thing that I have had to sacrifice of late. I also love to go dancing with a few girlfriends. Haven’t done that since I don’t know when. And coffee. I used to “coffee date” with friends… that was coveted me time (though a kid or 3 was often bouncing about), but I didn’t realize it until those times have pretty much come to a halt. This is definitely an area of lack for me. Yet… I am doing something I love, and when I had time to do all the above, something else was lacking…

Balance? Who came up with that word?

It’s work. It’s effort. It’s intention. It’s letting an opportunity pass while you be mom, and realize that other opportunities will come along. Family really does come first. No one opportunity is “THE” opportunity 99.9% of the time. Starting a business takes patience, perseverance and development. It is hard work building, and it is hard work maintaining and growing…

It’s okay to look at the “overnight success stories” for their “kapow” factor inspiration. BUT study the pioneers & their longsuffering *wink* for how to plant and nurture the seeds of your business. Watch their struggle, their solutions. Meeting these hard working moms and business women in real life has been key for me.Listening to their stories, their strategies, their ideas, their own struggles… puts my efforts into perspective… gives me inspiration…

Early on, I had an inaccurate view growing a business. I thought it’d be easier… convenient for family. To some extent it is, but it is a lot like tending a garden. There is harvest, there is winter… the soil needs to be tended always. Depending on the crop (and how many!), there is different tending… and even during the winter there is prep and care that needs to happen. That has been one of the biggest eye openers… the tending of dry soil and “weeding” all in hope of a fruitful harvest.

I am convinced it is the good hard, faithful, honorable work that reaps the most beautiful harvest. I sorry to go all “garden” on ya, but it really was the best example 🙂