0:00all right Oh friend I'm so excited to be
0:02here today with a longtime friend our
0:04kid Matt in preschool didn't I ask you
0:07like how do I know Susan all right you
0:09know sometimes some people you've known
0:10so long you're like I don't even
0:11remember like all of a sudden there was
0:13just one day there wasn't Susan and the
0:15next day there was remember but it's
0:18been so fun to see them both growing up
0:20and I knew right away when I started
0:22youth bug bombs and I started wanting to
0:24help these moms with choices that I have
0:26just always admired the way that you
0:29work it is so unique and so different
0:31than a lot of the moms and women that I
0:35encounter both in and out of their home
0:37so I'm thrilled to share your story
0:39today I am trusting to Susan Finch
0:41Susan lives here in Portland have you
0:42always lived here in Portland no we
0:44moved up here 12 years ago from Southern
0:46California
0:47oh so you're one of those transplants
0:49but you love it here don't you I mean I
0:50always hear you moved here because
0:52life's tough yeah a lot slower
0:55well rainy we love the rain I moved here
0:58because of the weather actually you're
0:59right because I hated the heat but you
1:02found a gun and at the time we could not
1:05afford to buy a house that would permit
1:07us to also take off whenever we wanted
1:10to to be with the kids and not miss a
1:12performance oh I love that yeah yeah
1:15fantastic oh we left everything the
1:18whole family everything I left behind my
1:21best friends everything to come up here
1:23so it was scary and actually took me
1:25several years to adjust I can't wait for
1:28you to tell us more about your story I'm
1:30that's fantastic I mean I I tell people
1:32all the time it if you do what you've
1:34always done you're going to get what you
1:35always get and it truly requires a
1:37drastic shift if you want something
1:39different for your family so that will
1:40be a big part so before we get started I
1:42start all of my podcast with a prohm so
1:45it's kind of a prayer and a kind of a
1:46poem so I wrote lunch for you are you
1:48ready all right Susan be humble Susan be
1:51quick and for website help Susan is one
1:54of my picks Susan be honest and Susan be
1:57quite classy she inspires me to great
2:00links with her with her work ethic spunk
2:03and sassy are thank you so much for
2:06Susan bless our conversation bless our
2:08time together thank you for the light
2:09that you bring through into her family
2:12and into her
2:13and just help us let your purpose for us
2:15and mothering and our purpose outside of
2:17our home shine through today amen all
2:19right so sister we do past present
2:22future one of my favorite jokes I'll
2:24probably tell it every every time I I do
2:26my podcast is you know past present and
2:28future walked into a bar and things got
2:30tense so it's just my favorite joke so
2:32what I want to do is start with a little
2:35bit of I'm really finding an
2:37interviewing mom that so much of our
2:39ideas about motherhood are shaped from
2:42our own homes go figure
2:44so tell me a little bit about just
2:47growing up your experience and kind of
2:49what you thought mothering would be like
2:51the example you had or what your
2:54relationship was like with your own mom
2:56and just a little bit of history and
2:58kind of what you expected to encounter
3:00when all of a sudden baby was in your
3:02belly um I look at myself as not having
3:06just one mom so my mom was an older mom
3:10and we're five siblings that preceded me
3:12and somebody time she got to me she's
3:15tired she did things differently than
3:17she did everybody else she's a lot more
3:18playful she was lighter but because she
3:22was older too she you know she had her
3:23own friend she didn't have to hang out
3:24like we do today we for some reason we
3:26all think we hang our kids friends
3:28parents we don't have our own friends I
3:30don't know what sort of did that I have
3:33you know I have people I have to hang
3:34with it I don't want to hang out with my
3:36kids in my family I just they're my
3:37friends they're my girlfriends yeah and
3:39that's my mom and my parents that's what
3:42they did they had their golf course
3:43friends they had her church friends they
3:45did their thing and and because they're
3:47older too they didn't have any kids my
3:49age yeah though I didn't do things with
3:52my friends parents but also I was very
3:56welcome at their home so I had like two
3:58or three other moms that are still my
4:01moms today that I have also heavily
4:04influenced me so I saw the bits and
4:06pieces from all of them that I liked or
4:07didn't like you know people are either
4:09inspire us to imitate them or we learn
4:14to avoid whatever they did mm-hmm
4:16absolutely if I was a carnie lemon it's
4:19too much sometimes feeling like we
4:20imitate and screw up before we go oh
4:22that's why I she didn't do that and I
4:24probably shouldn't either right
4:26and that's why she didn't like my other
4:29movie that I thought that though because
4:31that's also such a great reminder to
4:32moms who have a lot of other kids in
4:35their homes besides their own kids right
4:36especially when your kids get to those
4:38teenage years and you're driving and
4:40moving and they're over and around and
4:42you know they really are watching who
4:44you're becoming and right car so that's
4:47fantastic that you had multiple
4:49influences no did your mom work when you
4:51were growing up she didn't when I was
4:53growing up until I was a teen then she
4:56went back to work she decided to go
4:58teach teach Spanish because she's
5:01Mexican or Mexican but she's a what I
5:05call a cold-cut Mexican it didn't end at
5:08home they didn't cook it for sure and so
5:11but you'll make really good tamales
5:13Susan I think we've treated me to some
5:15tamales one afternoon when I was in a
5:17despairing phase in my career and life
5:21and it totally lifted me up I didn't
5:23teach me I'll do those alone a Pinterest
5:28now I was just at celebrate New Mexico
5:31so we've you know with mom and what she
5:34would do wouldn't do for me I just I
5:37pulled from those things to kind of hone
5:39in what I thought was the ideal and if
5:41we're smart we continue to not make that
5:43concrete we leave it fluid because of
5:46its concrete you have no room for
5:48spontaneity for flexibility I did an
5:51interview with my friend Jessica dual a
5:52while ago and we're talking about you
5:54know schedules and kind of things have
5:56you stay on it
5:57I told her I actually schedule
5:58spontaneity I love it so I have to do
6:03that because it'd be you know I go
6:05through my whole day of everything it's
6:06very rigid which is the only thing that
6:08allows me to work from home successfully
6:10yep I am disciplined yes there's an hour
6:13that it's like I can keep working or I
6:15don't have to or I can move that so
6:17those hours I allow for the fun things
6:20that come up with the kids or they the
6:22needs that they have or the need I have
6:24to go for a walk with a friend or
6:25something or walk the dog but I leave
6:27that flexibility for those last two
6:29hours of the day to do whatever however
6:31I want to shift that I love that so even
6:34though you had you know this example in
6:37your mom
6:37and watching her and working you knew
6:40pretty early on that you needed to leave
6:43room for growth in life that you needed
6:45to leave room to see and figure and do
6:47instead of just deciding this is what I
6:50mean I've talked to women they're like
6:52oh no no my mom worked and I was going
6:53to work and my dad my mom was with us my
6:55dad was you know and so I was I was
6:57going straight to work 45 hours a week
6:59and somebody else you know they just
7:00they felt like they knew that from a
7:02really early age right so editors we're
7:05gonna put this back in where we talk
7:06about my mom where she went to work
7:07speaking Spanish yeah mmm so she decided
7:10to be a teacher they teaching
7:11kindergarten Spanish which to a point
7:14was okay but she could not do first
7:15grade because they would correct her her
7:17Spanish was so bad and then she went to
7:20work at Knott's Berry Farm at a boutique
7:21because she get discounts on the
7:23clothing so my holidays I've done that
7:25and I was man so we were a chicken
7:28dinner restaurant for many holidays
7:29honey she was a part of our life and
7:33that you know and she enjoyed doing
7:35those things so it got her out I got her
7:37with people and that was a good fit for
7:40her until my dad died and at that point
7:43that's when her Alzheimer's or whatever
7:45dementia she had was kicking in so being
7:47shifted at that point you viewed um you
7:51know I have personal experience with
7:52some moms that you know if you were to
7:55ask their children does your mommy like
7:57working they would say no she hates it
7:59she has to get up and leave us and she's
8:01unhappy and she doesn't like working she
8:02wants to be home with us or you have
8:04some that say yeah she loves it almost a
8:06little too much you mean you had the
8:08impression that mom was home when you
8:11became a teenager she went to work and
8:13it embellished her life it helped her
8:16life it inspired her life
8:17it wasn't something she didn't want to
8:19be doing it was totally by choice she
8:21just took it she needed to be with
8:23others yep and so now filling that need
8:26of help of doing something and giving
8:29some benefit as well whether it's
8:30discounts or as little kids giggling
8:32just needed something to get out of that
8:34house you love that too you are a huge
8:37people person and so I love that about
8:39your business that even though you run
8:40it from home you are constantly creating
8:43content and feeding it for people so not
8:45necessarily that you want to be in the
8:46middle of a party but you
8:50to send and go and do and be and I mean
8:53I love that about you when I see that in
8:55you too well there you know everything
8:58always know what your elevator pitch and
8:59one of these things that you do and
9:00there are a few words that I use to
9:02describe myself I am always I have to
9:05every day if I don't do these things or
9:07a combination of them a little karma
9:09dies every day Oh tell us so I need to
9:12create I need to teach I need to
9:16advocate and I need to inspire I love
9:19that those are you know some combination
9:23or all of those everyday that's what
9:25fills me up whether I do for my family
9:27my kids my nonprofit whatever it is yeah
9:30and making sure that you know like you
9:32said that schedule time I mean I could
9:34see that I think especially when you're
9:36entrepreneur and you work from home have
9:38your own business you could spend a
9:39whole day creating but you haven't
9:41taught anybody what you've done so you
9:43know good for you you created something
9:44but you're not making the world a better
9:45place with it or you could spend the
9:46whole day teaching but if you're never
9:48innovating and you're never inspiring
9:50others or advocating I mean it truly is
9:52a combination of those things that that
9:54I think ultimately you know creates that
9:56and recognizing that there are things we
9:57need every day to be happy it's so
10:01important and so different than many
10:03people think I always ask people like
10:04where's your fulfillment point and
10:06you're working and are like well I don't
10:09know well I don't know when I make them
10:11out of this amount of money or I don't
10:13know when I don't know what you mean
10:14just from one point you know I'm like
10:15you might have one like you got a hug
10:17where you're happy button so it's a
10:19revolutionary concept for some women
10:21especially when they do have their own
10:22business or even if they're working for
10:24somebody else to just feel like these
10:26are the things that make me happy each
10:27day this is how I sleep well at night so
10:29I love that part of that too it's not
10:32only just doing what you want to do we
10:34talked about surrounding ourselves with
10:35people that we want to be with when I
10:38asked people social in the ship women
10:39especially when they're starting out who
10:41is your target customer or everybody
10:43know and you will fail yes and telling
10:47you everybody you will fail if you think
10:50everybody is your target customer it
10:51means we've not spent enough time
10:53planning and honing your message you
10:55can't just jump in so I want everybody
10:58know they're like people you don't want
11:00to work with I know
11:01happy I have an ideal profile yes I keep
11:04it secret but like the people that I
11:06work best with that are most profitable
11:08for me didn't get me to wake up in the
11:11morning with joy and excitement to do
11:14something for them yep yep you love what
11:16they do and you love doing it for them
11:18and I love that you use the word
11:19profitable it's such a push and pull and
11:23I'd love to hear more about how you
11:25ultimately decided so were you an
11:27entrepreneur before you hunted did you
11:29already have her buzz I am on and off
11:32since 1989 I had an art gallery for a
11:34few years and we're going to Beach and
11:36it was retail and I knew we are people
11:39to show up and email it was just I don't
11:43I'm wondering 8:00 to 5:00 mr. claw no
11:45no no no 10:00 to 10:00 oh and every
11:50holiday and every weekend
11:51yes and I met amazing people but it was
11:54such a load and it was such a battle to
11:58pay that you know $11,000 a month rent
12:00yeah that was crazy
12:02yeah so much what I earned had to do
12:05that and take care of my artists and
12:06take care of the employees and and then
12:08still be part of my family so that you
12:11know but I got disciplined there I had a
12:14little antique pizzazz I had discipline
12:15there you know my ex-husband did not but
12:17we you know when I was ready to
12:19transition out of all of that all those
12:21pieces I went back to what I was most
12:24comfortable and happiest and that was
12:26marketing advertising and PR so you
12:29started a retail lots of pressure or
12:33lots of stress and then you I mean you
12:38truly it sounds like there's been quite
12:39a few points in your life where you were
12:41just like you were headed down the road
12:43and you were going south and all of a
12:44sudden you went you know what I'm I'm
12:46heading west I'm done look like I'm just
12:49and that's hard that's I mean people
12:51feel so attached to what they've created
12:54what they thought they were going to
12:56create the promises that they've made
12:57and so sometimes I think we get vapor
12:59locked and we years can go by I mean we
13:02can literally use lose years of our life
13:04in that space of like no this is what
13:07I'm supposed to be doing and they've
13:08made these commitments and these people
13:09and you're pleasing the guy down at the
13:11bank that you know could could give two
13:13hoots about you
13:14you're seeking care of yourself and your
13:15family and it happened so often where
13:18where do you get the the inspiration and
13:21the courage to just pick up and move
13:23chain miss gears so in 85 I started in
13:26marketing in PR and advertising and that
13:29transitioned to another position with
13:31their advertising agency and it was my
13:32dream job it was working for the most
13:34wonderful honorable man that I could
13:38learn from but then a shift happened in
13:41my marriage at that time but I had to
13:44quit everything to take care of my
13:45mother-in-law and at that point too then
13:48somebody else's dream became the dream
13:50so I had to leave what I was the
13:52happiest and would have been happy to
13:54forever and did this other thing and
13:56then we start doing his stuff and my
13:58stuff kept getting pushed back respect
14:00and I look at that time as being as a
14:03gift because I needed to be there to
14:06take care of that person because I knew
14:07how to do it when I really does 2308
14:10care about when we parent and that was
14:13that first six months we lost three
14:14parents within that first six months of
14:15that marriage but it just kept going no
14:18downhill from there I was making poor
14:20choices and there are other things going
14:21on but when I hit that limit with the
14:24retail gallery that I didn't even want
14:26the first place really didn't I called
14:30people from that old agency I said get
14:33me out I need out now Wow and within a
14:37day I had an interview and the next day
14:38at a job Wow
14:40and I thought you know they hear what I
14:42hear from that though which is really
14:44critical is we all have access to more
14:47than we think we do we have people that
14:49we have to have good relationships with
14:51so not burning bridges that we make your
14:53choices even when you shift it out of
14:55that you kept that credibility and those
14:57relationships alive and looking around
15:00and kind of I think sometimes we put our
15:01heads down so much and we're literally
15:03in the sand really this is what I'm
15:04doing and this is what I do and we begin
15:06at coping in a cycle and I'm moving
15:08through and that ability to stop lift
15:10your head up and go wait a minute I have
15:12choices
15:13I know people I could call this person
15:15or that person because you know when you
15:17break it down so much of what we think
15:18we need we don't need we really want and
15:20when we can just stop and say you know
15:22this is actually what I need this is
15:24what I want this is where I am so making
15:27that shift in
15:28going back in did you go back to work
15:29for the same agency then no I I went to
15:33work for they're part of all the CEOs of
15:36those companies were part of this one
15:38networking group okay
15:39it's I went to work for one of the other
15:40what they were called the Apes it was
15:43the advertising professional executive
15:45blood legless so I went to work for
15:47another eight so that worked out fine
15:49but I think back and up a bit your point
15:52about you know knowing where you need to
15:53shift the first thing that I think we
15:55skip over and don't remember is we stay
16:00in what's comfortable even though it's
16:01bad for us but we forget that we're
16:04worth more than that so until you
16:06actually acknowledge that you're not
16:08going to motivate and make a shift you
16:11don't need to have somebody else
16:12determining what you're doing because it
16:15fits their schedule and it's comfortable
16:17and it's safe and they've convinced you
16:19and manipulated or whatever it is to
16:21stay where you are you need to be able
16:23to be brave enough to step back and
16:25realize I'm a gift yeah I
16:28my mom told me I was a gift my godmother
16:31told me is a gift a gift and I'm worth
16:34it at that point then I know that I'm
16:38also not alone making that scary choice
16:40yes yes yeah I love that that is Audrey
16:44I've got my backup my backup up there
16:46yeah and you know we do we have so much
16:49help because we were all created with
16:51not only just our cells in our life
16:54being a gift but the gifts within us
16:56that we get to give to others right and
16:57it is it's profound to me how many
16:59people just don't have so much waiting
17:03for them and they just keep going no but
17:05I want this but I want that and they
17:06turn away and they don't realize I mean
17:08I call it like easy joy people think
17:11that you have to hustle and this and
17:12that and work and work and give and do
17:14and have it be and and there's a point
17:16there's a place in your life where your
17:18gifts of what you're good at a line and
17:20the provision to just you know create
17:23income to help your family to have a
17:25roof over your head to have a walk to
17:27have a dog to have kids it will follow
17:29you when you're in those gifts so you're
17:31so right about that point of when when
17:33women do feel uncomfortable and I know
17:35that I a lot of women who will listen to
17:38this are in that space where they've
17:40either just had kids
17:41or their youngest the other thing that
17:43happens is when their youngest gets to
17:45be around two three years old we're kind
17:48of done nursing we're just about out of
17:49diapers you know and we're kind of at
17:52that point where we're like okay three
17:53and finished nursing good great because
17:56hanging down like dead squirrels at my
17:58feet okay all right we're out of diapers
18:01you finished nursing a while ago but we
18:03do live in Portland sentence I would
18:04have to be very aware of that funny were
18:10they married like that that point of
18:12where like okay I'm done being a
18:13baby-making machine now what am i worth
18:16and it changes for them yeah but I look
18:21at you know we got moms we have cell
18:22phones we have auntie's who are having
18:25to care for nieces and nephews because
18:27the parent isn't different mother
18:30leadership role whatever however that's
18:32defined you have to remember as we were
18:37talking at the very beginning we model
18:39behavior and we have to model it here
18:42first because otherwise we're not gonna
18:45be convincing when we want others to
18:48take our lead and fired you and I say
18:51not as I do
18:51right and I mean it's a funny thing to
18:54say but it really doesn't work yeah with
18:56no credibility yeah absolutely yeah I
18:59totally agree so okay so let's talk the
19:03transition to motherhood so you picked
19:07up you your marriage ended you were in a
19:10new career now you started and sales and
19:13marketing and when did you get to the
19:16point of where it was it was you were
19:19obviously in love again thanks for
19:21starting fresh and new and it felt like
19:25there's a new transition here I want to
19:27be AMA
19:27um I did before that other one ended
19:31also one of the catalysts but for
19:38whatever it just didn't work out
19:39immediately you know for Tom and I at
19:41first this my body was just kind of
19:44thing man I guess I am but in the
19:47meantime though I was very happy and he
19:50was you know so supportive of any any
19:53adventure any idea pretty much that I
19:55have
19:55as my family you know was and everything
19:58else so they were most my family was
20:01actually ecstatic that I was going to
20:02have a child because they were so bummed
20:04that I was going to miss out so that
20:07support too and the company I was
20:10working for was so supportive they
20:11worked around anything that I needed and
20:14but what was interest is the day I went
20:16into labor I had a meeting scheduled the
20:20city of Anaheim we're supposed to
20:21present something and that was our one
20:23of our big clients and I decided to call
20:26name everybody voice mail I would be
20:27making it in today and at that point the
20:32man who worked for - shortly thereafter
20:33Anaheim took all their efforts inside
20:35for Webb so we were out our company was
20:38out he had the boss had to shift and
20:42with me working from home so let's just
20:44change this up go on your own I'll be
20:47your first client uh what I guess
20:49speaking of gifts yeah Wow keep your
20:52opportunity yep
20:53so you had little Savannah at home with
20:55you and you know your own business yep
20:59so is that when you started Susan Finch
21:01solutions yep how long I see I for some
21:04reason we thought that it was in like
21:05the last maybe eight to ten years but no
21:08in a while no I brought it up with me
21:10from California okay along with my
21:12nonprofit too that I'd start at the end
21:13of that gallery thing yep knowing that
21:16there's more for me to be doing that you
21:18know I'm here you know we don't have to
21:22go in all details it but if for the
21:23grace of God go I so I know that I need
21:28to fulfill my end of that deal and I
21:31need to do what I can for others now you
21:33give where I can you know without
21:36putting my family you know I was like a
21:38whale or money no I'm sorry not that
21:40kind of giving I still like my stuff but
21:43I don't learn time anytime yet see one
21:46of our greening what we can yeah and
21:48they and they do it you know it's just
21:51part of us you know I love what you said
21:53in the very beginning and I want you to
21:56share a little bit because I think we've
21:58kind of understood a little bit of your
22:00story and where you came from how you
22:03got to where you are today
22:06and then I think let's fill up our
22:08coffee cups and take a deep breath and
22:10then I really want you to share what you
22:12said before we started about growing
22:16growing it together like it it's what
22:18the kids have always known that the
22:19family are more a part of it because I
22:21think so
22:23often that's maybe not the case you know
22:25it's like mommy there's a door and and
22:28it's not kids are not allowed really
22:30access into the what and why and who and
22:32so they feel isolated from it so so
22:35let's take a deep breath and then we'll
22:36come back and talk a little bit more
22:37about where you are now pause for a
22:40second I love all right we're back
22:45thank you again we're here with Susan
22:47Finch and she's told us a little bit
22:48about her adventure and her journey
22:51starting out in California what she
22:53learned about motherhood not only from
22:56her own mom but the beautiful people
22:58around her that taught her about what it
23:00was like to be a mom it's to be a gift
23:02to the world
23:03a child of God and the many things that
23:05she has to offer the world and we're
23:07kind of at that good juicy part where
23:09Susan started having some babies and
23:12feeling she had her own business by then
23:14juicy right and all the many places I
23:17know oh my gosh the places in our body
23:19that creates yeah well twirl I know okay
23:23um and you know that that point what I
23:26want Susan to share about now
23:28I chose Susan to talk to you because she
23:31has such a unique approach to you're the
23:34breadwinner in your family right Susan
23:36the primary income gap primary income
23:38and have been for how long 15 years 15
23:42years which a lot of times when moms go
23:44out and start businesses it's kind of a
23:46nice to have you know I want to make
23:48some money I'd like to shop I did it
23:51Susan is keeping food on the table you
23:53know these are legitimate real expenses
23:55and when you have your own business
23:56there's a cycle to it and an added
23:57pressure and yet your ability to be
24:01present in your work and move quickly
24:03through it and then be present for your
24:05family is something that I have really
24:08really always appreciated so tell us a
24:10little bit about just when you started
24:12having kids
24:13you already had your own business and
24:14how did you approach the idea of
24:17scheduling and window
24:19and not to work and doing that now with
24:21the demands of these beautiful little
24:23people running around well first I need
24:25to give credit I could not be successful
24:27without the parts that my husband does I
24:30thank you because it is a team effort so
24:34it's you know it's one company and all
24:36of us are part of it and the kids are
24:39coming on board you know in small pieces
24:41because also is actually one of my
24:43consultants my 12 year old son four
24:45logos and branding and things I love
24:47Anna and it's brochures that makes them
24:49better for clients because she's doing
24:51marketing at high school and Siri I mean
24:53they actually contribute all all of them
24:56Tom constantly consulted me on the
24:57business and ways to run it I'm just the
24:59front person so I don't look at it on we
25:04are the breadwinners and without
25:06cooperation of all of us it doesn't
25:08happen and have they
25:11I mean have there ever been moments is
25:13there a story you could tell us about a
25:15time where that was hard though where
25:17summer oh yeah I hate it when they're
25:20home from school most the time until
25:22this last year but up to that point I
25:25mean you probably if you you know follow
25:27me on Facebook or is that I'm going to
25:28build a shed in the backyard so I can go
25:30lock myself in it anything just to get
25:33away I'm going to go in space I get all
25:35angry and there you are talking too loud
25:38we can't like tell them in your soul out
25:40with your friends you can't do this
25:41you're talking to clients and that's
25:44what makes this money and I'm sorry but
25:46go outside then get out yeah go back to
25:49school going go mow along I don't care
25:53but you know and that still comes up
25:56periodically not nearly as often as it
25:58used to and it was only for a brief
26:00period of like two years that it did so
26:02it's just it's a cycle where the kids go
26:04yeah she's 15 and 12 year old and so it
26:07depends on their needs and again my
26:10model behavior if I can stay calm and
26:13every family's different my kids need to
26:16be informed I love and they want to know
26:19what's going on they want to know which
26:21clients are paying which ones aren't
26:23who's bringing us the most money what do
26:25we have coming up what exciting things
26:27one of my learning they are very
26:29invested Wow
26:31in the minute so it doesn't just Tom and
26:32I can
26:33and going to lunches and planning stuff
26:35out they want to know that our dinner
26:37conversations involve a little bit of
26:40client talk a little bit of politics a
26:41little bit of space a little bit of
26:43school and it pulls it all in there
26:47but we're talkers I love it really so
26:52they really know what your priorities
26:55are for the business yeah where they
26:57fall into them and I would think you
27:00know for me particularly if I you know
27:03relate that to my situation I would
27:04think that there are moments for you
27:06that that comes in very handy because
27:08when you say hey I'm working with this
27:09client today they immediately know ooh
27:11that's a big one
27:12or wait that's a new one so you know mom
27:15needs this and mom needs and the the
27:17gift that you're giving them in building
27:19empathy and compassion for others
27:22through being a part of that business
27:23and being aware of those emotions behind
27:25that I mean that's something they should
27:27be able to carry with them into school
27:28and it's work and instead you think
27:30they'll have their own businesses
27:31someday oh I would hope so you didn't
27:33want them to be beholden to anybody no I
27:36love it
27:36I just have their own talents I mean to
27:38the point that I've expanded my team I
27:40have one woman that I work with that's
27:42one of my dear friends here because she
27:43can write she's a beautiful writer
27:45you're in Kara Maris writes really well
27:47so she's my copywriter my editor she
27:49does all that type of thing plus backup
27:51on a lot of stuff with clients because
27:53she has that maturity is well word about
27:55the same age but we've also brought on
27:57my college niece college age now yeah
28:01and she because she loves what she's
28:04learned from us so much she switched her
28:05major to marketing oh I love that and
28:09she had her gift so for Christmas I gave
28:11her a logo for her new business
28:14oh she brought on a team member that she
28:18mentors and so we have a team of four of
28:21us now working in different you know
28:22they don't work a lot of hours at
28:24they're learning how to manage clients
28:26and I'm very open with them for the most
28:28part because I know they want to build
28:30their own businesses now so it isn't to
28:32tell them Oh feel bad for me because
28:33so-and-so isn't paying or whatever it's
28:35understand this is part of doing it on
28:38your own yeah yeah and it's not bad but
28:41you have to be ready to adjust with it
28:43go find something new to fill that hole
28:46whatever it is so that's the other part
28:49that is a gift for me and I've done this
28:52with my nonprofit banking Patrol
28:53mentoring women to be leaders that in
28:56their own area they can start some and
28:58they can learn to do public relations
28:59they can do publicity fundraising
29:01accounting leadership skills and I've
29:04carried that now to my business where it
29:06actually makes me money yeah yeah you
29:08can all just a gullible so when you have
29:11you know these women because I'd love
29:14for you to just give some advice to when
29:16you're setting up your work hours and
29:19your family life and the scheduling of
29:20it I think there's really a
29:22misconception out there about
29:23entrepreneurs and you know moms etc that
29:26you know they people talk about balance
29:28or people talk about you can you know
29:32have it all and you can work all babies
29:33napping and you can do that my personal
29:36feeling on balance is that it kind of
29:38was probably created by somebody I think
29:40who who was working too much and felt
29:43bad and wanted an excuse to say I need
29:45to be with my family because I don't
29:46know that you can have enough mothering
29:47and had a nanny yeah yeah and sometimes
29:50you can't you you need to work and
29:52sometimes you need to mother and you
29:53know but yet those boundaries I know for
29:55me and my darkest time in my own journey
29:58was when I was trying to be all things
30:02to all people all the time I did not
30:03have boundaries and I really approached
30:06my business now as a job I mean truly
30:09something that I check into and I am
30:11present and even though I am my own boss
30:13and I am reporting myself I still feel
30:15very accountable to the people around me
30:16but I clock out I'm walking out so tell
30:20me how how does that work for you what
30:21is your what does a week look like a
30:23week sometimes it starts early summer
30:28time it starts really early so I can
30:29knock off by 2:30
30:30hmm yep go to the pool with kids yeah
30:33and yes where to go do whatever so I
30:35shift it but I still get the same amount
30:37of hours in and bring it on the team
30:39members it's the first time I actually
30:41take mid days you know half days and
30:43things I've grown to that point I'm
30:45still surpassing my income every year
30:48yeah you know growing it by you know
30:50nice double digit percentages it's nice
30:52yeah but the work day for me is the
30:58first half hour is mine I get up
31:00four or five on a quarter sex excuse me
31:02fair sex get the table the kitchen
31:04everything ready so it's welcoming
31:06that's when I do my volunteer work my
31:08nonprofit work catch up on all that
31:10personal things and the kids are awake
31:13and they wake up and shift so first
31:15Savannah's awake I spent my time with
31:18her make her breakfast because I still
31:19love doing that and make her lunch
31:20because I love doing that
31:21send her on her way go get the next one
31:24up I love it it's shifting this is
31:27fantastic
31:28there's no fighting yes and then the
31:30next one gets on the bus and he is gone
31:31at that moment I quickly take care of
31:35the dog and I'm ready to go and I am at
31:38my desk with breaks between you know
31:41wanting to take a lunch with my husband
31:43once or twice a week which is really
31:45cool this is a sunny day we're out we're
31:48out with the top down and playing with a
31:51dog for a few minutes whatever it is
31:52because I need healthy breaks to get my
31:53eyes adjusted to stretch and all that
31:55but I work until they get home from
31:58school I stop everything
31:59when they walk in the door amanda has
32:02track so by doing more hours but when
32:04they walk in the door I make sure the
32:06best that I can I can't always do it and
32:08I stopped to ask them about their day to
32:11focus for five or ten minutes which buys
32:14me another two hours yeah the next game
32:17comes home yeah I gave him his five or
32:21ten minutes and go back to work and I
32:22finished my day he's about 4:30 okay
32:25you know sometimes five it depends you
32:26know how many breaks I took and I know
32:28how many hours I need to get in because
32:29I you know I know lobby's oh I don't I
32:33do sea bass and I I like a time sheet
32:35I'm super rigid I bill in 10-minute
32:39increments and I can't track on my time
32:42Intendant increments and I don't
32:44multitasking guys is BS please know this
32:49if you rag about it don't brag about
32:50working every day that has a y in it
32:52okay sorry
32:54aspire to more than that because if you
32:57are multitasking you were having to
32:59start and stop over and over again the
33:01same things and you are not productive
33:03you're not efficient set aside if you
33:06have five tasks to do for the day do one
33:07finish it move to the next thing because
33:10you stay clear focus make fewer mistakes
33:14and it's a good time to get up and take
33:16a stretch break between those major
33:17things yeah get my water get you know
33:20stay hydrated whatever it is just and
33:23then come back I don't drink a lot of
33:25water drink coffee all day long because
33:26otherwise I could pee too much and that
33:27takes too much time I hate doing that
33:29I'm going to call this episode
33:32multitasking is BS
33:33what is bench it is so you know I agree
33:38I experienced the same thing and then
33:40it's like where was I and what was I
33:42doing and did I even finish them and
33:44then that presence is so powerful I mean
33:47and but just to hear your brain talk
33:49about the schedule of this happen and
33:52shifts and this I get up and now I know
33:54this and these are the habits that make
33:56me productive these are the habits that
33:57make me healthy these are the habits
33:59that bring me joy that make my best self
34:01be able to show up for the moment that
34:03God has put me in to be my best self
34:05because we show up there and you're
34:07falling short because you mismanaged
34:08your day and your morning and your kids
34:10and oh I didn't expect you and you'll
34:12find more minutes and which all the five
34:14more minutes Inge is just memorized I'm
34:15Rinna and the kids are just like
34:17whatever I'm not a priority I mean you
34:19clearly my priority and it really
34:21especially the teens it really hits them
34:23hard yeah well tell me how that I mean
34:26you feel mom guilt Susan have you had
34:27some moments where the kids have been
34:29like I need what I try I just know I go
34:31right to anger yeah how you gonna get
34:34it's like you know you can try and do
34:39this all you want and I keep hiding the
34:41buttons but they don't manage to find
34:43them and push them yeah and sometimes if
34:46I've learned though if it's fitting and
34:49I take it in Chancellor's a little truth
34:51to it yes so I need to look at that a
34:53bit and see if I need to adjust it or if
34:55I need to just communicate better
34:57but that clear definition of listening
35:00to them they get very her especially my
35:01daughter if I don't take that break and
35:05focus in the evenings I am NOT on
35:08anything for work it is so rare and on
35:11the weekends I only to warn them selling
35:13something that a calls because we didn't
35:14do it then yeah yeah and I said well I'm
35:17at a great tip so yeah but I feel that
35:19need to explain which may not be good or
35:22bad but I do know way to them so they
35:24understand yes and break in the weekend
35:27rule be
35:27yeah and I'll be honest as soon as I can
35:29yeah well and that's but that's where so
35:32much trouble will happen in life is when
35:34you set some rules and then you make an
35:37exception and then you make another one
35:38and all of a sudden you don't realize it
35:40but you've actually rewritten your rules
35:41and now you're living a completely
35:43different way well I think it's
35:45fantastic that you communicate to them
35:47you know hey guys I'm breaking a rule
35:49and let's I'm telling you it's
35:51accountability I mean our kids keep us
35:53so accountable to where we really need
35:54to be and where our responsibilities are
35:56as mothers because just like you said I
35:58am always saying that guilt trips are
36:01God checks like he is literally saying
36:03to you you know if you are feeling some
36:05sort of guilt from something that your
36:07child is said and I'm the same as you
36:09like there's moments where I will
36:10I might brush it off but I really have
36:12to think about it and then there are
36:13absolutely moments where I'm like no no
36:15no no
36:15I just spent this and we did this and
36:18you are fine
36:18you're just median board so go find
36:21something to do go play outside I know
36:23that I have given you a tremendous
36:25amount today so and there are other
36:27times where I think gosh I really was
36:28distracted I was on my phone when I
36:30picked you up from school and then this
36:32came crashing down and it's not even all
36:34work you know it's just life stuff but
36:36you know what they need though mine is
36:38especially especially that eye contact
36:40in an Ansari yes but the one who takes
36:43the brunt of it though and gets shoved
36:45aside the most was Tom and I feel
36:47terrible because he is so willing to let
36:50me get everything done to keep peace to
36:53pick up on my pieces and he's the one
36:55that probably gets neglected by me for
36:57one-on-one time more than anybody and
37:00that's something I have to get better or
37:02back to doing yeah back to our gin
37:05joints back to our date nights and back
37:07to all that what's the honest assessment
37:09so as we're finishing up here in the
37:11last few minutes we have tell us a
37:14little bit I'm going to ask you a one or
37:16two little sentences here and I want you
37:18to finish them for me okay I must have
37:25Wow because most of the strong word I'm
37:29pretty flexible not I want not oh no no
37:32no no must I must have time to create
37:38inspire yeah
37:40advocate and pilot everything time to
37:44meet you're happy for Susan's you're for
37:48happy Susan's I love it I would tell my
37:5221 year-old Susan to stop partying
37:59honest oh and be patient wait for it
38:05wait for the right one is no hurry
38:07you're better than that when it comes to
38:09their own careers I want my children to
38:15never underestimate what they are
38:17capable of
38:18never underestimate themselves I love it
38:23thank you thank you so much for being
38:27here I want to just let everybody know a
38:29little bit about what you do as well
38:31Susan is a web designer social media
38:36marketing saving strategist branding
38:39stress just amazing and she hosts my
38:42website on juicebox consulting.com and
38:45she's helped me with many other projects
38:46through the years and then will you tell
38:48us a little bit about Mickey Patrol q
38:50yep so my escape hatch from that gallery
38:52was my nonprofit and I came up with an
38:56idea cuz I was on the pity pot to want
38:58to help others my mom walked through the
38:59door asking if I would help her make
39:01blankets for unwed mothers at a
39:03pregnancy shelter oh and I thought okay
39:06and she was holding this half started
39:09blanket I hadn't seven since seventh
39:10grade making a gym bag when Miss
39:13Makino's class and so we weren't very
39:16good at it but I had an art gallery so I
39:18had fabric donating from the picture
39:20framers ah local clothing manufacturer
39:23gave us all sorts of fabric so I put a
39:25sign-up sheet in front of my business
39:26and found a few other women that wanted
39:29to volunteer for something but like me
39:31couldn't do it on schedule didn't like
39:33the rules wanted it to be fun and so
39:36binky Patrol was born that day all in
39:38one day and in there the website right
39:41isn't you patrol board we make blankets
39:43for kids that are ill abused I actually
39:47like to seek out the invisible kids ones
39:50that are forgotten that need to know
39:52that they matter
39:54and that somebody actually cares and
39:55gives a you know rip about what happens
39:57to them so that's who we seek out
39:59especially at this chapter we just made
40:01160 blankets recently high school and we
40:05made them big so maybe for teens because
40:06teens need them more than anybody uh
40:08everybody amare BER I know everybody
40:12gives the babies teens need it and the
40:15teen boys especially need it
40:17oh what a treasure so that's that's my
40:19nonprofit and anybody can do at any age
40:21you just have to make blanket that are
40:23soft washable from the heart and have no
40:24pins soft washable from the heart have
40:27my pants open guys you know we get calls
40:31and I'm good yeah it's not good when you
40:33get the calls you know what I love Susan
40:37is that you know in the very beginning
40:38when we started talking you just talked
40:40about modeling behavior and truly I
40:42think that your life is such an
40:44authentic testimony to the power within
40:47all of us when we start each day in you
40:51know caring for ourselves our faith our
40:54friends our family being focused and
40:57being present giving back to the world
40:59realizing our gifts knowing were enough
41:01because so many women see women like you
41:04and think oh she has it all in the
41:05successful business and so her nonprofit
41:07and look at her lovely children who seem
41:10to want to be around her is not nice and
41:12she's married it and they don't realize
41:15that those things are within their grasp
41:17and I love that you were so transparent
41:19and vulnerable as to what it actually
41:22takes that there are still hard time
41:23keeping the schedule you know being able
41:27to be flexible and yet understanding
41:29where your priorities are setting rules
41:31and keeping them there's so much great
41:34wisdom in this and I'm just I know that
41:35you were going to have all these great
41:37nuggets to share I was like I just
41:39really want to talk to Susan because
41:40when I started kind of read just
41:44shuffling my life around after my long
41:46life crisis you were a woman that I was
41:48like at first honestly I was intimidated
41:51by just like I said I was a woman that
41:53was like oh oh no but it was just this
41:55like confidence and this and I'm like I
41:57finally realized I need to snuggle up to
41:59these women like I need to know them I'm
42:01you sitting over here like judging and
42:03pointing fingers and not
42:04really sure and how do they in thinking
42:06I could never that's not going to get me
42:07anywhere right oh I loved snuggling up
42:10to you and I knew you would have
42:11something to share with our audience and
42:12I am so just grateful to God for your
42:14time today and I just wish you so many
42:17blessings I know you have lots of work
42:18to get back to so go into more outreach
42:20I appreciate your friendship because you
42:22were one of my first friends here oh
42:24they you know shifting my daughter into
42:26preschool things it made it fun yeah
42:29you're one of those fun people going to
42:31Boyd I remember when you invented boogie
42:33wipes on your kitchen table we were all
42:35testing the different scent I know we
42:38just sat around a table doing that I
42:40remember that you know so fun way back
42:43in the day such good times you know what
42:44you have got to laugh and have fun so
42:47you know the next thing I ever invent is
42:48going to have to be something with a fun
42:50word in it Bui it's just good either
42:52it's going to be good so thanks again
42:54all right I can't wait to see what God
42:56does next for both of us and I
42:57appreciate your time and we'll let you
42:59go thank you
43:00music go too soon all right my wife