This Successful ‘Mompreneur’ Shares Advice On How To Master Work-Family Balance

Many entrepreneurial moms are met with the same struggle–balancing work life with mommy duty. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with serial entrepreneur and mom, Charity Washington, to find out how she balances a skincare line, Urban Skin RX, wardrobe styling, decorating, a lifestyle and event company, C.Luxe, and real estate with three sons. Check out her insight.

BlackEnterprise.com: How has being a mother fueled your entrepreneurial success?

Washington: In the beginning it was very hard for me because I did breastfeed my children. Along with breastfeeding I was still styling so I would take my kids with me. I was really depressed because I’m not a woman who can sit down. When I’m not working I’m doing a lot of stuff with my kids. I don’t miss anything so I try to balance everything out. The good thing, though, about being an entrepreneur is that I can make my own schedule and still be very involved in all the things I have to do.

How do you balance motherhood with a blooming career?

I have my kids on a schedule–8 p.m. is bedtime. Everything has to be done by 8 so I can relax, breathe, and figure out my next move. I’m a planner so every week I go through a list of “what do I need to do.” I think that has really helped calm me. I try to figure out what I need to do the next day, the day before.

Have you found the secret to giving your all to both your career and your family? If so, what is it?

No. It’s not easy. It is hard to balance being a wife, motherhood, and trying to keep an identity for yourself. The secret is I just pray and ask the Lord to order my steps. That’s all that I can do.

What three tips would you have for a full-time mother who is also interested in starting her own business?

1. Learn that being a mother does not mean that you have to put yourself aside. The biggest thing for me was that I deserved to be happy too.
2. Scheduling and time management is the most important thing you can do.
3. Plan your life, continue to have goals, and fight for it every single day.

What can attendees expect to learn from your “Mompreneur–Mother Knows Best” panel at the 2016 Entrepreneur Summit?

I think attendees can expect to learn that we must stop fighting the battle within ourselves to do what we know that God has set for us to do and to learn how to balance and make a schedule. You tend to feel guilty when you feel you’ve put more into something else than your children. When you learn how to balance no one can make you feel guilty for that.

Learn more about balancing running a business with running a family from mompreneur, Charity Washington, at the 2016 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit, Loews Hotel Miami, Miami, Florida, May 4-7. REGISTER NOW