#132: Mompreneur: How to Juggle Business, Self-Care, and Family-without Losing Your Sanity!

Show Notes

Mompreneurs employ more than 9 million people in the US alone. However, for many moms, balancing the demands of running a business with the responsibilities of being a parent can often lead to frustration, burnout, neglecting your own self-care, and feeling like a hot mess!
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In this episode, co-hosts Nola Boea and Lori Vajda talk to Nikki Oden about the challenges she faced trying to juggle business, career, and family. Hear as this attorney turned entrepreneur shares her actionable steps, insights, and practical solutions for reducing those feelings of overwhelm so you can find harmony between your personal and professional lives.

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By the end of this episode, you’ll learn 

• Scalable tips to manage the "double responsibility" of running a business and a household
• How to get off the hot mess express to avoid feeling like you’re living in continuous survival mode 
• Practical tips and resources for running a home-based side business

Key points Lori and Nola are sharing in this episode:
(05:10:55) The pivotal moment when she made the decision to start a business came from a ‘not too proud’ personal experience and the desire to find a solution to a problem.

(06:57:97) The stress spills over just as easily as the joy, maybe even more so. Small steps, like doing a mental dump weekly, can help reduce overwhelm.

(10:01:13) The meaning of “If You Want to Have It All, You Absolutely Can't Do It All"  and how to use it to prioritize getting things done

(12:00:75) How this recovering perfectionist stopped perfectionism and the mindset reset she teaches other moms and entrepreneurs so they can enjoy their lives

(15:03:21) The key to prioritizing and managing your time is understanding which of those balls are made of rubber and which are made of glass
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(21:03:14) Four books anyone thinking about starting a business should read

Resources 

Love Your Mom Life, podcast - Listen on Apple

Book: "But Definitely Wear Mascara: Hacks to Help You Love Your Mom Life (and Yourself) a Little More." - Amazon

Connect with Nikki Oden - https://youridealmomlife.com/ 

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Lori: Moms do far more than help their kids with homework and manage the family household. Many of them start and run their own companies. In fact, there are more than 9 million employees working in companies and corporations owned by women in the US, many of whom are mothers and grandmothers. However, navigating the demands of running a business with the responsibility of being a parent can often lead to frustration, burnout, and neglecting your own self-care.
Stay tuned listener because we are talking to Nikki Oden about the challenges she faced trying to juggle business, career, and family. Hear as this attorney-turned-entrepreneur shares her Insights and offers practical solutions, so moms and mompreneurs like you can reduce those feelings of overwhelm and find harmony between your personal and professional life.
[00:00:50] Nola: Welcome to Sticky Brand Lab where we bridge the gap between knowledge and action by providing you with helpful information, tips, and tools from entrepreneurs and other experts so you can quickly and easily jumpstart your site business. We're your hosts. I'm Nola Boea, and this is my co-host, Lori Vajda.
[00:01:06] Lori: Hi Nola. Hello. Speaking on the topic today that we're discussing, when you had your little one, what kind of challenges did you have, juggling, taking care of a child, managing a household, working, and I think you were in school as well, right?
[00:01:24] Nola: Oh, yes. I was pregnant at 16 and married when my daughter was 16. And during that time, I finished high school, got my bachelor's degree, and was getting my master's when I got married. So, I had a major adjustment during that time and there was a lot of juggling. I was perpetually stressed and I felt like I was always dog paddling. What about you?
[00:01:45] Lori: I can so relate to your story. As a matter of fact, when I went back to school to finish my undergrad, I had a toddler and we went to the same campus. So she went into childcare and preschool, and I went to college, and then I graduated with my undergrad one month before my second child was due. Then I went to graduate school with two kids, and then after graduate school, sadly that marriage was dissolved, but I was then both co-parenting, as in we shared custody. I had full-time responsibility. I was working. I mean, it was stressful. When I just think back on those days, I wonder would I be able to do it the same because I worried that I was not a good parent, that I was making mistakes, that I was traumatizing my own kids, and then we were so regimented that I sometimes, like I was wound too tight, you know, like I couldn't find any reprieve.
[00:02:42] Nola: That actually sounds really stressful, just hearing about that. But I have the feeling that you were not alone. And our guest today, she has firsthand knowledge and experience on that subject and she's here to share them. Nikki Oden is the author of, But Definitely Wear Mascara: Hacks to Help You Love Your Mom Life and Yourself a Little More.
Following the birth of her children, Nikki, who was at the time, a commercial litigator with a prestigious international law firm, made the heartfelt decision to leave her lucrative career to become a stay-at-home mom. And recognizing how easily she lost herself in motherhood, Nikki's search for an identity beyond mommy and wife, led her to start a home-based side business. Faced now with the double responsibility of running a business and managing a household, it wasn't long before she felt as though she was living in continuous survival mode, and we can definitely relate to that. Oh yeah. Her search for solutions led her on a journey of self-discovery, learning and slow but steady improvement. And today, Nikki is on a mission to help ambitious moms love their mom life and themselves a little more. She's the host of Love Your Mom Life podcast, and has been featured in the Boston Globe, Today, Parents, Cafe Mom, Kidspot, Clean Plates, Authority Magazine, as well as other appearances. Welcome, Nikki.
[00:04:00] Nikki: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. We're glad to have you.
[00:04:05] Lori: What made you decide to start a whole new side business around a topic that was totally divergent from your professional day job?
[00:04:13] Nikki: It was so important to me to help other moms because I realized as I was going through this struggle, it's very similar to the struggles both of you mentioned. They're real, and it's not a unique experience for mothers. And once I started to implement some systems, just for myself personally, so I could not feel like a hot mess every single day, I realized they were scalable and they were transferable to other moms, and I started to feel this passion and drive for helping other moms get off the hot mess express and to feel like they're winning every day because I truly believe a mother is the center of her household. And when she is feeling powerful, calm, joyful, that spills over into every single thing she does, especially the way she parents. And it's a great model for her kids. And that calling just took over and I was like, I have to get out there and just help at least one mom if I can. And it has obviously snowballed into many more than just one mom. I'm really honored to be on that path.
[00:05:10] Lori: So, was there a moment in your journey that really had that aha light bulb go on when you said to yourself, I want to turn this into a way to help others. What was that pivotal moment for you like and what happened next?
[00:05:24] Nikki: The pivotal moment. Was one that I'm not proud of, but it happened when my daughter was in kindergarten and I was having a morning with them that made me want to just run outside, screaming my head off and like just roll around on the floor and kick and scream. It was just one of those days where no one's listening and the clock is ticking and we've got to get out the door. It's not like daycare. I've got to get her to school before the bell rings and the door locks because she's in real elementary school now. My son wouldn't get dressed and I finally get her to school. She's the last kid. And remember when they're in kindergarten, how their backpacks are bigger than they are. So, she's running to the front door and she's stressed. And I'm starting to pile this guilt onto myself about why am I not more organized? Why didn't I start earlier today? Why don't I have any patience? And this poor little five-and-a-half-year-old, six-year-old, is running to the door because she's freaking out that she's going to miss class. And I just started hysterically crying in the car, watching her run to the door. And my four-year-old was like, mommy, mommy, it's okay. Don't cry. Everything's okay. And I just felt worse. I was like, you know, we talk about the joy spilling over, the stress also spills over. And I just felt like I was failing as a mother, and I know that I wasn't. I know we all have moments like that. And when that happens to other moms I coach, I talk to them about mom guilt really being a choice and how we can get ourselves out of that spiral. But in that moment, I said, something has got to give, something has to change in the way I am managing my days and my time because really, I'm not managing anything and I, I'm a mess.
And so, I just started really, really small. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to sustain a huge change. So, I knew I had to take on a really small change. And for me, it just started with waking up a little bit earlier. And I'm not talking about an hour earlier. It was like 10 minutes earlier until I got that down and then it was 15 minutes earlier and now, I do wake up an hour and a half before my kids do. I learned through that process, that was one of the changes I made, that I needed time to myself. I needed time to center myself before everyone else was going to need me to make sure I could be the best I could be for them so that I could give them what they deserve versus giving them scraps and oftentimes a lot of, yeah, stress and yelling and tears.
[00:07:39] Nola: For a lot of women and moms in particular, venturing into entrepreneurship while juggling everything else, I mean, just the idea can feel overwhelming, especially, don't have a good role model to show them how. So as a coach, what would you say to women who aspire to do multiple things like you do and still keep their sanity?
[00:07:58] Nikki: So, I learned, through juggling all of these things and juggling them unsuccessfully for a long time, falling on my face over and over, that doing a weekly mental dump is key to keeping your sanity when you are trying to do multiple things, and it's okay to, to want to do multiple things. Just because we are raising these amazing humans doesn't mean we can't have our own goals and dreams, and I think that's really important to model for your kids, that you can be a mom and have a life. It's something I, especially I want my daughter to watch me do.
So, every week I have a list of things that are floating around in my brain and I write them all down. It doesn't matter what area of your life it pertains to; it doesn't matter if it's big or small. It doesn't matter if you think you're never going to have time to do it. If it's on your mind, put it on the paper. And I found that that serves two purposes. The first is that, it just feels good. It feels really good to get it all out because when those things are floating around in our brains, the big fear is that we're going to let something slip through the cracks. And it's not going to be a big thing. Like you're not going to forget to pick your kids up from school or feed them dinner. It's going to be something little. But when they happen in succession, it makes you feel like you're failing. It makes you feel like you're that mom who's never there for her kid. When in reality of course you know you're providing the shelter and the love and the care and you're there for them. Those little things though, really can eat away at you. So those are the things I'm writing down in addition to the big things like text messages I have to respond to or emails or I, I signed up to volunteer to bring something to school. So remember to actually stick it in the backpack versus getting the email after the fact and like, oh, they didn't have the marshmallows today, because I forgot to send them. And I have found that doing that mental dump is a game changer for me and for other moms I've coached. And some of them say, I just do the mental dump and I don't even do anything with the list, and I just feel better. But if you want to take it a step further, the second purpose it serves is that it captures everything. So, if you want to prioritize it and rearrange it and decide how to fit it into your week, you have that there just waiting for you. And it's been a really key component to my success in managing all the balls that are in the air.
[00:10:02] Lori: In your book, But Definitely Wear Mascara, Chapter 13 is titled, If You Want to Have It All, You Absolutely Can't Do It All. Could you elaborate on that?
[00:10:12] Nikki: Yes, absolutely. So sometimes when I'm making this mental dump list, part of the reason I'm making it is to decide what needs to be done by me, what absolutely cannot be done by anybody else, and what just needs to be done. And it doesn't matter if it's done by me. And one of those things, and Covid really helped, I think, with a lot of the mindset around this, is grocery shopping. I don't need to go grocery shopping for my family. They don't care if Amazon delivers it through Whole Foods. They don't care about that. Same thing with cleaning the house. It's not my best, yes, it's not the best use of my time. So, I outsource that function. And again, nobody in my house cares who scrubbed the toilet this week, as long as it's clean, right? It doesn't need to be me and I'm not adding value to anybody's life if I do it versus having it done. And there are various things that you can do with that, even sometimes, like having someone pick up your kids and bring them to an activity. Actually, when I was in college, I used to do that for a family and that was a way for me to earn a little extra money. And I took this little girl, my gosh, she was so busy. She had like, Dance class, and she had acting classes and piano, and her mom was the commander of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and needed somebody to take her to those things. So her daughter was still getting that enrichment. Her mom was able to meet the demands of her career, and I was able to make a little bit of money, and I think sometimes we forget that when we outsource things, we're also helping somebody else save up for something or earn their way towards maybe some bigger dream or goal they have. I encourage moms, think about the ways in which you can outsource some of those tasks that do need to be done and sometimes urgently, but don't need to be done by you, and only focus on the tasks that you cannot delegate, and that's where you are adding the biggest value and making the most impact.
[00:11:47] Lori: To get to that point, a lot of the reason, in my opinion, that we moms oversee that and are so rigid in it is because we set a standard. We have this bar of, we want it done perfectly. So, part of delegating is also letting go of those expectations. How did you do that? Because I'm guessing, especially as a practicing attorney, that you really pay attention to detail. Right? So how did you let go of and relax those expectations?
[00:12:21] Nikki: I will say that I am a recovering perfectionist. I talked about this in my book and how perfectionism really robs us of so much joy and our ability to enjoy our lives. So this was a tough one for me. I will say that right away. Until I realized that done is better than perfect. And perfect is oftentimes holding us back from even taking the first step or from allowing things to happen and to see, let's just do the experiment. Okay, it's not going to be perfect, but it's done. And was it still okay? So, it's really a mindset shift and allowing yourself to not be perfect, because you're not. I, I mean, I'm talking to myself right now too. You're not perfect and you're never going to be, and that's okay. Nobody wants you to be perfect, anyway. And a lot of the times that standard we're setting on ourselves is impossible to meet. We set impossible standards for ourselves and then we're always setting ourselves up to feel like we're failing when really, we're not. And when we sit down and have those conversations with our kids, like, are you upset that you're having Chick-fil-A tonight instead of a home cooked meal? They're like, no. Right? Like, let's, let's just be straight up about it. No one's upset and you feel guilty because you went through a drive through tonight. And they're like, yes. So, it was just a mindset shift for me.
It's easier to change direction once you're moving than it is from a dead stop anyway, so this really ties into when moms want to start something new or start a new business, a lot of time that perfectionism is holding them back because what if it's not great? You'll learn. You'll get information you didn't have before on how to make it great. But just start moving.
[00:13:50] Lori: That I think is the key piece is that one step forward because you need to have mistakes in order to figure out what works.
[00:13:58] Nola: And it's momentum.
[00:13:59] Nikki: Momentum.
[00:14:00] Lori: Yeah, exactly.
[00:14:01] Nola: So while there's no such thing as balance, in fact you use the term harmonize, there has to be some give and take. So, considering all that you do, you gave us a couple tips, but how do you manage your time?
[00:14:15] Nikki: I, first of all remind myself that it is not a balance beam. It's not like the scales of justice. It is a seesaw. So some days, it's going to be work heavy and some days it's going to be family heavy, and that is just life as a mother, a working mother. And I am okay with that. I have to just wrap my mind around that. And then I have to remember priorities. This is how I manage my time, and I learned this concept from the book, The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, and it's a life-changing book. I talk about it in my book. It's one of the four books I think every mom should read. And it's about looking at the different areas of your life as balls. So, my career is a ball. My side business is a ball. My family is one. My important relationships, my spirituality, my health. These are all different balls that I'm juggling. The key to prioritizing and managing your time is understanding which of those balls is made of rubber and which are made of glass. And if it comes time to drop a ball, you drop the one that will bounce, not the one that will shatter. And in my opinion, your family, your body, your spirit, those things are glass balls. And if you're not taking care of those things, it's not going to matter how well you're doing in business. And I think we've all, as women and mothers, especially like Lori and I, you and I are both divorced, had that experience where when things are falling apart at home, it doesn't matter how successful I am at work. That is something that's critical to my wellbeing and I need to make sure that's being taken care of.
And same thing for the people on the other end, right? So, if you are constantly not showing up for the baseball game or for the recital, your kid's going to remember that. They're not going to remember like, oh, you couldn't make it to practice this one time. Someone had to schlep them there instead of you. But if you're constantly not showing up and choosing work over that, and you're telling yourself, well, I'm doing this so I can take care of my kids, I think your priorities are misaligned. Work is a rubber ball. You can have any number of jobs; you can start any number of businesses. Money is not finite. But you only have those kids. You cannot replace them. Can't replace the one body that you have. So you've got to take care of it, you've got to eat well, you've got to exercise. Those things are glass balls. Those things are not something that we shove in the back and say, well, I don't have time for that. I don't have time for self-care. And then you end up with a chronic illness or some kind of condition and wish you could go back in time, which you can't do. So, with that as my backdrop, that is how when I go through that mental dump list, I decide what is going to get my attention this week, what I'm going to outsource and what might have to wait until the following week.
[00:16:39] Lori: That's a great tip.
[00:16:40] Nola: I love that.
[00:16:40] Lori: Yeah.
[00:16:41] Nola: So, when women are wearing multiple hats and they are thinking, okay, how in the world am I going to improve my time management because I can't do it all? You recommend they just say, Okay, these are the rubber balls, these are the glass balls. Okay. They kind of decided for themselves, right?
[00:16:55] Nikki: Right. And I think within each rubber and glass ball, there can be smaller rubber and glass balls. So, within the glass ball of my family, for example, cooking a home cooked meal every night, that's a rubber ball. If I need to let that ball bounce, nobody's going to be upset. No one's going to need to go to therapy. We're still going to have a good relationship.
Additionally, at work, that's a rubber ball, right? Like if push comes to shove between family and work, I'm going to choose my family. I'm going to choose my marriage. However, if I want to keep that job or if there's something really important that's going on that week, I might have to treat some of those obligations as glass balls if I don't want to get fired, for example. So again, you just have to weigh the priorities and act as if not everything matters equally because it doesn't. I think that's the other thing that we tend to do as women. We think everything matters equally and it does not. So give your attention to the things that really matter.
[00:17:42] Nola: So, speaking of tips, are there specific techniques or even apps you use that you could recommend to our listeners?
[00:17:50] Nikki: Yes. So one tip that I would recommend, and this is something for moms who are walking out the door every morning and need to get their kids ready and yourself ready, is to plan your mornings the night before. This hack has helped me so many times, and when I say plan it, I mean plan it. Everything that you can do the night before, do it. So, get the coffee in the filter and the water in there and put the mug under the spout. So, all you have to do the next day is press a button. I really enjoy smoothies in the morning, so I get all the ingredients in the blender cup, put that in the fridge, so I just have to stick it on the thing and press the button and that's going. These little tricks like picking your outfit out the night before, down to the accessories, shoes, earrings, bracelet, everything so that all you have to do is execute. It's going to save you probably somewhere five to 15 minutes, but it's also going to save you that frenzied, harrowed like whirlwind of a morning where even if you get out the door on time, you've already feel a little deflated. You already feel a little bit like, I am not winning today. Versus feeling powerful. I've got this. Everything's going to be awesome. And that makes a difference in the way you show up in everything that else that happens that day. So that's a huge game changer that I have recommended in my book and I talk about all the time. You set yourself up for success. Give yourself that attention the night before.
And then for apps, because I'm a writer, I really love any of the Google Docs, Google Sheets, all of those things. I love any app where I can work at the bus stop, I can work while my daughter's playing tennis, and then when I return to my laptop, it's all updated in real time so that I can do it on my phone in one spot, come back to my laptop at another time and I don't have to transfer anything. It's all updating. Any kind of app like that, anything that can help you be productive in those in-between moments and allow you to work on your biggest, hairiest, most audacious goal, are extremely supportive and I highly recommend having something like that.
[00:19:37] Lori: Yeah, really great tips. So, focusing a little bit more on your entrepreneurial experience. What are some of the lessons learned that you have gained in knowledge about that journey that might help shortcut it for somebody else?
[00:19:52] Nikki: I want to encourage moms to just take the first step. And you don't need to know what the second step is going to be to take the first one. And I think that once you're moving, once you take that first step, everything else kind of falls into place. And even knowing what not to do is really valuable information. I think that when you're at that precipice, like waiting to kind of jump off into the unknown, it can be paralyzing to wonder what is going to happen and how do I navigate what's going to happen? Well, you know what? I don't have a crystal ball. Nobody does. And not even the most successful people had them when they started. So just start. And I think that that can be a lot harder than it sounds for some people. But whatever the step is, just take the tiny step forward, and then from there you can adjust. And I think part of the adjusting is also being really present with what you're doing. So stay out of your head and stop imagining all the things that could go wrong. Just stay present with what's actually happening now, because really that's the only thing that's real.
[00:20:49] Lori: Was there any particular action steps right in the beginning that you would recommend or offer to any woman out there or any mom out there who's thinking about or really ready to become a first-time entrepreneur?
[00:21:02] Nikki: Maybe because I am a lawyer, my first step was doing research. So I just looked at what other people had done. And to the extent they were accessible to me, so maybe it was somebody who knew somebody I knew, I would see if they would be willing to talk to me and just ask them like, what did you do? What do you wish you had not done? So I could just find out sort of like an outline or a path for myself. And for me that was an action step because it was more than what I was doing, which was just thinking about what could happen.
And I think the biggest example would be with my podcast. I had no idea how to start a podcast, but you don't know anything until you do. So, I did a little bit of research. I actually looked up Pat Flynn has a podcast and he has all this information. So, I read his article and I was like, okay, he tells me what to do, so now I'm actually going to do it. And so I bought the microphone and I figured out which platform I was going to use, and eventually I had all the pieces in place. And the next thing that was holding me back was, well, I don't know how to edit a podcast. And so I asked a friend who has started a podcast, how she did it, and she recommended somebody to me and then now I have a podcast. And all I have to do is record and talk and he edits for me and then I post it on my platform and I, I have a podcast. Like it's exact simple. And I think people think things are a lot more complicated than they are. Again, because A, they're in their heads and B, they're not actually taking the action steps to find out what does this entail.
[00:22:19] Lori: Very great tips. Do you have any other resources or tools other than Sticky Brand Lab Podcast? Because ours is focused on helping people get their business going. What tips, tools, even resources, did you use or could you recommend for others who might be interested in getting started in a side business?
[00:22:38] Nikki: I think mindset is very, very important. You need to be willing to make mistakes. You need to be willing to not be perfect, and you need to be willing to grind it out. I mean, success is kind of monotonous. It's a little bit boring. It requires you to have some grit. And for me what has helped is podcasts like yours. You're tailoring to precisely this person who is going through this experience. And I think I'm a big reader. So, you could download books on Audible or listen to them as well, like the way you would listen to a podcast in the car. I love The One Thing, I really love You Are A Badass, by Jen Sincero. That has been really helpful for me because she just calls it out. Like, you read it and you laugh because you're laughing at yourself. Like, yeah, I, I definitely say that to myself. I definitely hold myself back that way. I definitely tell myself that the world is going to end if I make this mistake. And so sometimes we just need somebody outside to point at us and tell us to break up with our garbage.
And I really like the 10 X rule by Grant Cardone. I don't agree with everything he says. I, and he's a little bit in your face, but one of the things that he said that I really appreciate was, take responsibility for everything. Like, don't blame other people, don't be the victim. Take responsibility for everything that's happening in your life because really you do create what you experience. And he also talks about as you become more successful, you're going to have more problems. So you kind of want to welcome the problems. You look at them in a different light because you didn't have this problem until you started to have this many listeners. And now you might have a new problem, but that's a good thing.
So those things have really shaped the way I tackle being an entrepreneur and I think have kept me going because it's really easy to give up when you're on this journey and you're not seeing the success and you feel like, is anyone listening to me? Am I just talking to like, white noise? Is, is anyone actually downloading this podcast, you know, as one example? Having that strong mindset is going to help you to keep going because you are making progress, you are making a difference, and people are listening.
[00:24:27] Nola: And speaking of podcast, tell us more about your podcast, Love Your Mom Life.
[00:24:32] Nikki: This is like my love letter to all the working mamas out there who are just trying to make a difference in the world and be the best moms they want to be. And loving your mom life has a lot of facets to it. So we have everything you can think of from how to budget, how to take ownership of your finances. I think a lot of moms and women might be intimidated by that topic. And the reason I feel that way is because I am intimidated by it. My husband is in finance, my knee jerk, my instinct is just to let him handle it. But that's not a powerful thing, right? I should be involved; I should be more educated on the process and what we're doing. So I, I've had experts come in and talk about that. I've had experts come in and talk about meal planning, about self-care, about how to deal with teenagers and all the things that can suck your energy and really get you caught up in the day-to-day, and then you forget that you are supposed to be making an impact and you forget that you do have goals and dreams and you forget all the things that come along with being a person who is taking care of other people. And we focus on all those different spokes of that topic.
[00:25:32] Lori: It's a very holistic approach. I love it. What are some of the ways that you, yourself practice self-care?
[00:25:39] Nikki: The biggest way is that I meditate every day. That's one of the things I do in that hour and a half before my kids get up. It helps me to filter challenges and obstacles and pesky, annoying things that pop up as a mom, in a different way, in a calmer way, a more thoughtful way. Versus just reacting. And I still do that, of course, but I do it less. And I think that it's better for all of us because I'm not shooting out this negative energy or making them feel bad. And I'm never intending to do that. But we can do that sometimes if we snap or the tone we use. I'm a lot more thoughtful now about how I respond, and that has been a huge help in every facet of my life too, in business as well.
The other thing is that I always make time to move. Move my body. So, whether that's making an hour for tennis or intentionally actually working out for 30 minutes, that has been really instrumental in making sure that I'm calm, I'm focused, and I feel taken care of. I feel like I'm doing something that's just for me.
[00:26:37] Lori: Yeah. So how often do you practice those self-care needs? Or do you even recommend to your listeners that they incorporate that into their life?
[00:26:48] Nikki: I do it every single day. And not every day looks the same. It's because of my schedule. So, some days my meditation is literally three minutes. I have these speakers that play these tones and it's three minutes long. The tonal speakers, I got them on Amazon. The best thing ever. And those days I still take the three minutes. Y'all got three minutes. Don't tell me you don't have three minutes. Right? On days where I have a little more time in the morning, I do a 20-minute transcendental meditation. I'm always doing something for myself. You might not have 30 minutes to work out. You have five, try to hold a plank for five minutes. That counts and it's really tough. Or do burpees for five minutes. There's no reason you can't take a little bit of time to do something that's for you. And even if it's just the five minutes, you're like, I feel good. I feel like I took care of myself. I did something for me. It's always going to be better than zero minutes.
[00:27:33] Lori: A hundred percent. Great, great advice.
[00:27:36] Nola: One final question, Nikki. Tell us, what does living a vibrant life mean to you?
[00:27:41] Nikki: To me, it means that I am making my mark on the world. And that I am living my life full out. I'm not holding myself back because I'm afraid that I might make a mistake or that I might look stupid. I want my kids to watch me taking everything in, appreciating things, allowing myself to receive things, and also giving things out into the universe. That's really important to me. And I want to watch them do it too. I want to watch my daughter try hard and make mistakes because I see her having some perfection tendencies. And I want to help her realize that she's robbing herself of joy. So, just making that impact through my children, through my work is how I live a vibrant life.
[00:28:21] Lori: That's great. Thank you, Nikki, for being our guest. You've been a joy yourself to have on here, and we are sure your personal experience, along with your real-world practical tips and recommendations, will inspire and motivate other ambitious women to be their best in leadership, entrepreneurship and in their family. But before you go, how can listeners get in touch with you or where should they go to learn more about your business, your podcast, your book?
[00:28:48] Nikki: Well, thank you again for having me. It was such a pleasure to talk to both of you and if you would like to learn more, you can visit my website, youridealmomlife.com. The book is available on Amazon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, wherever books are sold. Or you can connect with me on Instagram. I'd love to be friends. My handle is Nikki Oden and I personally manage that account. So I see every single like, comment, and DM, and would love to connect.
[00:29:12] Lori: That's great. And we'll also be sure to put all of those links in our show notes as well. Well listener, we hope that the ideas and thoughts shared here today have sparked your interest and curiosity about mompreneurship, as well as becoming a first-time entrepreneur in the second half of a vibrant life. And remember, starting a business comes with its own set of challenges, so take time to determine if the risks as well as the rewards are right for you. Just don't let your analysis become your paralysis. And be sure to stick around to the very end of this podcast for a fun little chuckle.
[00:29:48] Nola: If you found the information we've shared, helpful and want more tools, tips, and inspiration delivered to your inbox, sign up for News You Can Use, over on our website, stickybrandlab.com.
[00:29:58] Lori: Be sure to come back next Tuesday and every Tuesday for another informative, inspiring, and motivating episode. And remember, actions create results. So tap into your desire to create a business and brand you love by taking 1% action every day. Small steps, big effects.
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[OUT-TAKE]
[00:30:19] Nola: Or she felt as though she was living in continuous survival mold. Sorry, take two. Take two. It probably was moldy, but anyway.
Okay. Take two.