When I was six months pregnant with my second child, I got the wild idea to start my own business. Maybe it was my form of nesting to keep myself busy, although I was already a busy mom to a two-year-old. Let me backtrack a little and mention that I have zero business background. In fact, until that time, I never imagined owning a business. You see growing up I was a pretty shy kid. I was the one who would get physically ill before school worried about something so much so that riding a school bus was out of the question for me. Public speaking and being the center of attention were not my strong suits. I preferred to blend in with the crowd and keep my circle small. Despite all of this, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Children fascinated me and I am a rainbows and sunshine kind of gal so children seemed more desirable to work with than adults. I found working with children an escape from the harsh reality of the real world as for those moments in time I can sort of transform back to the innocence of adolescence. I did about every job you can think of when it comes to working with children. I babysat, worked in a daycare, was a summer camp counselor, tutored, taught in the public school system, taught physical education, and of course taught gymnastics. Who knew my very first job teaching gymnastics would lead me to owning my very own gymnastics business.
Most people refer to me as Miss Jen.
I am the owner of Learning Ladder Gymnastics. I started my business back in 2016. I remember being so excited when I got enough students to run a few classes a week as a mobile business. Fast forward eight years and I now have my own location, offer over 30 classes a week plus special events, camps, birthday parties, skill clinics, training, and educational programs. How did I do it? What did I learn?
1. I can’t do it all myself. As business owners, we have a vision for what we want our business to look like and how it should be run. When Learning Ladder was strictly a mobile business it was me doing it all. Teaching, accountant (okay my husband helped me a lot in this area), behind-the-scenes planning. You name it, I did it. Once I got my own location it was clear I needed to hire additional teachers. It was hard at first to let go of some of the control. Surely no one else would put as much time, energy, and love into this business as I do. Trusting my staff took time. Giving some of the reins to others took time. Over time I learned how valuable my time truly is which leads me to number 2.
2. The importance of work-life balance. When you own a business, you never get a day off. Even when you are “out of the office”, you are not out of the office. Problems arise. Something will break. Emergencies will happen. You are the person everyone turns to for help and guidance. It is easy for it to consume your life day in and day out. The truth of the matter is burnout is bound to happen. There will be days you’ll question if is this worth it. Why am I doing this? Wouldn’t it be easier just to work for somebody else? Let’s not forget to mention the mom guilt. How can I possibly give my kids the attention they need and deserve when I’m so exhausted from giving other children my all? What I’ve learned is it isn’t the amount of time you spend on something but rather the quality of time that means the most. Some days I have limited time with my kids. That just means I need to make the most of the time that I do have with them. Doing something they love and giving them my undivided attention goes way further than spending more time with them just being semi-present and distracted. The same goes for my business. If I’m too exhausted and overstimulated, I’m not going to get too far in lesson planning or responding to emails. It’s okay to let those things wait a day or even two. Your business will not suffer when you take a mental health day. Your clients will understand and respect you more for doing so as you are human just like everyone else.
3. Never settle. Your business cannot continue to grow if you aren’t willing to grow yourself. As confident as I am in my teaching abilities I know there is always something new I can learn. Be open to new ideas and suggestions. Continue to research and expand your knowledge. Reach out to others in similar fields for support and guidance. It truly takes a village!
I am by no means the perfect person nor perfect business owner, but that’s not what it’s all about. I’ve lost money. I’ve hired the wrong people. I’ve not handled situations as professionally as I should have. I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way (maybe a better topic for a later post), but one thing is for certain, small business owners have the biggest hearts. Your passion and hobby can become your money-making business. There is no perfect time to take that leap so better start now. I truly feel blessed to be able to make my own schedule and do what I love every week. You can too. Step out of your comfort zone and share your talents with the world! I will always support small businesses and am happy to be of support to you as you begin your journey!
Sending you peace, love & flips
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I love this! Congrats on all of your successes!