Original Post: 10/2015
Updating: 7/2021
How many times are you asked, “What is it you do?” People are curious, yet their beliefs in anyone working from home before 2020 are not a way to earn.
Ultimate Question for Entrepreneurs…
“What is it you do?”
How many times are you asked this in a day, week, or month?
As a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), I have been asked this question daily because most people (friends included) have NO idea what I do. I mean, they think all I do is sit at home and eat and watch television all day, potentially change a diaper or two.
Fast forward to 2021. A published author, podcaster, YouTuber, content creator – rarely am I asked what I do because everyone became a SAHWP (stay-at-home-working-parent) thanks to Covid-19.
Zoom and Pj’s were the norm. Showers, optional.
Entrepreneurship
Originally in 2014, I wrote the following on what ‘entrepreneurship’ and working from home as it specifically related to my situation (gosh, I’ve come a long way over the years).
When asked what it is I ‘do’ to make money from home, generally I ask them first, “What do you think I do?” Answers range from “do fitness,” meaning I go running and maybe lift a few weights. Or, perhaps I sell products related to fitness (“You’re part of a MLM program”)… unsure of precisely what it is I do. And, to be quite frank, I’m not sure my title most days – jack of all trades type of thing, I suppose.
Yes, I “do fitness” and “teach fitness” and even “judge fitness,” but there is SO much more than I do (did) with fitness. I love helping people with health and wellness…being better than they are at the moment.
There’s a great joy out of teaching adults and children, but children are my youth fountain. I have enjoyed training hundreds of children in different settings over the years. When this post first came out, I was teaching children how to do CrossFit (I do not own or claim to own CrossFit and its trademarks, etc.).
Kids are resilient, tenacious, and full of life. During my fitness stage, I used CrossFit to adapt to CrossFit for Kids with fun, high-energy movements that the kids beg to come back time and time again.
Besides doing, teaching and having fun with fitness, I also write, edit and publish books. I am not wildly successful or making millions (yet). But, I combined my passions into side businesses that give me freedom away from the mom duties and keeps me connected with the outside world.
2021 update: I’ve added books, courses, and coaching to my work-from-home lifestyle despite my kids now being teenagers.
How to Achieve Success From Home
Besides being a full-time single mom of three amazing souls, I run an online business – content and social media strategy, SEO, and creative marketing strategy. Since the article originally posted, I edited, wrote, published twenty plus books in fiction and non-fiction. To add to the books, I’ve created several online (digital) courses.
I do a lot of different things. It’s not a bad thing to be varied. However, I would agree I need to ‘niche’ and not be a jack of everything, leading to failure.
If you are looking to achieve success from home while raising a family, I’d suggest the following tens ways for success and happiness working from home (and raising a family).
- Remind yourself that it is okay to be imperfect.
- Take plenty of self-care time.
- Family first.
- Set your prices to reflect your worth.
- Value yourself and your skillset.
- Be open and willing to fail.
- Ignore the shiny objects on the internet.
- Ignore the ‘perfect’ pictures, posts, and success.
- You are beautiful, strong, and smart as hell!
- Start today, slowly… be in no rush.
Bonus: Be mindful that most ‘coaches’ and ‘programs’ are selling you stuff you do not need – do not allow yourself to become the product. If someone needs to sell you into buying a program, a coaching session, or joining an MLM, it is not for you.
99.9% Rule
Think about this for a moment. 99.9% of everything that is on the television, radio, or internet is not needed. Seriously. Most of what is sold to us are for wants, not needs.