HOW TO BE A MOMTREPRENEUR

As women with demanding jobs and growing families, sometimes we struggle to find the balance between it all. Do we work late or make it home for dinner? What is the priority today, this week, and far into the future? We would never dream of putting our families on the back burner, but we also are entirely committed to our business. Stella Valle women, our employees and our wearers, know this struggle intimately. Whether you are balancing your work and family, your health and hobbies, or any other combination of priorities, you know what it is like to be pulled in many directions at once. As Ashley raises her young children and continues to grow Stella Valle, she has decided to view her life not as competing roles, but as one encompassing title: the momtrepreneur. Here are three tips to make it work.   Segment your time. Ashley lives by a strict schedule. She carves out specific time for working or spending with family, and she sticks to it. For example, 5pm-8pm is always family time: dinner, walks, baths, playtime, or impromptu games or stories. She won't look at her phone, respond to emails, or take calls. After her kids go to bed at 8, she is back to

business and committed to getting work done.   Don’t feel guilty for working hard. Hard work is such an important thing to teach your children. Not only are you providing for their futures, but you are a role model for their future success. Ashley and Paige's parents were constant hard workers, but it is something the Stella Valle sisters admire most about mom and dad. Your children will emulate you and realize that you need to work hard to be successful.   Prioritize the special days and important moments. One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is that you have flexibility, so when it is a special time, a child’s birthday, or an important doctor’s appointment, you can set your schedule to go. It is impossible to be everywhere at once, but adding the important moments to your calendar just as if they are important business meetings means that they won't be missed.   Look at your life as a holistic total, not a collection of different parts. You are a mom and a business woman. You are a wife and an artist. You are a daughter and a friend. Any and all of these things are the total of who you are, not just the pieces. So find your title, Momtrepreneur or whatever fits you best, and work to make yourself successful in that role, not just one piece of it. Lots of Love, Ashley & Paige