Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a multi-six-figure company owner who is also a mom of 5 school-aged kids look like?
This question is asked often, so our CEO, Marta Greca, would like to answer it for you…
🥱 Awake:
I wake up 3-4 hours before my 5 kids (I am an early bird. I enjoy this – some people are night owls and like to stay awake at night instead) – prayer is the first thing I do when I open my eyes, followed by meditation, then yoga and pt exercises, and then journaling about gratitude and goals. If I have a lighter to-do list that morning, I take a motivational audiobook with me as I go for a walk for 20-30 minutes and continue to listen to it as I drink my first 16 oz of water that is then followed by my first cup of coffee.
Once I’ve prioritized these practices, I open up my email, project management systems, and social media and respond to messages from my clients and team. My project manager, marketing director, executive administrator, sales representatives, creative teams, you name it…these are the people who help me grow my brands; Apples and Cinema and MEDIA: The Creative Agency.
If there’s time left over before the kids need me, I’ll knock a few simple things off my to-do list.
☀️ Morning:
Before the kids and I start our routine, I call my mom and dad to check-in and my nonna in Italy.
Then the kids and I do breakfast. I encourage them to shower and do something to refresh themselves.
Then we crack open all the devices and books for school at home.
Once all of their work is complete, we head to the back yard for some vitamin D on the trampoline.
I’ll have one of the older kids throw in a load of laundry if there’s time.
🌤️Afternoon:
We make a quick lunch together with the kids, and then they all do their chores to clean up. I, of course, oversee and help.
Then the toddlers go into their rooms/areas for naps and quiet time, while the big kids, having done their homework and chores, have earned their tablet time and go into their rooms for their own alone/quiet time.
During this time, I lead coaching calls as I help my clients attract their dream clients online as they declutter their minds and schedules. I attend my virtual speaking engagements where I teach large groups online the same, conduct scheduled strategy calls, meet our MEDIA social media management clients virtually with the team to go over their results and campaigns, get interviewed for podcasts, record our own podcast, have team virtual meetings, and, on set days, I block off time to work on projects that require my full attention. These are projects such as writing this social content, structuring new initiatives, working on my book, or reviewing my team’s work that I directed them to write.
The older kids take turns subbing quiet time for getting to go to work with daddy as he makes his rounds checking on his projects and properties (many of which are vacant during the times he checks/walks them), and making his own work phone calls for his development and real estate endeavors.
When nap time is over, the toddlers are usually still good to play quietly or be entertained otherwise with the big kids so I can record a quick live training on social media or complete some things on my to-do list. The big kids help the little kids get snacks and help themselves to snacks too at snack time.
And then I close my laptop, call my parents to check in and see how their day went, and put my phone away for the most part.
🌙 Evenings:
The kids and I take turns daily folding and putting away some laundry and then it’s outside time to either go for a walk, jump on the trampoline, go on bike rides, etc while my husband, Michael, makes dinner. The kids who enjoy cooking take turns standing in as his sous chefs.
We eat dinner together, the kids do their chores again to clean up (with our help and guidance), and then we all play outside again for a little, followed by an episode of a show we enjoy watching together.
The kids go to bed, and my husband and I get to hang out together – many times enjoying our own shows (Billions is a current fave) and, let’s face it, some snacks we don’t want the kids to have lol.
Thursdays I get to focus 100% on my business while my husband handles school and lunch, and Fridays I keep it light from calls and do mostly more to-do list items, emails or chat convos so that he can have a day to fully focus on his business.
During non-social-distancing time, Thursday is the set day we shoot photoshoots and video productions with the MEDIA team. This is also the day I prioritize time before or after shoots to go to the spas to do things like infrared saunas, Himalayan salt rooms, lymphatic massages andddd yes facials and cool-sculpting (guilty – #selfcare).
Saturdays and Sundays we unplug (you’ll see some posts from me still if I’m excited to share some family stuff, and any professional post is posted by my executive administrator) and just relax as a family – doing more chores on Saturday a bit so that we can fully observe Sundays.
During non-COVID-19 times we have designated evenings during the week we go to my parents’ weekly, and designated evenings we go to my in-laws’ weekly – which I am so grateful for. I also have designated weekdays I meet up with friends for coffee, dinner, apps, and drinks or whatever!
During wedding season, my Apples and Cinema team and I shoot wedding photography and films Saturdays – as much as our company grows and I have become a CEO, I love to be present for our brides – more and more as their creative director as the team captures my beauty of it all.
Also during non-social-distancing time, we have extra help with house cleaning and maintenance and our moms have set hours weekly that they help us out with the kids.
🙅♀️ Notice that clear boundaries have been set on when to focus on the kids, and when to focus on work. Do I get tempted to check my phone and answer messages during times I’m trying to disconnect? Yes. Absolutely. Do I make exceptions for my clients when truly pressing matters occur? You know it. Do my kids come in and out of my space sometimes when I’m on calls? Sometimes! When 3 out of 4 bathrooms went out of commission during a quarantine was an interesting time. Luckily all of my clients are all a dream with families too.
Do I get scattered sometimes or burnt out or distracted or try to multitask? Do I lose my cool sometimes? We all do. The key is to be aware and check yourself and show up for yourself when this happens to stay the course and keep your eye on the prize. For me, that prize is maintaining a comfortable income for my family and team as I prioritize time to serve my clients and also be there for the people I love.
Also notice that as an entrepreneur, I make the decision to focus on things that drive me and make me feel fulfilled as I help others. And I also properly allocate tasks to team members that are designed to allow them also to do things that motivate them and light them up and let them focus on their own zone of genius.
I share this with you because depending on what you consume or your history, you might have a preconceived notion that being successful financially means that you burn out and become this disconnected, evil, money-hungry person. It CAN be the case if you let it. If you try to grow your business and meet your income goals without the proper guidance and help – you can absolutely get yourself into that spaghetti-on-the-wall, hamster-on-the-wheel marathon.
And I also want to tell you – it wasn’t always this way. I am a born people-pleaser, yes-sayer, do-it-all-myself, figure-it-all-out-myself natured-gal – someone who used to take pride in working 7-days a week, 24-hours a day as I “multi-tasked” and “juggled-it-all” and “wore-all the-hats” constantly trying to make sure everyone was happy and liked me.
I myself had to get guidance from those who succeeded before me in order to quit wasting time burning myself out while I barely made ends meet, obviously leaving no room for grace at home for my loved ones.
This is what I help my clients with through our social media management service for all entrepreneurs. Through this service, you can learn how to attract your dream clients in ways that cater to you and your brand. I help you promote your services online without complicated high-tech stuff so that your ideal high-end clients that you love reach out to YOU. If this is something that you would be interested in contact us!
Do you want to learn even more about how you can attract those ideal high-end clients through your online audience? Then you’ll want to join our virtual event this month! You’ll learn how to naturally gain the dream clients you want and make the salary you want, all while balancing your work and family life. Hurry! We are almost halfway sold out and the ticket prices will be going up soon! Buy your ticket and reserve your spot by clicking here!