On Friday, November 3, my husband and I welcomed our second baby boy into the world. 🙂 We are so thankful and blessed to be given these two handsome little dudes to raise. I chose to take 2 months off from my full time gig (fitness director and personal trainer at a private country club) so that I could spend time with my new baby and 1.5 year old, figure out this whole mom-of-two-kids thing (it is haaaard!), and just enjoy the holidays with loved ones.
While I am still checking in with my Facebook group and doing a few blog and business things here and there, I had planned to take it easy blog-wise for the remainder of 2017! So, while I am chasing a toddler, burping a baby, wearing the same clothes multiple days in a row, and not sleeping, I have a few fabulous lady entrepreneurs lined up to guest post on The Fit Niche and share their entrepreneurial journeys with ya all!
So, without further ado… meet Dana!
My first guest is Dana Snook, RDN, from danasnook.com.
I met Dana in my Blogger to Business Membership Group and love her story of learning to manage entrepreneurship and motherhood, niching down, and doing what she is truly passionate about!
You can find Dana on her website/blog:Â danasnook.com
You can also find her in her free Facebook Group: Family Feeding Academy
And, if you have littles, be sure to check out her freebie: 3 Signs Your Baby is Ready to Eat Food
An Entrepreneur Story: Behind the Scenes with Dana Snook #fitfam #entrepreneur #mompreneur Click To Tweet
Here is Dana’s Entrepreneur Story:
Ten years ago, I took my first pediatric position. I was only 3 years out of school, single, with no kids. I thought, how hard could this be? I quickly learned school had only taught me WHAT to feed kids, but it never taught me HOW.
Panicked and with very little mentoring, I stumbled upon Ellyn Satter’s work. I learned that a good relationship with food required TRUST (non-restrictive approach) instead of CONTROL (restrictive approach). What I also learned was that this approach went against the grain in our society.
As I took on several other positions throughout the years, I realized working for someone else didn’t align well with what I did. I knew, in order to follow my passion, I would have to work for myself one day. Ugh, it is so hard to take that first step though! It’s funny how the universe works sometimes. The day before I had my daughter, the company I worked for let me know they didn’t approve my medical leave.
For the next year, I focused on raising my daughter; however, I realized part of me was missing.
I decided I wanted to start to blogging. I had spent the past 5 years teaching other parents how to transform their children’s relationship with food and the past year implementing my approach with my own daughter.
I took some courses and started my first blog 3 years ago.
However, my biggest struggle was learning to manage being a mom and a soloprenur. I was working LATE nights and not getting much sleep.
After two years, with FB algorithms changing and lack of time management, I burned out!
For the next year, I took a break from the online world. I started to work on myself – learning how to care for myself better.
As a mom, I had the same mom guilt I’ve come to learn a lot of mom entrepreneurs have. The first thing I started with was realizing I wasn’t winning as an entrepreneur or a mom. The best decision I made was to hire a mother’s helper to play with my daughter while I worked.
While I initially felt guilt around this, I realized this was a win-win for both of us. I got my work done, and my daughter had a blast with her mother’s helper! In turn, I became a better mom because outside of work hours I was fully attentive!
I also learned rather than that chasing every dollar, I needed to focus on what my passion was. Working with the wrong clients was exhausting and weighed me down even more. I started to accept only the clients that aligned with my values and messages.
Rather than losing money, I got more clients! The best part – I got the right clients!
So while starting your business is no easy task, my advice for mom entrepreneurs is to ask for help or hire help.
As women, we feel like we have to take care of everyone else and we stop taking care of ourselves. While you may think you are doing a good job managing your business and your children at the same time, someone will suffer.
Also, rather than chasing clients or business deals that don’t align with your values, make sure you pick things that bring you joy.
When you speak from your heart, people will want to follow your lead.
In the last two years, both my sisters had their own children. They watched me raise my daughter to be an awesome eater, with a good relationship with food. They wanted the same for their kids.
My sister came to me one day and said, “Dana, I go to all these play groups and watch how confused and stressed parents are feeding their children. If I didn’t have you to call all the time, I would be too. You have got to create a program to help other parents.”
And that I did!
I recently created and launched the “First Year: Stress Free Feeding for Happy Healthy Babies.”
Raising your infant with a healthy relationship with food from the very beginning will allow them to grow up to be a happy and healthy eater!
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Thank you so much, Dana!
Be sure to check out Nicole Culver’s FREEÂ Planning Party that runs from December 4 through 8, 2017. It’s the perfect way is a to get focused and set yourself up for success in 2018!
What’s included:
- 5 Days of small doable actions: learn how to write goals and projects that actually WORK for you to build your momentum on your blog + business!
- Plan out your 2018 and set your goals, projects and tasks so you can jump into the New Year planned out and READY to go! We will plan out your year together to make it the BEST year for your blog and business!
- Receive a download a day to help you plan your year + goals, daily videos and prompts on how to find your focus and plan your year.
- FREE Planning Playbook on sign up!
After the Planning Party, Nicole will be launching a Viral Content Summit in January. This will be a paid, more in-depth program.
*If you sign up for the Planning Party using my affiliate link above and then decide to buy a ticket to the Summit, I will get a commission.
