We want you to meet Deanna Mason 

Refreshed Moms began in 2018, right after I spent 3 years on a business “hiatus.” You see, after running a non-profit and magazine publishing company for 8 years, I had totally burned out.

 

I spent 8 years running my business my way – striving for my definition of success and doing waaaaay too much. I knew that in order for things to be different this time around, I had to do things differently.

 

TRUTH: running a business is not just about sales and income. If you allow yourself, you can learn all of the marketing skills needed to get your magic to the people God has called you to. But, you also have to make sure you’re taking care of other vital priorities, such as your faith, self-care, emotional wellness, and being present for the people you love. Without this, no matter how much money you make, it won’t be sustainable.

 

And there is no way I could do any of this well without consistent connection with God.

 

Now, as I journey with God in my work, I allow Him to guide my tasks, my projects and my creativity, which helps me eliminate the noise, remove the mental clutter, and focus on the things that matter the most. In doing so, He has faithfully kept me profitable and growing, and I rely completely on Him as He helps me support my community in doing the same thing.

 

What makes you excited about becoming a Boss Mom of the Week?

Some women have a problem with words like “Boss Mom” and “Mompreneur.” I understand why – the thought is that it’s connotation minimizes their professionalism and distinguishes them as something different than male entrepreneurs. I get it and honor that position.

 

I don’t, however, necessarily feel the same way. For me, when I decided to become an entrepreneur, my parenting considerations were different from my husband’s. The things I juggled were not the same things he did. It wasn’t that we were unbalanced in responsibility, it was just “different.”

 

And, for me, that juggle was so hard. So hard.

 

I realized that mom entrepreneurs are a special “breed” of strength and fierceness. We are forced to carve out success in a society that does not favor our considerations as women. It only took me one trimester of unforgiving morning sickness while reporting to my 9 to 5 everyday to realize this; being expected to do the same quality work as my male co-workers (who based on statistics were being paid 20 – 30% more than me) – while throwing up into a trash can in a copy room – will open your eyes really fast.

 

So, to be Boss Mom of the Week is a title I wear with my head held high. For me, calling me a boss mom has absolutely no bearing on my ability to succeed and to demand respect in the rooms I walk into.

 

I’m not less than. And making room for being an amazing mom and smart entrepreneur is something I love about myself. I am a Boss Mom, and I love being chosen to be Boss Mom of the Week.

Share a bit about your Boss Mom journey:

My first company was called Examples Family Resources – an organization dedicated to helping parents strengthen their family and model their faith to their children.

 

It was a ministry that helped thousands of families over it’s six years in existence.

 

For the first two years, our primary income source was through donations, but in year three, we added our first product – a teen girl magazine.

 

I had a dream of circulating this magazine across the country, and I went for it!

 

I hired an amazing publication staff, and we went to work creating a beautiful print magazine.

 

After a lot of trial and error, we finally got picked up by two main magazine distributors and began circulating thousands of magazines throughout the United States and Canada, gracing the shelves of large businesses like Barnes & Noble and Hastings Books.

 

It was a dream come true!

 

Although I had a wonderful magazine team, I didn’t have the revenue to pay for additional staff to help me run the other parts of the organization.

 

So, I became the entire staff:

Content Creator

Workshop Teacher

Event Planner

Social Media Manager

Website Manager

Administrative Support

Advertising & Marketing

Circulation Manager

 

I was working well over 40 hours a week… AND I was homeschooling my children.

 

I finally reached the point where I knew I could not keep going at that pace. I knew that the direction I was moving was only going to result in me crashing and burning.

 

I was absolutely burnt out, and was functioning in every role of my life in burn-out mode.

 

I was always depleted, and some way learned how to operate from a place of depletion.

 

Until I no longer couldn’t.

 

I realized something needed to change one morning as I was sitting at the kitchen table with my kids completing school enrollment forms for the next school year.

 

You see, the year before, I decided to stop homeschooling and enroll my kids in school in order to make more room for work.

 

I figured, all I needed was one year to get myself together. To organize myself enough to be able to take on homeschooling again and do it better than I’d been doing.

 

But here I was, re-upping for another year.

 

“How did I get here?” I asked myself.

 

This wasn’t the vision I had for my family.

 

So, as I sat there staring at the registration forms, I closed my laptop and said to myself, “No. This changes now.”

 

I set up a meeting with my Board of Directors and told them I needed to shut everything down in order to rest and be more present at home.

 

We came up with an exit strategy, published one more magazine issue, and about six months later, Examples Family Resources closed its doors.

 

It was now my time to rest.

 

It took me about 2.5 years to rediscover “Deanna.” I went into a season of self-care, before I even knew self-care was a thing.

 

I learned how to make room for rest, for exercise, for eating well.

 

I got back in touch with activities I enjoyed. I began crafting and using my hands to create.

 

I made room for my faith practices in a more connected way.

 

I found me again.

 

Around the end of 2017, the entrepreneurial bug began to rise up in my heart.

 

But, my question to myself was, “Can I do this in a way that doesn’t lead me down that crash and burn path from before?”

 

I prayed this prayer, “Father, help me to take care of myself and my family, and help me teach other mom entrepreneurs how to do it too.”

 

It was out of this desire and prayer that Refreshed Moms was born. I wanted to help other moms that felt called to entrepreneurship keep their self-care, their family, and their faith priority.

 

One piece of advice for moms who are starting a business

Don’t sacrifice caring for yourself in order to build the business of your dreams.

 

Where do you go for inspiration?

I love podcasts and books. Those are my two main sources of inspiration. I also love surrounding myself with other amazing mom entrepreneurs and learning about their life and business.

 

What are you currently reading or listening to (podcasts, books, blogs etc)?

Boss Mom Podcast

Dream Big Podcast with Bob Goff

Pantsuit Politics Podcast

 

Currently Reading:

Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton Smith

Bread for the Resistance – 40 Devotions for Justice People

 

I want to live in a world where…

social equity exists for all.

 

This is what I know to be true…

Unless you’ve built a business with kids playing LEGOS under your desk, we’re not on the same playing field.

 

One thing you can’t live without…

Coffee and cupcakes.

 

What is the big milestone that you are hitting that you are celebrating?

Launching the Refreshed Moms Prayer Room App!

Sign up for the waitlist here: https://deannamason.com/prayerroom/ 

Website and social links: 

https://deannamason.com/

https://deannamason.com/prayerroom/

https://www.instagram.com/refreshedmoms/

The Refreshed Moms Podcast: https://refreshedmomspodcast.buzzsprout.com