This week, we are pleased to welcome Julie Ball as our Boss Mom of the Week!

One of my biggest inspirations is the female entrepreneur community. Ladies, we’re killing it! I see Facebook posts every day from women who are leading their businesses and raising their families in ways that are authentic, generous, and helpful, and I created Grow Web Marketing to do the same. When my daughter was born, I decided it was time to stop working for the man and start building a life for myself and my family—a life that would allow me to continue to pursue my professional passion without having to sacrifice quality time with my husband and daughter. The best part? I’ve been able to achieve these goals while supporting other female entrepreneurs on their journeys toward success.

With 15 years of professional experience and degrees in media studies and Internet marketing, I bring enthusiasm, encouragement, and efficiency to each and every project. Just as you’re the glue that holds your family together, Grow Web Marketing can be the glue that builds and shapes your business’ online presence while you focus on more important things, like spending your Saturday on a day date or baking cookies with your kids instead of working on your website.

Tell us a little bit about your family and your Boss Mom journey.

I had worked for corporate America for 10 years…some good, some bad, but I’m grateful for my experiences as they shaped me to be the Boss Mom I am now. For me, things really shifted when I was pregnant with my daughter, McKenna. I had all-day nausea and commuted 45+ minutes daily to a high-stress sales manager job…that didn’t make for a good combination. My priorities started shifting, as is typical during pregnancy and I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to be a part of the grind anymore. So I started doing freelance work on nights and weekends as a test. I was more or less testing the waters of entrepreneurship to see if it was something sustainable. And it seemed to be. So I put in my notice after maternity leave, not really knowing if my freelance gigs would last 3 months, 6 months, or more long term. It was definitely a leap of faith. Through hard work, I was able to grow my client base with mostly word of mouth and although it was stressful, it was worth it to be at home with my little.

Fast forward 5 years and now my freelance job has grown into a thriving web agency. Once I started thinking bigger and hiring team members, our projects continued to grow and we were able to provide more and more value to clients. I’m more happy with my job now than I ever have been before and much of it comes down to flexibility. I have the flexibility to play hooky with McKenna, to take her to the doctor without requesting time off and to work from home. (helps me get the laundry done when I work from home lol) My husband is a teacher so we really enjoy the summers and I don’t have to worry about using up all my vacation days. It’s all about planning, delegating and finding that balance that works for you.

What are some of your favorite go to meals when time is tight and dinner MUST get on the table?

I’m a HUGE proponent of batch cooking. I started using Once a Month meals over a year ago for planning my meals, grocery list and cook days and it has changed our dinner dynamic. When time is tight, I simply pull out a ready-made meal and reheat it. (as long as I remember to pull something from the freezer the night before so it can defrost!) Some of my favorite go-to’s…when ground beef is on sale, I’ll buy 4-5 pounds and make a big batch of taco filling or sloppy joe in the crockpot. Set it and forget it! When time is reallllly tight, I say treat yourself and go out to dinner. You deserve a break (and from dishes)!

Where do you go for inspiration?

I’m in several great Facebook groups where I draw inspiration. But I really thrive in community. So I try to get together with local girl bosses, register for local pop-up classes, or simply get outside! A clear mind can do wonders for me, so I oftentimes turn to yoga and meditation!

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

Currently reading Eat, Pray, Love (again) and listening to You are a Badass. I’m really loving Audible for commutes to and from preschool drop-off. I can only listen to the Lion King soundtrack so many times. LOL

What is one piece of business advice that you’d give to a mom just starting out?

Establish balance. If you spend too much time on work, you can’t be a good Mom. If you spend all your time with your kids, you risk losing your own identity and passion for your work. So try to set boundaries. The Passion Planner really helps me time block, set boundaries, and reflect.

What are some of your favorite quotes or words to live by?

“Can we draft a joint resolution to drop the crazy-making expectation that we must all be perfect friends and perfect mothers and perfect workers and perfect lovers with perfect bodies who dedicate ourselves to charity and grow our own organic vegetables, at the same time that we run corporations and stand on our heads while playing the guitar with our feet?” – Elizabeth Gilbert

In one word, sum up your life as a Boss Mom.

Fab

What are three core values of your business and how do those values relate to your motherhood?

Ease of doing business – That doesn’t mean to half ass it, but rather to find an efficient path of least resistance. Batch. Automate. Celebrate. I carry this over to being a mom when I batch cook, batch prepare lunches, and automate things (hello Amazon subscribe and save!)

Progress over perfection – As Dory says, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. No one is perfect. So what? You can still be awesome! I preach progress over perfection because I’ve seen so many clients get hung up on perfecting their copy or making the umpteenth tweak…this just creates a holding pattern and a roadblock to your success. Same thing with being a Boss Mom…our house isn’t perfect, the beds aren’t always made, and our clothes may be a little wrinkly from restarting the dryer three times, but so what? We are happy and love each other.

Take care of yourself. So many times, I get so busy with client work that I realize I haven’t blogged or posted anything in days. This is a sure sign that I’m not taking care of my own business and that’s not healthy. You have to make time for it…actually time block it in your calendar. Every week, I have a meeting with myself to do a business review. It’s eye opening and helps me get my goals together for the following week. This is SO relatable to Boss Mom life…raise your hand if you’ve gone three days without a shower because you were too busy taking care of everyone else and running a business. (raises hand) Just yesterday, I booked myself a massage just because I needed it. Self care is so easy to overlook but so important.

Connect with Julie!

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Resources (Freebies galore for making your Boss Mom life easier.)