Time Freedom Business: How Carrie Wilkerson is Both Successful Business Owner and Rockstar Mom
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Transcript of Time Freedom Business: How Carrie Wilkerson is Both Successful Business Owner and Rockstar Mom
Episode 4
Special Guest, Carrie
Wilkerson
www.TimeFreedomBusiness.com
About Melissa
• Wife & mother to 2 active kids and one crazy dog
• Loves to watch her kids play sports and is their #1 cheerleader
• Successful product creator & JV partner
• Runs 5 different membership programs
• Blogger & podcaster
About Carrie • Published author
• Popular speaker• Business Consultant• Devoted wife &
mother of 4 kids• Learn more about
Carrie at www.CarrieWilkerson.com
“How do you manage to travel to live events while
also managing your business and being a rock
star mom to 4 kids?”
• Perception is HUGE – I was usually never gone more than once per month
• My husband was always home with the kids and I was never gone for more than a few days
• Now my mastermind group comes to me
• We DID have an au pair for a while but mostly because I needed a 2nd driver
• At the time I was running 3 businesses and all 4 kids were home, plus my oldest has special needs
• But I found that it was difficult…it was easier to just rearrange my schedule & do the driving myself
• I love to cook! It’s like therapy for me
• I need a hobby that totally pulls me away from all electronics & all business…I need total immersion!
• I don’t think there’s any such thing as balance…it’s really just what works for you
“I absolutely love that…”
Balancing is tough & it changes over the years based on your family’s
needs
“Even my business has changed as my kids have
gotten older…”
“I know you do a lot of outsourcing but what kinds of tasks do you outsource?”
• I have 2 transcriptionists who I love
• I outsource my graphics, even though I have a degree in desktop publishing & know those software
• And my assistant handles customer service for me…she’s my front line & screens things
“It is just faster and easier and cheaper time-wise to
have someone else dothese things for me.”
• I also have a web tech team to help with site backups, security, HTML…
• I don’t have a huge team…it’s not a big infrastructure
• I use outsourcers so I’m never held hostage in a situation or can’t get something done
“What’s your opinion about having a virtual team vs having physical offices &
staff?”
• I don’t like to manage people & I think outsourcers who aren’t on salary or retainer make more efficient service providers
• I also think it depends on your style…I don’t want to pay for office space & I want to be home with my family
• For me, it’s an ideal situation
“Do you set hours for yourself so you can work
undisturbed?”
• Once a week I block off my obligations on my calendar, starting with mandatory tasks first
• Then I block off family obligations on the calendar
• When the kids are home, I have my ‘Power Hour” where I close the door after giving them their own tasks to work on
• I never make the Power Hour longer than 1 or 1 ½ hours
• Know what works for your family and adjust the time as needed
“Do you work a certain number of hours each day
or does it vary?”
• It really depends on if I’m traveling & what the kids’ schedules are like
• I generally don’t like to take calls or do work in the car while my kids are there…I want to be present & focused on them
• If I want the kids to respect my work time at home, then I respect my free time with them
“I totally agree with that! I have the most amazing conversations with my daughter in the car.”
“When you’re working, how do you stay focused &
productive for such a short period of time?”
• I turn off ALL my notifications…email, social media, phone ringers…
• My Power Hours are uninterrupted – no coffee breaks or bathroom breaks – just working on my goals
• Do that 4 times a week & you’ll surprise yourself!
“Do you set a timer for your Power Hour?”
Yes, I use a kitchen timer so I can hear the ticking…the sense of urgency helps me
focus & be productive
“Do you use any other tools?”
• I just use Gmail Calendar
• I don’t use any other system where you have to log in separately
• I have business & personal activities on there & my assistant has access to it…she can see what time slots are open
• I also use Time Trade for my coaching clients or interview calls
• They have access to only certain parts of my calendar
• It prevents us from going back & forth or having problems with time zones
“Going back to outsourcing…
how did you find your firstservice providers?”
• Word of mouth has always been best for me
• You can find people on Guru, Ebay or Elance but I prefer to ask people in similar industries for their recommendations
• That’s how I found my assistant & transcriptionists
“When you bring on a new service provider, how long does it take to get them
acclimated to your business?”
• I don’t do traditional hiring so my outsourcers aren’t ingrained in my business
• They are hired to do a job and then they’re done
• I don’t have to do any training…I just say what I need and the job gets done
• HOWEVER…I’ve had my assistant for about 6 years & she helped me build a lot of the business
• Replacing her would be very difficult but now she’s making checklists for repetitive tasks & we have operating procedures
• For instance, we have steps outlined for how to set up interviews, webinars or teleclasses
I think people are afraid to outsource because they
think it takes a lot of training & it’s too
overwhelming.
“Do you have any last tips?”
• Don’t wait too long to get help
• Don’t over-obligate yourself with people on salaries
• Don’t just hire someone because they’re a friend or because you know they need a job
• Use tools or software to automate some of your tasks
Want to Learn More About Building a Business that Supports Your Need for
Freedom?
Go to Melissa’s Website at:www.TimeFreedomBusiness.com