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This months interview is with Jessika Hepburn of Oh My Handmade. If you’ve not checked that blog out, it is a must. It’s one of my absolute favorites. Not only is it dedicated to children’s products, but it’s full of small business advice. Jessika will share more with us later on about her work there.

Jessika Hepburn - Editor of Oh My Handmade

Meagan Visser: Hi there Jessika! Thank you so much for chatting with me today.

Like I told you before, my blog is geared toward moms who want to learn more about building a creative business while having a family that they care for & are a part of.

My goal with these interviews is to provide examples of successful moms who are doing it & who are making it happen. Hopefully there will be some things that stick out & will work for my readers as well.

Jessika Hepburn: Sure! Thanks for interviewing me-I’m flattered!

Meagan Visser: Alright, first off I want to talk about your family a bit. Tell us a bit about it?

Jessika Hepburn: My partner Chris and I have been together for 7 years since he was 19 and I was 20. We have two girls, Ila Elizabeth (6) and Sela Dae (2 years). We have both taken turns as primary parents over the years but right now I am at home full-time with Sela while Ila goes to an incredible private school.

I am a big believer in natural parenting and am happy to say I cloth diapered both of my girls while running a business full-time!

Meagan Visser: Wow! That’s great & I’m right there with you. I love everything about living a natural lifestyle. I think it’s a learning process though.

Okay, here’s a biggie! What is your philosophy on family?

Jessika Hepburn: Oh that is a big one! My philosophy on family is that everything else comes second. I try and live my life in a way that I think will give my children the foundation they need to succeed as they grow older. That is a lot of the reason behind my being an entrepreneur. I want them to see that you can live a joyful life, do what you love & be surrounded by supportive and caring friends and family. So really everything in my life comes down to that-giving and receiving love. I think that while family relationships are not always easy by any means they are the most important work we can possibly do!

Meagan Visser: Well said!

Alright, now I want to talk a bit about what you do. You are a busy woman! You have a family with two little girls, you are a designer & consultant, you are the editor of Oh My Handmade, & you have an Etsy shop O Happy Day Handmade.

So first tell us about Oh My Handmade?

Jessika Hepburn: Oh My Handmade has really taken over my life! It is an online resource & community for the handmade industry, specifically handmade for children. I currently have more than 20 contributors + myself & we share daily posts on all things handmade. Along with lots of business tips, resources for small business & starting conversations about what handmade means to us & how best to support it.

I have invested a lot of my time, energy & focus into growing OMHG and its community, choosing to pass up a number of work opportunities and shifting my focus from selling my own handmade to supporting others in selling theirs.

Meagan Visser: I definitely hear what you’re saying when you said you’ve shifted your focus from selling your own handmade to supporting others in selling theirs. I’m very similar. I love, love, love my Etsy shop, & it’s a huge part of what I do with my consulting/coaching business, but sometimes one has to take a backseat to the other for a little while!

Now you took that website over in 2010. What inspired you to do that?

Jessika Hepburn: Yes, I took over the website in July of 2010 from Sara Tams of Sarah + Abraham after seeing that she was stepping away from it. I was inspired by the fact that it was really a community effort and didn’t just have one singular voice. I actually have a background in non-profit & community development and was drawn to the cooperative aspect of it. It seemed like the perfect way to combine my love for community with my interest in handmade & children.

Meagan Visser: Okay so, how did you get into the world of Etsy selling? Did that come before or after OMH?

Jessika Hepburn: Oh well before. I have been selling my own handmade work for years starting with a high-end jewelry company that I started when my first daughter was 3 months old & I ran for a number of years. That was pre-Etsy and I sure wish it had been around then! I started up my little Etsy shop 2 years ago now as a way to see if there was interest in the handmade work I was doing for children but it really never took off & to be honest I put little time into marketing it! At the time I was doing marketing & design for a local natural parenting shop and that took up most of my time.

Then as OMHG has grown I have realized that while I love making handmade I far prefer to do it for the joy of it & use my background in marketing & my design skills as a full-time job.

Meagan Visser: What are some of your goals for this year when it comes to your creative lifestyle? Your website & your Etsy shop?

Jessika Hepburn: I am actually planning on going on “vacation” from my Etsy shop while I rethink what I want to do with my own handmade work. I found when I was making work to sell, especially at wholesale prices, that I wasn’t enjoying it. In fact I was starting to resent it! Since I really love creating that just won’t work for me. So I am stepping back from selling my work and focusing on just creating it, documenting the process and seeing where I want to go. I want to make lots of beautiful things for my own children, my house and myself (+ some to give away). That will also give me the time to focus on creating some great tutorials for OMHG.

I have been working on developing OMHG in the same way I would a business, by creating a budget and marketing plan + a media kit. I will also be working on building my own website & services at www.jessikahepburn.com. I have an exciting e-course & local workshops being planned with a business here in Halifax-plus parenting. Whew. Just thinking of it all makes me need another cup of coffee; )

Meagan Visser: LOL! Like I said you are busy! It’s great though. You have plans & goals, & you recognize when you need to back off of one thing that isn’t working for you to focus on others that are.

Okay, so now I want to talk with you about how you combine being a creative business owner & the matriarch of your family. How do you work your business in with your family life?

Jessika Hepburn: Ooh I love that word-matriarch!

I work crazy hours honestly. Plus I have always, always worked from home at a creative job so my children & Chris don’t really know anything else. I plan my work hours around my children’s rhythms and that works for us. Sela still has two naps a day (hooray!) so I work like mad then, for a couple hours in the morning & afternoon. Then from the time Ila gets home until bedtime at 7 is pretty much their time with me + Chris when he gets home. I do sometimes hand him my apron when he walks in the door & run to get stuff done though if I am feeling really behind. Then I typically work from 7:30-2ish.

But I also consider work making a terrible mess of fabric, wool & art supplies all over the kitchen table-so sometimes that’s what I am doing until 2am!

Meagan Visser: What does your partner think of what you do? I know you said before that he’s very helpful.

Jessika Hepburn: He thinks I’m crazy! But in a good way! : ) He is a very supportive partner and I am so grateful for that. He knows that I am highly driven and very, very passionate and has never tried to stop that part of me-which is why I think we are still so strong together and why we work as a family. He definitely helps me stop from jumping in with both feet by talking with me about my ideas/loves and giving me his thoughts. He is also really active in parenting our children and being there for all of us.

Meagan Visser: Wow! I’m sure you’re making some women very jealous right now. Do you have any advice for ladies that don’t feel their husbands are very supportive or feel that their creative businesses are a waste of time?

Jessika Hepburn: Oh it was a long process of working things out-I think we still are. I think the father/mother husband/wife relationship is more work than parenting sometimes! But yes I have some advice! Set clear boundaries. Say what you need & how you feel & don’t ever allow yourself or your dreams to be demeaned or disrespected. It is okay to disagree and have to work things out but if you are constantly feeling that your partner doesn’t support or respect the work you do (especially as a mother) it’s time for some serious talks and possibly some counseling. The biggest thing that has helped our relationship is my working and Chris being mama. He has been the full-time parent for both kids at one time and BOY did that ever change how he related to me & how supportive he became! It is also super important to talk with other women about how they are feeling & find out what worked for them & their relationships.

I think resentment is definitely the most dangerous thing to have in a relationship too-so be careful to not allow any room for it to grow!

Meagan Visser: I agree. Resentment breeds bitterness, & bitterness has no room in a healthy relationship.

What are some of the challenges you face with trying to grow your business & keep your family a priority?

Jessika Hepburn: It can sometimes be really hard-I struggled with this when Ila was small too, I could only really grow so much or go so far and still be a full-time parent. I really feel it is important to be home for the 1st 5 years. I really love parenting so childcare was never really a choice I considered. So my big struggle is keeping focused and using my time well so I can be home with Sela until she is ready to start school.

I would say the other challenge is definitely financial-we live on one main income, have 2 kids + a mortgage & we’re under 30. So my budget for growth is not as big as I would like. Those are definitely the two big challenges.

Meagan Visser: I totally understand! It’s great to see that it can be done…even with a budget & challenges.

Is there any bit of advice you have for women with families on how to be able to build a business without neglecting their families?

Jessika Hepburn: First-let those balls drop sometimes, it’s okay to mess up or need to take a step back. When you start feeling overwhelmed then is the time to take a good look at what you can really carry and what you need to let go of. Second to just BE with your family, set time aside from every day that is only theirs. Get messy, read books, take walks, talk, snuggle & watch movies, make stuff, bake cupcakes. And finally take time each day that is just yours, it can be something really small like 1/2 an hour and a cup of tea with a book. Because that’s why we do this crazy parenting/entrepreneurship thing I hope, so we can love what we do & be with our families more.

Meagan Visser: Great advice! Again, thank you so much for chatting with me today Jessika. It was so much fun getting to know you! Good luck with all you do! You’re such an inspiration!

Jessika Hepburn: Thank you! It was fun & my very first Skype chat. I am so glad you invited me to talk with you & share some of my story with your readers! : )

Meagan Visser: Awesome! I’m sure it will be VERY helpful to them. Now I’ll let you get back to your busy day!

Talk to you later!

Jessika Hepburn: Thanks Meagan, Ila is just about to walk in the door & Sela woke up so this was PERFECT timing. Have a fabulous Monday sweetie!

Meagan Visser: LOL! Mine just woke up too!

So tell me in the comments below what you think of these interviews? What spoke to you? Would you like to see them in a different format {audio, video} or do you like the chat transcript?

Today, I’m thrilled to be sharing my first Q&A with you here on MeaganVisser.com.

This is from a Skype chat that I had with Tara Gentile, owner & editor of scoutiegirl.com. Tara is a wife, mother, creative entrepreneur, philosopher, & DIY culture & lifestyle design expert! She wears a lot of hats, & she’s looks good in them all! She’s going to give us her take on combining family & business together & let us see that what she’s doing works for her, her family, & her business!

Tara with her daughter, Lola!

Meagan Visser: Hey Tara! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to interview you today & to share it with my readers on MeaganVisser.com!

As I told you in my email, my blog is geared toward moms with creative businesses. My goal is to share what I know & what I am learning with my readers so that we’re better able to grow our businesses at the same time as caring for a family.

I want to share interviews with other successful mom entrepreneurs because there isn’t one right way of doing things. Everyone does what works for them. We just have to figure out what that is for ourselves. That’s where these interviews will come into play. I want my readers to see what other mompreneurs are doing. You never know what may hit home & work for you too.

So today I want to talk with you about your family, your business, & how they work together. I have a lot of questions for you, but I’ll make it quick! I know you’re a busy woman!

Tara Gentile: Sounds good!! I love me some questions.

Meagan Visser: Awesome! First off, I LOVE that your “media” page starts with, “I’m a mom,” followed by entrepreneur & philosopher. It just shows that you put a priority on your family although I know your business is a priority too. So let’s talk a bit about your family first.

How long have you been married?

Tara Gentile: Sorry – that took me a minute! 3 and a half years

Meagan Visser: I know! Sometimes I have to go back too!

Did you start your business before having your daughter, Lola, or did it come along after she did?

Tara Gentile: Afterwards. I was up for a promotion right as my maternity leave was beginning. I didn’t get it (wonder why?!) and decided that I couldn’t possibly go back to work anyhow.

I started my business about 5 months after she was born.

Meagan Visser: Was that difficult for you, having a newborn & trying to get a new businss off the ground?

Tara Gentile: No – it fueled me. I often talk about how I was very “desperate” but in a positive way. I really WANTED to devote every minute to what I was doing. I wanted to be a mom but I also really wanted to have something of my own – to fulfill desires I had had for a VERY long time.

Meagan Visser: That’s great! It shows that you’re passionate about what you do. So how old is Lola now?

Tara Gentile: She’ll be three in July.

Meagan Visser: My oldest will be 3 in May!

Tara Gentile: Nice!

Meagan Visser: Is there a possibility of more children for you & your husband in the future or is one perfect?

Tara Gentile: Um, right now one is perfect.

I really can’t imagine another baby right now – I’m open to that changing for sure, but I want remain strong on both the mom front & the business font.

Meagan Visser: I can definitely understand that!

And lastly, what is your philosophy on family?

Tara Gentile: This is a big question.

My philosophy on family is that my family can only be as strong as the people who make it up.

If I give up too much, if I sacrifice what I truly need, my family will actually be weaker.

So honoring my own spirit & skills is a big part of me honoring my family.

Meagan Visser: That’s a very interesting perspective, one that I’m sure many people can relate to.

Tara Gentile: I hope so – sometimes I feel like I’m alone in that philosophy. I don’t think it’s possible to really say I’m going to put “family first,” business second, and personal third – or whatever priorities you’ve made up for yourself.

I think we have to be constantly looking at the needs of all involved (including the business) and weigh them according to the moment and its potential.

Meagan Visser: So you it seems that you have the mindset that your business & your family are a whole & that they’re both equally important, right?

Tara Gentile: Yes. Unlike a “job” that brings in a paycheck and is something you leave at a certain time of day, my business really is a fundamental support for my family – monetarily, philosophically, and emotionally.

I suppose some might say that’s not healthy. But because my business is such a manifestation of who I am as a woman and mother, it works for us.

Meagan Visser: I see. So now let’s move on over and talk about your business a bit more.

Exactly how old is your business?

Tara Gentile: It was 2 in January

Meagan Visser: Did you start it with the mindset that you were going to make it work & be a success, or did you grow into that mindset over time?

Tara Gentile: I definitely started with the idea that it was a business and that I would put a lot of work into it. But I was also very open to all the possibilities of how it could grow and change.

Meagan Visser: What did your husband think of your business when you first started it? Was he skeptical or very supportive?

Tara Gentile: Extremely skeptical.

He didn’t like it. He wasn’t supportive. He never thought it would work.

There! I said it.

Meagan Visser: LOL! How did you deal with that! Were you even more determined to make it work & prove him wrong?

I think I saw in another interview with you that he became more supportive when he saw the progress you were making.

Tara Gentile: I guess I’ve never really been one for caring what other people think.

I knew I could make it work – deep down. That sounds cheesy but it’s really true.

Meagan Visser: No, I don’t think that sounds cheesy at all. You were confident & you believed in yourself even if others didn’t.

Tara Gentile: I saw so many other people doing what they love & earning money for it. I knew I had the capacity to do the same thing. It didn’t really matter what he thought and I can’t really say I had a need to prove him wrong. It was more about accomplishing what I really needed to accomplish.

And yes, he become more supportive as he saw results. Chiefly, of course, money.

Meagan Visser: That will usually win someone over anytime!

Tara Gentile: I think a lot of women/moms want support right away. And in a perfect world, they would get it. But that doesn’t happen most of the time. You have to be resilient enough to keep working towards the results you have in mind.

(Which means you actually have to have results in mind.)

Meagan Visser: Yeah, I think in order to grow a successful business you have to be able to weather it alone. There may be times when you have support & times when you don’t. You have to be able to handle the good & bad.

Tara Gentile: Precisely.

Meagan Visser: So, what is the big idea behind your business? Why do you do what you do?

Tara Gentile: At the heart of what I do is a desire to help others THINK about how they engage the world.

I don’t necessarily feel the need to prescribe a certain way of living or relating to the world, although I certainly have opinions, it’s more about challenging people, asking bigger questions, and engaging what it means to be living in the 21st century.

That’s on a very broad scale, of course. I do that by specifically engaging artists – broadly defined – around creative living, soulful productivity, and entrepreneurship.

Meagan Visser: Okay, what are some of the goals you’re looking to accomplish this year?

Tara Gentile: Well, last year I really achieved my big goals: moving into working full time, having my husband quit his job, and earning my first 5 figure month.

Meagan Visser: WOW! Congratulations!

Tara Gentile: This year, I plan to achieve my first 6 figure year, secure major media exposure, and continue to broad my platform to engage more people around these topics.

Other than income, those goals are much less specific – probably why the going is a little slower with them – but I’m getting there.

My word for 2011 is HUSTLE. And to me that means taking specific steps towards focusing my message, upping my game, and creating a network of people who can help help me push both my message & game to a new audience.

Meagan Visser: So you’re aiming high. When you say big goals, you mean BIG goals!

Tara Gentile: Oh yeah, I don’t play small. I act small – think big.

Meagan Visser: I can see that, & you’ve done well by thinking big!

Tara Gentile: Yeah, I don’t think you can do well without really thinking big. You have to get brave and speak the things you desire.

Otherwise, they’re just fantasies.

Meagan Visser: Great advice!

Okay, so lastly I want to talk about your family & your business together as a whole. I know how you feel about the term “balance” so I’m not going to focus on that! I think your recent blog post, “The many sides of balance, or not tipping the scales isn’t about equal weight” sums it up pretty well. I think balance is a personal thing. Again, everyone knows what works for them. We all have different family situations, goals, & drives. Balance to me means trying to take two things & make them equal or on the same level, & I think in the end that just leads to frustration & discouragement because it’s a never-ending battle of sorts.

So with that being said, what challenges do you face when it comes to making time for your business & your family, & how do you face those challenges?

Tara Gentile: The real challenge is that my business is about as vocal & persistent about its needs as my two year old. Which is fitting – since they’re both about the same age.

I suppose it’s like having twins!

So it’s very easy to get caught up in attending to each bump or scrape in the business and miss out on time I could be with my family.

But ya know, the reverse is also true and a lot of women forget that.

Meagan Visser: Do you have set times for your business & set times for spending with your family, or do you not really follow a schedule like that…you just go with the flow of things?

Tara Gentile: Honestly, both.

I work from between 8am-4pm every day.

But, if it’s a slow day or if I’m not feeling inspired, I might take time to go to the farmer’s market with the family or take a trip to the store.

Opposite goes if I’m preparing for a big launch. Then my family knows that I might only break to make & eat supper and the rest of the day is about work.

I do try to maintain my evenings and weekends for the family just as if I worked in an office.

But I’m very gentle with myself in knowing that that schedule is not always the best one for my business OR my family.

Meagan Visser: I think it’s great that you run your business without it running you. If your family needs attention, you give it to them, & vice-versa.

When you’re with your family, what helps you “turn off” your business to-dos, ideas, needs, etc. & not constantly be focusing on it?

Tara Gentile: I compartmentalize the spaces where I do my work. So I try to keep my lap top (the work computer) in my office whenever possible. Then I use my iPad to surf the net, read the news, play games with Lola in the evening. And I don’t check email on my phone – EVER. I find it’s bad for business because I get anxious about all the things I can’t fix!

I try to keep my head out of my devices as much as possible.

Meagan Visser: That seems to be a big time waster for many people.

It’s like becoming addicted to being needed or something.

Tara Gentile: Yes. And you have to realize that anything you’re doing on your iPhone is not really that important for work. If it was important, you’d make a way to get to your computer. Use your iPhone for fun – sure, you can tweet for fun or look at Facebook for fun – but don’t call it work!!

Meagan Visser: Now how do you keep up with the pace of your growing business without letting it consume your time?

It seems like when people are starting up a business they want to work on it ALL the time.

Do you delegate certain aspects of your business to others?

Tara Gentile: Okay – I think that’s actually two separate questions!

Meagan Visser: LOL!

Tara Gentile: When you’re starting a business, especially around your passion, you WILL want to work all the time. And honestly, I think you should use that. You need to have a sit down with your family and say for the next 3 months, 6 months, year, I’m going to be doing a lot of work. I might take advantage of down time to answer email or write a blog post.

There’s a purpose and a reason and these are the results you can expect to see.

You let me know what your needs are and I will meet them. But this is my need and I’m asking you to help me meet it.

HOWEVER, that does not mean you build your business to require that much time.

So, right from the get go, you need to be looking at systems, tools, and people you can involve to make space. Hire a virtual assistant, create products that minimize hands on time, determine how you’ll handle marketing, etc…

You must create structures that give back to you.

I’ve done this recently with creating 2 more premium ecourses that should give back to my business over & over again. I did a lot of work to get them up & running but now I can sit back, teach them, and then go back to my life.

I’ve also done this by involving a virtual assistant in my business on deeper & deeper levels. And by having a business partner for another venture.

Meagan Visser: You are very wise with only 2 years of business under your belt.

Tara Gentile: I really feel like all the work & study I’ve ever done has been preparing me for this.

Meagan Visser: Well they you’ve prepared well!

So that’s all the questions I have for you today! Thank you again Tara for the interview! It’s been great fun getting to know you on a deeper, more personal level, & I think everything you’ve talked about here will be so helpful to my readers!

Tara Gentile: Thank you for asking good questions!!

It’s been fun!

Meagan Visser: Thanks, and congratulations on your brand new Art of Action program & I wish you the best of luck with it! Thanks again!

Tara Gentile: Thanks!! Have a good one!

Okay, so if you enjoyed this interview with Tara, leave me a comment below letting me know what spoke to you most & how you are going to apply it to your life & business!