Technically, it`s not Mother`s Day until tomorrow, but since I know you`ll all be enjoying breakfast in bed and handmade cards in the morning, I figured I`d bring you this little piece of motivation early.

Lyss Stern is the co-author of the book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself and creator of Divalysscious Moms.  I had the pleasure of interviewing her recently. Read on and be motivated!

What gave you the idea for If You Give a Mom a Martini?

Both myself and my co-author Julie Klappas have two children under the age of 6, and we both work full time. We were kidding around one afternoon, about how we never have any time for ourselves anymore. Then we just looked at each other, and knew that we had a great book idea. We wanted all moms to know and understand that they can and deserve at least “10 minutes” a day for a “mommy time out”! If moms are not happy then the kids are not happy.
What mistakes did you make when you were starting out?

I think I was to trusting in people.

What did you learn from them?

I learned not to be so trusting, and learned that there are really only a handful of people that I can depend on.

Can you share some of your tricks for balancing work, kids and household chores?

While every successful mother and business owner has her own recipe with ingredients that work for her as an individual, some tips that I like to give other mothers that are in similar situations are the “Divalysscious Tips”, and the ingredients that work for my “Mommy Entrepreneur Recipe.”

Here are my “Divalysscious Tips on How to be a Mommy and an Entrepreneur” for owning your own business and being mother of children under the age of five.

1. Your Children Come First. That means that any email and phone call can and will come after the children are happy and settled in. With today’s technology, it seems that everything is urgent; however your children’s well being comes first. Most importantly, your children need to feel secure.

2. Prioritize. Make sure that your work can be done early in the morning before the children wake up.  Yes, that means sometimes waking up at 4:30am to finish work… of course you will need a large cup of coffee!

3. Have a routine. Having breakfast with the children and taking my older son to school in the morning are crucial aspects of my daily life.  Dinner, bath time, and bedtime are also extremely important for my children and for me.  I try my best to put down the blackberry, and eat with the children, bathe them, read to them, and spend quality time with them before bed. After my boys are sleeping, I know that I can go back on the computer to finish up my work.

4.  Delegate. Always remember that being a mom and a business owner gives you the right to delegate the work, which means surrounding yourself with a great supportive team comprised of positive people who have high energy.  Make sure these are people that you can trust, and people that can help you.  My husband is my biggest supporter, at times he has to help with the children because I might need to be at a meeting, have to work late, etc… I know that I can count on my husband and vice versa for him, as he too, has a high demanding job. Delegate the errands with your family, care giver, and do not be afraid to ask for help! It’s always better to ask, then to be completely overwhelmed.

How many children do you have?

Two boys

How old are they?

Jackson is five and Oliver turns two in July

When do you usually find time to write?

My co-author and myself found ourselves busy writing after the little ones were sound asleep. We did lots of writing btwn the hours of midnight and 4am, as we both work full time during the day. I own Divalysscious Moms, the premiere Lifestyle Company for Families in NYC, and my co-author Julie Klappas owns a TV Production Company, Clementine Productions.

What is the best part of being a mompreneur?

I always say that being a mompreneur is the best because it’s your “other child”, it’s your baby that you get to see from birth and the growth of your successful business. And the worst? There are not enough hours in the day!!!

Do you plan to write more books in the future?

Yes, we plan on writing many more books in the very near future!!! We have lots of amazing ideas perculating already!

What advice would you give new work at home moms?

Remember to always Have a “Mommy Time Out”.   Moms that run their own businesses also need to take a few minutes out of their busy day for themselves.  I have a strong philosophy that if mom isn’t happy then the children won’t be happy, and with running your own business, at many times things can be stressful. Take ten minutes to meditate, get a quick ten minute back massage at the local nail salon, look through a magazine, or even take ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend, completely unrelated to work, just to say hi.  This time will rejuvenate you and allow you a much needed break.

While you can`t get the book in time for Mother`s Day, I hope my readers will find time to spend ten minutes (or more!) on some Mommy time today or tomorrow! Have a great Mother`s Day!

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• If You Give a Mom a Martini: A Review