Motivational Monday: Interview with Laurie Zarate
This fine Monday morning we have Laurie Zarate joining us from Just 4 Kids. She`s a fascinating mom who`s agreed to share with us about how she started her children`s health business and is now a work at home mom. I hope you are inspired by her story.
What is your business?
My business is an online organic vitamin and health shop entirely for kids!(www.Just-4-Kidz.biz)
How did you get started?
One night I was just frustrated about always having to shop at five different health stores (and pay 5 different shipping costs or driving many miles away) just to purchase what my husband and I personally feel (& researched) are the best children`s organic, natural vitamins or health products out there. I jokingly said to my husband I should just open up my own store and fill it with the products we use for our girls.That way I could get all my shopping done at one place! He said “Go for it!” From then on I have been unstoppable.
What mistakes did you make starting out?
I know the first mistake was getting so excited about this, I would stay up all hours of the night and go to bed when the birds started chirping! AHHH! Big mistake to have one hour of sleep and then have to get everyone up and fed and off to school! Yet, I still do this once in awhile – its so much easier to get things done when everyone in the house is sleeping and it is quiet.
A few months ago my daughter drew a picture of our family and I was sitting glued to the computer while everyone else in the picture was playing ball – I didn’t like that too much yet knew kids are always truthful! Even though I knew it was important to get my work done and make this business grow I needed to spend the evenings just relaxing and not working ( which is so hard since my work is home-based).
How long have you been working from home?
Actually I am pretty new at this. I opened my store in the beginning of this year. Over the years, I have tried a few other home based businesses: Avon which made me a few dollars, an online store from a tv infomercial, a triangle business- all I have to say is “Waste of money!”, I have my real estate license but really never enjoyed selling homes,) I feel the reason why my business is doing so well is because I feel so passionate about every single product I sell. Everyone`s health should be at the top of their lists – especially their kids`! I never felt this constant drive with any of the other home based businesses I tried. I was just basically doing them just to earn extra grocery money while being a stay home mom.
5. What are your tricks for balancing work, kids and household chores?
Oh, I don’t know if I have any tricks. Sometimes the house just has to stay dirty for a day or two. Right now I usually take one morning a week to clean the house.The first year I became a stay home mom I turned into a clean freak! I would vacuum each day, wash clothes, everything would be spotless! That was six years ago, now its a little different with three kids and a homebased business that keeps me pretty busy during the day!
Just this September my second daughter started Kindergarten so now I have only one at home so I try to do most of my computer work, errands, post office stops, pickups and everything else while my girls are at school. My youngest just comes right along and usually loves car rides and being on my hip. I know it is so important to get that quality time in with my youngest though, I’ve actually signed up for a few mommy and me classes with her just to keep me accountable about spending that time and we take those afternoons together without me glued to the computer or running errands.
Something that I find works for me is I get up a few hours earlier than everyone and head to the gym.( that’s why staying up all hours of the night just does not work!) I have always been into fitness, I’ve actually competed in many fitness competitions – pre-baby years; and a good workout with no kids or husband just puts me in such a good state of mind! Just an hour by yourself and your ipod is sooo nice!
I try to just stop any type of work when my husband comes home about 6:00. That is then pretty much family time, dinner time, and homework time.
6. How many children do you have? How old are they?
My husband and I have three girls. AAAH! My husband is in trouble and he knows it! So many hormones are hard to deal with! We tried for the boy but it just didn’t happen yet we are very happy with out three girls, Kylah is 6 who is our sweet princess, Ashley is 5 going on 16, and our youngest is 1 1/2 who showed us that having another baby is not a good idea! She is our little tornado!
7. When do you usually work?
I usually do my work after I take my two oldest girls to school and try to get my computer work, orders filled and shipped, phone calls, grocery shopping, errands run, and anything else done before I pick them up in the afternoon. It sometimes doesn’t work that nicely but it is a daily goal! Some days you just have to put everything on hold and when your little one is sleeping it feels so good just to get in a 15 minute nap! This rarely occurs yet probably should be a must for all stay home moms! We deserve it!
8. What is the best part of being a mompreneur? And the worst?
I think the best part is just having a sense of confidence back again – I made this business work from ground up and I am actually bringing in my own income! Before I was a stay home mom I was a school teacher with a steady income and could support myself entirely if I had to.They say being a stay home mom is the hardest job in the world and if we were to get paid it would be over 100,000 a year! Wow! Wouldn’t that be nice but not a reality!
I know I am sooo lucky to have been able to stay home with all my three kids and now I feel even luckier to have a successful business and to still be able to do many of the stay-home mom things like help in their classrooms or take them to gymnastics.
I think the worst part is just those days when you do have a work load of things to get done – I get this guilt feeling hanging over me because I am not spending it with my kids helping them read or taking them to the park, or just spending quality time with them like we used to do before I had my own business.
This goes for my husband too – he sometimes feels like he is not getting enough attention. It can drive you crazy sometimes and you just have to remember to keep your time balanced. Easier said than done!
9. What are your plans for the future of your business?
My plans for the future would be to open up physical locations/stores where I would sell my products. I also have plans to make make my own high quality organic product line of children’s vitamins: Just-4-Kidz . And last my plan and dream is to have my business run itself without me – with many employees so that my husband and I can take a month off for a tropical vacation and have no worries! We can always dream yet I know it is possible!
10. What advice would you give new work at home moms? What are your tricks?
Find an activity that keeps you sane. Just get out of the house for an hour. Go for a walk with a friend, or by yourself so you can just think quietly. You’ll come back feeling so refreshed. Or try to set a schedule and stick to it. Just plan to work this many hours a day and reward yourself at the end of the week if you stuck to it. My family takes all of Sunday as a family day. No one works or does homework – we always spend it doing something fun together.
You always have to remember to give yourself a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself if your business is not working. It can take time. Stay positive and write down your dream goals and then little goals- ones which will get you there- Stay positive! This has been a big one for me! Getting discouraged and depressed won`t get you to where you want to be; yet having a positive outlook really does work and can get you your goals and even dreams.
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