This morning, I`m pleased to introduce Mihaela Lica, a work at home mom that I met through StumbleUpon. She`s actually an expert on all things SEO and social networking and has her own business, Pamil Visions. Mihaela is also one of our first international wahms, so I think you`ll find her interview particularly interesting!

1. What is your business?

I am a public relations consultant. I’ve been in public relations for over 12 years, and this is more than a business to me – it’s a passion. It’s always rewarding to do what you love!

2. How did you get started?

I used to work for the Public Relations Directorate of the Romanian Ministry of Defense between 1997-2002. This followed a successful journalistic career – I’ve started working when I was only 16 because I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps and become a reporter. Being a reporter was fun all right, but it was not enough. I always felt I could do more. The MoD recruited me from the Radio station where I was working in 1997 and when the proposal came I said yes without hesitation! Working with the Army was probably the most rewarding and enriching experience in my life at that time. In the first year I learned about leadership, body language, etiquette, media relations and more. My work was my life – I probably did too much at the time and I had basically no time for my friends and my family. My main role was that of a military reporter: I had to travel a lot, to be ready to “go and get the news” at any time, day and night.

As you imagine, military events are everything but boring. I experienced all there was to experience: life threatening situations, amazing military demonstrations, etc. I learned a lot in a short time and by the end of 2001 I was already contemplating using this knowledge in my own benefit. I wanted to start my own business. A job was offered to me by a German company called My-tronic GmbH. The company no longer exists (it sold in 2006 to Zomtobel), but this is what brought me to Germany in December 2002. I worked with My-tronic three years, as their public relations consultant, and then, in 2005, I was bold enough to start Pamil Visions.

3. What mistakes did you make when you were starting out? What did you learn from them?

I am not sure whether not being able to say “no” is a mistake. I suppose it is – for some. I wasted much time doing free work for people who needed my help. What I grew to learn is that if they don’t pay for it, they don’t appreciate it. Of course, this rule excludes close friends. When I first started I was actually very well prepared. I had a good business plan that brought me financial support from the IHK (German for Chamber of Commerce and Industry) – this is a great accomplishment for a foreigner who, at that time, couldn’t even speak German. I had a good website for 2005 – that was indexed very fast in the search engines – due to my SEO expertise. This brought me a lot of business in short time and I was able to select my clients carefully. My first projects were SEO, copywriting, ghostwriting and W3C compliant web design. You could still see some of them here: http://w3csites.com/profile.asp?u=miguelstill. The only PR companies understood in 2005 amounted to submitting press releases. Nevertheless, the experience was great and I grew with my clients. I only took startups – because the most rewarding experience is to see your client becoming a successful brand.

4. How long have you been working from home? (was this your first business or have you had others where you worked from home?)

Since 2005 and yes, this is my first business. I am only sorry I waited so long to start it.

5. What are your tricks for balancing work, kids and household chores?

That’s the most difficult task for any work at home mom, I think. There is no proven formula to “balance” everything. There is enough time to work when the kids are in school. For the rest of the time I am depending on my team. Although I “work from home” it would actually be more accurate to say that our offices are in the same building with our apartment. We are five people in the managing team, and we all know exactly what responsibilities we have. It’s also easy to work overtime when your office is in your home. All the other chores are easy, my family helps – especially my partner, Phil Butler. I made a weekly menu that helps me to keep my cooking organized and to bring my family together for at least lunch and dinner. In the weekends we try to take time off and to do something together – like working in our little garden for example.

6. When do you usually work?

All the time. You should ask me when do I usually sleep – this is hard to answer. Hi, I’m Mig and I’m a workaholic.

7. What is the best part of being a mompreneur? And the worst?

You’d think that working from home gives you more time for your family. It does – depending on what you are doing. The best part is that my children are always near me, that my family is always here. We never separate and I love this unity. The worst? I cannot think of anything bad about being a work at home mom! If being a military journalist was the best experience between 1997-2002, I can tell you that this is the best time of my life. I cannot imagine my life going any other way!

8. What are your plans for the future of your business?

We are expanding. While we still keep the offices here, we’ll have new offices in Charleston, South Carolina. We already redesigned our site, giving it a more corporate look and we also launched a new PR blog.  Pamil Visions grew fast for a company that started with just a laptop and a FordKa.

9. What advice would you give new work at home moms?

Never start a business without a business plan. It’s not always doomed to fail, but the results will not come as soon as desired. Also, never be afraid to ask for advice – although there are already enough “free resources” – the best way to learn is through “coaching 101.” Don’t be afraid to brand yourselves, and don’t be afraid of the competition. Instead of fighting it, work with it, but do it your way. Find that unique voice that will attract the perfect customer “match” for your new business.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Do You Ask for Help?
• Should You Stop Procrastinating?
• Why Your Work at Home Schedule Doesn’t Work
• How to Enjoy Your Kids as a WAHM
• Finding Your Focus