Motivational Monday: Interview with Nicole Bateman
Today we have Nicole Bateman with us, not only the designer of our new blog look but also a very cool work at home mom and blogger. I think you will really enjoy her take on the work at home mom life. You can read her blog or contact her for a blog design at Apron Strings Aflutter (now doesn`t that sound like a busy mom?)
1. What is your business?
I am a graphic and web designer. I do a lot of logo development and print work like, business stationary, brochures, etc. I also do blog graphics and site development. There’s a lot of variety in the field which keeps me from getting bored. 
2. How did you get started?
I didn’t actually get my 4 year degree in design. It took me until I was out of college and working in my first full time job doing weekly bulletins and publications to realize what I “really” wanted to do when I grew up. I went back to school for formal training. That was about 15 years ago. The web development has been a self-taught process since email, modems and the internet were barely in existence back then!
3. What mistakes did you make when you were starting out? What did you learn from them?
At first, accepted more projects than I have time for. Or, on the mothering end, I would commit to things that I just couldn’t say no to, simply because I tend to not have a realistic grip on how many hours are in the day. But over time, I’ve learned to be more realistic on what I can and can not do. I don’t want to be so busy all the time that I am not doing anything well.
4. How long have you been working from home? (was this your first business or have you had others where you worked from home?)
This is the only business I’ve had. I have been fortunate enough to work at home since my oldest was born 12 years ago. I definitely took a few “sabbaticals” along the way with each baby. But for the most part, it has been consistent since then. I am still freelancing from home now, even though my boys are all in school full time.
5. What are your tricks for balancing work, kids and household chores?
Well, Im definitely no expert on this. It is something that I have to continually work on. One thing that is very helpful is to set a schedule for myself. I treat my home business like I would a full time job. I start work at the same time every morning, eat lunch at the same time, etc. I try to do all my work before my kids get home from school. Then when they are home, I try to dedicate my full attention to them and their needs…homework, asking about their day, dinner, etc.
My Outlook calendar is my best friend! I try to schedule my meetings, dr. appts., lunch dates, etc. on certain days of the week so that the other days are fully dedicated to work. Another thing I do is take a break for a month during the Summer when my kids are out of school. I want to spend that time with them and not feel guilty working the whole time. Most of my clients understand that and have no problem with the down time.
6. How many children do you have? How old are they?
I have three sweet boys…7, 9 and 12.
7. When do you usually work?
During the school year, I am usually able to get my work done during school hours. But during breaks and the summer (or when I have a big project), I do a lot of work at night, after bedtime. At times Im definitely among the many WAHMs out there burning the midnight oil!
8. What is the best part of being a mompreneur?
The flexibility. Being able to take a day off or go to the park in the middle of the day. And the worst? The flexibility. Having a project due, hungry kids who need dinner, and a husband who needs some love and attention (:))…all at 6:00 p.m.
9. What are your plans for the future of your business?
I would like to continue to grow my blog design and development work. It is a new area for me and I just love it. Not only for the community of women/moms I’ve already met, but the actual work is a perfect combination for me of art and computer geekdom.
10. What advice would you give new work at home moms?
Be realistic. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t go smoothly right at first. Give it time. Its like anything…a learned skill that doesn’t come naturally all at once. We like to be “Super Mom”, but need to be at peace with “I-Cant-Be-Perfect-And-Im-Doing-The-Best-I-Can Mom”.
You can see more of Nicole`s designs on her design website (she does logos, stationary and a ton of other design work, too!).
I really enjoyed seeing your blog today, it’s nice to see pages for moms making it work at home!