By Jannica Morton |
What Do You Do?
When I first meet someone and am asked the question, "What do you do?", I always smile and laugh, here is my answer and why: "Hi, my name is Janni and I run a business or two and homeschool some of my kids, so basically I manage chaos."
My days are shared with 4 kids (who believe sibling rivalry is a trait that needs to be practiced on a minute by minute basis), 1 husband, 2 dogs, 2 rats, a money pit house, a couple of businesses, a couple of partners, friendships, mentoring, volunteering, parents, a sister, and oh, ya the education of my children. Some say I take on too much, I agree even though I find I don't want to give any of it up.
God blessed me. I have a husband who loves me, totally supports me and deals with my insanity. I have business partners who spend their time rolling their eyes at me and yet, still keep working with me. My kids think I am the best... well, at least they do at breakfast, lunch and dinner. My friends' remind me that life could be simpler...yet, I am still not ready to give up my work, homeschooling, or volunteering.
The thing is I am not insane. I promise. I just love what I do and I commit to do it right.
I work my butt off and get things done for our clients, it just might not be the conventional way...ya know? Like someone sitting at a desk in a cubicle day after day. That is so not my life. I've created logos at the park as my kids throw mud at each other and I pretend I don't know them. I've conducted conference calls with some of our corporate accounts in the hospital room right after delivering one of my babies. I've written research articles and Value Proposition Stories while sitting in the sand box as moats and castles are built around me. There are mornings that I am up at 4:00 am to ensure that a client's marketing materials are ready for print. There are nights that I spend at my computer testing a new site or learning a new tool. The great thing is that there are days that I just play with my kids, shop with friends, or hang out with my husband...because I can. There are days that I lock myself in my office and get lost in my business world and honestly, I do love those days too. This is my life. I work when I can and I play when I can and sometimes they overlap.
It's my love of organization and schedules and cool gadgets that keep me successful in this craziness. My iPhone is always attached to me. I love that our project tools are available on my phone and I can stay on top of tasks, deadlines and business stuff really easily with Asana, HubSpot, HourStack, and Google Drive. Without these tools, I would be tethered to a desk and my computer. That is such a scary thought. yuck.
I am not unique in my day to day life, I know many parents whose lives are a juggling act. I think I am lucky to have the opportunity to hang out with our kiddos and still be productive in the business world. That said, I keep trying to remove the word "chaos" from my vocabulary...I really don't want that label associated with my life, but it really is pretty descriptive. I am leaning towards a new answer - "Hi, my name is Janni and I love waking up in the morning to build my businesses, give back and spend my free time with friends and family. I am so blessed to live this life!"
My days are shared with 4 kids (who believe sibling rivalry is a trait that needs to be practiced on a minute by minute basis), 1 husband, 2 dogs, 2 rats, a money pit house, a couple of businesses, a couple of partners, friendships, mentoring, volunteering, parents, a sister, and oh, ya the education of my children. Some say I take on too much, I agree even though I find I don't want to give any of it up.
God blessed me. I have a husband who loves me, totally supports me and deals with my insanity. I have business partners who spend their time rolling their eyes at me and yet, still keep working with me. My kids think I am the best... well, at least they do at breakfast, lunch and dinner. My friends' remind me that life could be simpler...yet, I am still not ready to give up my work, homeschooling, or volunteering.
The thing is I am not insane. I promise. I just love what I do and I commit to do it right.
I work my butt off and get things done for our clients, it just might not be the conventional way...ya know? Like someone sitting at a desk in a cubicle day after day. That is so not my life. I've created logos at the park as my kids throw mud at each other and I pretend I don't know them. I've conducted conference calls with some of our corporate accounts in the hospital room right after delivering one of my babies. I've written research articles and Value Proposition Stories while sitting in the sand box as moats and castles are built around me. There are mornings that I am up at 4:00 am to ensure that a client's marketing materials are ready for print. There are nights that I spend at my computer testing a new site or learning a new tool. The great thing is that there are days that I just play with my kids, shop with friends, or hang out with my husband...because I can. There are days that I lock myself in my office and get lost in my business world and honestly, I do love those days too. This is my life. I work when I can and I play when I can and sometimes they overlap.
It's my love of organization and schedules and cool gadgets that keep me successful in this craziness. My iPhone is always attached to me. I love that our project tools are available on my phone and I can stay on top of tasks, deadlines and business stuff really easily with Asana, HubSpot, HourStack, and Google Drive. Without these tools, I would be tethered to a desk and my computer. That is such a scary thought. yuck.
I am not unique in my day to day life, I know many parents whose lives are a juggling act. I think I am lucky to have the opportunity to hang out with our kiddos and still be productive in the business world. That said, I keep trying to remove the word "chaos" from my vocabulary...I really don't want that label associated with my life, but it really is pretty descriptive. I am leaning towards a new answer - "Hi, my name is Janni and I love waking up in the morning to build my businesses, give back and spend my free time with friends and family. I am so blessed to live this life!"