Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
My husband left his job to help build our new home and timing ended up being perfectly aligned that the store was ready soon after our house was completed, so he became the stay-at-home parent while I went back to work. We balance our time by opening Awaken Store for 4 days of the week, reflecting our goals to spend more time with our children, with the ability for our customers to shop online 24/7 filling the gap. (Our business and demand are growing so adding more days to our week is on the horizon – an exciting step!)
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
We chose to live offline on a rural property out of cell reception with no phone or internet connection, and loved the ability to switch off each time we went home! This did make running a business difficult though and we reluctantly decided to install the internet a couple of months ago to stay connected with our customers during lockdown. Now the challenge is maintaining that work/life balance.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pros are being able to decide our business terms, choosing to be open fewer days for more family time and the flexibility to make these decisions. Cons for us would be the admin side and keeping up with ‘to-do’s… I’d rather be with my children or making the most of the day, so end up stressed or up all night.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I’m so proud of what we have so far created, and want to continue with that momentum. Our product selection is constantly expanding and deepening as our business grows, and we are also currently working on a few of our own ranges! I’m very grateful for the path we are on and look forward to opening more doors to further opportunities as they arise.
Visit the Awaken Holistic Lifestyle Store website to see their range of beautiful products. You can also join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
