Behind the Scenes: What it REALLY looks like working from home (and strategies to make it work!)!

Actual photo of me attempting to work in my office. With the cutest assistants ever!

Whenever I'm having a conversation with someone new, inevitably, it turns to "What do you do (for a living)?" And I'm always so proud to say that I get to work from home while being at home with my boys. 

But I will tell you - the working from home thing, it can be SO darn hard for SO many reasons. It's tough to balance it all - the focused, interactive time with my kiddos, the focused, productive time with my work. Sometimes, blessedly, both kiddos will nap, and I can get in a solid hour of work during the day. Or sometimes, my angel of a mother will come over and play with my kids so that I can get a few things done. But sometimes, Henry is on the iPad way too long while I prep for a party or am on hold for a customer. It HAPPENS because it's life. 

If you know nothing of direct sales, let's chat about work and what it looks like. As a KEEP Collective Independent Designer, I get to decide how much or how little effort I want to put into any given day or week. I get to make my own work hours for the month, which I LOVE because with littles, it's so necessary to be flexible! I CHOOSE to put in 15-18 hours a week because it's a passion of mine - my happy place - and I love it. I'm also incredibly blessed to lead a team of strong, kind, independent women who also want that flexibility in a business, so much of my time is spent working with them or prepping trainings and tips. I know that role isn't for everyone, but it's one I thrive in, so I like to put the extra hours in for them. 

There are so many reasons why I chose to work with KEEP - the storytelling aspect of the jewelry is first and foremost. I LOVE the idea that everybody has a story, and I love that everyone can WEAR that story and keep what is loved most close at hand. KEEP doesn't require (or allow!) designers to carry any inventory, so I never have to worry about paying money out of pocket for items that will sit for months or years, and I don't have to ship anything myself. Orders ship directly from our Distribution Center to customers - our hostesses don't have to sort and deliver, nor do our designers, and I'm ALL about working smarter, not harder. 

KEEP is awesome about giving me the tools to work from home easily and effectively, but that doesn't mean it's always easy! Have you ever tried to nurse an active 10-month-old while running an online design session from your phone? He's fast! He can grab that phone in like .2 seconds! But how blessed am I that I can literally sit on my couch NURSING MY BABY and still work!? 

I've learned a LOT now that I've been working from home with children these past three years, and I want to share some of that wisdom with you. I'd LOVE to hear what's worked well for you if you work from home too! 

Make a dedicated work space. This can look like whatever you need it to look like. At our old house, this was a quarter of our kitchen table. No joke, I used to move all of my work materials to a laundry basket whenever we were having company so that we could use our whole table! But it was convenient for me to access while moving around with the kids, and I can't say enough about that! In our new house, it's a GLORIOUS office, and I'm in love. But, you can be successful without one - for sure!

Get equipment that works for you. I splurged on a new computer, a better cell phone (and I STILL need more data), and chargers of all varieties, but all of this makes me more productive and makes working from home easier. Knowing my phone isn't going to be dead at a moment's notice is huge on the nights I have an online party or something that needs to get accomplished. Find the equipment that works for you, and don't be afraid to splurge on it! 

Make a schedule - rigid or loose. My day to day is different EVERY day, but I can guarantee that I'll be working at night when the kids go to bed. Additionally, I know there are certain things I want to get done during the day. Even if I can't nail down a time when they'll happen, I at least know I need to do them. I try to keep those tasks short - no more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time so that I know I will find the moments to do them. And that being said, I always try to...

Plan ahead. If I know I have long, intensive tasks or things that really require my focus, I save those for nights, weekends, or when my babysitter (aka Momo aka grandma) is able to be here. Things DO pop up all the time that I can't plan for, but when able, I try to nail down a day or two of the week where I can really focus and knock things out. 

Above all else, be flexible. Working from home with children means things rarely go as planned. There are days when everything goes out the window, and that has to be okay. And then there are days where I can knock out an entire to do list before lunch. But knowing that flexibility will keep me sane has been a total lifesaver. 

So share with me, work from home friends, what's worked best for you?!