The Encourager Podcast: Equipping Christian Moms to Harmonize Work and Home

Nothing says “love” like a business meeting with your spouse! HA! But seriously, Nick and I prioritize time once a month to talk about our calendars, budget, expectations, dreams, children, and more. With our busy lives, this meeting helps keep us on the same page and heading in the same direction. To set up your own monthly business meeting with your spouse, follow these simple steps! If you are single, find a mentor and set up a time to meet with him or her so you stay on track. Pick a date. We meet the last Thursday of every month. We recommend picking the same date or day each month so it’s easier to schedule! Have an agenda. This doesn’t have to be fancy… we use an index card! Keep scrolling to the bottom of this document for a sample agenda you can use! Remember your priorities. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to set priorities, write them down, and have a copy with you for your meeting. If you need help, listen to my earlier podcast episode on the subject! Bring your calendars. Whether it’s a paper calendar or a fancy phone app, we highly recommend having a calendar for your family, work, and social events. If your schedule is too full, go back to your priority list and decide what doesn’t make the cut. Don’t forget to schedule a date night! Communicate your expectations. Be honest with each other about your expectations. This can help eliminate fights before they even start! Talk about your budget. Eliminate money fights by getting on the same page with money by having a budget. We recommend Financial Peace University and the Every Dollar App by Dave Ramsey. Remember your dreams and goals. If you don’t prioritize talking about your dreams and goals, when will you talk about them? Don’t lose sight of the big picture by making a point to discuss this monthly. Discuss your family. We have four kids so they are a big part of our lives! We pick two things for each of our kids to work on (which we learned from the book The Gist). If you don’t have children, set these goals for each other instead! Talk about your Love Languages. The 5 Love Languages is a book by Gary Chapman that talks about how we all give and receive love. You can take a quiz here to find out your love language! We take this time to be honest with each other about our needs and whether or not we are getting enough of our love language spoken to us. Repeat your vows. What if we all said our “I do’s” to each other every month instead of once in a lifetime? If you can find a copy of your vows, look into each other’s eyes and repeat them to each other at the end of your meeting! We got this Encouragers!  Click here to download the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kim Henderson joins me to talk about how her career success as an event planner led to some not-so-great “ah-ha” moments, causing her to leave her dream job to focus on her family and talks about how she still uses her God given talents. Do you need help identifying your strengths? We recommend taking the Strengths Finder quiz to help! What is your passion?  Have you ever had some devastating “ah-ha” moments that have caused you to shift your focus? Have you asked yourself the million-dollar question, “If you were making $1 million, would you still do the job”? Who are the people in your life that you can ask to be truthful about your situation?  How can you scale success by your way and not the world’s way? How can you still use your God-given talents and gifts but use them His way and not yours? Many times, we tell ourselves we must keep going. How can you embrace the word “surrender” and give it to God? Dear Lord, please help us get off this hamster wheel… and BURN THE HAMSTER WHEEL  We got this Encouragers! Click here to download the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Building a company means wanting growth and profit but there are times when business ebbs and flows, and we need to think lean. As owner and designer of Rebekah Scott Designs, I have learned how to ride the waves and share my tips for thinking lean while still growing your company. When you own a business, you have to be sure to think abundantly but also think lean when cutting costs and improving efficiencies. If you are considering adding or cutting something, ask yourself, “Do I have more time or money?” Things to consider when thinking lean: Printed material costs Subscriptions Memberships Payroll Contracts COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) Wholesale pricing on supplies Take pre-orders Check all business transactions Prioritize spending Reduce inventory  We got this Encouragers! Click here to get the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Building a business and raising a family is difficult and can easily lead to burnout. You need discipline, motivation and a superwoman cape to avoid it completely! Burnout has happened to me, which is why I’ve come up with so many of my systems and why I wrote my book, “Equipped to Execute.” In this episode, I’ll cover my tips and tricks for avoiding burnout. Keep your calendar small. I print off a small calendar from timeanddate.com. Each month is the size of a piece of printer paper and I keep it small on purpose so if the things I have planned don’t fit in that space, the kids and I are going to feel burned out! Time everything. I do this so I feel less overwhelmed with what I think might be a crazy night. I know it only takes 20 minutes to pick things up and then I feel relieved. Bedtime can be especially stressful so knowing about how long this takes helps you keep your cool.  Have a “me” system. If you trust and use your “me” system, you’re much less likely to burnout since your priorities are being met each day. Speak this loudly to others and don’t allow guilt to creep in. You need to be charged before going to your circus. J  As a part of this system, I HIGHLY recommend waking up before your kids. Doing this gives you time to center yourself before you need to start meeting their needs! Have “your thing.” Because people in my life know what I love, they bring me treats (like chai lattes or dark chocolate) or give me time to do things (like take a bath or go for a run) that help give me a break. Make these known to your tribe what these things are so they can help when you’re feeling burned out. Know your “must do” factor. Ask yourself what needs to be done TODAY so you can relax a little bit and let the rest go. That might mean doing laundry and waiting to vacuum until tomorrow, or clearing the tables but leaving the dishes in the sink. Don’t think you must do everything! Pick three things TOPS.  Use your helpline. Friends and family will sense when you are feeling stressed out and if they offer to help, LET THEM! People love to help so listen for these opportunities. Have a “code word.” Develop a word or phrase that alerts your loved ones that you need help. When you use that word or phrase, they think “Bailout!” and can come to your rescue! What are your takeaways from this podcast? Take a few minutes to reflect and take some notes below! We got this Encouragers!!! Click here to get the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In order to grow your business, grow your family and prioritize what you are doing, ask yourself these key decisions to help gain clarity! Answering these questions will help you do your job that much better! Priorities. You must know what your priorities are before you can make your key decisions! Write them down in order and post them so you can see them often! When will you work? How many hours are doable in your stage of life? Write it down, set those hours, and commit to it. Who are you going to work with? Who is going to help you? Do you need a nanny/babysitter? Do you need an assistant or marketing person? Where will you work? You need a designated space for your stay-at-home job! What are the rules regarding your work and workspace? Decide what they are and let your family know. What are your goals? Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly goals are SO important! Write them down and post them so you can see them! What is your why? This is the ultimate goal of why you are doing what you are doing. How will you grow your business? Click here to download the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

During one of my “Coaching Friday” events, you guys asked me what I did in the “middle” of my business with Rebekah Scott Designs. I LOVE this question because it’s rarely talked about. There’s SO much information out there about how to start a business but not much about what to do when you’re hustling to make it grow. After 14 years in business, I have some insights for you! Click here to download the reflection guide. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nycol and I go WAY back (to my church camp days) and she’s someone I admire so much that I will occasionally ask myself, “What would Nycol do?” As a servant of God, wife, and mom of three girls, Nycol has constantly sought God’s purpose for her life and joins us to talk about the importance of creating margin, making investments in 5 important areas, what ministry looks like at home, and that not all purposes have a paycheck. Get the reflection guide here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Your “super skill” is the thing you can do at breakneck speeds, with high attention to detail, and feel on top of the world while doing it! It energizes you, even though you may go on doing this skill for hours on end without stopping. Listen in as I help you discover what your super skill is so you can maximize the joy and fulfillment you get from your work. It’s a life changer! Get the reflection guide here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, I emphasize the importance of leaving a legacy for your family. We all want to create lasting memories for our children but they don't always have to be elaborate, beachfront vacations! Some of the Scott family legacy builders include: journaling, scheduled memories, baking, mommy and daddy dates, and family values that I believe you can emulate in your household. I hope to encourage you to brainstorm with your spouse to find ways that work for your family to build that crucial legacy. Get the reflection guide here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you own a business, you’re already doing too much and probably spending more time working IN your business but not ON your business. I’m challenging you in the next six weeks to hire one of these four positions: executive assistant, website developer, marketing/social media person, or cleaning lady. And yes, I just gave you a deadline! Trust me… you’ll thank me later.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.