I built a 6 figure business but didn’t spend enough time with my kids

My business grew and I eventually made six figures

It was hard work getting it out of the ground. I really had no idea how to run a business, so I had to educate myself on simple things like how to invoice a client and what type of insurance I needed.

I was also absolutely terrible at marketing (and still am to this day) and would stammer and stammer when asked what I did for work. Fortunately, my husband is a natural businessman and by talking to the people at his myotherapy and remedial massage clinic, he connected me with several clients who became my bread and butter.

As the years went by, my business slowly grew and I picked up more clients, mostly through word of mouth. In the 2019-2020 financial year, just as the pandemic was hitting, my business was going gangbusters. me more than doubled my income in that financial year and for the first time in my life, I felt that I was making good money and that my work was valued.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne, where we live, in 2020, my husband had to close his clinic while I was able to continue working from home. I began to support the family financially while taking care of our 1 year old daughter and homeschooling our son who was 5 at the time.

I worked long hours and due to the time difference with some of my clients I often had early starts and late night meetings. At first I didn’t mind because I was making such good money, but after a while, I started to feel that my family life was suffering because of my work.

I was grateful that my income could support my family, but I didn’t feel fully present

I would often be distracted on the phone answering customer emails or helping a particular customer with crisis communications. I felt like I was never fully present with my children. It was always a work-related task to complete in the background.

By 2021, I had hit six figures, and in 2022, I had my best year yet. In the same year, I became pregnant with my third child and took four months of maternity leave.

Babies have a way of making you slow down and smell the roses, and when I did, something changed in me. I thought more about my life and what was important to me. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to look back and regret it down the track, wishing I had spent more time with my children rather than prioritizing money.

When I returned to work, I decided to only work during school and daycare hours and spend as much quality time as possible with my three children. I cut back to about 27 hours four days a week, which meant sacrificing a large portion of my income – probably about 30%.

Obviously, with the loss of income, we had to make sacrifices elsewhere. These days, there are fewer pleasant things, but we have more than enough essentials and plenty of what matters most – time together.

They say time is the most valuable commodity and I couldn’t agree more. How you spend it is up to you, but once you use it, you can never get it back. For me, the compromise of I work less to have more time with my children and a better work-life balance has been well worth it. I feel happier than ever knowing that I’m making memories with my kids rather than more money in the bank.