Hey goal diggers, today we are diving into a topic that I have never talked about on Goal Digger before…. Balancing both your motherhood and entrepreneurial roles. It’s no secret that these two roles can get chaotic, but there IS a way to do both, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to talk with than Johnna Holmgren of Fox Meets Bear!

Johnna seems to have the magic secret to balancing ALL THE THINGS.

She is a mother, creative, and author of the cookbook titled, ‘Tales from a Forager’s Kitchen’. 
She lives in the woods of Minnesota with her husband and her three girls where they spend as much time as they can outdoors hiking and foraging, cooking and baking, homeschooling and peaceful parenting. (And cleaning up way too many messes from their two dogs, two cats, and small flock of ducks and chicks!)

It’s safe to say this woman capitalized and evolved both of these roles and intertwined both her motherly side and business side into a really beautiful partnership., and I am so excited to talk to her about how to transition with your career when you have children.

HARNESSING YOUR CREATION:

“It has always been something that is flooding through me— and just the way I’m wired. In one way or another, I have been using creative expression as a means of living”. For Johnna, her creativity cultivated into a beautiful cookbook. “I have always been very connected to food, and I just jumped into the cookbook head-first.” I loved how Johnna described being innately creative– I feel it is something that many of us creative #girlbosses feel, but have a hard time summarizing.

FAMILY BALANCE:

In Johnna’s case, her husband is also a creative entrepreneur. Both of them working, both creating, both parenting from the house! When asked about this dynamic, Johnna spoke to the flexibility in all areas- the “give and take” of busy seasons and slow seasons for both of them as individuals. I loved how she mentioned tuning into your intuition and finding out where you are drawn- both in parenting and business. Johnna and her husband, Max, strive for “Peaceful Parenting” where the over-arching question is basically,  “How would you parent your child if you didn’t have anyone around you? Without society, books, internet? You would go with your heart, instinct.” How beautiful and thought-provoking is that?!

Johnna mentioned she takes this intuition to business as well, “Even creatively, I use this— I try to follow my intuition and listen to my inner voice and shut out opinions.” She spoke to how the online world is meshing our real lives, business, finances, family into one place, and how the questions she asks herself is, “How do I make a living while being as present as I can with the girls?”

MATERNITY LEAVE WHEN YOU RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS:

What. A. Topic. I was genuinely curious about what “maternity leave” looks like when you work from home and employ yourself! Johnna’s answer was amazing! “That is one of the biggest bonuses of running your own business. Everything melts away when you have your child… and you will productivity knocking when the time comes. It is different for everyone, but it is so important to be so tender and gentle to your baby— and to yourself.” To summarize: there’s no right or wrong— just trust your instincts. Navigating parenthood and business in the way that you don’t have all the answers (because none of us do!).

BIGGEST ADVICE FOR MOM ENTREPRENEURS:

1) Get in touch with your inner voice— both in business and parenting. Block out the outer noise and focus on what you want your life to look like.
2) Do not compare to another’s journey. Harness your strengths and capitalize. It is beautiful and okay to do things your own way.
3) Cultivate patience with yourself.

Wow. What an episode, what a topic, what a woman. Johnna reminds us that is okay to be fully human– striving in our careers and also pausing (and melting!) around our children. If I’ve learned anything in this episode it’s that each of our journeys look different, but we just have to tune in to our instincts and do our best, every day.

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PHOTO: MATT LIEN