Gemma It’s 09:26am and our house is peaceful, calm, focused and quietly productive. My husband, Jim, is working to my right in our office. He is at his desk looking organised, his energy is purposeful and he is well into his working day. I am sat at my desk with a coffee, a collection of thoughts and Brian Eno playing in my headphones. I want to acknowledge this moment as I ease myself into this new routine. There is an absolute juxtaposition between the fullness of the summer holidays and this moment now. I find myself stirring my thoughts around with my coffee and reflecting on the summer, the newness of this September season and what this all means for me as a self-employed woman with family at the heart of my world.
Our daughter started school this week and our son went back to nursery today. It feels like a big shift, the passage of time from babies to now feels like alchemy at play. Part of me yearns to stay right here, with our young children full of light and love and magic. And equal to that part of me that wants time to stop is another part of me, the creative, capable, curious, intelligent woman who wants to create, do, work, and earn money – I will talk about that last one more in other articles. This summer I have learned how to contain my ideas pot, to master slowing down and allowing myself to enjoy time with our children because we are in control of our lifestyle.
Earlier this year Jim and I took the leap into self-employment starting our own business together. We were driven by a desire to live our life in alignment with our personal and family values. Working for ourselves has given us control over how, where and when we work. And this summer has been an example of this lifestyle doing just that.
How – We are huge advocates of remote working in our family. It is inclusive and brings out the best in teams around the world (according the Stamford Economist Nick Bloom and his report: working from home two days a week reduces sick days by 12%, reduces quitting by 35% with no cost to profit or performance. You can hear more about Nick’s report here.
Working remotely has enabled us to be together as a family, to eat dinner around the table together and to work from a whole host of locations without pouring our resources into fuel and commutes. Jim works with clients around the globe and it doesn’t matter to them if he is in our home office or in a cottage on the Cornish coast.
Where – speaking of Cornwall we spent four weeks there this summer. We are deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to spend so much time in our favourite place. But this is only possible for us because we have been able to run our business on the road.
Because we could be in Cornwall and still do great work we were able to start each day with a swim in the Atlantic at 8am, followed by coffee and cheerios on the beach before Jim headed back to get Wi-Fi and meet clients… coming back to the beach for an evening swim. It felt surreal at points to be able to create this together.
When – The biggest liberation for me has been learning that I can now choose when I work. I have been able to shift my focus and align with our summer priorities. No work in the day, I’ve not written any articles all summer or done any business development. I have reduced my coaching sessions too.
Instead I have been looking after our children, enjoying the summer cocooned together. This sounds very indulgent doesn’t it? And I guess it is, but it is the life we have designed. And we have designed it around our families needs and values. It’s been very liberating for me to realise that we can create the changes we want in our lives. A year ago Jim and I couldn’t have imagined having this lifestyle and now we are living it.
September is here now, a new season. Our daughter starts her school adventure and we will take her and pick her up from school everyday. Our dinner table is happy and full. I am energised, my cup is full. My ideas have had some space and time to develop over the summer and I am ready to work in a different way this Autumn. I have decided to keep my reduced coaching capacity – I will only offer three sessions a week until the end of the year. I am going to be working more in the business with Jim. I will listen to my daughter’s stories on the walk home from school. I will look after my son three days a week, and cook for our family most evenings. This is why we wanted to start our business.
Our routines will change as our family evolves. Eventually both our children will be at school and things will shift again. One of my biggest insights this summer has been that being self-employed gives me the freedom to make the calls on how, where and when I work. It took a little time to adjust to that freedom.
I have followed Annie Ridout (The Robora) over the last few years after completing one of her courses in the pandemic. This summer I have watched and listened to her wisdom on motherhood, business and her own shifting lifestyle. I am excited to see the new The Robora Magazine launched – a place to hear stories of women who are paving the way in business – inclusive of the wider details often not discussed for women who are doing great things. I have found a grounding in Annie’s instagram stories this summer, they have reminded me of the importance of sharing our experience and knowing that it is possible to run a business and hold a family in alignment with our core beliefs. But above all Annie shows women that it is not just OK but absolutely essential to adapt, shift and change to meet the new needs of the family and business in each new season.
Here’s to all the children who are heading to/back to school – may you all shine and know the joy of childhood! I am ready to do some great work this term and I am open to priorities shifting as we go.
Gem
