Motherhood in Business: Still Tired, Still Here – with Sam & Jen

Transcript 

  they expect us to work like we don't have kids.

And have kids, like we don't, don't work, work, work. And it's really tough

 this is the one job that you do that the sole purpose is actually to.

Render yourself unemployed.

 you can't even.

Try and explain to somebody what inside of your brain looks like.  So many tabs,

 she is always the one that's like, your life is hectic.

And when they did that meme about like things your boss would never say, she was like, I had such a relaxing weekend.

 I think sometimes you've just gotta give yourself a break that's, have you, you've just gotta give yourself a break. Like, did you do the best that you could? Yeah. Maybe it didn't work out. Everyone's just doing their best. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Just keep yourself a break.

 I feel like we can get in that space as busy moms and business owners that we throw money at it because we're just like, I need to do it to get it done.

And sometimes I think that's not the right move for that.

 that's the thing, it's not saying don't throw money at things, but just be really conscious of what you're throwing money at, throw your money on.

 was so nice this morning. Get up and not talk to anyone until I was ready. Man. I sound like the biggest mole.

I promise you be my No, no. We are just tired moms.

  📍 Before we dive in, just a quick little love note from us. If this podcast has ever made you laugh, cry, think, or feel seen, please hit that subscribe button. It's the easiest way to keep the magic going and it helps us land more incredible guests for you.

Go on back, your girls, subscribe now and let's keep rising together.

 Welcome back to the Inner Sanctum Salon, rising the podcast. Hey, Sam, how do you actually wanna do that intro? Welcome back to the inner sanctum. That's, that's honestly how it feels today. We thought it's been a while since we've done, a Motherhood in Business. Oh, podcast. Yeah. And after my morning Richard was like, oh, it's a perfect episode to do.

Yeah. It's interesting 'cause there's a lot of talk at the moment in the industry about like new mum journeys in business and I actually think that's really cool.

Like

People with babies on hips and stuff, but like what about the people that have got babies that aren't, well, I still have a little one, but like What about the people that have 12 year olds?

Yeah. 16 year olds. 17 year olds. Oh yeah. You know, like it's a ride. It's like a baby on a hip is easy. They don't talk back yet. Yeah. But yeah, I do think there's a lot of conversation around motherhood with young kids, but like. I think it's also important that we start to have the conversations for business owners that are listening to this, that have older kids as well.

Yeah. Because it's hard. The problems are bigger. Yeah. The bigger the, the bigger the child, the bigger the problems. Yes. Mm. And how you navigate that with running a business, which Jen and I have, so I still have. Mine for anyone who doesn't know mine. 3 7, 2 9 year olds and a 12-year-old. Yeah. And yours, Jen and I have a 13-year-old A by this time will be 17-year-old.

And then I also, I always say two plus a few because I do have lots of my clients know, like my niece and nephew who are 19 and 16. So who spend a lot of time in my life and in my house. Yep. Yeah. So it's, yeah, as you said, bigger problems, older children. Yeah. But also just all the navigating of, for me, it's like many, you know, I've got them currently we are at three different places, like three different places, three different drop offs.

Yeah. But next year we're going to four. And it's just the navigation of all of that with business and how that looks and. You and I are also fairly lucky that our, I only have one team member who works part-time that has kids. The rest don't for me. Yeah. And yours don't either. No, but my, my team members are kids are literally kids.

Yeah. Especially, yeah. Especially my little two. Like they, yeah. They are literally the same age as some of my kids. Yeah. And navigating all the same problems. Yeah. So

Yeah. So

like all the same things that are happening in their worlds that we are navigating at home with teenagers, we are actually navigating a lot of that stuff.

All the more to you. I could not in salon as well. Yeah. Wow. Which I think, and this was actually something that my, um, one of my apprentices said. She was like, I think because you have kids the same age as us, you understand us better. Yeah. It's like, okay. That, that makes sense. Yeah. Because obviously she's worked in quite a few different salons and just hadn't found.

A fit. Um, but she's like, yeah, I think that it doesn't mean that I don't get frustrated by them with things, but it's the, she's like, you kind of get what's happening in the brain Yes. At that time. Yes. So, which I'll take that as a win. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. And it's just, yeah. It's just, I, I can't even, and I think everyone listening to this, like you can't even.

Try and explain to somebody what your brain, inside of your brain looks like. So many tabs, you know, and it's this, you know, this time of year it is like, and I have three, that's, birthdays are at the end of the year. So it's like birthdays and Christmas and, and all the end of year things. All the end of year things, concerts, all those concert and everything that we have.

And the end of year, like the breakup things for sports, they're all at that time when work's actually getting really busy as well. Yes. Yeah. And it makes it. It challenging, and I am really conscious on the fact that I don't wanna miss any of these things. Yeah. And 100% this year it has become so much easier for me with a salon because I have a team without kids except for Mick.

And her kids are little. Yeah. And her kids are little. So whereas there was a time where I had a team. That so many of them had kids, my kids' ages. So they wanted the school holidays off. Yeah. And they had all the events coming up and it was like last minute. Whereas I, it's just me now that last minute has to move things.

Yeah. And it's definitely made myself, my life's so much easier for that reason. And I too, I do say often to school and stuff, I'm like, man, you need to give me 12 weeks notice or something. Yes. Like none of this next week there'll be Yes. Come on. I got that on Friday. It's like next Friday. There is an award ceremony that your child's getting an award for at nine 15.

Yeah. I was like, you know that this award ceremony's been on for like months? Yeah. Like just give us us a heads up heads. Yeah. It's the same with the boys school. It's like their Christmas concert's a Thursday night. Yeah. Really? Come on guys. Like come on. Not even just for like people like us that poten, you know, 'cause people work all different hours now, but that's a common night for shops to be open late.

Yes. So think of all the people that are working that still need to try and get Christmas presents that perhaps don't like buy everything online like we do that want to go to the shops. Like they just, I don't understand it, but I, I think there are people out there that do it and. Yeah, you're taking another night away that they could perhaps get things done.

It's, yeah. Yeah. And it, I really, you know, I have these like constant moments where I'm like, this is my children's childhood, right? Yeah. This is our, like you and I talk about this, like it's, these are the moments and, but it's really hard. It's that saying that they expect us to work like we don't have kids.

And have kids, like we don't, don't work, work, work. And it's really tough to be like, I feel very, I don't know about you guys out there, but I feel very lucky that I have a salon that my kids actually witness what I do. Yeah. Yeah. So my eldest one specifically, she comes in and she watches how hard I work.

And I feel like it makes her really appreciative because she's like, oh, it's not just like a far taken thing. Yeah. And I would recommend to anybody who has kids as they get older and they can comprehend it and understand it. Get them in, like get them to definitely you for a day. Like even if it's, they're out in the back room just playing on their iPad, like then they're actually really aware that mom goes to work and she just doesn't stop.

Yeah. And I'm also very,, conscious to say to the girls, like, if I don't work, guys can't have what The things that you have, you can't, you know, when you lose your hats constantly at school and I have to rebuy them or all the excursions or all your birthdays and all the things that you have. And I think it's made, my children are incredibly grateful children, like it's something that I've really witnessed lately.

My kids used to be grateful, but teenagers are self-centered through a-holes. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay, well I'll really enjoy that while I still have it. Yeah. They used to be so grateful. They are still grateful to a point, but Oh yeah. It's like going back to, you know, that sort of two and 3-year-old that literally believes that the world revolves around them.

Yeah. Except they're bigger and they stand over you and they just, yeah. I. These are things that I'm not looking forward to, especially with having, I will have, oh, girlfriend one who's very much in that there are so many things that you are not looking forward to. Like there's one that's very much in that G going, gonna go into that and then I'm still gonna have a little one.

Mm-hmm. And then at 1.4 of them probably in that with one that's still little. I, yeah. I also have like this incessant need to be liked. So when my kids. Don't like me when my daughter's like ignoring me and shutting me out. It's gonna be real tough for me. Oh, you just gotta let it go. Yeah, just gotta let it go.

I'm like, it's unconditional. You have to love me no matter what kid. So you'll get over it. Yeah. Don't have to love you, but also like they don't, they don't actually don't have to like you. Yeah. Because it's not my job to be liked. Yeah. It's more of your job not to be liked. It's so weird. Right? 'cause I said it's the, this is the one job that you do that the sole purpose is actually to.

Render yourself unemployed. You know, like you Yeah. If you haven't reached the point where you're no longer needed, have you done it right? Yes. You know what I mean? Oh, it's so true. And so, yeah, I, it's really funny with my mother-in-law living with us at the moment and just. It's so nice to have someone else to nag my teenagers.

Like just, it's really, really nice to share the load of nagging. Yes. Just to not be the, the one person that's constantly like, pick it up, do this. And Nana's thing that she's really, um, running with, with my teenage son at the moment is, this isn't gonna get your wife. It's like, this behavior isn't gonna get your wife.

No wife wants to pick that up. No wife wants to put that away. No. Yeah. And it's like Nana, Nana needs to go into everyone's house 'cause that's how every Nana actually needs to live house. Every man needs to be raised like this isn't gonna, like, no wife's gonna wanna put up with his shit unless you fucking help.

Yeah. It's so funny and, and I, as I said, even my husband feels the same. And also like, come on, we need to like raise men that are different to. Men specifically that I was married to. Just the one. Just the one, but so many. Yeah. Yeah. Like I'm in the season guys, I'm in like, it's like Mikayla was so nice the other night at dinner.

She's like, you know, Samara and I are in our early thirties and I was like, Mick, that's very kind. I'm not in my early thirties. Like I remember you saying that to me when I'd be like, oh, Jen and I are in our thirties. You're like, I'm like very nice babe. So not there. So not so yeah. Mick was like, you know, we're in our early thirties, Mick, and she was like, well, mid thirties.

I was like, babe, like I'm 38. It's not mid thirties anymore, but it's really nice of you to say that when I'm out with my youngest team member's, 21, so like. I'm not as hip as I used to be, but she keeps me cool and like mingles, mingles, I always say it. I was sitting, you asking me young, I was sitting on the floor the other day doing my makeup with them and Indie was, I was like, how do you contour?

Like, this looks good. Your face looks great. Can you teach me how to do that? She's like, yeah. Anyway, my girls keep me young. And I can't even remember what my train of thought was then. Oh, mix as you're in your early thirties. Oh yeah. And then, yeah, but what was it before that? Fuck, I'm tired. And that's actually the reality of parenting.

This is motherhood. I don't know where I was going with that. We were talking about, everyone's screaming at the camera right now. Like, dude, you were talking, we were talking about Nana, how everyone needs Nana to live with them. Oh yeah. And you know, I just, I'm in that point now. There's, so many of my friends are going through separations.

There's so, yeah. Yeah. Many men out there that need to be mothered. And everything I see with separations is men that, like women that have mothered men, um, and don't have that support. And when I've gone from obviously being in a relationship where I did everything, I was such a mother to now having such an incredible partner who does everything.

Like I don't have to think when I go away. I don't have to tell him do anything. I just leave. And even yesterday, I came back to the apartment. So we had our Christmas party. And then the family came down and it came back and I'd gone out for breakfast with my team and he had come while I was out and the whole apartment was cleaned up and all the rubbish was gone and he didn't expect me to say anything.

It was just that. I was like, did you take the rubbish out? He was like, yeah. I was like, oh, just that's so sexy. You couldn't be hot, hotter. Yeah. Like that couldn't have been sexier like, but so many people are going through situations where they're leaving men who are just big. Boys that have gone into relationships like I did.

Yeah. And just mothered this person for the entire relationship that I'm like, it's our job as women to raise these men, to be men that can like lead their household and lead their family and help their wives. Yeah. Because the relationships that last are those relationships. The relationships that I see that are amazing, you know, my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband, like they are, it's because the men step up and do as much as the women do.

Yeah. And that's only what a woman wants. So it's our job as mothers to do that. At the moment, I would say my husband does more than me see. Yeah. Like, I mean, I love Timmy. Not at the moment. Jimmy got drunk a couple of weekends ago and it was my favorite time ever. A wild time. He was like dancing on the dance.

He was like, I don't want to go to this. And at the end he was like, I don't want to leave. I'm having the best time ever shoulder dancing. Like, he's so good. The Timmy two step was out, but um, he, it's different with his mom. Staying with us, which is obviously really nice because she actually takes, take some of the load of him.

Again, the reason why she's

Nana

n and Jacob like this is because she mothered Tim like that. Yeah. But she still would do like, she would still do things for them. Yeah. Like they know that you only have to not do it and Nana will just get annoyed and do it. Yes. Um, but. Yeah, I, but he also moved outta home really young and learn to look after himself.

Like I think that, you know, I think this is a situation too, is kids can't move out young these days. Yeah. It's so expensive out. Yeah. Move out. So you have to make sure you're not just like, as frustrating as it is, you can't just do it for them, otherwise you'll be doing it for them for the rest of their lives.

Yeah. Stuff that noise. Yeah. No. So, but it's like sometimes I, if you guys can work out a system of how the fuck to get your children ready in the morning without you screaming like a banshee, like whoever's invested and made that like, please call me, pay you whatever you want. Yeah, because I constantly put different things in place, but with having five, it's like if I put the same thing in place for all five of them, it doesn't work.

Two will be great with it. Like, oh. And like one of my sons is like an overachiever, so he's like done. And then the others are like still pottering behind and then feel less achieved because they're not doing what he like. He doesn't need the chart. He's generally great. They need the chart. Yeah. But like, yeah, it's interesting.

It's like one of my sons and one of my daughters and it's just. Get with the program. And it was so fun the other day. 'cause I do the mornings every morning. My partner's gone by like 4:00 AM and it was Alba's birthday, so he stayed home and did the morning and I wasn't feeling great, so I did not, I was like, oh, you know what you can do this morning Buck.

Like you can just see what this is like. And that was one kid down too. And he was like, yeah, Alba was six. So she wasn't getting ready. And he was like, by the end of it, I was like, how frustrated are you? He said, I just wanna go to work. He's like, that was. So much. I was like, okay, now you understand when I ring you and go, yeah, in the mornings, you understand what that means.

Like, 'cause I'm, somebody's like, I don't like it when you just ring me and you're angry in the mornings. I'm like, I'm sorry, but you need to debrief 'cause they're your children too, buddy. I know. I had the same, I've had the same conversations. 'cause sometimes I'm just like. Tearing my hair out by the time I'm driving to work.

I just like, like at are, you're still telling them to put their bloody shoes on? Yes. Yes. I am. Like, I can't put your shoes on. I can't do this for the next 10 years. Like it, I just don't know. 20, 15 years I have to do this for. Yeah, I know. It's messed up. I'm not telling all my, it's just one in particular two, sometimes you only have, or you have two.

Yeah. Or that are sometimes at your house? Yeah, like big girl. Really self-sufficient little girl. Really self-sufficient. Youngest boy. Pretty self-sufficient. Just likes to sleep in and miss buses and need to be driven places. Older boy. It's messed up. Jacob. We're coming for you. Yeah. He knows it. It's just like, just get out.

Just get out of the house. Just get out. But yeah, I know that, I know those phone calls 'cause I, Tim used to always complain about them as well. I'm like, you don't understand. And then if he was ever home to do the school run or anything like that, it was because he was off. Yeah. So it's not that same level of pressure was No.

Whereas when we had, when Jacob was working for him, the school holidays and he'd just come storming into the room like. Um, I, I happened to go to work. I'm like, I know. Yeah, I know. He's like, but we, we have to leave. I was like, again, you're standing the wrong. I do remember doing it wrong and I remember my stepdad just leaving one day.

Yeah. And I remember feeling guilty, but it was also a great day. Like if my parents like said to me, fine, you don't go to school. I'd be like, yeah, exactly. Exactly. That's a great idea. Yeah. I won't go to school. Yeah. So it's like needs to be a different punishment. Yes, it does. Like you'll go to school extra.

Tomorrow morning you're going half an hour earlier. Yeah. And I'll leave you there half an hour later. My daughter and I were talking in the car the other morning and it's funny 'cause e each year, like with the multiple drop-offs, that's definitely getting less and less, which is nice 'cause we're used to have the three drop-offs in the morning.

But um, from next year, it's only her and I. Mm. She's like, oh my gosh. We can go to the gym before work. We'll be able to get like, I was like, we're gonna be able to do so much because it's just gonna be her and I left. It's wild, even with that little bit, and I just am so far from that, Jen. Yeah. And a 3-year-old.

I'm so far from that, but it's, while we're just a little bit of ease, like so Alba's 12, so the other day I, she was sick and I can leave her at home. She's got a phone now. Yes. Yeah. I left her at home to do the drop offs with the other kids. And I was like, yeah, that's a game changer. Oh. And 'cause she's like, whereas if it's, and even the other day, 'cause I was like, I can't leave her at home all day.

So I dropped her to my sister's for the day. My sister's like, I didn't even talk to her. She just, it was just having someone there. Yeah. But like, it makes things so much easier when they can just like, you don't have to freak out as much. If they're going to be home for an hour, it's okay. Look, those things are easier.

But the phone calls that you get about stuff Yeah. Are so much bigger. Jen's had so we are not gonna bring it up. No, we de definitely can't bring up. It's really not appropriate. And I'm sure Bridget's gonna ring me and ask me. Bridget already knows. Oh, did she laugh? Oh no, she almost cried 'cause she's like, I don't think I'm ready for this, Jen.

It's like, that's why I'm telling you now, so that you have so many years to just mentally prepare for it. This is Jen's 17-year-old. Um, not even just the 17-year-old. There's a lot of stuff going on with a lot of people. Like, it's just, it's an absolute shit storm. The other night I had a client cancel on late night, and my daughter plays basketball on a Thursday night.

I used to do late night on a Wednesday because she played basketball. She taught me she wasn't gonna play basketball anymore. I changed to a Thursday and then she decided to play basketball. So I can hardly ever make games now. Um. Client canceled. I was like, I'm gonna make it to basketball. And I literally just walked into a shit storm, like a complete and utter.

I was so excited. I'm like, everybody close the doors. We're outta here. I've gotta go. I'm gonna get to basketball. And the thing is I had to deal with that night. I can't talk about on the podcast, like it's, I'm gonna get the juicy detail when, um, we get off the podcast. So I'm sorry to anyone that wants to know, but just like DM us privately.

Oh no, it is just like, yeah. Just so I feel like I shouldn't have come much. Yeah. Okay. I was like, wow, this. Wasn't, it's like what? It's like used visualize. I used to do this in my relation, my old relationship. Like I used to visualize like how good it would be and then it was always terrible. But I now, now it's always awesome, but it is the opposite with my kids.

So like, yeah, I was like, okay, we'll finish our Christmas party. The kids can come down. We'll stay for the night. We'll have a fat time as a family. Like it'll be so nice. Like there's a pool off the resort so they can just be in the pool, Lee and I can just chill and just like have some snacks. I literally get home after having breakfast.

They've been in the apartment for like 35 minutes. Oliver's already dressed from being in the pool, and he's like, I'm bored,

actually. He said, is there a park close by because I am bored? And I was like, what? Yeah. You've been, you've been here like 25 to 35 minutes at most. Yeah.

There's

a pool right there and apart. O over over the pool. There's a whole grassed area. And can I just say, like, when she says there's a pool right there, like it's literally you step off the balcony into the pool?

Into the pool. Like you don't walk anywhere. You step off the balcony into the pool, you jump, jump off the balcony into the pool. Yeah. And then there's like a whole resort they can play in. Yeah. But literally I was, I spent the whole time yelling at the children. Yeah. And then, and that also makes Christmas shopping hard.

'cause you're like, you know what? Fuckers, you're not getting anything. You're not getting anything. You can have potatoes. Yeah. And then this morning and the potatoes that are gone green and started s spreading stuff. And then this morning we had to get out and out of that resort to get home. And again, I was like, it's gonna be fine.

It's gonna be so chill. Like we're gonna be sweet. And one of my sons is like, um, where are my shorts? And I was like, um, and I was going from the resort to drop them at school. There were the first drop off and then home to drop wild, and then to the kids' school and then back to here. He was like, yeah, I forgot my shorts.

And I was like, what? Yeah, I don't have any shorts. And then like laid on the floor for 20 minutes sulking for the fact that he didn't have the shorts. And I rung Lee and I was like, did you check their bags? He's like, no. But I gave them an hour to pack shorts, shirts and shoes. So like I spent, we just like Jen Rich and I just, when I got here I was like, I need to, I need to go and have breakfast and debrief.

I'm like shaking because that morning was a nightmare and then like we're in the car. I was like, Hey, what could we all do differently in the mornings? Yeah. Like how could everyone have been better this morning? But I do that every morning. No one cares. I know, but then they don't even same on same old.

They don't even listen like three seconds before we got outta the car. I was like, these are the instructions for when we get out of the car so that it gets done. Like these are the perfect instructions. And one of my children just ignored that and just went about exactly opposite of what I said. And then I feel like I'm just this raging bitch of a mother.

Yeah. I'm like, Lee's like, well I've gotta do the nighttime routine. I'm like, yeah, with no pressure behind it. 'cause you don't have to be anywhere. Yeah. Like, and also boys don't have to get ready. So in the morning I'm also getting myself ready. Yes. And then I said to them this morning, who does, who went without eating this morning?

And they were like you. I was like, who went out without having coffee? Who Without went without getting themselves ready properly. Like it's not you guys that suffer. It's me that suffers. But you guys don't care. Yeah. So moving forward, just don't have, I won't feed you guys and I'll eat. You can't do that.

Child abuse.

I

know. Well, with Nana staying with us at the moment, she's starting some bad habits as well, because my son comes out the other morning and he's like, where's Nana? I'm like, I don't know. She's in her room. He's like, but my fruit's not cut up for. I'm like, oh, mate, cut your own fruit up. Go away.

But Nana comes running out, oh, I'm coming with your fruits. I'm like, wow, Nana. That's not okay. Nana. That's not how we are providing him a wife. Yeah. She ain't cutting his fruit up. For him to bite-size pieces, it's so bad. But yeah, it's just, yeah, it's anyone that says it's not a lot. The other day, actually I took one of my, like one of my girls, one of my staff that I work with, she was free for like the hour period that I do the round trip of getting my kids and I needed to be back here 'cause we were gonna go do an activity and I was like, come on, you're coming in the car with me.

She's like, what? I'm like. I want to hear what's going on with you. Just come in the car, we'll go for a drive. And I just like showed her what my life looks like when I left, like what my actual life looks like when I leave the salon and one of my other girls sometimes I'm like, I, she loves it. 'cause I'm like, she is always the one that's like, your life is hectic.

Like, and when they did that meme about like things your boss would never say, she was like, I had such a relaxing weekend. And so like I text her like, okay, just so you know, by the time I left work at two. 55 to now it's eight 30. This is everything I've done. Yeah. And she's like, I wouldn't do that in a month.

Wow. And she's like, that's the craziest list I've ever heard in my life. Yeah. And I was like, that's not to mention all the little things that I forgot to put in that list. Yeah. And all the little things that I forgot to do because I had that list. Yeah. Like that's a big one as well. It's just the list itself.

Yeah. How do people live without lists? I don't know.

Like

My head would just be exploitating. I literally don't know. I love my lists. It's the only way I function. Yeah, agreed. But I definitely think at this time of my life, the undiagnosed A DH, ADHD probably needs to be diagnosed and I probably need some medication at times.

But then I think if I didn't have, if I had the medication that like settled my brain down, how would I get everything done? It actually makes you get more done. Really? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So take away the guilt. Uh, no. That's what therapy does.

I don't have time for it, but, but also, I think sometimes you've just gotta give yourself a break that's, have you, you've just gotta give yourself a break. Like, did you do the best that you could? Yeah. Maybe it didn't work out. Everyone's just doing their best. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Just keep yourself a break.

Yeah. That's what I tell myself all the time is my husband and I lock ourselves in the bedroom with like chocolate and be like, whoa, how are we gonna get through this? Like we're just doing our best, just our best. But no, those fuckers can't have any chocolate. And keep the door locked. We're staying in here.

I can hear them banging. We don't care. No, go away. Always have a lock on your bedroom door. And it's not for reasons you think anymore. In saying that, that's the reasons you think in my house, but not in Jen's. Jen's locking herself in there just to get away from the teenagers. I am. I really am. It's a good time,

Oh.

But I think for me, like the things that allow me to get through and some things have really helped lately. So everyone knows that I have Nest my nanny who. Literally, I wouldn't survive like I raced in today, threw everything on the bench and left and know when I get home it's all gonna be done. But she went on holidays for three weeks, which I thought I would die.

The good thing about it was I'm trying to declutter the really intense noise in my head and sometimes that's decluttering the house. Oh yeah. And it's been like two years since I've done that. So anyone that's in this space, I'm like, just start on a draw. Just do one draw a day. Um, if you've got no time, like I'm really trying to limit any time I have on socials except for doing the stuff I actually need to do.

Um, and really just trying to be like, okay. And I did get really hyper-focused on it and pretty much throughout my entire home. And maybe one of my children, I'm not sure yet, but it's definitely helped the noise because I know where everything is. Yeah, like I'm feeling like hyper aware of where everything is.

By going through all of the kids' clothes, all the bathrooms, throwing out anything we don't need, and it's also made me really hyper aware that it's Christmas time and what can I buy them that's not going to junk this house up. Just be more rubbish. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I'm so conscious of that. Yeah, I, I mean it's obviously, it's different now.

Christmas is different when you've got teenagers, but yeah, like yeah, I just hated all the crap. Yes. You used to get, you know, yes. I didn't mind crap that consumed itself, you know, like things that you like made and used and then it was gone. Yes. But it was just that crap for the sake of crap just was not a vibe.

No. Yeah. And it's just like. Just teaching our kids like that. Consumerism. Yeah. And I like, so I'm trying to be really conscious on how we shop. And I also am in that point now that I'm like, I'm just gonna buy stuff that is quality stuff that you're gonna get lots of use of wear out of those things like price per wear.

Like am I gonna wear this over again? Is it gonna feel good? Because even for me, we had. Um, one of our best friend's 40th, and it was a white theme. Oh, that was so hard. And I bought two dresses online and this is where sometimes I'm like, I just need to go to the shops. 'cause I bought two dresses online.

Neither of those dresses will I wear. And I didn't send them back. Oh. Uh, I lie one, I'll probably wear the other one. It's like any, any of my short queens out there. Feel free to text me. It's yours because, oh, that one I literally, didn't you wear that out on the weekend? No. Oh no. The whole thing. That was the yellow one?

Yeah. Okay. No other one was lingerie. Like literally it was like a bee's penis off my vagina, vagina, my vagina. Um, and that's what I hate. Whereas then I went into Cook Eye and bought a top. Loved it. Yeah, that top was so good and it was double the price of the others of the two dresses, but I will wear that top.

All of the time now. Yeah. Like it's that perfect little throw with jeans, you know, if you're just going out and wanna feel a bit sexy. It was so perfect that I'm like, what am I doing? Like it's when you tune back into those things Yeah. You're like, stop just buying one thing. 'cause you're like, oh, it's cheap.

I can get it online. It can get sent. Sometimes you actually just have to go and spend them more money because you know you're gonna love it. And the price per wears better. I did the opposite. I tried so many things on and ended up buying a $28 dress from Kmart. Yeah. But it looks so good, but I also feel like I will wear that again.

You'll a hundred percent wear that again. Whereas a heap of the other stuff we're trying on, I'm like, yeah, it's okay. Yeah. I don't think I'll wear this to anything else. Smart. You know? Whereas it was like, I'll still wear this over, like swimmers with sandals. Yeah. It looks so, so nice. And it looks so nice.

Yeah. And then I also had money left over to go and buy clothes that I liked because I didn't spend it all on an outfit that I was only gonna wear once. Do what Jen does, don't do what Samara does. Mm-hmm. But sometimes I feel like we can get in that space as busy moms and business owners that we throw money at it because we're just like, I need to do it to get it done.

Like, and sometimes I think that's not the right move for that. Yeah. Like it even can be sometimes when you're like, take out, I'm too, like there's too much going on or, or, um. Tuck shop or whatever that is, and then you're just like, I've just wasted money on that. And I think this is a really good thought process to come up. So often I see sell on owners and if any of any anyone says to me, I can't invest in education, or I can't pay my taxes, actually take, really take conscious. Fing into thinking about what you're spending your money on. Yeah. Because if you are getting Uber Eats three times a week, that's revenue. $50. Yeah.

You know, if you are paying for tuck shop every day, if you are buying a coffee out every morning, if you are, you know, throwing money at things to make your life easier and not necessarily always easier, but you're throwing money at stuff to just be like, it's just then done. All of that extra money can be going on things that are going to help you.

Yeah. And I think that. The over consumerism, I think is I, I think a lot of salon owners, not every salon owner, but a lot of salon owners. I got in this really easy because you've got money sitting there that you can do it with. So then I'm so not this person. You are not this person. No, I am not this person.

No. I'm paranoid about every dollar that is sitting there. I know. But you've also done Salon Rising from the beginning. Yeah. Yeah. I think you are always gonna be that person. 'cause you've always been super conscious. Yeah. Yeah. Because when the kids were little, you didn't have No, we had no money. The business, you didn't have it to be able to do it.

Yeah. So you're really conscious on it. When people get businesses and they start to have these influx of good amount of money sitting there. Yeah. Not realizing that it's not always theirs. It's really easy just to be like, it's easier to throw money at it. It's easier to throw money at it. And we are doing that in a way that then, and I am, I can.

Do it. Like if we've had a really crazy week, sometimes we're buying, we've got Uber Eats a couple of times that week. Yeah. And God, that's so expensive. It's so expensive. Every, I've got five, I've got a family of seven. Yeah. You know, even if Lee and I just get takeout Mexican, which we love like, 'cause we don't get to go out, we have five kids that's a hundred bucks.

120 bucks. Yeah. And it's great. But then you're just like, well I probably would rather keep that and do a night out and just get some fresh fish or something for dinner. Yeah. But. When things get so busy throwing money at it. So it's more so like really looking at those things. I think we're coming to the end of the year.

It's like when it comes to business and motherhood, what do you want your year to look at? Like for me, I'm gonna have to start going, or I don't actually think I can start in the mornings until nine 30. Yeah. Because I'm gonna have four drop offs and I don't wanna spend my life running in here as I do at the moment.

Yeah, yeah. I run in at like three past nine and my client's already sitting there. It's like, how can you look at your book? If you're getting to these stages, what can you do moving into next year to make that motherhood business journey more, more calmer? And we spoke about this for you with. Putting the holidays in.

Oh gosh, yes. Yeah, I've definitely gotta do that. Yes. And I'm actually gonna extend my hours next year. Yeah. So now that I won't have to have drop, like drop everybody off, it'll just be my daughter and I in the car. Um, I'm gonna start half an hour earlier. Yep. Because at the moment, one of my apprentices starts half an hour early anyway.

Like we don't take clients until nine, but she starts and it just gives her time to. Potter. Yeah. And throw a load of towels on and, you know, quickly whip through and do a clean if she wants to, or just, you know, get back to messages like without us being rushed. Um, and I will do the same. Yes. I'll have that half hour in the morning just to like prep.

Yes. And get everything ready and then we can kick off. And that's the thing too, it's. It's just having that time. Yeah. You know, if we run in at nine, at three past nine and we've got a client away and you're trying seeing it, yeah. You don't have time to check the phone out, check what the girls need, see if we need any, like it's those little things.

Yeah. So it's like, can you ease your morning up by 15 minutes, half an hour that are actually gonna make your business run smoother. Yeah. And your home life run smoother, you know? Is it. I'm gonna take, do an extra client next year, every week, an extra haircut, and I'm gonna pay for a cleaner at my house every week.

Yeah. You know, because those things, we have a cleaner in the salon. I wouldn't live like, I wouldn't do it without it because it's all those little things that yes, my team could probably do. Do I wanna harp at it? Absolutely not. Yeah, exactly. Like it's just easier to have a cleaner come in and deep clean this salon to mop all the floors to have everything done.

And I don't have to think about it. It's the best 90 bucks I can spend a week. Yeah. 'cause I don't have to think about, okay, well are the floors mopped? Is this done? Is this target? And that's the thing, it's not saying don't spend, don't throw money at things, but just be really conscious of what you're throwing money at, throw your money on.

And I, you know? Yes. Does that feel like a really good return on investment for you? Yes. So like my salon cleaner. Yes. Yeah. And also like how can you systemize things and it's, I always think the new year is a good way to do it. Yeah. It's like how can I systemize things to make it easier, you know? Are there, yeah.

Buses for the kids, what does this look like? How can I give myself some more time? Because even with everything that I do to systemize my life, and it's, you know, as I said, I never go to Woolworths. Amazon is I is my very best friend in the whole world. Above everybody else is Amazon. Amazon and Nessie actually.

Because everything can do is just get delivered. Yeah. Like there's multiple parcels coming to my house every day, and it's the smallest things. Like we needed a bug capture thing for the bugs, and it's just like, I don't. That's something to take. You know, dog food and all the things that I, protein powder and stuff that you can't just get at Woolies.

Amazon's does that and it's free delivery. I love free delivery. It's my favorite thing in the world. I know. Technically it's not free 'cause we're paying Amazon Prime membership. Yeah, but it's just like $14 a month. It feels free because you, Netflix doesn't give me anything so much. Exactly. Exactly right.

Prime does. Um. And the amount I order, oh yeah, it's well worth it. It's literally like 10 cents an a shipping fee. But it's all of those things of how can I systemize those things a little bit more? Yeah. Because even with all of that, even with systemizing the salon and trying to make sure that that runs and making sure that I still have zero time for myself.

Yeah. Zero. You know, and that's with all of the things that I do to make things easier. So if I didn't have all these things in place. I would have negative 48 hours a week. So I would highly put it out there to anyone that's like, I do this and it makes my life so much easier. Please come at me with all of your suggestions.

Oh yeah. We need a list of things. Need a list that people are doing that make their day-to-day life easier. Yeah. That we could like put together as like a 12 days of Christmas, but like a 12 things that will make your life easier in 2026. Like, that's a good idea. That's a, a really good idea. I can't put Nessie or Nana on there.

I'm real sorry. I, but look, maybe, maybe it is moving a grandparent in. Like, I, people are like, I cannot believe you love having your mother-in-law live with you. It's like it is the best Oh thing when dad's there. The world, when dad comes to my house, he's not always at my house, but I'm like. How did I survive without you this week?

Yeah. It's just multi-generational families. We were supposed to live in a village. Okay. I know. I still think, why don't we live in a village? I know. It's still something that I want. And I just think that would make our lives easier just to be like, oh, we're going have dinner. The kids are just running free on the yard.

Have at them. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's how we're meant to live. 'cause it's really hard doing it by yourself. That's what I mean. Yeah. One of the top things that you and I help us. Uh, just another person in the house. Yep. 100. But yeah, please come at me at your suggestions because yeah, maybe it's like an app that you are using.

Yes. Maybe it's like somewhere that you're shopping. That's really great. Yeah. Maybe it's just like a service or you found a provider that's like doing something you didn't know someone could do that just changed your life. Yeah. Um, you know, anything that is making the, the bridge between.

being

a business owner and a parent easier.

Yeah, hit us up. I even the other day, I sat on the couch with my best friend Trace and she was showing me that she bought this like wrapping kit set from Temu. So it's just like the, it's just like a bag that you put all the wrapping stuff in, so it's like big enough long and you put all your paper, like wrapping paper in that and then like the tape and the scissors and the ribbon.

Oh yeah. Okay. And even that, uh, it took me so long to just figure out what sort of wrap we were talking about. Yeah. Okay. Like is it a food wrap, is it a burrito wrapping paper? Like as in like, is it rap music?

It's all the Dr. Dre.

Um,

I'd be down with the Dr. Dre bag and even that, I'm like, oh, then it's all in one place. It's gonna make my life easier when I wrap presents. Yeah. So this is where my head goes when I'm like, what are the little things that you guys do? Yeah. That make things easier. We got draw organizers for this, we got this.

You know? Yes. Like anything like that, that it's like, this is such a game changer. I want to know those things. I wanna know all of those things. Yeah. And then we'll do a video series of trying to implement them. I love that idea. I'm on also on this like conscious health effort, except for last weekend, well, this weekend just been.

Oh, that lemon cheesecake.

It I ate

It. I ate like I have eaten really clean for three weeks and then I made all of the things like pretty much our Christmas party can be summed up as sugar because we had like margarita machine just like walk in the room, roll in the sugar, carry on to the pool. Yeah, pretty much like.

There was like, yeah, lemon cheesecake that one of our clients made. There was ice cream slice, there was Rocky Road, there was tins with like this mix that I'd made them that had all these treats in it. There was like lollies and chocolate on their bed. There was like, it was obscene and then we had like the slushie machine, so we made margaritas to chocolate milk.

Frappes to what? Yeah. To. Um, like slushies, coke, slushies in the afternoon. So literally also drunk our calories. Oh, wow. And I've rolled outta there this morning being like, Ugh. But even that's one of the things, up until this point, up until this weekend, it all starts again today, is like we prep our breakfast so that I don't, I can just grab and run in the mornings.

Yeah. 'cause with five kids, I don't get to eat. I didn't get to eat this morning and then I'm just in a foul mood, so, and it's not good for us. We need to eat. Yeah. It's like prepping the night before of making sure like breakfast and drinks and. Co our coffees are done and we can just like literally grab it and run out the door.

Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's all of these things. If there's like a meal thing that you do, like I did HelloFresh for a while, but then it kind of, I always, it just doesn't work for my family. It was fine for a bit, but I just got a little bit sick of it. I mean, again, move Nana in. She's just a dream. Yeah. And I think that's.

You know, she keeps saying to me, oh, I need to pay you to live here. And it's like, you really don't 'cause you saved me so much money. You know? Yes. Like just those little things, like on a Thursday night, like Mondays. Oh, actually Mondays are obscenely crazy in our houses. It's like yet four in the door. And then we've gotta get one, one goes and takes the two boys to training for Muay Hai.

The other one goes and takes one, two, um, basketball training. Goes straight from basketball training to guitar lessons. Go straight from guitar lessons to pick the boys up from Mohai training to bring them home. So we're often not in the door again till 7 30, 8 o'clock. And we walk in the door and.

Nana's

made dinner.

Mm. And we didn't buy shit. Talk dirty to me. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like it's just same on like basketball night when she knows we're all gonna be running in and the boys have got training and the, and Islas got basketball and she pre-make dinner during the day so that at, 'cause we all come in and out at different times.

It's just like done. And I know it's things that we could, we can still do once she's not there. Like we could actually implement that. We're gonna meal prep and do. The stuff so that at least those, it's another thing you think, but it's just like, I don't, I'm tired. I was like, how much do I have to tired?

I was like, how much do I have to extra work to, to bring someone at my house at six 30 in the morning? That does, yeah, the morning routine, packs all the lunches, does all the organizing, like no pair or something. Maybe people are doing that, you know, like, because I know what is it? I was like and gets them to school like that sounds like pure.

Born to me like, oh my goodness. Like that sounds so hot. You just need a bigger house though, because you absolutely need a bigger house. Need to have a room. Them. This morning I got up with an en suite and I was like, oh, I don't have to talk to anyone until I'm ready. This is nice. Yeah. 'cause my house is tiny.

I have to like walk out of my room and you cannot walk out of your room when you have kids. No. And expect to get two steps to the bathroom and not be hounded. Yeah. Not have someone talk to you. It was so nice this morning. Get up and not talk to anyone until I was ready. Man. I'm such sounds. I sound like the biggest mole.

I promise you be my No, no. We are just tired moms. We're just very tired. I'm pretty sure we can hear that in our voices. It's the end of the year. It's the end of the year. I'm tired. I'm very tired. Yeah, yeah. Bring on 13 days off where I can just sleep. I'm not even sure how many days off I'm taking, but I am taking days off.

I just haven't looked at. Specifically how many there are. Yeah. Yeah. But I will definitely have some. Yeah. And it'll be a dream. Agreed. That's how we're feeling today. We're trudging to the end and funnily enough, we were supposed to interview one of our friends today, but then a baby situation, it's like motherhood. Hey. Yeah. Parenthood, parenthood Rich couldn't get into the salon this morning 'cause his kids have moved the keys.

Yeah. Parenthood gets ya.

On that note, thanks guys. Have a good rest of your year. We're gonna, we're gonna suck up some energy for round two.

Do this. See you in 2026. See you soon. Bye