The Hats That We Wear….
Being a working Mom is hard AF and as much as I’m sure I might make it look easy sometimes, it’s never easy and I have to give myself a good kick in the pants more often than you know….
I feel like I went through a few foggy years since having kids because being a Mom and trying to build a career is let’s face it – exhausting. I’ve always been stuck with an internal battle of where my time is most valuable and I’ve definitely felt the guilt of not being with my babies when they need me sometimes. It’s taken awhile to get to where my mental state on all of this is today, but I’m happy with the choices I’ve made and the example I’m setting for my daughters. I have always been determined to never lose sight of ‘Lynsey’ which means taking care of my own heart & soul so I can be the best version of myself for the people I love.
It’s only really been this year that I’ve found clarity in what I want out of my life and career then given myself permission to go for it.
I’m not sure what the TSN turning point was really, but I just hit a point of acknowledgement and peace with myself that I chose to nurture moving forward. I make conscious decisions about the design of my life every day and while somedays it all feels completely overwhelming, there are more days when I’m feeling motivated, inspired and excited to push myself to my fullest potential. As a professional saleswoman, I understand the peaks and valleys of the sales cycle and I find life to be kind of the same – we go through periods of accelerated energy and huge wins but also through times of exhaustion and crushing lows.
I know people always talk about balance but I feel like it’s almost impossible to achieve when we’re trying to be so many things to so many people. It gets hard to go from Mom-hat, to Advisor-hat, to Wife-hat, to Entrepreneur-hat – multiple times within the span of a day because I feel like I’m literally 10 different people co-existing in one body and one life – each with it’s own set of pressures and demands that require very special attention.
I wear a lot of different hats in life.
First and foremost – wife and mother. My marriage is the product of very thoughtful work and dedication on both mine and my husband’s part. We made a decision to stick with each other through the peaks and valleys and I know no matter what, we always make our way back up. Despite the fact that we have a Type 1 Diabetic child, our family is healthy, happy and I’m damn proud of the amazing, beautiful, kind little girls we are raising together. At the end of the day – our family will always come first to me – ALWAYS – but I can never ignore the little voice chirping in my head that reminds me I have more to offer the world and I am capable of amazing things.
So that brings me to my next three hats: Insurance Advisor, Online Sales Trainer and Women’s Fashion Buyer. Yes – it’s all super random, but it’s true and I’ve discovered over the years that random works for me.
One,
Elle Bell accomplishes a new designation!
I’ve been an insurance advisor for 5 years now and over those 5 years, I have placed hundreds of very important and comprehensive policies that will protect people financially from some of the most devastating and catastrophic events that can happen in our lives. Pretty freaking cool hey? I know the word ‘insurance’ itself just sounds boring, but I’ve seen this type of coverage go to work for families in the most personal ways and I have to tell you, it’s pretty powerful stuff. I couldn’t be more proud of what I do and the career I’ve built for myself within this industry so I’m going to continue to grow and thrive within it. I have every opportunity at my finger tips and I know that it’s my responsibility to seize them as I can.
Two,
I created Elle Bell Sales Co. during a period of extreme inspiration in my life and this business and this brand have filled a creative void that I could feel was missing for years. I love having this outlet to express my passions and I actually get giddy somedays with the potential I see for myself within it.
The Elle Bell headquarters
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love setting goals and being able to accomplish them on this scale so far has been the most personally and professionally satisfactory endeavor I’ve ever taken on. It’s a very, very cool feeling to create something, put it out into the world and then have such a positive response but it’s also not without it’s struggles and failures along the way. I don’t always have all the answers for myself but I can typically figure out where to start which makes this whole journey so interesting and engaging for me.
Three,
Mike D and Elle Bell hustlin’ at S3 Boardshop.
I’ve been buying the women’s fashion for our stores on and off for the last 12 years. My husband has always owned a snowboard shop and over the years, my role within the company has evolved. I love going to the buying shows with him and seeing how well-known and respected he is within his industry. I think he’s a brilliant businessman and I know his reps love working with him. I always learn so much from him when we’re working side by side and although this is just one more hat for me to wear, I’m not giving it up anytime soon. Plus, it’s pretty cool to sit on the other side of the buying equation and be able to analyze other people’s selling styles.
All of these roles are because of choices I’ve made in my life:
- I choose to have a professional career as an insurance advisor.
- I choose to follow my passion for sales and to use my creative mind.
- I choose to work with my husband to create an amazing shopping experience for our customers and a profitable, successful business for our family.
Yes, it’s completely exhausting some days trying to manage it all but it’s always so worth it when we see our efforts paying off and I know that the chaos of today won’t be my life forever. Once I embraced the fact that as an ambitious, hardworking, woman in my 30’s, the concept of balance is bullshit, the more I’ve been able to embrace this gong show, roller coaster of life and have less fear in following my dreams. Balance doesn’t exist when you’re going after an extraordinary life so I think women need to stop putting so much emphasis on it and just take each day as it comes with a focus on a greater goal to accomplish. I’ve decided to HUSTLE while the hustlin’s good and keep going after the things I want in life. Despite any major breakdowns I’ve had, it’s always been worth it to just keep going and I’m so grateful to have the most amazing people in my life who are always there to pick me up when I’m down.
A friend recently told me that I make it all look easy (which was meant to be a compliment) and it inspired me to write this post.
I am officially informing you that IT’S NOT EASY – but – IT’S WORTH IT.
It’s hard AF to juggle the many different roles we have in life as women (I haven’t even touched on the roles of daughter, sister & friend) and the guilt can sometimes eat you up but as my best friend Emma always says, that’s when we need to pivot. Make small changes to adjust your sails, course correct and stay on the journey because it’s not just about reaching the destination, it’s about living in the moment and acknowledging the journey while we’re on it.
All my love,
Lynsey
