Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
I’m a mom of 4, ages 7 years and younger. I started a business over 6 years ago to help my daughter with an itchy skin condition called eczema. What started off as a hobby turned into a growing business that’s now global. My littles have been a part of this entrepreneurial journey and are able to see business through a different lens.
Tell me a little bit about your current business
I started Andrea Thomas Collective to help product based creative entrepreneurs take their product to the next level by making more products in less time, increasing productivity and ultimately their profit.
How did you get started as a Product Business Strategist?
I’ve gained so much insight while growing my own business, I found myself encouraging and answering others questions along the way. I’ve documented my strategies through trial and error to make their journey so much easier. I can also share how to grow a business while focusing on family and a growing family.
Do you still sell your original product?
Yes, ScratchMeNot continues to sell and grow.
How do you find time to work with four littles?
Being creative!
I simply don’t have 8 straight hours to work. I know what it’s like to wake up nonstop for feedings, potty breaks, night terrors all in the same night and still have to function to work on the business the next morning, cheerfully (or be coherent).
To keep me sane and business on track, I’ve created a Family + Work map to navigate through family, kids, work, friends, me-time… purposefully. I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach balance because of the ebbs and flows of life, yet I strive to be purposeful. With so many moving parts to my life this fluid schedule gives the freedom to focus on the task or people at hand. I have dedicated children time and work time. There’s also many moments where they flow together.
What does your typical day look like?
I have two types of day, one where it’s mostly work as most of the kids are at school or mom’s day out. Those days are focused on work and tackling my priorities for the week. My latest case study is the 12 week year by Michael Lennington. I’m all about streamlining my time, because of the many goals I’d like to accomplish.
My other day type is mostly kid focused where I’ll only work a couple of hours during the day time. On those days I choose to either to wake up early or go to bed late to get a few hours in.
Between this flow, I’m able to accomplish a type of rhyme that works for my family.
What is your best tip for creating balance with kids and work?
Pursue your goals purposefully, lay them out and create a plan for success that will not overwhelm you, yet will still challenge you! Understand that momentum is built up with time, sometimes it’s a slow start, but as long as you keep pushing the needle consistently you will get to where you are going. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
If you know in advance that you’re going to have a merger of kid + work time, plan activities in advance! And lots of them. Create incentives for quiet times if you have conference calls scheduled, get them excited about their day of activities and make it fun for them. Also let them know when dedicated kid time will be. It keeps them in the loops and helps them feel apart of the journey.
If possible, allow to be involved in the business, packing and shipping, counting flyers, reading names of the customers, etc. So many opportunities for teachable moments from an entrepreneurial perspective.
What is your favorite business tool? 
Right now, I’m a little biased, my favorite tool is… my free Profit Pricing Calculator to help make sure products are priced with built in profit to keep your business running smoothly. My favorite funnels tool is Clickfunnels. I’m able to create landing pages and funnels easily with drag and click and make fabulous pages easily. More than just landing pages. My favorite free tool is Mailmunch, to let people know about my latest events or freebies that can use now for their business!
Do you set goals? What is your big goal for this year?
I most definitely set goals! I now have a sharper eye towards not only setting them, but making sure my actions for monthly, quarterly, etc align with meeting or exceeding them. One thing I continue to do, is revise my goals, insert pulse checks as I get closer to meeting them to make adjustments. I never want the busy-ness of building a business overshadow my goals.
Final thoughts?
The joy of being an entrepreneur is to build the kind of life we always wanted. To be with our kids more, to have flexibility and the list goes on. As we’re building our businesses, let’s keep these core thoughts and reasons in mind so we don’t become lost trying to fulfill only a portion of our dream!
Andrea Thomas is the creator and founder of a product & maker’s business for over 6 years. Her products are available around the world and giving relief children and parents peace. She is now sharing her business strategies and resources at Andrea Thomas Collective for those launching a product or ready to scale by making more products in less time. She shares how to jump-start a product based business in her FREE Product Business Quick Start Guide, with a special bonus workshop on how to make more products in less time!
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