As business owners, livelihood comes pretty close to the top of our priority list. Running a business that we feel passionate about is a dream for most of us but equally it needs to make us money. This reality rings even more true when, as the business owner and mum, you're also the sole provider and primary caregiver to your children.

This is exactly the position that Julia Hasche, found herself in five years ago, when she left both a toxic relationship and a corporate career to start her own business whilst being a single mother to her very young daughter. Her experience reflects that of approximately 7% of business owning mothers across Australia who are setting up their own business as single parents.

So how has Julia managed to follow her passion to run her dream business (supporting other mothers going through divorce and separation) all while being the primary carer for her daughter?

Julia, give us your pitch...

“I help single mothers navigate and adjust to the reality of raising kids alone and to overcome and grow through all of those associated struggles by providing strategies, tools and most of all, community. So that they are supported as they learn to thrive and feel empowered to live their best life. The way I do that is through mentoring programmes for single mums, my blog, weekly podcast which is called Single Mothers Survival Guide, and also through my online membership experience for single mothers, which is called Thrive Tribe.”

How do you achieve balance in your life?

“I prioritise the things that are important to me at this very moment. If you're running a business and you're in the middle of a launch, then try not to do all the other things. I focus on the key things that are really essential and all the other stuff doesn't matter. The key things for me are daily exercise (even if it's 20 minutes). It's meditation, it's scheduling that in and sticking it in my timetable. It's not worrying about things which, in the grand scheme of things, don’t matter. Like housework. 

I've had a VA now for quite a few months, and that's been really good. It's enabled me to let go of tasks that I don't need to focus on so I can focus on other things in my life that I want to.”

Have you found any sort of key transferable skills on the journey of motherhood and running a business? 

“Before becoming a mum I thought I was organised but afterwards I realised ‘I'm going to have to get a bit more organised’. I'm a big planner, I'm all about planning and schedules. I love that stuff. This is relevant for budgeting as well and as a single mum, all those skills have really had to be enhanced because you've got to really look after your time better. You've got to plan out when you're doing what. You've got to look at your budget. I think, if anything, being a single mum has only made me better at those skills.”

What do you think your experience of life as a single mum has brought to your business both the pros and the cons?

“I think the pros have been overcoming mindset blocks, that's been a big one. Another pro, has been great planning and one of the biggest ones would be determination. I think, as a single mum going into business, there's no one else to really support you. There's no second income. I think being a single mum has brought me a lot of determination in business and a lot of motivation because either it's going to work or it's not. There's no other person there to hold you up.

At the end of the day, I think you've got to do what you love. I think it's a great message for our kids too because, you know, kids just sort of grow up being asked “What are you going to be when you grow up?” “Are you going to do this?” The question isn't asked “what would make you really happy if you could do this as a job when you grow up?” So I want to teach my daughter that I'm doing what I love. You should do what you love as well. You know, life is just too short.”

Want more tips on how you can achieve balance as a business owner?

Or why outsourcing is such a powerful tool? And is the shape of a successful life octagonal? ? Listen to the episode to find out!

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