Mom guilt is that ugly thing that tells you that you should be a better mom when you are more than likely doing your best as it is. It effects every mom and today we are going to talk with a mom that has really strong beliefs in how she wanted her motherhood, her business, and all the things she is doing in her life to look like. She knew what she wanted it to look like and she’s been working on it fiercely for a long time. Her kids are little older so it’s going to be fun to talk about what that journey looked like.
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
Meet Jen Kruba – Systemize Your Life Podcast Guest
I am so excited to bring this incredible special guest Jen Kruba to the podcast! From a stay at home, homeschooling momma to doTERRA Presidential Diamond, Jen Kruba has built a solid organization of over 200,000 members, with monthly sales of 7-8 million. She built this organization by showing families how to defy the odds with natural modalities.
It all began when she shared experiences about using essential oils on her own children. She was able to initially teach and empower families in her local community until her network exploded beyond local areas.
Passions and Goals Create a Successful Business
Her passion originated with her love of the products. Over the years, she has learned a ton about what it means to be a woman in the business world. From being a shy introvert to speaking in front of large crowds and learning how to effectively work with others, she has been able to overcome numerous challenges which have molded her into the leader she is today.
Her goal is to empower every woman to be confident and care for her family in a natural way and secondly, to find her purpose in this life by stretching herself out of her comfort zone and growing into the woman she was made to be. Her story has inspired me so much and I know it will inspire you too.
Dealing with Mom Guilt as a Working Mom
A lot of us moms put on the backburner the things that light us up because we feel like it’s a detriment to not be available to our kids at all times. As the mom of grown children, I wanted to know what benefits Jen saw looking back. Why is she proud of the decision to be in business while raising her children?
Jen said she did struggle with the mom guilt of not always being with her kids as they grew up, but she was most proud of her kids getting to see the beauty of owning a business and having a goal that you are passionate about. Her kids were the inspiration behind her getting involved in the business to begin with so she is glad that they did grow to understand that.
Passing on the Blessings to Her Kids
She also shared that she didn’t have a degree when she started and how her kids got to see their mom as a woman passionate about serving others. They are now doing that themselves. While they did get to see it become a huge business and how that was a blessing to them, they also learned to be comfortable in their own skin.
Her son didn’t go to college. He chose a trade school and he is the youngest person on his job, but they often pull him into the upper end meetings because they see that his mind works differently than most people raised in a traditional way. They see that he thinks outside of the box and value it.
The Hardest Part of Managing it All is the Mom Guilt
The next thing I wanted to know was what Jen considered to be the hardest part of it all. She homeschooled her children and grew a business that far exceeded her expectations. Now that she is on the other side of that journey, what was the hardest part?
Jen’s response is one that I think many moms can relate to. She shared how the hardest part is looking back and seeing the things she could have done better. Specifically she said managing her time. She said she felt she was naive to the impact of being strategic with your time and how time blocking and systemizing things could have helped her become a more present mom. Prioritizing these things could have lessened her mom guilt over the years.
Jen’s Encouragement to Moms in the Trenches
To all the moms who are in the trenches right now raising young children, Jen said she wanted to encourage you to really tap into systems and understanding time blocking. She shared how she thinks you will be happier when you look back on your motherhood if you can say that you managed your time intentionally and were joyful when you were with your children.
You Can Do Both
When I was younger, I never wanted to be a mom because I didn’t want to give up my dreams. I dreamed of being a motivational speaker and a writer. Not wanting children was a very selfish thing, I didn’t want to ruin my life. Now, I understand that you can do both if you manage your time well.
You can show up with joy and intention with your kids while exploring all the things you were meant to be if you manage your time well. I really hope you take the time to listen to this podcast episode so you can be encouraged by Jen’s story. Now, I want to pivot and talk about one of my other favorite things, systems!
“I want to encourage moms in the trenches to really prioritize learning and implementing systems and time management. You will look back on your motherhood with less mom guilt and a confidence that you managed your time intentionally and with joy.”
Jen’s Meal Planning System
Jen has a meal planning system that she shared on her Instagram that I was super curious about. She shared how one of the things that stresses her out is meal planning. It would often end up being dinner time and she had nothing planned.
Meal Planner
Plan to Eat is the program. It’s a meal planner that is totally customizable to you. A lot of times we find recipes we want to try online and with Plan to Eat, you can take that URL into the program and it will pull that recipe in to your planner. If you have family recipes you want to include, then you can type those in and they are ready to be used.
You can then drop the recipes into your calendar to see what you have planned when. It integrates with your Google calendar and all the info you need for that night is in your calendar. The Plan to Eat program also creates a grocery list for you. Jen uses this to create her online grocery orders to make grocery shopping a breeze.
Do You Need to Change Your Meal Planning System?
You all know that I have a meal planning system that I use and teach that I call a menu board. I am pretty picky about the systems that I teach and share on the blog and podcast. The system that Jen uses looks fairly similar to what I teach, but is an electronic version.
I am not saying you need to switch your meal planning system. I just wanted Jen to share her system because it looked like a beautiful option that some of you may be looking for. It is similar in concept to my system. If you are struggling with mom guilt over meal times, look at these systems to see if they can work for you.
What Has Time Blocking Done for Jen?
Jen is fairly new to the time blocking concept and has been eating up all the tips I share. So I wanted her to share how that is all going for her. I hope it will encourage those of you who are also fairly new to the concept.
Time Blocking Brings Freedom
Jen shared how she had always thought she was a great protector of her time, but realized that wasn’t really the case after she had stuck with the time blocks for a while. But she has found the time blocks to be freeing. She resisted it in the beginning because she felt like it was going to be to restrictive, but it has actually has brought freedom.
One thing Jen said she had always struggled with was walking away from a project because she would get so wrapped up in things and not want to stop. The time blocks have given her permission to walk away from things knowing that she will come back to them.
From Mom Guilt to Joy
Jen shared that the awareness of how she is spending her time is great. There is a little bit of shame from seeing just how much time she’s wasted over the years, but her focus is on the joy that comes from managing her time well now. I think that’s a great perspective to have. God’s timing is right for everything.
If you are new to time blocking, check out my free resources. I have a workbook to help you figure out your priorities, which I call your Fundamental Needs, and a time blocking workbook. Both are free and will help you start to tackle mom guilt by being strategic in your motherhood.
Learn More From Jen
You can find Jen over on Instagram. She also has a FREE course called Master Your Home. It walks you through your house and teaches how to make switches that are better for your family. You can also find information on her website to learn more about essential oils or joining the business.
Mom Guilt Doesn’t Have to Rule Your Life
If you got anything from my conversation with Jen, I hope it is the encouragement that you can be both the momma you want to be and run a successful business if you want to. You just need to start thinking strategically about your time and be committed.
You can do this, momma! Remember to check in with us in the Facebook group for even more support. I’m rooting for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Mom guilt is eating me up! How can I get on top of it?
First, stop beating yourself up! You are doing the best you know how. Second, start paying attention to what you are feeling guilty about. This will help you begin to understand your priorities. Use my priorities workbook to really flesh this out. Once you start to understand what is missing from your life, then you can start working to change that. The next step is your time management, this is where you will really make things click. Download my time blocking workbook and you are on your way!
If you want a more detailed structure, join the Academy. I will walk you through all of the things to take you from overwhelm to confidence.
