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Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post The Truth About Scaling a Business With Limited Hours (and Little Kids) with Shanna Skidmore appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 36 minutes

Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast — and welcome to the final part of my birth series (about the postpartum season)! So far, I’ve shared three episodes all about pregnancy and birth, and I really appreciate everyone who’s listened along. If you haven’t yet, you can totally go back and check them out after this one!

Here’s a quick recap:

The first episode was all about my pregnancy — the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC (Episode 318)
The second episode was Sofia’s home birth story (Episode 319)
The third was a Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth (Episode 320)
Now, my 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season (Episode 321)

Today, we’re diving into postpartum but instead of sharing my personal postpartum story, I wanted to do something a little different. When I sat down to plan this episode, I realized that what might be most helpful for you is practical advice.

After going through three postpartum and newborn seasons (each one unique, with three very different births and babies), I’ve learned a lot. As I’m recording this, I’m about three months postpartum (Sofia is around 14 weeks old), so this is all still very fresh for me.

These are the postpartum lessons and pieces of advice I wish I’d heard sooner — things that aren’t your typical “postpartum recovery” tips. Instead, we’ll focus more on lifestyle, adjusting to a new baby, a growing family, and the transition that comes with it.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

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Search for episode 321!

Okay, so like I said, I’m coming to you right now at three months postpartum with my third baby, Sofia. I also have two boys — Colin and Ethan. Colin is four years old now, and Ethan is a year and a half. So yes, we’ve got a brand-new baby in the house!

I’ll start by saying that I’m not really going to share much about my specific postpartum experience in this episode. It’ll naturally weave into my advice, but what I mainly want to say up front is that this has truly been my best postpartum experience yet. Some of the advice I’ll share will explain why that’s been the case, and I’m so grateful for it.

There are so many factors that go into what makes a postpartum experience feel easier or harder — physical, emotional, situational — so I just want to remind you: don’t compare your postpartum journey to someone else’s. Every situation is different.

And honestly, with this being my third baby, it’s kind of crazy to me that even with more kids, a husband who went back to work much sooner, and a business to run, this time has actually felt easier than my first. Back then, I was just adjusting to having one child. So, it doesn’t necessarily get harder every time.

This has been such a sweet postpartum season for me. I’ve truly loved these months and am continuing to love life as a mom of three. It feels so amazing. I’m really loving our family-of-five life. So that’s a little life update and some context before we dive in.

Now, let’s get into these pieces of postpartum advice that you might not have heard before or at least not explained in this way. These are things I’d tell any mom, whether it’s your first baby, your second, your third, or beyond.

1. None of these difficulties of postpartum last forever. Remind yourself that when it’s hard.

Remind yourself of that when things feel hard. Truly, the first year of a baby’s life, and even beyond that, is full of constant change. Week by week, even day by day in those early months, everything shifts so much.

For me, as a third-time mom, it’s easier to see that now. I can look back and think, yeah, that was hard last time too, but it didn’t last forever. It passed quickly. I know to expect things like the three-month sleep regression, and that perspective really helps.

It’s definitely not as easy to see this as a first-time mom, when everything feels so new. But now, I really know how fast it all goes. Especially with my second, Ethan — he still feels like such a baby himself. He’s 19 months old right now as I’m recording this, and that close age gap has shown me just how quickly time passes.

So when things feel hard, I really want you to remind yourself — none of it lasts that long.

Let me give you some real examples from these past three months:

Your baby won’t always be awake with you until you go to bed, like in those newborn weeks when if you go to sleep at nine or ten, they’re still up with you — and then waking throughout the night. Eventually, your baby will have a bedtime around 7:00 or 7:30 (that’s my recommendation), and you’ll get your evenings back. You’ll have that time again to just relax or do something for yourself.

This time around, I actually enjoyed those evenings with Sofia — once the boys were down, she’d stay up with us until our bedtime. But now, at three months postpartum, that phase has already ended.

Nursing also won’t always take 45 minutes every two hours. It becomes quicker, more spaced out, and so much more manageable.

Your baby will eventually sleep through the night. I can’t say exactly when, it’s different for everyone, and honestly, they might sleep through the night for a while and then stop and start again. That’s been my experience. But it does happen, and you will sleep again.

Going out gets easier (both with your baby and without your baby). It really does.

If you hate swaddling (or your baby hates it!), you’ll be done with it before you know it because your baby will outgrow it so fast. Ironically, as I’m recording this, Sofia is taking her first crib nap in the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit, which we use as our swaddle-to-sleep-sack transition. We did about three months of swaddling, and now she’s in that next stage already.

You’ll also get to an actual nap schedule eventually, with fewer naps and more predictability, instead of feeling like your baby constantly needs to sleep.

Those are just a few examples of things that can feel challenging early on, but they really do pass so quickly. Try to remember that and soak in the parts you want to enjoy, because this season goes by in a blink.

The beautiful things about this season also go by quickly. I’ve been reminded of that too… yes, the hard parts pass fast, but so do the amazing, precious, sweet things about the newborn phase. Those are the moments I want to have as permanent photos and videos in my mind forever.

For example, contact naps. Yes, older kids and toddlers can still nap on you, but it becomes so rare, and you really do miss it. I’ve been soaking those up. The little newborn stretches when they come out of the swaddle all scrunched up, the cooing, the way you can just lay around and look into your baby’s eyes and babble back and forth, those happy moments when your baby just wants to be held.

And then all the “firsts” — the first smile, the first laugh, rolling over, grabbing something — all of it is just so, so sweet and precious. And it really does fly by.

That little saying, “the days are long, but the years are short,” is so true in parenting. You’ll find your groove and your new normal sooner than you think but it’s always changing. That first year, the schedule constantly shifts. Eventually, though, you’ll reach a point where things feel more stable (the feeding rhythm, the naps, the daily flow), and if you’re someone who thrives on routine, that will feel really good.

2. Getting “ready” for the day can be very mood-boosting

I’ve talked about this in other podcast episodes, including the ones about my postpartum experiences after both of my boys were born.

But I mentioned this especially after Ethan was born, how much my mood improved when I took a little time to get ready. And I don’t mean putting on jeans or a fancy top or doing your hair perfectly. I’m talking about simple things: comfy sweatpants or leggings you feel good in, a nursing- or pumping-friendly top, a little bit of makeup, and a shower.

That has truly been one of my best postpartum hacks. It’s crazy how much my mood shifts when I go from wearing pajamas, not showering, and having no makeup on — to just putting in my contacts, brushing my hair, or applying a little makeup.

I don’t do that every single day, especially not in the early weeks, but during that first month, it made a huge difference to get ready every few days… even just blow-drying my hair or putting on mascara.

And that’s true even if I look at the day ahead and think, “I’m only going to be at home,” or “the only place I’m going today is the pediatrician and the Starbucks drive-through.” It doesn’t matter and it still helps me feel better and more like myself to get a little bit put together.

On that note, I highly recommend buying yourself some cute clothes, lounge sets, and PJs for postpartum… things you’ll be excited to wear, that feel comfortable and beautiful. Maybe even size up a bit.

Find a few outfits that fit the season you’re in. For me, those early months were during the hot summer, and now we’re easing into fall. Having a few sets or outfits that were easy for nursing or pumping, but also made me feel comfortable, made a big difference.

I usually find mine on Amazon… I’ll just search for sets, pick a few that look cute, and return what doesn’t work. It’s simple and easy.

And again, this is something that really works for me. If you’re hearing me say that and thinking, “Ugh, that sounds stressful, that sounds like more work,” then maybe this tip isn’t for you. But for me, during times in postpartum when I’ve felt down, stressed, or anxious, that little act of getting ready has really helped.

3. Take the rest and slowness that postpartum is inviting you into.

First, it’s okay to hog your baby. It’s okay to just lay in bed and have other people bring you things.

I think too often, after having a baby, whether it’s your first or your third, we feel this impulse to get back to it right away. But you don’t need to. I promise.

And sometimes that impulse can be even stronger if your birth felt easier or went really smoothly. You think, “I don’t actually need that much recovery time,” so you try to jump back in faster than you should.

For me, with this third baby, I actually rested the most. Way better than with my first or second. And that still feels kind of crazy to say, considering what life looks like with three kids.

This time, I had my easiest recovery because I had a straightforward, no-intervention home birth. So in theory, my recovery should have been faster. Plus, I already had two other kids, so I could’ve told myself, or someone else could’ve said, “Elizabeth, your recovery was simple, you’ve got other kids to care for, you need to get back to it.”

But I didn’t tell myself that and thankfully, no one around me did either. And I’m so grateful for that.

So if you have that little voice in your head (maybe because it’s a subsequent birth, or because your delivery was smooth and you feel like you don’t need as much rest), let me be the one to tell you: take the longer recovery.

My midwife actually encouraged me to rest big and I did.

And like I said, I actually rested longer and better this time than even after my C-section.

If you missed the earlier episodes, this was my first home birth, and the postpartum care was completely different from my other two births. My first was through a birth center, and my second was hospital care. But with home birth, I was honestly surprised by how much care and follow-up there was.

I saw my midwife, Aubrey, four or five times before I even got to six weeks postpartum. And when I compare that to my other births, it’s night and day. With my previous experiences, it felt like no one checked on me. I didn’t see a doctor or midwife or have any guidance until that six-week appointment that everyone knows about — you have your baby, you leave the hospital, and then it’s radio silence for six weeks.

And even that six-week appointment… I remember thinking, “What’s the point?” It felt like nothing was really checked on, and then there’s just that quick mental health screening with a few questions, and that’s it.

This time was completely different. I felt like I had so much care and support, and that made a huge difference in my postpartum healing. It helped me rest.

Every appointment, Aubrey would come to our home. We’d meet in our bedroom while I was still laying in bed, and I’d ask her questions like, “Should I start doing this or that now?” or “Can I go up and down the stairs again?” And she kept encouraging me, “No, just keep resting. Keep letting other people help you right now. Focus on rest.”

And I really did. I leaned into resting this time and fully embraced the slowness and that’s exactly what I’d encourage you to do too: embrace the slowness and take the rest.

I can’t say enough how much I loved those first two months postpartum and how well cared for I felt. I loved the slowness. I loved having family help and support. I loved not being the one in charge of meals, laundry, and all those daily tasks (which we’ll talk more about in some of the upcoming tips).

Now, I still did things here and there. I’ll admit, one of the harder parts this time was feeling more disconnected from my older two kids, just because I wasn’t with them as much. But they were totally fine. We had so much family around, lots of people coming and going, and they got tons of attention.

During that first month or two, I wasn’t doing their bedtime routines every night. Normally, Adam and I would each take one kid and alternate nights, but this time, I wasn’t doing that as much. Still, if I felt like, “Oh, I really haven’t connected with Ethan today,” I’d make a point to do his bedtime that night. Little things like that helped me feel connected, even while doing less overall.

And again, it’s not forever. Your kids will be okay with you being less available while you focus on the baby.

The 5-5-5 Rule

There’s a postpartum ritual I want to mention called the 5-5-5 Rule, and there are a few versions of it. The basic one goes like this:

Five days in bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

So, in bed, around your room, and then around your house so you start slowly easing back into activity after birth.

There’s also a more gradual version that goes:

Five days in bed
Five days on the bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

It’s all about gently transitioning from full rest to light movement and, eventually, normal activity.

I really encourage you to read up on the 5-5-5 Rule — there are tons of blogs and articles out there. Share it with your spouse or family who will be supporting you, and let them know you want to try it.

And if this is your second or third baby and you’re thinking, “I didn’t rest at all after my first,” that was totally me too. I didn’t rest well after my first birth. So this time, I made a point to do it differently.

It doesn’t have to be something that only works when it’s your first baby and you don’t have other kids to take care of. You can absolutely do a version of this with your next baby too.

So, talk to your spouse, talk to your family members, and let them know, “Hey, this is my plan so I can heal better and faster. I want to rest, stay in bed, and really bond with my baby.”

When I talk about taking rest and embracing the slowness that postpartum invites you into, I know it can be hard. You’ve just done this huge thing, and it’s so easy to feel like you need to jump right back into everything. But your body just went through something enormous, and I don’t care what kind of birth you had, your body still needs time, rest, and nourishment to recover.

You need to feed yourself well, you need to rest, and you need to get sleep whenever you can. That’s why everyone says “sleep when the baby sleeps.” It’s not always realistic, but it’s because your body truly needs that time.

Even if you’re feeling pretty good a few weeks postpartum, remember, your body still has a lot of healing to do. You just did something massive, and recovery takes time.

So, I could say a lot more about that, but I’ll leave it there: take the rest, embrace the slowness, and look up the 5-5-5 rule.

4. Ask for help and accept help.

I have some specific advice around this that we’ll get into, but again, this applies whether it’s your first baby or your third. What people help with will just look different each time.

With more kids, there’s naturally more to manage, so this time, help might look like people caring for your older children. With your first, it might’ve been more about help with the house or with the newborn directly.

I also know not everyone has a strong support system or family nearby, and that can make it really hard to get the kind of help you want postpartum. I totally get that. And I truly pray that if you’re in that situation, someone will come into your life who can help, or that family might be able to travel to you and stay for a bit.

If that’s not possible, I’d really encourage you to pray about and think through who you could ask to be that helping hand for you and your spouse during this season.

Now, let’s talk about some practical ways to ask for and accept help. Obviously, this depends on your own family and friend situation, but here’s some advice I’d give:

1. Create a postpartum help checklist and put it on your fridge so people can see it when they come over.

This is a more passive way to guide people who are already in your house — visitors, family, friends — on how they can actually help.

This was really helpful for us with my first baby, especially since everything felt new to everyone.

For some of our family, this was the first grandchild, the first time any of us were doing this whole “new baby” thing together. Honestly, I didn’t even really know what kind of help I would want. The idea of having my in-laws or my mom in my house doing things for me felt really strange and different from what I was used to.

Normally, when they’d visit, I’d be in full hostess mode… not laying in bed while they cooked or cleaned.

But I had taken a birth course from My Essential Birth — shoutout to Stephanie, who I just adore. I actually shared Ethan’s birth story on her podcast, Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy. Anyway, I took her birth course as a first-time mom, and it included lessons about postpartum. She now also has a full postpartum course, which I’ve heard great things about.

In that original course, she had a PDF you could print. Something to stick on your fridge or send to family members with ways they could help postpartum.

So, I printed it out and put it on our fridge.

When family came to visit, I could just casually say, “Hey, the birth course I took suggested printing out this list, it has some ideas for ways you can help while you’re visiting if you want to look at it.” It was super casual, nothing awkward or pushy.

That list from Stephanie had things like:

Take out the trash
Wipe down the kitchen counters
Hold the baby so mom or dad can shower
Take the older kids out of the house for an activity
Make a pot of coffee
Fold laundry
Prepare a meal

Simple, practical things, but it gave people direction.

So, I definitely recommend making your own little list to put on the fridge — something like, “Here are some ways to help.” It’s such a great, low-pressure way to ask for help, especially if it feels uncomfortable to directly tell people what you need. That was definitely me with my first. I didn’t want to ask, so this was a perfect workaround.

2. If you have a family member you’d feel comfortable having stay with you after birth to help, ask them to.

Even if you don’t have a guest room, maybe they’re sleeping on the couch or in another room, having someone actually stay with you can make a huge difference. Or, if they live nearby, maybe they just come over every morning and stay through the kids’ bedtimes.

For both of my second and third births ,with Ethan and Sofia, that person was my mother-in-law, Jan. Both times, she came over when I went into labor to watch the other kids, and then she stayed for about four to seven days straight, just living with us. Then she went home, and came back again a week later to help even more.

It was truly so helpful, and I’m beyond grateful to have that kind of family support — and to actually want someone to come live with us for a week! My mother-in-law and I are super close, and she knows exactly how to take care of me postpartum. She’s also amazing with the kids.

She took such great care of me and was constantly encouraging me to rest, along with Adam, especially during that first month. Other family members helped, too, when they were around.

But if you have someone in your life who you could ask to come stay for a few days or a week, do it. It’s honestly more helpful than people just popping in and out for short visits.

3. Say yes more often when people offer to help. It shows them that their help is appreciated (and say thank you a lot).

This applies in general life, too. If people keep offering to help you and you always respond with, “No thanks, I’ve got it,” eventually they’ll stop offering because it feels like their help isn’t wanted. And maybe sometimes it’s not, but if you do want help, then say yes, even if it’s not done exactly the way you’d do it.

Like, I’ve literally had this scenario: my mom unloads the dishwasher and says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know where everything goes, so I just left it on the counter.”

And I’ll tell her, “Thank you so much for doing that, it’s still super helpful, even if things aren’t put away.” Because now the dishwasher’s empty, and we can reload it. That’s still progress.

So just saying a big, genuine thank you and letting people know, “Yes, that helps! Please keep doing that!,” goes a long way.

Same with folding laundry. My sweet mom used to say, “I know I might fold things differently than you do,” and I’d be like, “I literally don’t care at all.” I don’t have a special system for folding. Any help is helpful!

Something I also love to do for my friends in postpartum, and that friends have done for me, is when I’m driving through Starbucks, I’ll text and say, “Hey, what’s your drink order? I’m going to drop one on your front doorstep, no need to talk or hang out.”

And saying yes to those kinds of offers, and showing appreciation, is such a good way to encourage people to keep helping. When people aren’t sure if what they’re doing is useful, just tell them it is, and thank them.

4. If family or friend support isn’t an option, consider hiring a postpartum doula to help you in those early days.

We had postpartum doula help when Colin, my first, was a baby, and it was so helpful. They can help at night with everything except feeding the baby (or even do the feeding if you’re using bottles), and they can also help during the day with all kinds of things… whatever you need.

You typically book them by the hour for a set number of hours per day or week. And honestly, if you don’t have nearby family you feel comfortable leaning on, that can be such a worthwhile investment.

5. Eat a lot to support breastfeeding and postpartum recovery!

This applies whether or not you’re breastfeeding or pumping, because your body needs nutrients and energy to recover from birth. But it’s especially important if you’re nursing or pumping. If you want to increase your milk supply, help your milk come in, and keep your energy up through sleepless nights and recovery, you’ve got to eat.

I know it sounds simple, but seriously, eating more food is your friend.

If you’ve ever Googled “how to increase milk supply,” you’ve probably seen all the supplements and products being sold for it. But a random thing that always comes up is that Oreos supposedly increase milk supply.

Here’s the truth: there’s no scientific reason Oreos would increase milk supply. There’s nothing magical about them (other than being delicious). I once saw someone joke that Oreos help because they release endorphins and make you happy and that happiness helps your milk come in.

But the real reason is simpler: most breastfeeding moms aren’t eating enough.

So when they suddenly eat a few Oreos, they’re just bumping up their calorie and fat intake, and that’s what helps the milk supply.

So no, this isn’t advice to eat Oreos to boost milk supply (although, funny enough, I did have two Oreos last night). But the real takeaway is — just eat more.

When my midwife and I talked about this, her advice to me was: “Whatever amount you think is enough to eat in those first few weeks — it’s probably not.”

So feed yourself generously.

Don’t forget protein

So get another little serving, especially a serving of protein.

I really did this. For example, one thing we did a lot during those first few weeks postpartum was getting Chicken Salad Chick to have on hand for lunch — just tubs of chicken salad, some croissants, and grapes. (Chicken Salad Chick’s one of my absolute favorite things, by the way.)

My husband or mother-in-law would bring me a plate in bed, and instead of just eating whatever portion they gave me, I’d ask for another serving just to get that extra protein in.

This is not the time to focus on weight loss or starting a new diet. It’s the time to eat to nourish your body. Let yourself enjoy food again. Enjoy the postpartum season. Get your calories up, focus on protein, eat good foods, and drink plenty of water to support breastfeeding and recovery.

Eat warm foods

Also, as you think about what to eat, especially in those early postpartum days, think warm foods.

This was something I learned, I think after Ethan was born, that I didn’t know with my first. I found a little quote from an article that explains it perfectly:

“Eating warm foods postpartum is recommended because they’re believed to help restore energy and balance, support digestion, and promote healing and nutrient absorption. Warm, cooked meals are easier for the body to digest, which is especially important when the digestive system is sluggish after childbirth.”

I wish I’d known that earlier, especially after my C-section or even after my first vaginal birth. After Colin was born, I really focused on smoothies, because they were easy for Adam to make and easy for me to drink one-handed.

But this time, I tried to focus more on warm, cooked meals, and I do think it made a big difference with digestion and just feeling like myself again.

So all that to say, enjoy your food. Have a treat. Eat the Oreo. Have some ice cream. Get the extra serving of protein. Drink your water with electrolytes. Just focus on nourishing your body with good food and kindness.

6. Paper plates, plasticware, and throwaway dining supplies are your best friends.

You can save the planet another day but right now, you just had a baby. So make life easier by going disposable for a little while.

At the end of my pregnancy, I stocked up on paper and plastic plates, plastic utensils, and even paper bowls. I like to get the nicer, microwave-safe ones that won’t melt — you know what I mean.

We used that stuff all the time in the early weeks, especially when we had visitors or big family meals. A lot of it was my husband’s or my mother-in-law’s call since they were managing the food, and they went straight for the paper plates every time — and it was so helpful.

Honestly, I still use paper plates at least once a week now, usually on Friday nights. That’s kind of our thing — pizza and paper plates. It just makes cleanup easy.

So, stock up on all that, right? Use it as needed, and run your dishwasher less. Don’t forget plastic cups too!

In addition to that, take other shortcuts in the kitchen.

Once you’re at a point where you’re starting to cook again, make it as easy as possible. For example, salad kits. We love salad kits in this season. My favorite is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit by Taylor Farms. There’s also Caesar salad kits and so many others, but seriously, we use them all the time.

Yes, they’re a little more expensive and maybe a little less “healthy” than homemade, but it’s still a salad you’ll actually enjoy and can get on the table fast.

Funny enough, Ethan’s favorite food right now is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit, which cracks me up, but he absolutely devours it.

Other shortcuts: buy pre-cut veggies if that helps, keep frozen pizzas on hand, or other easy frozen meals outside of the freezer meals we’re going to talk about next. Just have those options ready to go.

Basically, when it comes to cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, if you find a shortcut that makes life easier, even if it’s a bit more expensive or less eco-friendly, do it. Just do it for this season. It’ll make you happier and make things run more smoothly.

So yeah, one of my biggest little hacks: paper plates and plastic everything in postpartum. Total game changer.

7. Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy, and then keep the practice up in postpartum once you do start cooking again.

Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy and keep that habit going in postpartum.

Freezer meals are your best friend in those early weeks, second only to paper plates and plasticware, honestly. And they’re one of my favorite mom-life hacks in general.

I first got into doing freezer meals during my first pregnancy. Like I said, I prepped a ton of meals at the end of pregnancy to have ready for after birth and I never went back. I still make freezer meals now, even when I’m not in that newborn season.

Right now, I’m three months postpartum, and our freezer meals and meal train lasted about two months. So for the last month, I’ve been back in the kitchen cooking like normal.

Last week, I spent some extra time, in between naps for Sofia and juggling the boys, making a couple of casserole-style dishes for dinner. I doubled both of them and froze half.

I also made 16 frozen breakfast burritos last week, which we’ve been enjoying this week (and some last week too).

The two dinners I doubled were a chicken enchilada dish, and a pesto chicken protein pasta. And no, my kids will not eat either of those! Those are just for me and Adam. The boys are in a pickier stage right now, especially with those kinds of meals. But still, doubling them and freezing half has been such a win.

Freezer Meal Tips

I recommend doing your freezer meal prep between 34 and 38 weeks pregnant.

Why that range? Because after 38 weeks, you’ll probably feel too pregnant to spend hours walking around the kitchen and standing on your feet cooking all day.

And if you do it too early, before 34 weeks, the food might not last as long and could go bad before you get to use it postpartum.

For most of these meals, you’ve got about a three-month runway to eat them, which is great. But keep in mind, if one of those months is during pregnancy, that really only gives you two months into postpartum to use them. You get what I’m saying?

Go in with a solid plan for what you’re going to cook.

The way I do it is:

Plan out the exact meals I’m going to make.
Choose recipes that share overlapping ingredients.
Make a full list (what dishes I’m making and the ideal order to prep them in).
Create a master grocery list for everything.

Then I do a giant grocery order, usually through Instacart, which, yes, is always really expensive. I have everything delivered the day before my prep day, just in case some items aren’t available and I need to go in person to grab them or stop at another store.

After that, have a big prep day, or even two prep days, depending on how much you’re making.

Do a mix of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It’s easy to only think about lunches and dinners, but don’t forget breakfast!

Things like breakfast burritos, oatmeal bakes, and muffins are my go-tos. And this time, just like with Ethan, we also made a French toast casserole. It’s definitely not the healthiest meal, but it’s delicious, satisfying, filling, and something my kids love. So we made a few of those too.

Get someone to help you with it all

This is not something I’d necessarily recommend doing alone, unless you think you’d really enjoy that solo time, maybe listening to a podcast or something. If that sounds peaceful to you, go for it.

But personally, especially being so pregnant, I’ve always liked having someone help. And all three times I’ve done this, my mother-in-law, Jan, has helped me. It’s become kind of a special tradition for us, something we do together while expecting a new baby. She loves cooking too, so it’s always fun.

I handle the planning and shopping, and she comes over to help with all the cooking and prep.

It’s looked a little different each time:

When I was pregnant with Colin, we just did it on a random day since I didn’t have kids yet. Scheduling was easy.

When I was pregnant with Ethan, we already had Colin. So we planned it for a day when Adam was home from work. That time, Jan helped more with Colin, while Adam and I did most of the cooking, because Colin was so excited his Mimi was there, there was no way he was letting her hang out in the kitchen with me!

And this third time, when I was pregnant with Sofia, we did it on a weekday when I had childcare for both boys and Adam was at work. So it became kind of a “workday” for me and we got it all done while the house was quiet.

So, my advice: get someone to help you with your freezer meal prep.

Depending on how much you’re making, expect that it might not all get done in one day, and think strategically about the order you cook things in.

You can work on multiple dishes at once, do all the chopping at once, batch your steps — there’s a lot you can do to make it more efficient and manageable.

It doesn’t have to be a recipe that’s specifically labeled a “freezer meal” in order to work well as one.

This is something I learned after my second baby. The first time, when I was figuring out what to make, I was just Googling and searching Pinterest for “freezer meals” and that’s all I was typing in. But really, anything that’s a casserole-style dish usually works great as a freezer meal.

Meals that can be pre-assembled and tossed into a big Ziploc bag to go straight into the crockpot later also work really well.

My favorite type of freezer meal, especially for lunches and dinners, is casserole-style. And like I mentioned before, I love muffins and breakfast burritos for breakfast.

But just know, you probably already have recipes you make all the time that would freeze beautifully. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just freeze it differently.

Instead of using your regular glass pan, buy aluminum foil pans in a few different sizes.

Freeze in smaller portions

For example, let’s say you’re doubling a casserole recipe, instead of freezing it into two big pans, split it into four smaller ones. That way, you’re not thawing a massive dish every time.

Because, and this ties into tip number eight coming up, you might have a meal train, or people bringing you food, or you might be getting takeout more often. So you don’t always need a full 9x13 casserole’s worth of food every time you want to eat. Smaller portions make things easier.

So those are my freezer meal tips.

And if you’re listening to this thinking, “Okay, that’s great, Elizabeth, but I’m one month postpartum and I didn’t do any of that,” that’s totally okay.

You can start anytime… just double whatever you’re already cooking and freeze some in freezer-safe containers.

This is something that’s become part of how I cook as a mom. I started doing it after having my first baby, and I’ve kept it up ever since.

Even when it was just Colin and Ethan, before I was pregnant with Sofia again, I got into a habit of doing big freezer breakfast preps every few weeks.

I’d make breakfast bagel sandwiches, English muffin sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and breakfast muffins. I love breakfast freezer prep, it makes mornings so much easier.

So, it’s not just for postpartum, it’s really a great rhythm for motherhood in general.

Anyway, those are my rapid-fire freezer meal tips.

And let me know if you’d ever want a full episode, or even a series on another podcast, all about freezer meals. I know it’s not business-related, but if that’s something you’d want to hear more about, I’d love to know.

8. Ask a friend to make you a meal train and then send it out to people for you as well.

Ask a friend to make you a meal train.

I am a huge fan of meal trains when a family has a new baby. Maybe it’s a Southern thing, or maybe it’s just my specific friend group, but it’s kind of an unspoken rule — when someone has a baby, someone organizes a meal train for them.

And I’m the same way, if a friend has a baby, I’m like, “I’m bringing you a meal.”

We use MealTrain.com for this. It’s free to use (they do have paid features, but the free version works perfectly).

I actually just logged into my Meal Train account recently, and I’ve personally organized seven meal trains for other families over the past few years. And my family has had four meal trains made for us — one for each baby, and one when my dad passed away.

A meal train is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a calendar where people sign up to bring meals to a family. Usually dinner, though it can be anything. The idea is that it’s like a “train” of meals that keeps coming, so the family doesn’t have to cook for a while during whatever big life event they’re going through.

On the Meal Train site, the organizer sets it up with the recipient family’s info — you can include photos, food preferences, favorite dishes or restaurants, preferred drop-off times, your address, dietary restrictions, and more.

It’s all laid out clearly for everyone who’s helping.

So that’s why I’m saying, MealTrain.com is so worth using, versus just having a friend say, “Oh, want me to ask some people to bring you food?”

Use the website. The calendar function is really nice, because maybe there’s a night when you’re like, “No, we don’t want anyone coming, we have family in town,” or “We’ll still be at the hospital,” or “We just want a quiet evening.” You can block off those dates easily. I love that about it.

If you’re approaching your due date and no one has offered to set up a meal train for you, or if you’re thinking, “Wait, I’ve never done this before, none of my friends usually do meal trains when they have babies,” then I would just say: ask a friend if they’d be willing to set one up for you.

They can text or email it out to people. Or, if you prefer, you can be the one to share the link yourself where you’re listed as the recipient and they’re the creator.

There are a few ways to handle it. I’ve done it differently for different friends:

Sometimes I’ve had the friend send me a list of phone numbers for everyone they want to include.
Sometimes I’ve entered everyone’s email addresses myself.
Other times, I’ve just posted the link into a group text we’re both in, and the organizer sends it out to the rest.

There’s no one right way, just whatever makes it easy for you.

Another idea: if you have a fellow expecting mom due around the same time as you, offer to swap meal trains. Like, “Hey, we’re both pregnant, let’s each set up a meal train for the other.” That can be such a fun and practical way to support each other.

Every time we’ve done a meal train, it’s been one of the biggest blessings in our postpartum season.

Yes, I make freezer meals, like I talked about earlier, but the meal train meant that we barely had to touch those freezer meals at first. For the first two months, I literally didn’t start thawing any of them for dinners.

Actually, we even used three or four of our freezer meals before Sofia was born, between 40 and 41 weeks pregnant, because we all got sick as a family.

If you listened to Sofia’s birth story, you probably remember this part — Ethan got really sick, then we all caught it. And even though I was like, “Ugh, I didn’t want to dip into our freezer meals yet,” it ended up being so, so helpful.

I was in no position to cook or even go grocery shopping, so having those freezer meals ready to go was a total gift.

So the meal train and freezer meals really work together beautifully helping you not have to worry about cooking at all.

It’s also a really sweet way for friends and family to meet the baby, if that’s something you want, they can drop off a meal and say hi for a few minutes. (More on that next.)

This time around, since it’s still so fresh, Sofia was born at home, so I didn’t have that hospital stay beforehand where you wait to start the meal train until you’re discharged.

But we still had the meal train start later because we had so much family visiting at first, and they were already providing meals.

My friend Sarah Clark set up my meal train for us, and I had actually done hers too, since she had a baby about three months before me. So it was kind of like we swapped, “You do mine, I’ll do yours.”

She made me a recipient on the MealTrain site, which meant I could log in and edit the dates myself, but she handled creating it and filling in all the details, our preferences, favorite restaurants, dietary notes, all that.

Basically, we kept the first week blocked off for family, with no sign-ups, and then opened it up afterward for a few nights a week where people could bring meals.

I even added a note on the page that said something like, “After this date, Adam will be on paternity leave for three weeks,” so, I put a note after that date saying that would actually be the most helpful time because Adam was going to be back at work, and I’d be home alone more with three kids. Having dinners taken care of then would be really helpful.

Some friends came in and visited when they brought food, while others just left meals on the doorstep, depending on timing. We also had some really sweet non-local friends who sent gift cards or ordered food from local restaurants and had it delivered to us which was so thoughtful.

So, if you’re hearing all this and thinking, “That’s nice, but my community or my friends don’t live nearby,” don’t worry. Gift cards, DoorDash, and delivery meals work just as well.

One of my friends, Tori, actually did this a few years ago. Right after she had her baby, she’d just moved away from where I live, so she didn’t have much local community yet. I set up a meal train for her, and all of us back here, her friends from home, signed up to send her gift cards, order her food for delivery, all of that.

So, even if your community isn’t local, it can still work beautifully.

9. You don’t have to see every visitor, even if they are kind enough to be bringing you a meal.

Sometimes people want to drop off food and also stay to chat, or they’ll text like, “Hey, can I stop by and see the baby right now?”

I’m just putting this out there… you can say no. Short and simple, you have permission to say no.

I remember as a first-time mom, and even last time, and a few times this time, feeling so overwhelmed when someone wanted to visit and I just wasn’t up for it.

Maybe Sofia would be due to nurse, or maybe I just wanted to nap, or I didn’t feel like getting ready, or cleaning up. Sometimes it’s even that feeling of, “I don’t want this person to see my house like this.”

Whatever it is, you can be kind and still say, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much, I appreciate this meal so much, but the timing’s not great right now.”

Or you can say, “Yes, I’d love a quick visit, let’s just plan for about 30 minutes.”

You can totally set those boundaries ahead of time.

You don’t have to let everyone hold the baby. You don’t have to have long visits.

And sometimes, you will want to! I had a few times this postpartum where a friend dropped off a meal, and I was like, “Stay forever.”

I was loving the company, catching up, talking about everything. We even had some close friends who brought takeout, brought their child too, and we all ate together. She held Sofia while I ate, and it was just such a sweet evening.

Those moments are wonderful, but again, if it doesn’t work for you in the moment, you can say no. Or if it does, say, “Please stay longer.” Just don’t be afraid to tell people what you need, and what kind of visit you’re up for.

10. Take all the photos and videos you want, and be in them too.

Hand someone your phone and ask them to take a picture of you and your baby, or of you with all your kids, or even a short video where you’re just being yourself — no makeup, messy hair, nursing your baby.

It doesn’t have to be a “postable” photo to be a perfect memory. Some of my favorite postpartum photos are those real, unfiltered moments.

Sometimes I’ll just hand Adam my phone and say, “Hey, can you snap a photo of this?” Or I’ll take a selfie with Sofia, or a picture of the boys doing something simple or of Adam being sweet with the kids.

The big takeaway here is: be in the photos, too.

And that’s not just postpartum advice, that’s motherhood advice in general.

It’s so easy to always be behind the camera, taking the perfect photos of your baby, your kids playing, or your husband with the kids.

But turn the camera around, or ask someone to take a photo of you in it, too. Those are the moments you’ll want to look back on.

And again, I truly believe that some of your favorite photos and videos from the postpartum season are going to be the ones that feel the least “Instagrammable.” Those are often the most real and the most meaningful.

So anyway, just a reminder, that’s true for all of motherhood. Be in the photos. Take the photos and the videos.

11. Find comfort in the fact that things will be different with every baby, so something that was disappointing or hard with one postpartum season might be different the next time.

I want you to know, and find comfort in this, that things are going to be different with every baby. Something that felt disappointing, hard, or frustrating in one postpartum season might be completely different the next time.

Basically, my point is: it doesn’t necessarily get harder and harder with each baby. Every child is different. Every season is different. And you are different each time, too.

Just like each child needs something unique, you as a mom will need something different with every baby because you’re evolving, too.

For example, I’ve had three kids now, and even though Sofia is still so little (she’s three months old), I’ve already had a completely different feeding journey with each one.

This time, with my third, nursing has actually been the easiest for me. And that doesn’t mean it came without work. We’ve still seen a lactation consultant, and that was so helpful. (Cannot recommend that enough.)

But with my first, Colin, he had tongue and lip ties and a bunch of other things going on that made nursing really difficult. That was such a struggle for me. We made it work, but we supplemented with formula, I pumped constantly, and I did the whole “triple feeding” routine. Ultimately, though, I nursed him for a really long time (until he was about 20 months old), and then weaning was the hard part. That was our experience with him.

With Ethan, it was totally different. He didn’t have any ties, which was awesome, and feeding started out really smoothly. But we ended up supplementing with formula again, and over time he preferred the bottle. So I did a lot of pumping and bottle feeding with him, and that was hard for me in different ways (mostly the amount of time and work it took, all the washing and prepping, the constant cycle).

So, again, there were challenges with both, but they were different challenges.

And I think as you have more kids, and more experiences, you start to learn what matters most to you: what you want to try for, what feels sustainable, and what fits your family best.

I remember, when Colin was a baby, a lactation consultant asked me, “What’s your feeding goal?” And I just laughed and said, “My goal is to get through today.”

Because that’s honestly how it felt… hard and overwhelming. I couldn’t even think long-term.

But this time around, I went into it with a clearer sense of what I wanted. After experiencing bottle preference and nursing refusal before, I knew how much work that pumping-and-bottle routine was and I realized I really didn’t love it.

I wished I’d been able to nurse more exclusively. That would’ve been my ideal.

So this time, I went in with the goal of exclusively nursing, if possible and that’s what I’ve focused on.

My bigger point is: there have been really hard things and really great things about all three feeding experiences.

I’ve truly done it all — nursing, bottle feeding with formula, pumping — and each one taught me something different.

You figure out what works best for you, what you prefer in that season, and what your baby prefers.

One thing might go beautifully with one baby and be a total struggle with the next or the other way around.

So just remember: every experience is unique.

Whether it’s feeding, sleep, postpartum recovery, anxiety, depression, maternity leave, or how your birth went it will look different every time.

And that’s okay. And yes, there will be some things that stay similar, just because that’s who you are as a mother and how you tend to do things. But overall, things will be different.

So try not to compare. Try not to compare your current season with this baby to your past experiences and definitely don’t compare yourself to friends or what other people are going through.

An extra note about feeding your baby

Even if you’re bottle feeding, whether that’s with pumped milk or formula (both are great options, by the way), you can still be the one feeding your baby.

I think that can be hard sometimes, especially early on, when everyone’s like, “Oh, anyone can feed the baby now!”

But maybe you’re actually thinking, No, I want to be the one feeding my baby.

Even if you’re doing bottles, you can say that.

You can say, “Thank you, but I want to do this feeding.”

That’s just my little tip if that’s how you feel. It’s okay to hold that boundary.

12. To my business owner friends, plan for your maternity leave, then enjoy the plan. Your business will be OK.

I’ve done a couple of episodes on this podcast all about planning a maternity leave:

Those episodes are a great starting point, because figuring out how to plan for a maternity leave is really hard.

But here’s the truth: you will never plan it perfectly.

There’s always more to do in business — always.

Even if you say, “Okay, I’m closing my laptop, unplugging the podcast mic, taking a break, not posting on Instagram,” there will still be something calling your attention.

That’s just the nature of running a business.

So at some point, you have to make the plan, execute the plan, and then actually take the break.

Simple as that.

This time with your baby, this particular season when your body needs you to slow down, it only happens once. It won’t last forever so rest well, take the break, savor the moments, unplug from your business.

Your business will also likely look different post-baby

And I’ll also add: your business and the way you run it will likely never go back to exactly how it was before you had kids or even how it was when you “just” had one child, or two.

Each baby changes things. Each season evolves the way you work and the way you show up.

And when they’re older, things will shift again — maybe when they’re school-aged, you’ll be able to dive deeper into your business in a different way. I’m not there yet, but that’s what I imagine.

But just like how you’re not trying to get your body “back” to how it was before you had a baby, you’re also not trying to run your business the way you did before either.

Becoming a mom changes everything including how you run your business.

And if you’re anything like me, you might have a little existential crisis when that happens. You might find yourself thinking, “What am I even doing? How do I do it all?” It can feel overwhelming to add a baby into a system that was running smoothly before. You can feel divided — pulled between two things you love deeply.

But here’s my best advice: you’ll figure it out.

It’s hard at first. But as time goes on, you’ll settle into a rhythm. You’ll learn how to do both, business and motherhood, in a way that works for you.

But start by taking the break. Really, take the break.

I can’t tell you how many times I see women share later that they wish they’d actually taken a maternity break.

They’ll say things like, “I was in the hospital posting a reel,” or “I launched a client’s website from my hospital bed,” or “I only took one week off before hopping back on Zoom calls.”

You probably see that too.

No one ever says they don’t regret that.

You’ll never hear someone say, “I’m so glad I brought my laptop to the hospital and launched while I was three days postpartum.”

No one says that.

What they do say is that they wish they could go back and do it differently.

So, hear that advice and take the break. Savor the moments. Do a little work if it genuinely feels fun and energizing, but generally speaking, stick to the break you planned to take.

13. Don’t compare your motherhood or your baby to other babies and other moms.

Don’t compare your motherhood or your postpartum journey to anyone else’s.

Talk with other moms, learn from them, use helpful resources like this podcast or others you love, but resist the urge to compare.

Because what makes something feel easier or harder for someone is a mix of a hundred different factors.

And when you compare — especially when you don’t know someone’s full story (or even if you do, but your story is just so different) — it’s never helpful.

I remember this so vividly with my first baby. We had so many feeding struggles, like I mentioned, he had tongue and lip ties, a head preference, and sleep was rough.

And I remember hearing people say things like, “Sleep like a baby,” as if babies just sleep anywhere and everywhere.

Mine did not sleep.

We were doing fully swaddled, held naps in a dark nursery when he was just a week old because he simply wouldn’t sleep out in a bright room.

And that was fine, we got through it. He does sleep better now (though still not a great sleeper at this age). But at the time, it was so hard not to compare.

I had friends whose babies were already sleeping through the night, and I’d think, What am I doing wrong? Do I need to read a different book? Take a different course?

But the truth is, some babies just don’t sleep as well.

And that’s what I mean you can’t compare. There are so many factors that go into every experience.

For me, seeing a mom who looked well-rested with her baby napping peacefully in a stroller while she sipped coffee, that just wasn’t my reality. And that’s okay.

In postpartum especially, social media, Instagram in particular, can be such a tough place for comparison. So if you find it’s making you feel worse, get off. Stop the scroll.

It’s so easy to spend hours scrolling when you’re feeding a baby or awake at night. But ask yourself — is this actually helping me, or is it hurting me?

If it’s hurting, maybe step away.

You’ll still be on your phone some, that’s just part of this season, but try shifting what you do there. Read a book or an article. Read the Bible on your Bible app. Listen to a podcast. There are so many ways to use that time that can actually fill you up instead of drain you.

For me personally, scrolling doesn’t usually leave me feeling good (especially in postpartum).

My Best Tips For The Postpartum Season

Anyway, that’s it, my best tips for the postpartum season.

I could honestly say so much more about this topic, but these are the ones that stood out the most as I reflected on the last three months — especially that first month postpartum.

I really hope something in here is helpful for you.

And if you’re curious about home birth resources, you can visit elizabethmccravy.com/birth: there’s a full blog post there with links to all my favorite home birth and VBAC resources.

Next week on the podcast, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled, mostly business-related episodes.

But I really hope you’ve enjoyed these more personal reflections on birth and postpartum. I’ve loved recording them, truly, and I hope they bless you in both your life and your business.

Links Mentioned:

If you missed the earlier parts of this series, you can go back to listen to:

Episode 318: My Pregnancy + Home Birth Plans
Episode 319: Sofia’s Home Birth Story
Episode 320: Your Birth Questions Answered

My best home birth and VBAC resources: elizabethmccravy.com/birth

Colin’s birth story: Episode 148

Ethan’s birth story: Episode 265

Maternity Leave Prep Episodes: Episodes 139, 276

BTS of my maternity leaves with Colin and Ethan: Episodes 158, 277, 278

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Join Podcast Success Blueprint

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this week’s episode, I’m continuing my birth series by answering your most pressing home birth and VBAC questions: the things that surprised me most, what was hardest, and how I prepared both mentally and physically.

After sharing Sofia’s birth story last week and my VBAC prep the week before, this episode answers the top questions I got from you on Instagram and in my DMs. We talk about everything from overcoming fear and finding a supportive birth team to managing pain naturally and navigating childcare when you’re giving birth at home.

I share what it was really like to have my first home birth after a C-section (from how I organized my birth space to what it felt like to labor and push without medication). I open up about the afterbirth pains that totally caught me off guard (spoiler: they were worse than I expected!) and the mental work I did to release fear leading up to birth.

I also talk through how my husband and I handled the logistics with our two little boys during labor, the role of our midwife and doula, and why I believe prayer and preparation were just as important as any physical work I did before labor.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 320!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

If you’ve ever been curious about home birth or considering a VBAC, this episode is a real, honest look at both. I share what I loved most about being at home — the peaceful atmosphere, the lack of interventions, and how supported I felt — as well as the mindset shifts that helped me feel confident and calm.

Whether you’re planning a home birth, hospital birth, or just love hearing real birth stories, I think this conversation will encourage you and help you see what’s possible when you’re informed, supported, and trust your body.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to my answers! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me answer your home birth and VBAC questions!

In this episode, I’m answering your biggest home birth and VBAC questions from the first signs of labor to the moments that made Sofia Kate’s birth so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC, the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the lessons God taught me through it all. See below for a detailed list on questions answered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[02:45]: What was the HARDEST part of the labor and birth experience?

[05:41]: How did you mentally get over fears around a home birth? And fears around a VBAC?

[15:13]: What was your favorite part of having a home birth?

[17:59]: What was your least favorite part of having a home birth?

[21:14]: How did you prepare your body for a VBAC?

[24:28]: When did your water break during labor?

[25:51]: Did you involve your kids in the birth? What did you do for child care?

[35:32]: What pain management tools helped the most for unmedicated labor?

[38:52]: Do you think staying home for birth helped things progress faster?

[40:56]: How did you find a HBAC supportive provider? Tips for finding a supportive VBAC provider in general?

[44:56]: What surprised you the most about a home birth?

[46:37]: What surprised Adam the most about the home birth?

[47:57]: Do you have any advice on how to get your husband on board with a home birth?

[50:53]: How did you organize your birth supplies? How did you decide how to set up your birth space?

[53:19]: What was your favorite birth affirmation?

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Sofia’s birth (our first baby girl and my first home birth after two very different experiences with my boys). If you listened to last week’s episode, you heard about the months of prayer, mindset work, and preparation that led up to this day. In this episode, I take you right into those final days of waiting, the emotional rollercoaster of thinking “is this it?” a dozen times, and the incredible ways God answered every single prayer on my list.

I talk about the tension between faith and fear in those last few weeks: walking through sickness in our home, trusting that labor would begin at the right time, and trying to rest when all I wanted to do was make this first home birth happen. I share how my midwife’s gentle wisdom (and her very specific midwife’s orders ) helped calm my heart the night before everything finally began.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 319!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, I take you through Sofia’s birth hour by hour, from the first contractions in the middle of the night to realizing how quickly things were progressing. You’ll hear how peaceful the early labor felt, how supported I was by my amazing birth team, and the moment I knew it was time to meet our baby girl. This story is full of answered prayers, full circle moments, and the quiet presence of God guiding every part of it.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to this story! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me share Sofia's birth story!

In this episode, I share the story of Sofia Kate’s home birth from the very first signs of pre-labor to the full-circle moments that made this experience so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the parallels I found between preparing for birth and starting my business years ago. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[01:20]: Why I love sharing (and listening) to birth stories (here are Colin’s birth story and Ethan’s birth story)

[04:58]: Deciding to try with an HBAC (home birth after cesarean) and how I prepared spiritually (you can also find a list of home birth supplies here)

[10:40]: Signs of pre-labour starting (and why it felt like the worst timing)

[14:31]: Feeling both hopeful and nervous for labor to start

[17:00]: How preparing for a home birth reminded me of starting my business 10 years

[21:22]: The last two days before Sofia was born

[29:59]: When labor started

[38:28]: My advice for mothers planning their birth plan with other kids at home

[39:59]: Feeling like I had delayed my birth team and then having birth be so fast and different this time (with some parallels from my past births)

[51:13]: Setting up my birth space

[54:56]: A shout out to my amazing husband Adam

[56:25]: Affirmations during my first home birth

[59:00]: Sofia Kate McCravy was born and my prayers were so answered

[01:04:55]: After the birth (with the boys napping, after birth food, and Sofia’s weigh-in)

[01:10:39]: What I believe about birth (and conversations I wish more women had/were told)

[01:17:13]: Full circle moments this pregnancy and first home birth

[01:20:26]: My prayer list for my first home birth

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m opening up about the journey that led me from having a C-section with my second baby to experiencing a home birth with my third. First, you’ll hear me share about the surprise of finding out I was pregnant again just seven months postpartum and the swirl of emotions that came with that news. Because of the short gap between pregnancies and my prior C-section, I found myself in the complicated space of navigating VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) versus scheduling another C-section. There were a lot of ups and downs as I navigated going from a c-section to a home birth (and there’s definitely a business lesson or two in this episode).

I also walk through the conflicting advice I received from providers with some encouraging me that I was a strong VBAC candidate, others trying to scare me out of even considering it. That contrast really forced me into deep research, lots of journaling, and long conversations with friends, podcasts, and faith reflections. If you take nothing else from this episode, I hope you can hear how much I believe in YOUR right to be an active participant in the birthing plan you choose to pursue.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 318!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia's home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, you'll hear me talk about the early pull I felt toward home birth, even though it seemed so out of reach at first. Many midwives flat-out rejected me because of my prior C-section and the 16-month age gap between my babies. For a time, I thought home birth was impossible, and I grieved that. But as I kept seeking, praying, and pushing forward, clarity began to form that I not only wanted a VBAC but specifically a home birth after cesarean.

I also share the very real fear I had of whether my body could handle it, and how I wrestled with thoughts of “who am I to think I could do this?” At the same time, I began to see how faith, persistence, and taking massive action worked together—I contacted 17 different midwives before finally finding the right one, someone who believed in me and also had the caution and wisdom I wanted in a provider

Throughout the episode, you’ll also hear me make it clear that my story isn’t about prescribing one “right” path for birth. I make it clear that I believe all birth is beautiful (whether by C-section, hospital VBAC, or home birth), and that the real key is being informed and supported in your choices. And ultimately, I share why I chose to pursue a home birth after cesarean, how I prepared mentally and physically, and the role faith played in carrying me through what became my dream birth story.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

Timestamps & Topics Discussed:

In this episode, I share how I moved from processing my C-section and learning about VBACs to finding a supportive midwife. Then I walk through the preparation side: the differences in prenatal care, the faith and mindset work, and how I found peace heading into a home birth after C-section. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

[02:58]: Finding out I was pregnant with baby Sofia just 7 months after a C-section (and learning more about C-section recovery and VBAC options which I hadn’t been aware of prior to having one).

[07:10]: Feeling the desire of a home birth and quickly getting discouraged after reaching out to a few providers that it might be harder to try for than I initially realized (and prematurely grieving over the idea this would be my last baby and I was never going to have a home birth).

[09:11]: A bad experience with a nurse practitioner that spawned my research into VBACs, HBACs, and repeat c-sections (and the risks of both) and feeling undecided what the right birthing plan would be.

[13:11]: Core beliefs I have around birth (after having three very different birth experiences)

[16:38]: Some of the resources that helped my research whether or not a c-section, VBAC, or HBAC (which you can find here) and discussing with my doctor whether I personally would be a good (or bad) candidate for different options.

[23:40]: Getting clarity on the birthing plan I wanted (which was a VBAC at home) and also how clarity looked different than I expected.

[27:06]: Why I wanted to pursue a VBAC at home (HBAC) - 6 Reasons

[34:03]: Finding and assembling my birth team (there’s a business lesson in here). While it wasn’t without challenges, it was absolutely worth the effort assembling the best team possible. If you’re looking for a Nashville birth team, you can find who I worked with here.

[46:02]: What prenatal care looked like (and why I think this was my healthiest pregnancy yet)

[52:42]: Why I always recommend hiring a Doula regardless of your birthing plan

[55:00]: Preparing my body for birth (this does not get talked about enough!)

[01:09:03]: Nesting for a home birth (you can see some of the home birth supplies here)

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!)

Elizabeth McCravy — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:43:24 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I just had a home birth VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with my 3rd baby, also called an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), and I had my precious baby girl in a birth pool! I am so grateful for how wonderful the experience was. I truly felt God's presence and my prayers were answered. In this blog post, I'm linking resources that helped me prepare for an HBAC and home birth in general, supplements I took, what I used for pain management in an unmedicated labor, and things I used in my birth space like fairy lights. I'm also sharing my birth team, so if you're local to the Nashville, TN area and looking for a midwife, chiropractic care, doula, a birth photographer, etc. I'm sharing my team here.

Supplements I Took to Prepare for My HBAC:

Obviously, consult your midwife/doctor before taking anything new during pregnancy! I'm just sharing what worked for me.

Happy Birth-Day Homeopathic Tincture
Dr. Christopher’s Birth Prep
Iron Repair Supplement by Three Arrows
Jarrow Formulas Fem-Dophilus - Probiotic Supplement that helped me not be GBS+
Evening Primrose + Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Supplement
Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea

My birth team - for home birth and birth prep:

If you're local to the greater Nashville area, these are people worth reaching out to! I truly believe a supportive birth team who believes in you and who you TRUST is such a vital part of a great home birth experience. I found my amazing midwife, Aubrey, when I was over halfway through my pregnancy and had decided to try for an HBAC (more on that here) and I received the BEST prenatal care — better than either of my hospital births. I believe that my time working with Dr. Ashley at Plus One Pelvic Health was HUGE for helping me have a faster labor and not tearing during the pushing phase. She also was just the SWEETEST encourager each week as my pregnancy progressed. You can hear the whole story of how I prepared for an HBAC and how my birth team played into this on episode 318 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast.

Aubrey McMillan of Oak and Clove Midwifery - My amazing midwife
Viergeni White- My amazing doula
Plus One Pelvic Health (I see Dr. Ashley Carley)
Tennessee Alternative Medicine (I see Dr. Molly Stevens)
Elizabeth Nord Photography - Our birth photographer
Blessed Beginnings Lactation Consulting - My IBCLC team for breastfeeding help

Home Birth Room Set Up:

Battery-Operated Fairy Lights - I put 2 sets of these in my birth tub between the tub and the liner! (I have “warm white”)
Twinkle Lights for hanging affirmations/photos onthe wall (I have “warm white”)
Black Maternity Swimsuit for water birth - I loved this swimsuit during pregnancy, and then wore the top for my water birth. The buttons are functional too, which was great!
Pretty flower claw clips for birth
Portable Bluetooth Speaker - This is great for playing music or your hypnobirthing tracks during labor.
Essential Oils Diffuser - I had this white diffuser on our bedroom shelf during labor! I used Heart Harmony, Peppermint Oil, and Clary Sage. Heart Harmony is my favorite essential oil blend.
I did have a water birth! My birth pool was from Birth Pool in a Box, and it was provided by my midwife.

I bought my midwife's birth kit as well plus her birth list of things to purchase. I had everything organized on a shelf in our bedroom for easy access! I loved having it set up on a shelf versus bins in the bedroom. I also had a hospital bag packed with a printed list of what else needed to go in the hospital bag in case of a transfer.

Podcasts and YouTube Channels I Enjoyed for Birth Prep:

Happy Homebirth Podcast
VBAC Link
Peaceful Homebirth Podcast
Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube
MamastFit Podcast
Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy Podcast
MamasteFit YouTube
Some specific videos/episodes that were helpful for me:
- 8-Minute Pelvic Floor Release
- 9-Minute Hip Mobility for Birth Prep
- VBAC Versus Repeat C-Section Podcast Episode - This episode was such a helpful starting point for me to get knowledgeable about risks/benefits of both options.

Additionally, if you're having a home birth, I cannot recommend enough just getting on YouTube and WATCHING clips of babies being born at home. Listening to birth stories on podcasts is really helpful, but visually SEEING how home birth is different from hospital birth will help you know what to expect!

Pain Management Tools in an Unmedicated Birth:

Wooden Birth Combs - This set of 3 combs was my #1 tool for pain management in my homebirth. I would squeeze the comb during contractions, and basically had one in my hand at all times. This is not the same as a regular hair comb. It is wooden, sharper, and meant for birth.
TENS machine - I actually did not use this during my home birth, but did use it with my first baby. I had it on hand for my home birth!
Hypnobirthing Tracks by Built to Birth - I love these from Built to Birth. I purchased the set and added them to my Spotify account, but you can also listen to them free on Youtube.
Warmies Neck Wrap - I used this during birth like a portable heating pad. You microwave it, and then it stays warm for a while! I actually put it in the back of my shorts (lol) and it stayed put!
A bonus pain management "tool" - having a birth doula! Truly that support person IS such a resource for strength and comfort during the pain of labor. I love my doula, Viergeni White, if you're local to greater Nashville area.
Additionally, having a spouse who knows how to do hip squeezes, knows what you need, and knows how to comfort YOU specifically during labor is huge! My husband has been an amazing support in all 3 of my births. I've tried to help him be supportive ahead of time by telling him specific ways he can encourage me during labor. He also knew where everything was on the birth shelf, he prepped our sheets for birth once labor started, and he set up the birth tub and hose! He was busy in early labor getting things set up which was so helpful!

Random Home Birth Prep Things:

This book, “Mommy’s Having a Homebirth”, was really helpful to help my boys understand home birth. This would be GREAT if you plan to have young kids in your birth space, but is also a great book even if your kids won’t be at the birth, but will just be at birth appointments.
For snacking during labor, I recommend the foods you like when you're sick or thirsty. That's how I think about it! I specifically love having honey sticks (a great easy source of energy), electrolyte popsicles, granola bars, and Body Armour drinks.

More Birth/Pregnancy Resources:

I have so many pregnancy and birth related content on my blog and podcast — from birth stories to advice for moms in postpartum!

You can see all birth/pregnancy posts here!

And, check out the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to download episodes. Click here for Breakthrough Brand on Apple Podcasts and click here for Breakthrough Brand on Spotify.

Here are some specific blogs and podcast episodes where I share more pregnancy, birth and postpartum things:

Sofia's birth story - coming soon!
Ethan's c-section birth story
Colin's hospital birth story
How I planned and executed a 3 month maternity leave with my 2nd baby
Freezer meals to prep for postpartum
BTS of my maternity leave and c-section recovery
Maternity studio photoshoot at 34 weeks

All photo are by my AMAZING birth photographer, Elizabeth Nord Photography!

The post Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

3 Business Strategies For Moms Who Want To Run a Successful Business While Staying Home With Kids

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 15 minutes

If you’re someone who wants to be with your kids more—maybe even have entire days where you’re fully in “stay-at-home mom” mode and still running a successful business—this episode is for you. I want to share three ways to optimize your business.

As I record this, I’ve got two very young kids at home, and I’m about to be doing it all with three. (By the time you hear this, baby number three will have arrived!)

In this episode, I’ll start by giving a little context on what life looks like for me right now because I know we’re all in different seasons, with different circumstances. Then, I’ll walk you through the three key strategies that have helped me optimize my business so I can spend more intentional time with my kids.

Let’s dive in.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 317!

Let’s start with a little context before I get into the tips.

I’ve actually had my business longer than I’ve been a mom. I’ve been in business for over nine years now. My oldest son turns four in September, and at the time I’m recording this, my youngest is 15 months old. By the time you’re hearing this episode, baby number three will be here, and I’ll be back in that newborn phase.

So I’m recording this from the perspective of being a mom to two little ones: one who’s almost four and one who’s a young toddler. With both of them, and even when I just had one, my husband and I have always chosen to do part-time childcare through a local preschool. I like being able to have focused work time, but also be with them in that stay-at-home mom role, either just as much or sometimes even more, depending on the week.

Why do we do it that way? Simply because it’s what we want. It’s not necessarily the most financially strategic setup, and it’s definitely not the easiest from a productivity standpoint. But it’s a very intentional choice for this season of life—for both me and my husband.

And I want to pause here to say: this is so personal. This may not be what you want or what your situation allows for, and that’s totally okay. But if you’re someone who is trying to figure out how to spend more time with your kids without stepping away from your business, I hope this episode helps. This is the kind of conversation I wish I could’ve found when I was first navigating motherhood after already being a few years into entrepreneurship.

You Can Have It All, Just Not All At Once

I’m trying to build a life where I can do both: raise my kids and run a business I love. And I don’t believe “balance” is always realistic. I’m more aligned with that phrase you hear sometimes: you can have it all, just not all at once. That really resonates with me.

Right now, I do have my business but my kids are my number one priority. And because of that, there are things I intentionally don’t do in my business, even if they could lead to more growth or more income. I’ve had to be okay with what I call “leaving money on the table.”

Five years ago, that would’ve been hard for me. I had a different mindset back then—I wanted to maximize every opportunity, grow as fast as possible, say yes to everything. But now, I see things differently. I know what I value most, and I’ve adjusted my business accordingly.

In terms of my actual working hours, it varies a lot depending on the season. I recently added another day of childcare for my youngest, which has shifted things a bit. But since he was born, I’ve typically worked anywhere from 5 to 15 hours per week, outside of maternity leave, and my business continues to do really well financially.

That said, let’s be real: I would make more money if I worked full-time. But everything is a trade-off, and for me, this trade-off is absolutely worth it.

My husband and I both really like the decision we’ve made for this season. So if you’re a mom who wants to be with your kids more, work fewer hours, and still run a growing business, without burning out, these tips are for you.

I’ve got a mix of practical strategies and mindset shifts to share because both have been incredibly important in helping me figure this out. And again, I know we’re all in different seasons. I can’t speak to what it’s like to have school-aged kids yet, but I can speak to what it’s like in these early years—with toddlers, preschool, daycare, part-time childcare, or a nanny in the mix.

Tip #1: Decide what you want this season to look like and then take action, reevaluate, and adjust.

Okay, now that might sound a little confusing, so let me explain.

When you decide what you want work and motherhood to look like for you right now, it gives you something to strive for. Otherwise, you’re left disappointed, running around, feeling like nothing’s working, because there’s no actual plan in place. There’s nothing you’re aiming toward. You haven’t declared, “This is what I want motherhood to look like in this season, and this is what I want work to look like in this season.” Too often, we don’t actually name that specific goal.

So we might say in our planning: “I want my business to hit this revenue number,” or “I want to spend more time with my kids,” or “Being a working mom feels really hard right now.” But there’s no real action, decision, or direction tied to those statements.

For example, if you feel like you want to spend more time with your family, maybe that means reducing childcare and making changes in your business to test how that feels. Or if you feel like you don’t have time for your business at all, maybe that also means reworking your childcare.

I’ve personally been in those moments of indecision, and it really stinks. You feel stuck, almost like a victim of the situation—you can’t give your all to everyone, you can’t decide where to spend your time and energy, and you end up feeling like you’re not serving your business well or your family well. And it’s all because you haven’t declared what the actual goal is.

These decisions aren’t permanent (even if they feel that way)

I’ve been there, but I’ve also gotten out of that place. What I’ve realized is that we often think these decisions are more permanent than they actually are. But kids’ schedules are always changing, especially when they’re under two or three years old. So it can actually make sense to set goals in smaller chunks: “Here’s what I’m doing for work and motherhood this month,” or “for quarter one,” or “while my baby is under six months.” Then you can reevaluate.

That shift makes it easier. Instead of saying, “This is how my business and motherhood balance will look forever,” you’re saying, “This is what it looks like right now.” You can even set reevaluation dates on your calendar.

Here’s how I do it: I make a decision for right now, I try it, and I make that decision really clear. I’ll say, “Here’s what I’m dedicating to work, here’s what I’m dedicating to childcare, and here’s how I want to show up on days when I’m with my kids instead of working.” Then I mark a date to reevaluate and make a new decision if needed.

Instead of saying, “This is how it’ll be for the whole year,” try something like:

“This is what I’m doing while my baby is under six months old.”
“This is my plan for Q1.”
“This is how I’ll structure things for the next eight weeks, then I’ll reassess.”

That way, the decision has a container. It’s not forever. You test it, and then you intentionally reevaluate.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Make a clear decision. Write it down. For example:
These are the hours I’m dedicating to work.
This is what our childcare plan looks like.
This is how I want to show up on days I’m not working when I’m fully in “mom mode.”
Then, set a date on your calendar to re-decide. Literally block off time to sit down and ask yourself: Is this still working? What needs to shift?

Let me give you a made-up example first, then I’ll share one from my life.

Let’s say you’re a mom of two (a newborn and a two-year-old). You want to take a longer maternity leave this time and really soak up the newborn phase, especially if you felt like you rushed back to work after your first.

So, you decide: Until the baby is five months old, you’ll be the primary caregiver for the newborn. Because your business allows for flexibility, you’re going to scale things back temporarily. Meanwhile, your two-year-old will attend a preschool program three days a week, giving you a bit of margin.

That’s a clear, seasonal decision. You know what to expect, and you know when you’ll reevaluate.

So let’s go back to that example. During your baby’s nap times on those three preschool days, you plan to focus on work (as you have the energy and feel up for it). That’s the plan you’ve mapped out.

You also decide that, for those first five months, you won’t take on any podcast interviews, speaking engagements, or meetings. Why? Because let’s be honest—scheduling a meeting during a baby’s nap is stressful. You never know when they’re going to wake up, and having that flexibility makes a huge difference.

You also decide that, in your service-based business, you’re only going to take on one client a month. That way, things feel manageable, and you’re able to clearly project your revenue without overcommitting.

And here’s the key: you put a reevaluation date on the calendar for the week your baby turns five months old. That’s when you’ll check in with yourself and decide: do I want to keep this plan going, or is it time to shift?

See how powerful that is? It may not sound like a traditional business optimization tip—but I promise you, it is. Because when you have a clear plan and realistic expectations for your work life, it empowers you to make other decisions more confidently and with less mental load.

Trying things for a season in my own life

We recently changed our childcare setup for our youngest, Ethan, and it was a really emotional decision for me. Honestly, I struggled with it. Part of me just wanted to keep him home with me forever. I cried about it—it wasn’t easy. It was this back-and-forth of:

I want more time with him... but I also want (and need) time to focus on my business... and I also just need a break sometimes. All of those feelings are real, and valid, and can coexist.

Anyway, we ended up moving from two to three days of childcare—and even though that might not sound like a huge shift, it felt so different. Ironically, since making the change, we’ve barely had all three days due to holiday closures and sickness, but still—in theory, I now have three days of childcare per week, and that extra day has opened up a bit more breathing room.

At first, the decision felt huge and permanent. But then I reminded myself: this doesn’t have to be forever. If we want to go back to two days, we can. I even talked to the school, and it’s totally an option.

So here’s what I did: I picked four reevaluation dates, spaced about a month apart, and added them to our shared family calendar. Each one includes a little note about why we might want to reassess. I also set reminders so both my husband and I see them and can talk about it that week.

That simple act, putting it on the calendar, was such a mental shift for me. It reminded me that I have the freedom to adjust anytime. One of those reevaluation points is in December, as we head into the new year. I already noted that by then, the new baby will be a certain age, and it might be a great time to ask: Do we want to go back to two days of childcare? Is this current rhythm still working? What am I feeling?

So again, just to recap:

Make a decision that fits your current season.
Put a reevaluation date on the calendar.
Be open to changing things based on what’s working or not.

Decide when you’ll be fully in mom mode

I’d also say—decide for yourself what the time looks like. Maybe it’s entire days, maybe half days, or just afternoons that are fully dedicated to being with your kids. The key is stepping into that role of, “I’m not doing the business thing right now, I’m doing the mom thing.” Deciding what you want that to look like is so powerful and meaningful.

For me, just to give a real example: in this season, I’ve decided that on days I’m with my kids, I don’t work during nap time. It’s just too stressful. You never know when someone will wake up early, and it leaves you frustrated if you’re in the middle of something. So instead, I’ve chosen not to use that time for laptop work—unless it’s something really quick, like a social media post. I won’t try to dive into a big project. Instead, I’ll do things around the house or rest myself.

That’s a decision I’ve made: no working during nap time. I also like having a loose structure for our full days together. That might look like:

A plan for where we’re going by 9:00 AM
What we’re having for lunch
How I’ll use rest time
What I’d like the afternoon to look like

Of course, you have to hold it all loosely, but it’s still so helpful to have a plan. It’s the same idea as when I’m working on my business—I start with a plan for what I want to get done and when. You can do the same for days with your kids, so you’re showing up deliberately and with intention.

Tip #2: Consider shifting from a cart open/cart closed model to evergreen offers.

My second tip, and these last two are much more business-focused than parenting-focused, is to set up your products and offers in an evergreen model instead of only doing live launches, and then layer in occasional promotional periods. This is huge, and you can adapt it to fit your own business, whatever that looks like.

The big idea here is to make your business work for the version of motherhood you want right now—not what some online business expert says you “have to” do to make money, and not even necessarily what worked for you before you had kids. If your goal in this season is to spend more time with your kids and less time behind a laptop, then having products that are always available can be much better for your time and your finances.

When your offers are evergreen, you can consistently promote them and see regular sales come in, instead of relying on a cart-open, cart-close model where you make money only during those launch windows. Launching often leads to a huge month followed by a really slow month, and that rollercoaster can be stressful. Evergreen sales take a lot of that pressure off while still allowing you to make significant income.

To clarify what I mean: some business owners run their products in a cart-open, cart-close model. That means the product—whether it’s a course, a membership, or even a done-for-you service—is only available during a set window. You go hard during those five or so days with live webinars, Facebook ads, social media pushes, lots of planning and energy, and you might make a big chunk of revenue. But then the cart closes, and people can’t buy until you open it again months later. So if someone emails you saying, “Hey, I saw your program—can I join?” you have to tell them no until the next launch.

Evergreen means your offer is always for sale. You can still run promotions—like a 15% off sale on your course—but the product is always available. That’s how I’ve run my business with my website templates from the start, and it’s how I’ve handled my courses since becoming a mom. Everything in my business is always for sale through funnels that sell to people directly. Anytime I post on social media, I’m thinking about promoting my products as if someone could buy right then. And yes, when I create something brand new, I’ll do a live launch—but otherwise, everything stays available.

This leads to moments like yesterday, when I made a sale of my course Podcast Success Blueprint completely randomly—on a day when I never even opened my laptop because I was with my kids. That’s the kind of thing evergreen creates: sales that come in at any time, as people discover your product and decide they’re ready to buy.

I personally love this approach because it avoids the feast-or-famine cycle and makes work more flexible. On top of that, you can still run periodic promotions or discounts to boost sales and give yourself a chance to talk more deliberately about your offers. You can schedule those around your life—maybe when you know you’ll have more energy, or when it aligns with your family schedule.

Of course, you might decide something else works better for you. Maybe in your season of motherhood, you prefer cart open, cart close. That’s okay—you have to choose what fits your life. But for me, I’ve been running my business this way for about four years, and it’s worked really well. Honestly, I don’t have the capacity in my current schedule to put everything into a huge launch and depend on one week financially. That doesn’t feel good to me—especially now, being pregnant and expecting my third.

So my second tip is this: consider setting your products and offers up as evergreen. Let people buy when it makes sense for them, and create a business that works for your season of life.

Tip #3: Delegate and let go of things you used to obsess over

Alright, my third and final tip, and then I’ll share some other thoughts and a recap, is this: learn how to delegate and let some things slide that you used to obsess over.

I actually think moms can be incredibly efficient business owners because motherhood forces you to develop time management. It pushes you to cut out the things that don’t matter, avoid wasting time, and figure out how to delegate. Now, that doesn’t mean every mom automatically does those things well, but I’d say motherhood naturally tries to teach you flexibility. And if you let it, that lesson can really help you in your business. If you don’t, the reality of having less time to obsess over everything, whether in your work or at home, can drive you crazy.

This is especially true if you’re running your business without full-time childcare. In that case, I’d encourage you to look at everything you do daily, weekly, and monthly in both your business and your home life.

Ask yourself:

What’s unnecessary? Something you started doing before kids, or when you only had one kid, that might not actually matter anymore. Or maybe it’s outdated: something your business needed five years ago, but doesn’t today.
What can be automated? Often, the tools you already use (or could invest in) can handle repetitive tasks for you.
What can be delegated? Either to an existing team member or to someone new you hire.

And don’t forget, you can apply this same approach to your household. For example, maybe you realize you don’t want or need weekly cleaners but hiring someone to deep clean once a month could make a huge difference. That’s what we do: once-a-month cleaning, and then we handle the in-between. Sure, the house feels crazy sometimes, but it works.

Being more efficient as a business owner

So those are the three areas I’d encourage you to evaluate: what can be cut completely, what can be automated, and what can be delegated. Beyond that, also look at what can simply be done more efficiently, either by you or by a team member, when cutting isn’t an option. Sometimes you’ll realize the task just doesn’t need as much attention as you thought.

This has definitely been my experience. Every time I’ve prepared for maternity leave, I’ve gone through the process of delegating, systematizing, automating, or just quitting certain things.

With my first maternity leave, I had been doing everything myself, and I had to sort through: What could I hand off to a team member? What did we need to stop doing altogether because it was just a waste of time? What needed better systems? I repeated that process with my second baby, and now, gearing up for my third maternity leave, I’m doing it again. Each time, it’s gotten easier because I’ve removed more bottlenecks, cut more fluff, and made my business run leaner.

Of course, what this looks like will vary for everyone because your business isn’t the same as mine. But I encourage you to start exploring it for yourself, in both your work and your home life. Ask:

What am I doing that I could simply stop doing?
What can I automate with tools I already have (or could invest in)?
What can I delegate to a team member, a contractor, or even to my spouse or kids at home?
And finally, what can I do more efficiently myself?

It can be so helpful to start capturing these ideas, maybe just as notes on your phone, and then intentionally make a plan to act on them.

Avoiding losing momentum in your business while spending less time on your business

If your goal is to avoid losing momentum in your business while also being present with your kids, and without overworking yourself, know that it is possible. I’m living proof of that. But it does require being very deliberate and intentional.

In fact, I’ve even started outlining another episode I want to record that’s connected to this idea but focused more on childcare. It’s about making decisions to find the right childcare setup for you—so you have reliable coverage when you need it, but not necessarily full-time, five-days-a-week if that’s not what you want. That’s one of the most beautiful things about owning your own business: you’re not locked into a 9-to-5 schedule. You can decide, “I’m going to make this work in two days,” or, “I’ll structure it over three days,” and spend the rest of the time with your kids. The fact that we get to make those choices as business owners is so powerful and amazing.

When I think about starting my business nine-and-a-half years ago, I’m so grateful for how it set me up for motherhood years later—both in ways I couldn’t have predicted and in ways I was deliberately planning for.

If this is on your heart, I just want to say: it’s worth doing. Time with your children is never time you’ll regret… even when it’s hard. Sometimes a full day solo with your kids can feel harder than sitting behind a laptop (it certainly can for me), but it’s so joy-filled and so worth it. I’m constantly trying to optimize my business to have more days and more time with my kids while they’re little and all at home.

3 Strategies To Optimize Your Business Without Overworking

I know many of you relate. It’s worth pursuing, even when it feels hard or complicated and you’re wondering how to do both and balance it all. My encouragement: you can’t have everything all at once, but you can have it all across time—just not all at the same time.

Decide what you want your current season to look like—and then take action. Define your timeline (a quarter, six months, until your baby reaches a certain age, etc.), and set reevaluation dates to reassess what’s working.
Shift to evergreen offers instead of live launches. This creates consistency in your income and more flexibility in your schedule, letting you make sales while spending time with your family.
Learn how to delegate, automate, and let go of the things that you used to obsess over. Look for what’s unnecessary, what can be handled by someone else, and what you can systematize so your business runs more efficiently (often allowing you to work less and earn more).

I truly believe this is possible for you. I’m living proof that you don’t have to choose between motherhood and entrepreneurship. You can do both: intentionally, sustainably, and in a way that aligns with your values.

Links Mentioned:

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Join Podcast Success Blueprint

The post 3 Business Strategies For Moms Who Want To Run a Successful Business While Staying Home With Kids appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Pregnancy, Projects & Podcasting: Life Update After a 3-Month Break (+ Giving Your Brain Space to Slow Down & Have a Quiet Quarter)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 2 minutes

After taking my first-ever extended podcast break in over six years (!!!), I’m back behind the mic with a big life and business update for you. If you've ever thought about taking a break and giving your brain space to slow down, this episode is for you. I’m sharing what these past three months off have looked like—from behind-the-scenes shifts in my business to some really personal updates as we get ready to welcome baby #3.

I open up about what led me to step away for a bit, what I learned from listening to that nudge, and how God’s timing showed up in powerful, practical ways during this season. You’ll hear about how I’ve been prepping for maternity leave, making some big birth-related decisions, organizing every corner of our home (nesting!), and even getting ready to launch new Showit templates—all while parenting two young kids and navigating a third pregnancy.

Plus, I’m recapping our spring adventures like buying a new van, celebrating baby girl with a sprinkle, and taking a family beach trip. I also share what’s coming next for the podcast as we move into a new season (including what to expect while I’m on leave).

Whether you're here for business insights, real-life motherhood, or a little bit of both, this is a fun, full-circle episode to catch you up and (hopefully!) encourage you in your own season of growth and change.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 308!

Tune in to episode 308 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to catch up with me after the podcast break.

Some highlights from this episode:

Why I took my first real podcast break in 6 years
How the break impacted my creativity, clarity, and mindset
What I’ve been up to behind the scenes in my business
How taking a pause affected my business revenue
The spiritual side: trusting God’s timing and nudges in business decisions
Preparing for baby #3 and navigating a VBAC decision
What it’s been like being pregnant while parenting two little boys
Why I’ve chosen to be more private about this pregnancy (and what I’ll still share)
Moving offices, organizing our home, and lots of nesting
Selling a car and buying a new van
Celebrating baby girl with a sweet, small sprinkle
Taking our family beach trip while 30 weeks pregnant
How I created margin to work on brand-new Showit templates
What I’ve learned from parenting, working, and preparing for maternity leave
What’s coming next on the podcast + how to stay in the loop during my leave

Links Mentioned:

Hear Why I Chose To Take a Podcast Break (Episode 307)

How to Start a Podcast in 2025 (Episode 302)

Tune Into Colin's Birth Story (Episode 148)

Tune Into Ethan's Birth Story (Episode 265)

The post Pregnancy, Projects & Podcasting: Life Update After a 3-Month Break (+ Giving Your Brain Space to Slow Down & Have a Quiet Quarter) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Taking a Family Gap Year As An Entrepreneur: Homeschooling, Traveling Abroad, and Ditching Instagram (While Growing Your Business) with Emily Conley

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 22 minutes

Okay, you guys are in for such a treat with this episode! We’re covering a bunch of topics that I haven’t really had a guest on to talk about before. We’re going all over the place—diving into what it’s like to run a lifestyle business, travel, homeschool, and manage it all. It was such a fun conversation, and I personally learned a lot. I walked away feeling really inspired.

Today, I’m talking with Emily Conley. She’s a friend of mine, and we’ve worked together for many years in my own business. She’s also been a customer of mine, and I’ve been a customer of hers. She’s just such a joy to learn from and talk to. This conversation feels really casual because these are the kinds of things we chat about all the time when we’re on work calls and catching up on life.

It was so much fun to pick her brain about some things at length. We talked about:

Losing your Instagram account after four years of building a business—and what it’s like to run a business without social media
Whether it’s possible to start and grow a business from scratch without social media at all
Taking a year off to travel with your family while still running a business
Homeschooling as a business owner and being an "unlikely homeschooler"—what that has looked like for Emily
Her daily life—homeschooling, living somewhere new, and running a business all at the same time
What their family’s schedule looks like and how they make it work
Advice for traveling as a family, homeschooling, running a business VIP day-style, and so much more

We cover a lot of different but related topics, getting really detailed on how Emily makes it all work—the challenges, the wins, and everything in between. I think you guys are really going to enjoy this conversation.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 306!

Who is Emily Conley?

Emily is a copywriter and brand messaging strategist. She specializes in writing clear, compelling copy that converts, and she’s obsessed with helping her clients tap into the power of their brand voice and use their words to attract their dream clients and make effortless sales.

The one thing Emily does best? Amplifying your unique brand message, making sure that every word sounds like the best version of you and your brand. She’s meticulous, efficient, and never wastes a word.

When she’s not working her copy magic, you’ll find Emily living her best digital nomad life traveling the world with her family of 3.

Your Instagram Was Hacked in 2023. Can You Talk About What That Was Like?

It was honestly a nightmare. Let me just set the stage because this is a good one. So, I’m flying back from Madrid to Nashville, and we had splurged on business class upgrades—something we never do. I was feeling so cool, sitting in my little pod, thinking, wow, this is legit. So, I decided to do a little “Ask Me Anything” on Instagram from my fancy business class seat, feeling like a real business owner.

And then—boom. White screen. I got logged out. Just like that.

I tried to log back in, and an error message popped up. I don’t even remember exactly what it said now, but it was basically like, you’ve done something wrong, and it’s over. But there was an option to appeal.

So, I appealed. It’s all done through online forms, so I filled one out. Two days later, I got an email from Instagram saying, Oh my gosh, we’re so sorry—that was an accident. You didn’t violate anything. We’ve restored your account. Let us know if you have any issues.

But I still couldn’t log in. Ever.

Every time I tried, I got the same error message. And there’s no real way to contact anyone. You’re just at the mercy of a chatbot, emails, and automated forms. I must have submitted that appeal form at least 60 times—I don’t even know. I kept trying for weeks, but I could never get it back.

And then…it was just gone.

Over 80% of my business came from Instagram—probably more. It wasn’t just my main traffic source; it was almost my only driver. I was doing other things, but that’s where everyone was coming in from. And beyond that, I had built such a strong community there.

I was always on Stories, constantly creating and engaging. There was so much content—things I had poured hours of time, energy, and creativity into. Losing all of that was honestly the saddest part. It was just gone.

It was a huge blow. I had put so much into it, and suddenly, I had no idea what was going to happen. I wasn’t even sure if I’d still have a business.

What was your initial reaction after losing the account and then ultimately what you ended up doing?

At first, I was just horrified. It was a total shock.

But two things really helped me. First, I had built a really strong community on Instagram, and many of those people had other ways of reaching me. We were connected on Voxer, through email, or in other ways. So, when I disappeared, a lot of people reached out, asking what had happened and where I was—which was really nice. I also still had referrals coming in, so I wasn’t completely cut off.

The second thing that saved me was my email list. I had been growing it over time, and it was actually bigger than my Instagram audience, which turned out to be a huge advantage. So, I leaned hard into email marketing. I let everyone know what had happened, reassured them that I was still in business, and just kept going.

A few months later, I decided to create a second Instagram account, Emily Writes Well 2.0. But then…six months later, that account got deleted too.

You have your original handle back now, right?

By the time enough time had passed, my original Instagram handle became available again, so I grabbed it. But honestly, I think I’ve only posted maybe three times—I’m still not sure what I want to do with it.

The main reason I even wanted to have an Instagram again was because I do a lot of collaborations, and without an account, people couldn’t tag me in projects we worked on. I really missed that accessibility. I love being introduced to new audiences through my collaborations, especially when it’s with someone I’ve worked with before, because their audience often includes people I’d love to work with, too. So I was definitely missing out on that.

I still haven’t fully decided what to do. I’ve thought about just setting up one of those nine-grid layouts—where you post a set of static posts and leave it at that—while only showing up in Stories. But I haven’t committed to anything yet.

To be extra cautious, I created the new account using a completely new email—like, a brand-new Gmail that wasn’t tied to any of my business accounts—just in case I was somehow blacklisted. Honestly, I still don’t know.

You’ve been off Instagram for a while but still had your highest revenue year last year—while also traveling and homeschooling. What do you think made that possible without social media?

It really came down to the referral network I’ve built. Last year, over half of my clients were repeat clients—people I had worked with before.

Another 10–20% came from organic search through my website. And the rest? All referrals or people connected to my referral network.

So, I barely marketed my business at all last year—which, to be honest, isn’t a strategy I’d recommend! But even without active marketing, I still had my highest revenue year while doing so many other things.

That said, this year looks very different. I have a more intentional marketing strategy in place (outside of Instagram), so we’ll see how that shifts things. But for one year, at least, I made it work. I just don’t think it’s a long-term strategy.

For a new service-based business, like a copywriter, do you think it’s possible to succeed without social media, or what would you recommend based on your experience?

That’s such a great question. I was able to step away from Instagram after five years of intentional building—but I don’t think I could have started without it.

Almost all of my referral network originally came from Instagram. I built relationships, established authority, and earned trust there. While you can make meaningful connections outside of Instagram (one of my best referral clients came from an in-person networking event), Instagram was key for me in the early days.

If you're just starting out and don’t love Instagram, my advice is to stick with it long enough to build connections. Focus on community over metrics or going viral. And, at the same time, build your email list—because that gives you the freedom to eventually step away from social media if you want to.

Instagram is the best free marketing tool I’ve found for establishing a presence, networking, and finding opportunities. Many of my in-person connections actually started there. So while it is possible to grow without social media, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without laying that foundation first.

For business owners who’ve been at it for a while but feel over Instagram or TikTok—not looking to delete their account, but not wanting to put as much energy into it—what advice would you give them?

Just do it—step away. There’s so much freedom in not relying on social media.

If you're not being forced off the platform, you can be intentional about it. You don’t have to make a big announcement or explain yourself—just take a break. Try stepping away for a week each month and see how it feels.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this past year is that nothing has to be permanent. You can experiment. If you step away and realize you miss it, you can always come back—no big deal. Sometimes we make these decisions feel bigger than they are, like they’re forever, but they’re not. You’re allowed to change your mind.

What inspired you to take a family gap year?

My husband and I used to live in Australia—our daughter was actually born while we were living in Sydney. But having a newborn 10,000 miles away from family was really tough, so we moved back to Nashville when she was 10 weeks old. We've been here for about six years now.

We actually tried to move back to Sydney through my husband’s job. We got really close—sold my car, started listing our house—but then his company implemented a global hiring freeze, and the whole plan fell apart.

Since a permanent move wasn’t possible, we started thinking: What if we just slow-traveled instead? Instead of settling in one place, we could spend a month or two in different locations and try out new places. Our daughter was six and starting first grade, which felt like the perfect time—she was still young, not tied down by school or friends yet.

The biggest challenge was my husband's job. Even though he was working remotely at the time, his company was shifting toward in-office work again. Plus, there were legal restrictions—he couldn’t just live in another country for months (at his current company).

When he finally decided, Hey, I can walk away from this job and see what else is possible, that changed everything. It opened up all kinds of new options for us.

How long were you gone for?

Yeah, so we started with six months on the road. We traveled for exactly six months, then came back home for the holidays to spend time with family. We've been here for about six weeks, but later this week, we’re heading out again for another six months—we have everything planned through June.

We started in Costa Rica, which was an easy transition since the time zones matched my work schedule. We stayed in a beachside condo with a pool—it was beautiful. But it was also more rustic than we expected. One surprising thing was how expensive it was—groceries actually cost more there than in Nashville! Restaurants were also around the same price or even more, which we hadn’t expected. And then there were the roads—sometimes they just turned into dirt paths or even went straight through a river. Definitely an adventure!

We spent two months there, then flew to Colombia, then on to London, where we met my parents for a road trip through the UK. After that, we spent five or six weeks on the Greek island of Naxos, followed by time in Valencia, Spain—where we experienced a massive flood. Being in a foreign country during a natural disaster was eye-opening, but thankfully, we were safe.

We ended with three weeks in Marrakech, Morocco, before heading back home.

Did you have to make any major shifts, like selling a home or selling cars and things like that in order to do this?

Yes, we kept our house and found a long-term renter.

Our realtor, who also manages properties and is a close friend, handled everything for us. We had about six different families come look at the house before choosing the best fit. So far, everything has gone really smoothly—knock on wood!

Almost completely empty. We sold most of our furniture—some of it I was fine parting with, but I did love our couches! We also sold a few things to the renter, like our washer and dryer, since we didn’t want to deal with repairs or replacements. We also sold some outdoor furniture and bar stools, but most things went on Marketplace. My husband handled that, and honestly, selling everything was like a full-time job!

We also sold both of our cars. So we kept the house but sold the cars and furniture. And the biggest change—my husband quit his job. That was huge because his job provided our health insurance, and he had been with the company for 13 years. It felt really scary at first, but once he did it, we realized—we're fine. It was okay.

We have a small 8x10 storage unit where we kept things like our Christmas ornaments, some of my daughter's toys (including her Barbie Dream House), and my better cookware—just things that would be easy to move when we return.

What would you say was the biggest mindset shift or challenge in making it happen?

So many emotions. It was a long process—we started planning about a year before we actually left. My husband and I knew about it early on, but we didn’t tell anyone until later in the process.

I think the biggest shift was realizing that we didn’t have to commit forever. Choosing to rent our house instead of selling it made everything feel so much less permanent. And we had done something similar before—when we moved to Sydney, we had only been married for 18 months, and we had just built a brand-new house. We actually built a house and planned a wedding at the same time—we closed on the house the week of our wedding, which was wild. It was our perfect little starter home, and then we sold everything and moved.

So, we had already been through the experience of selling, moving, and letting go of a home. But this time, I had to remind myself that home isn’t about the house—it’s about the three of us being together. That was a big mindset shift for me.

On paper, it kind of looked like I was pulling my daughter away from this great situation. She was thriving and had just gotten into a really competitive magnet school that you have to test into. It’s really hard to get in, and we knew that by leaving, she probably wouldn’t be able to go back. But since we weren’t planning on returning to the same community, it felt okay.

The hardest part was worrying about stability—wondering, Am I wrecking my kid? But we’ve been really intentional about checking in, both before we left and throughout our travels. We always ask, How’s everyone doing? How are we feeling? And we’ve kept the mindset that if, at any point, any one of us is unhappy, we can adjust. Nothing is permanent. We can always make changes.

Did you ever see yourself homeschooling before this gap year?

Yes! So, I was a teacher—that was my first job out of college. I didn’t originally go to school for teaching, but I did a non-traditional program to become a teacher and ended up teaching kindergarten and first grade.

So, going into homeschooling, I thought, I got this. I know how to structure a curriculum, set objectives—all of that. To be honest, that part isn’t too hard. Anyone can do it. But…I never actually wanted to homeschool. I have a very strong-willed child, and I liked that she went off to school and someone else handled that part for seven hours a day!

Turns out, homeschooling is so much harder and way more time-consuming than I expected.

The biggest mindset shift I’ve had to make is redefining what “school” looks like. I used to think of it as sitting down, working in a workbook, doing formal lessons. But now, I realize it’s so much broader than that.

For example, when we were in Valencia, we spent an entire day at the aquarium. My daughter is obsessed with sharks, so we explored the massive shark exhibit, and she read every plaque about them. We sat on a bench, identified different species, and she started teaching us facts she had just learned. It was this totally immersive experience.

And then, when we got home, my instinct was, Okay, now we need to sit down and do school. But then I caught myself—wait, no, that was school. That was four hours of real, hands-on learning.

Same thing when we were in Greece. In Naxos, there’s this 2,000-year-old arch from the Temple of Apollo right at the port. One day, we hiked up to it, learned about its history, and that sparked my daughter’s interest in Greek mythology. She started reading mythology books, and then we visited the archaeology museum.

So, I’ve had to shift my thinking—realizing that these immersive, hands-on experiences are school. In many ways, they’re even better than traditional lessons.

How much time do you spend homeschooling every day?

Yes! Homeschooling doesn’t take as much time as a regular school day. Legally, in Tennessee, you’re required to do four hours of instruction per day—but honestly, even in traditional schools, I don’t think kids spend a full four hours actually learning. There are so many transitions and other activities throughout the day.

I chose not to purchase a curriculum, so I do all the planning myself. If I had bought a curriculum and just followed it, it would take a lot less time. But part of the reason I went this route is because my daughter is pretty advanced—she’s in first grade but about to finish third-grade math. She loves math and reading, so I wanted to tailor her education to her level rather than following a set program.

A lot of my time early on went into having her take placement tests so I could figure out exactly where she was academically. That way, I’m not spending time teaching things she already knows. If I had been homeschooling her from kindergarten, I would have already known that, and following a structured curriculum might have been easier.

I also chose not to buy a curriculum because we’re traveling—I didn’t want to carry around a bunch of books. Plus, I wanted the flexibility to customize her learning since she’s at different levels in different subjects. In traditional school, teachers have to teach to the middle, which makes sense in that setting. But since we’re homeschooling, I figured we might as well take full advantage of the flexibility.

As for balancing homeschooling with my business, her dad handles all of her math lessons. We use Khan Academy, which is amazing—and completely free! Since I don’t have four extra hours on top of my work, having him take on that part has been really helpful, especially since I’ve been working quite a bit.

I know every day is different when you're traveling, but can you share what a typical day looks like—balancing homeschooling, exploring, and work while being in different countries?

Yes! One interesting thing is that since we’ve spent a lot of time in Europe, the time zone difference—anywhere from six to eight hours ahead—has actually worked in our favor.

We start our days slowly. We wake up around 9 AM, no alarms—just whenever we naturally wake up. My daughter sleeps in because she doesn’t go to bed until midnight!

In some places, we’d go to the playground in the morning. But in Greece, we quickly realized that no one was at the playground until at least 8 or 9 PM. From 8 to 11 PM, it was packed!

It was really interesting! So in the mornings, we’d start with school—either ELA or math. Then we’d all have lunch together, which became our main meal of the day. Since I wasn’t working yet at that point, I’d cook a full meal around lunchtime.

After lunch, Charlotte would do her second block of school—whichever subject she hadn’t done earlier. Then, she and my husband would usually go out and do something together. In Greece, we were just eight minutes from the beach, so they’d often head there to play.

I’d start work around 3 PM, which was when people in the U.S. were starting to wake up. I’d take calls and work until about 11 PM, with a break for dinner. But dinner was usually something simple—like a salad, soup, or sandwich—basically what we would normally eat for lunch back home. On weekends, we’d go out, but for the most part, we cooked at home.

Since we stay in Airbnbs, we have full kitchens, and we live pretty normally. I think a big misconception is that traveling like this feels like a vacation, but it’s really just everyday life—just in different places.

For example, like I said in Greece, we’d head to the playground in the evenings. In Spain, Charlotte attended a forest school two days a week, which was really fun. My husband would take her in the mornings, and she’d spend the whole day outside, building things, exploring, and just being in nature—no matter the weather, for seven hours a day! That was nice because it gave me a full workday.

So, most days followed a rhythm—family time in the morning, a little outing, then I’d work in the evening while my husband and daughter hung out, played Mario Kart, and did normal things. Then we’d all head to bed around midnight!

What has your husband’s work been like since y'all started traveling?

He’s doing a couple of things. He actually started his own Google Ads/PPC marketing business, so he has a handful of clients there. In the beginning, he kept it pretty small, but as we move forward, he’s planning to put a lot more time into it.

He’s also been working behind the scenes in my business, which has been really helpful. You mentioned earlier about being a service provider without passive income—that’s something I’m trying to change, and he’s been setting up systems to help with that.

On top of that, he handles a lot of the household stuff—all the grocery shopping, daily errands, and most of Charlotte’s care when I’m working. So, in a way, he’s kind of like a stay-at-home dad, which he’s really enjoyed. It’s been fun for them to build a new bond.

I stayed home with Charlotte until she was in pre-K, so we had that time together. Now, it’s special for her and Donnie to have that same kind of connection.

What would you say has been the most rewarding part of taking a family gap year?

The best part is seeing the learning process happen in real time. Young kids are like little sponges, and it’s amazing to watch what Charlotte picks up.

We’ll do an activity together, and later, when we talk about it, I love seeing what stood out to her—what she noticed, what she remembers. We also keep a family travel journal, and hearing her perspective on our experiences is just so special. She’s learned so much, and it’s incredible to actually see that growth happening.

We always joke that we’re making too many core memories—we can’t possibly hold onto them all! But honestly, this whole experience has been unbelievable, and I’m so grateful for it.

And then, of course, there’s her sense of humor—which has really sharpened while we’ve been traveling. My husband and I are both pretty sarcastic, and he’s hilarious. (I think I’m funny, too!) So watching her humor develop has been absolutely hilarious.

For anyone listening who’s thinking, I’d love to travel with my family while running a business, what advice would you give them—maybe something you wish you had known when you first started your family gap year?

I think it’s a lot more accessible than it might seem. You can do both—travel with your family and run a business.

There have been days where I’ve felt like I was on vacation with my family and worked a full day. It’s totally possible. Before, when I went on vacation, I wouldn’t even bring my laptop—I treated it as a full break. But shifting my mindset to see this as just everyday life made a big difference.

Even if you can’t do long-term travel, taking just a month—especially in the summer—can be so special. Being in a new place changes your perspective. We’ve also noticed that we’re a lot nicer to each other while traveling because we rely on each other more!

From a business perspective, it’s absolutely doable. I run a fully service-based business—I make all of my money working directly with clients—and it’s still been way more flexible than I expected. You can have both the travel adventure and your work. We’ve made it work!

Let’s shift to your business and what it’s been like working on the go. For those who don’t know, can you share exactly what you do? I know what you do, but walk us through what a typical work session looks like for you.

So, I’m a writer—I write all kinds of things for my clients.

This past year, while I was in Costa Rica, I actually ghostwrote a book for a client, which was totally new for me. I had never done it before, but it ended up being the most magical project. The book is called Identity Marketing, and it just came out this week—so you can check it out if you want! That process involved sitting on the balcony, writing, while my client and I had calls where she’d download all her thoughts, give me notes, and then I’d shape them into a book. We went back and forth, refining everything—it was very collaborative.

But typically, my work looks more like writing emails, websites, and sales pages. That usually starts with a 45-minute to 90-minute call with a client (especially if they’re new) to go over their project, brand voice, and all the details. Then, once I have that, I dive deep into writing.

I focus on one project at a time, so if I’m writing a website, that might take more than a day. But if it’s a sales page or an email campaign, that’s usually my main focus for the day.

Are you still offering mostly VIP days and half-VIP days?

Yeah, I kept the same pricing model because it worked really well—it’s a flat rate, and it makes sense. But I don’t actually do everything in one day anymore because it’s just not feasible with how my life works now.

Instead, I set a deadline, usually about a week. Realistically, I’m still doing most of the work in a single day, but I need a little more flexibility. When Charlotte was in school for seven hours, I could easily knock everything out in one focused session. Now, my work time is more broken up, so I’ve adjusted.

I still call it the same thing, but now it’s more project deadline-based rather than a strict one-day turnaround.

How does that structurally work for you in traveling and even from a marketing perspective with VIP days?

Yeah, I’d say one of the biggest challenges is scheduling calls.

If I’ve worked with someone before, we try to communicate asynchronously—through Voxer or Loom—because it’s just easier. But when calls are necessary, I work with clients who have some flexibility.

Now, as we move into Australia, Malaysia, and Southeast Asia, I honestly don’t know how scheduling will work with those time zones—I haven’t figured that part out yet!

Another challenge has been setting realistic boundaries. I love a fast turnaround—if you’ve worked with me, you know I usually deliver within a couple of days. But I had to lengthen my timelines because life while traveling is less predictable.

Before, my kid went to school for seven hours a day, and my schedule was more structured. Now, things are more spontaneous, plus we have travel days sprinkled in. I have to factor in things like, Oh, I’m flying on Thursday, so I won’t actually be working that day.

I’ve learned that as long as I set proper expectations with clients, they’re totally fine with it. The issue comes when I overpromise—saying, Oh yeah, I’ll have this to you tomorrow, and then it turns into Friday…then Monday. That starts to feel flaky, which I hate.

So, my advice for anyone doing this: Give yourself time to figure it out and be upfront and clear with clients. When I bring on new clients, I let them know, Hey, here’s my situation. Some people need more structure and stability, and that’s totally fine—it doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. But clear communication from the start makes all the difference!

Do you feel like you are using your calendar a lot?

It’s wild! I use Google Calendar, which lets you set two time zones. So I keep Central Time as one and then change the second time zone to wherever I am. That helps me track my available windows—otherwise, I completely lose track of what time it is for my clients.

I’ve also had to get really strict with my calendar. Before, I was super flexible and would just go with the flow, but now I block out large chunks of time to prevent over-scheduling.

Since I offer one-on-one 90-minute sessions, people book directly using a scheduling link. So I have to make sure I’ve blocked off times where I don’t want calls sneaking in.

Right now, my entire calendar is basically a blackout zone until I get to Sydney and figure out how to make it work in that time zone.

Another thing I’m working on is only taking calls on two days per week instead of spreading them out across all my workdays. I’ve had days where I’m doing a one-on-one session at 10 PM, which runs until 11:30 PM. Even though I sleep in, I’m still not at my best that late at night.

So now, I’m trying to batch all my calls into one or two days. That way, I can plan ahead—maybe have some afternoon coffee and power through—but I’m not draining myself by doing late-night calls every day.

This whole experience has forced me to finally implement so many best practices I knew about but never actually had to follow.

I’ve had to streamline everything—there’s so much time I used to waste on little things that I just can’t afford to waste anymore. It’s made me a much more efficient business owner, which has been a huge benefit.

Honestly, if you took just a month to work while traveling—even if it wasn’t internationally, just somewhere different with your family—you’d probably find yourself becoming a better business owner. When your time is limited, you have no choice but to focus on what actually moves the needle.

You mentioned that there were things you used to waste time on but can’t anymore. Can you share some of those? What were the biggest time-wasters, or what are you doing more efficiently now?

Yeah, a big one was bouncing around between tasks.

I have retainer clients where I do the same work for them every month, and I used to think I was being efficient by squeezing tasks into little breaks. Like, Oh, I have 15 minutes—I'll write one email for this client now and come back to the rest later. But that actually made things take longer because I was constantly stopping and restarting.

Now, I focus on batching my work. If I sit down and write all four emails for that client at once, I can finish in two-thirds of the time it used to take.

Another big time-waster? Social media. I used to try to write blog posts and keep up with online groups, but I’ve cut all of that. I left some networking groups I was in because I just didn’t have the time to show up consistently.

Now, my business is very lean—there’s no extra fluff.

I also barely scroll on social media anymore. And I haven’t done a face-to-camera story on my new Instagram account yet—I went so long without doing them that now it feels weird! But honestly? It’s just not a priority right now, so I don’t touch any of it.

When you were making your business more lean, as you said, did you do journaling or writing out anything to help you figure out what needs to be cut or did it just happen naturally?

I’d love to say I had this really thoughtful, strategic process—but honestly, no.

A lot of these changes happened simply because I had to make them. I put myself in a situation where I didn’t have the luxury of avoiding things I had been meaning to do for years. I’ve been in this space for a while, I love personal and professional development, and I’ve had all these ideas like, Oh, that’d be nice to do. But because I didn’t have to do them, I never actually did.

So, in many ways, I was forced into being more efficient—and it was messy.

Some things I deprioritized at first, and now I’m starting to bring them back. Right now, I’m mapping out what it looks like to put more time into marketing—figuring out how that will shift my schedule.

I used to have dedicated time in my calendar for my own projects, but that completely disappeared while traveling. Now, I’m experimenting with rebuilding that structure, playing around with my calendar, and seeing where I can fit things back in.

Do you have any final advice for listeners feeling inspired by this conversation (whether it’s homeschooling, traveling abroad, or running a business without Instagram)?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned—and I think it’s worth sharing—is that this is your life and your business.

So many of us don’t make the changes we truly want—whether it’s quitting Instagram, shifting how we work, adding passive income, or doing more in-person events. And why? Because it feels hard, it’s a little scary, and we worry about meeting other people’s expectations.

For me, I’ve realized that plenty of people disapprove of my choices, and plenty of people judge me for them. And honestly? I don’t care. As long as I’ve thought things through and know I’m doing what’s best for me, my family, and my business, that’s all that matters.

I know some people assume I shut down my business just because I’m not on Instagram. A friend even told me she kept hearing, Oh, did she close her business? What happened to her? And sure, I don’t love that people think I disappeared. But life goes on, and business goes on.

On paper, traveling full-time might look a little crazy, but it’s actually been really intentional. We have spreadsheets, bank accounts, safety nets—this wasn’t a reckless leap.

So my advice? Do what feels right. And remember—nothing is permanent.

When we started this, we said, If after six months this is terrible, we can come back. We could rent an Airbnb in our same town, stay with family—there were options. And the same applies to your business.

If you want to make a change, just try it—because I’ve found that, on the whole, this has been much easier than I expected.

Connect with Emily Conley of Emily Writes Well

Head to Emily Writes Well to connect with Emily! You can also follow her on Instagram @emilywriteswell and @slowdowntravelmore

You can also hear a previous episode with Emily on the Breakthrough Brand Podcast here: How to Write Emails That *Actually* Get Opens, Clicks, and Replies With Emily Conley

Links Mentioned:

Watch this interview on Youtube

Follow Emily on Instagram & Her Travel Account

Work with Emily

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Thanks to our sponsor, Christian Heathcare Ministries! CHM is a health cost-sharing ministry and is a faith-based alternative to traditional health insurance. My family has been using CHM for our healthcare for 4+ years now, and we couldn’t be more pleased. As a business owner we all know healthcare is outrageously expensive with CHM you can save money on your budget and know if a medical situation ever arises CHM will be there to take care of you and share 100% of your eligible bills. Learn more here!

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The post Taking a Family Gap Year As An Entrepreneur: Homeschooling, Traveling Abroad, and Ditching Instagram (While Growing Your Business) with Emily Conley appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

How to Navigate Becoming a Mom When You Already Have a Business You Love

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 05:00:29 +0000

Reading Time: 19 minutes

I am so excited about today’s episode. I honestly think this will become one of my all-time favorite episodes to record. I’ve been working on this outline for months—it’s eight pages long all about having a business before motherhood!

I hope these tips are helpful to you and make a real impact in your life. If they do, I’d love for you to share them with other moms or moms-to-be in your life. Many of you, like me, had a business before motherhood. Others started businesses after becoming moms, which is a completely different experience.

For me, I ran my business for five and a half years before becoming a mom. Over time, I built it into so many different things—my template shop, this podcast, my courses—so much happened before I had kids. Now, I’m a mom of two with baby number three on the way!

As I’ve grown my family, my journey as a mom and entrepreneur has evolved, and that’s what I want to talk about today. This episode is for business-owning women—including side hustlers—who are expecting or thinking about having a baby. If you're in your first year (or so) of motherhood, you’ll likely find this helpful too.

So whether you're trying to conceive, adopting, expecting, navigating life with a newborn, or even adding another baby to your family, this episode is for you. I hope it serves as both a pep talk and a guide with insights you may not have heard before.

A lot of what I’m sharing today is advice I wish someone had given me when I was a new mom. Now, as a mom of two (with a third on the way!), I want to share what I’ve learned—both from a mindset perspective and a practical, business-prep standpoint. I’ll cover ways to adjust your business for big changes, how to work fewer hours effectively, and so much more.

I truly hope this episode blesses you. I’ve poured so much thought and energy into it. Now, let’s get started!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 304!

Like I mentioned, this episode is all about navigating motherhood when you already have a business. These are the things I wish someone had told me as a business-owning woman stepping into motherhood.

I have six key tips for you—most of them focused on your business, but some touching on motherhood in general. But before we dive in, let me set the stage with a little context.

I’m a mom to little ones—I haven’t yet experienced motherhood with elementary-age kids, middle schoolers, or teenagers. My oldest is almost three and a half, my second is 11 months old, and I’m currently pregnant with baby number three, due this summer. That means I’ll have a 16-month age gap between my second and third, and about a two-and-a-half-year gap between my first and second.

I also ran my business for about five and a half years before becoming a mom. So when I found out I was expecting, I had to figure out how to navigate this huge life change while continuing to run a business I had poured years of energy into.

These are the tips I wish someone had shared with me during that transition. So let’s dive in—no particular order, just real, practical advice to help you prepare for this exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) new chapter!

1. Don’t assume what you’ll want for your business until after you meet your baby

One of the most important things you can do during pregnancy is have honest conversations—with your spouse, significant other, or, if you’re a single parent, with your support system. Talk about what both of your work lives will look like once the baby arrives. How will your work change? How will your partner’s work change? How will you share responsibilities? The key is to have a plan—and to prepare to adjust that plan as needed.

Now, I’m not saying don’t make a plan. In fact, I highly encourage you to. But I can’t tell you what plan is right for your family because everyone’s situation is unique. Some of you might be single moms. Maybe your partner works long, inflexible hours. Maybe you work crazy hours in your business, or you’re juggling a 9-to-5 job and a side hustle. Or perhaps you’re transitioning into full-time stay-at-home motherhood for the first time.

No matter your situation, one thing I can tell you is this: Whatever plan you come up with now, your feelings about it may change once your baby is actually here. So go into it with flexibility and grace for yourself.

For example, you might plan to do full-time daycare, thinking, I’ll take a short maternity leave and then jump right back into work. But once your leave is up, you might realize you don’t want to send your baby to daycare full-time. Maybe you decide on part-time daycare or explore other childcare options instead.

Or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe you initially think, I won’t need any childcare—I’ll just work during nap times. Then your baby arrives, and you quickly realize that’s not sustainable. You need real breaks, both for your own well-being and to keep your business running.

The point is—changing your mind is not failure. You can’t fully know what will work for you until you’re in it. And this applies to so many aspects of motherhood!

A plan might sound perfect on paper, but when you’re actually living it, you might realize it’s not the right fit. And that’s okay!

Be adaptable—not just in the newborn stage, but as your baby grows. Your needs will shift. Your baby’s schedule will change. If you have more children, your work-life balance will evolve again. Maybe what worked for you with one baby doesn’t work with two or three. Or maybe when your child stops napping or starts school, your approach shifts again.

Personally, I’ve found that before having kids, my seasons of work looked more like years. Now, as a mom, a season can be just a few months—like when a baby is on a certain nap schedule, isn’t eating solids yet, or is exclusively breastfeeding. Things change fast, and flexibility is key.

So, whatever you choose is okay. It doesn’t matter what other moms are doing, what your own mom did, or what you thought you would do. The best thing you can do is stay prayerful about what’s right for you and your family.

Be open to change. If something isn’t working, it’s okay to say, Hey, I thought I wanted this, but it’s not right for me anymore. Or, This worked great for the first six months, but now my baby’s needs have changed, and I need to adjust.

Adjusting doesn’t mean you were wrong before—it just means you didn’t have the lived experience yet, or your situation has evolved. So stay flexible, stay open to change, and most of all, give yourself grace.

2. Learn how to delegate (and let some things slide that you used to obsess over)

Moms make efficient business owners because they learn to cut out what doesn’t matter and delegate effectively. Motherhood will teach you this skill—if you allow it.

Since becoming a mom, I feel like I’ve become a better business owner, despite entering motherhood after business. Has it made business easier? No, it’s actually harder. But I’ve learned to focus on what truly matters in this season of life and in running my business. If you don’t embrace this shift, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the lack of time to obsess over details like before.

If you're preparing for maternity leave—whether you're pregnant or expecting to adopt—take time to look at your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks:

Identify unnecessary tasks: Things you do out of habit, not necessity.
Look for automation opportunities: Use tools you already have or invest in new ones.
Delegate tasks: Assign to existing team members or even consider hiring help. Becoming a mom may be the right time for your first independent contractor hire.
Increase efficiency: For tasks that can’t be eliminated, find ways to streamline them.

You may realize that your business doesn't require as much micromanagement as you once thought. When I was preparing for my first maternity leave four years ago, I went through this process very intensely. The moment I found out I was pregnant, I recognized that I needed help to take time off or reduce my workload.

At that time, we didn’t use outside childcare until my firstborn was 14 months old. My husband and I tag-teamed childcare while he was in graduate school. With my second child, things were different, and they will be again with my third.

During my first leave, I found things that:

A team member could take over.
Were honestly just a waste of time, so we could cut them.
Needed better systems in place.

Keeping a running list of things to evaluate. I like to use my phone for easy updates, and do this before the baby arrives so you have time to implement changes.

Here are a few real examples from my business:

Failed Payments – I run a digital product business, selling templates and courses. For years, I handled all failed payments myself—tracking issues, emailing customers, and following up. While this task is important, it didn’t need to be done by me. I delegated it to a team member who was already managing customer communication, and she still handles it today.

Podcast Show Notes – I used to write my own show notes for every podcast episode, even after having my first child. It wasn’t until my second pregnancy that I realized I could delegate this task. Since my blog writer, Kara, already had my outlines, it made sense for her to take over the show notes as well. Now, for this episode, she’ll use my eight-page outline to craft the notes, making my podcasting process much more efficient.

Tracking Sales Manually — I used to track every sale in my business manually. You may have heard me talk about this on the podcast before—I loved it and thought it was valuable to have that level of data. But it also took so much time and precision. Right before my second son, Ethan, was born, I cut it out completely—I didn’t delegate it, I just let it go. I realized that, in this season of life, I don’t have the capacity to track every single sale in that much detail.

These are just a few examples, but I hope they help you see the bigger picture. The key is to pay attention daily to what you’re doing in your business. Ask yourself:

Do I really need to be the one doing this?
How much time is this taking me?
Will I still have this time once the baby arrives?

It’s going to look different for everyone depending on your business, but my biggest tip is to start thinking about this for yourself while you're pregnant. Make it something you’re actively working on before maternity leave.

3. Plan for a longer maternity leave than you think you’ll want

As a business owner, you are your own boss, which means you have to give yourself time off—no one else will do it for you. Unlike a traditional employer who says, “Here’s your 12 weeks of maternity leave,” you have to structure and plan for it yourself.

So, my advice? Plan for more time off than you think you’ll want.

I can’t tell you how long that should be. Maybe you have a number in mind based on your first maternity leave, what your friends did, or the standard U.S. maternity leave. But whatever you’re thinking, set up your business in a way that allows you to take more time if you need it.

Why?

You may actually want or need more time than you expected. Birth and recovery can be unpredictable, and you may need extra time to heal or adjust to your baby’s needs. Or, you may simply love the newborn phase and realize you’re not ready to return yet.
Returning to work is often a slow process. It’s rarely a sudden shift from 100% leave to 100% back at work. Instead, it’s more gradual—maybe a nap-time work session here, a few hours while your partner watches the baby there. Planning extra time allows for that transition to happen naturally rather than feeling like you have to rush back.

In my own experience:

With my first son, Colin, I planned for a three-and-a-half-month maternity leave. But in reality, I took five and a half months before I fully came back. That didn’t mean I didn’t touch my business at all—I still ran my Black Friday sale and managed small things—but I wasn’t back in my office for a full workday until he was six months old.
With my second, Ethan, I took three and a half months off and worked right up until he was born. That worked better for me mentally, since I didn’t enjoy taking time off before the baby arrived. With my first, I had planned for two weeks off before my due date, and he ended up being born at 41 weeks! I quickly realized I didn’t enjoy “waiting” and ended up working on random projects just to keep myself busy.

Now, with my third baby, I’m planning another solid maternity leave. I don’t know exactly how long yet since I’m still early in pregnancy, but I want to give myself plenty of time.

I say all this because I don’t want you to assume that you’ll be fine with just three weeks off, only to find yourself overwhelmed and unable to step back when you realize you need more time.

Maybe you think:

“I love my business, so I’ll be excited to jump back in.”
“Newborns sleep a lot, so I’ll have time to work.”
“I saw someone else take only two weeks off, so I can too.”

But then you might find yourself locked into commitments—a client project, interviews, coaching calls—that you can’t push back, even though you want to.

So, think about how much time you believe you’ll need, discuss it with your spouse or support system, and then add a few more weeks. That extra time can be your gradual transition back into work.

Bonus Tip: Plan Time Off During Pregnancy

Don’t forget about taking breaks before the baby arrives!

For example, when you do your glucose test (around 30 weeks), that might be a good day to take off work completely. Go do the test, then treat yourself—grab lunch with a friend, get a pedicure, do something relaxing.

You’ll also have days where you just need to rest—maybe due to morning sickness, exhaustion, or just the general strain of pregnancy. Be gracious with yourself.

Growing a baby is huge work—it’s incredible how our bodies do this! If all you did today was grow that baby, you’ve done enough. And especially if you have other kids, pregnancy can be physically exhausting.

So, don’t push yourself too hard. Plan for rest, and give yourself the space to take breaks when you need them.

4. It’s ok to scale your business back, quit your business, or pause it for a season

This might be my favorite tip of all: It is okay to scale your business back, pause it for a season, or even quit altogether if that’s what makes sense for you and your family.

Quitting often gets a bad rap in the business world. We hear messages like:

“Never quit your business.”
“Always chase your dreams.”
“Stick with it no matter what.”

But I don’t agree with that mindset, and I never have. I’ve talked about this many times on the podcast—quitting, pausing, or shifting your business is actually a power move when it aligns with your life and family.

Your seasons of life will change, and your business can change with them.

The Problem with the “Hustle No Matter What” Mentality

What frustrates me is that society tells us it’s okay to change our work for any reason—except for our family.

You might hear things like:

“If you step back from your business for your kids, you’re not empowering women.”
“You’ll lose yourself in motherhood.”
“You won’t have anything for yourself.”
“You should be contributing financially.”
“You’ll get bored staying home.”
“What will you do all day if you’re home with your kids?”
“Daycare exists for a reason—you should use it.”

I’ve heard it all. And maybe you’ve heard these messages too.

But I want to tell you something different: It is more than okay to shift your business for your family. It is a great reason to change things, simply because it makes sense for you in this season.

Your Career is a Long Game

I also want to remind you that your career is not a race.

With how quickly business and technology move, it can feel like you have to hit every milestone right now—the next income goal, follower count, email list number, or pricing increase. But you actually have so many years of working life ahead of you.

If you’re in your 30s (or older or younger), and you have small children, just think about how many more decades you have to work.

Your business goals can take longer. You can pause a goal for a season.

So if you feel called to scale back right now—whether it’s a small part of your business or the entire thing—try it. Trust God's guidance. Nothing is permanent.

Pausing something doesn’t mean quitting forever.
Even quitting your current business doesn’t mean quitting business forever.

I truly believe you will never regret spending more time with your children.

My Personal Experience with Slowing Down

I’ve found that some days, playing the role of a stay-at-home mom is actually harder than running my business.

Shoutout to all the stay-at-home moms—taking care of small children is hard work. Sitting here recording this podcast in my quiet office is much easier in comparison.

But I never regret investing time in my family. I love motherhood. It fulfills me in a way that nothing else does. It’s a high calling that I’m honored to step into, even when it means shifting my business.

Sometimes that means scaling back, pausing, or even quitting—and that’s okay.

Real-Life Example: My Grandmother’s Career

A lot of the women we admire professionally didn’t follow a straight career path—we just see where they ended up.

For example, my grandmother—my dad’s mom—had an extremely accomplished career. She was the head buyer for Kirkland’s Home Store and played a huge role in growing the company. She was also an interior designer and teacher and made a great income throughout her career.

But when I visited her last year, I asked, “Were you working in those roles when your kids were little?”

And she said, “No, honey. I was a stay-at-home mom for years.”

That surprised me because I’ve always thought of her as a career woman. But when she had her four kids—who were all close in age—she stayed home.

Her career came later—and she still built something incredible.

This was such a great reminder for me that careers are a long game.

You might look at someone’s success and assume they were grinding non-stop for decades—but you don’t see the seasons where they stepped back.

It’s Okay to Step Back—And I’m Doing It Too

I’m actually making changes in my own business right now with baby number three on the way. I’ll be talking about those details in a podcast episode soon.

But for now, I just want to encourage you:

It’s okay to scale your business back to be with your kids more.
It’s okay to quit for a season—or forever—if that’s what makes sense for your family.

And if you feel that calling, follow it. Your business will always be there, but your kids will only be little for so long.

5. Motherhood is really fulfilling. And it’s really hard. It can be both. Hard isn’t the same as bad.

Motherhood is incredibly fulfilling, and it’s also really hard. It can be both at the same time. And hard does not mean bad.

This is something that’s not talked about enough. You can absolutely love being a mom, feel like it’s everything you ever wanted, and still find it exhausting. You can be fulfilled and wish for a break. You can be completely in love with your baby and want them to stop crying so you can get some sleep.

Maybe you wish potty training didn’t result in a mess all over the floor. Or that you could just eat dinner in peace without making sure everyone else is eating theirs. Or that you could schedule a work meeting without worrying about whether nap time will actually happen.

Parenthood is hard—it’s a job like no other. And in my opinion, it’s the hardest job and the most fulfilling work you can do.

Society Doesn’t Always Value Parenthood

Parenting gets a bad rap sometimes. It’s sacrificial, and we live in a world that doesn’t always value kids—or parents—enough. And when you combine all of that, it can feel like a challenging road to navigate.

And I believe that having your first baby is the biggest adjustment of all.

Going from zero to one was a bigger shock for me than going from one to two kids. Now I’m about to go from two to three, so we’ll see how that feels! But at least for us, zero to one completely rocked our world—from work, to life, to free time, to sleep.

I remember feeling, “I’ll never do XYZ again.” And at the time, it felt true. But looking back, those thoughts weren’t actually accurate. Yes, some things do change forever, but many things are just different for a season.

If you ever find yourself missing a part of your life before kids, that does not mean you don’t love your baby or that you regret becoming a mom. It just means you’ve taken on something incredibly hard.

Motherhood is so fulfilling, but it’s also exhausting. And it’s okay to acknowledge both.

My Own Experience With a Newborn

I remember a moment early in motherhood when Colin was just a few weeks old.

Adam was out of town on a trip, and my mother-in-law was visiting to help me out. Colin was struggling with breastfeeding, had colic, and sleep was rough—it was just a lot.

That night, a new episode of Law & Order: SVU was airing. I had always loved watching new episodes as they came out—it was my thing. Before having a baby, I could sit down, grab a snack, and just enjoy it, no problem.

But that night, it felt like watching a TV show was an ordeal.

Colin wasn’t ready for bed yet—newborns often stay up late with their parents. He was fussy, and my mother-in-law sweetly encouraged me, “Elizabeth, just sit down, relax, and enjoy your LaCroix. I’ll hold him.”

So I sat down, but I couldn’t relax. I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, I’m never going to just watch TV normally again.” It felt so overwhelming and permanent in that moment.

But of course, that wasn’t true. Just a couple of days ago, I sat down after the kids were asleep, watched a new episode of Law & Order: SVU, and enjoyed some dessert—totally uninterrupted.

That night with Colin felt so long, but in hindsight, it was just a season.

Hard is Not the Same as Bad

Motherhood is both fulfilling and hard, and one does not cancel out the other.

So when you have those hard moments—when you feel exhausted, frustrated, or overwhelmed—it doesn’t mean you’re failing as a mom. It doesn’t mean motherhood is bad. It just means it’s a really hard job.

Think about your business. There are probably parts of it you don’t like, but that doesn’t mean your business is bad—it just means there are hard aspects to running a business. Motherhood is the same way.

So if you’re in a tough moment right now, just remember:

It’s hard, but it’s worth it.
This season won’t last forever.
You are doing an incredible job.

And above all, hard does not mean bad.

6. You can do this. You can do the motherhood and business thing if you want to.

I want to close this episode with encouragement: You can do this.

You can run a business and be a mom if that’s what you want to do. If you’re going to work and not stay home 100% with your kids, I truly believe that owning a business is one of the best jobs you can have as a mother.

I feel so much gratitude every single day that I built this business and that I can make money from home while being with my kids—even with minimal childcare.

Now, I’m not going to pretend to be one of those people you see in reels or on TikTok saying they work no hours, only from their phone, while making a full-time income as a stay-at-home mom. That’s not my reality.

Right now, as I record this, both of my kids are in paid childcare. But I’m still grateful because I get to do this from home, and throughout the day, I can go downstairs a hundred times to see my baby. That flexibility is a privilege, but it’s also something you can work toward and structure your business to allow for.

Your business is a gift. I believe we should see it that way.

You Are In Charge—Not Your Clients, Not Your Calendar

One of the biggest advantages of running your own business is that you have control.

You can scale it up or down based on your family’s needs.
You can work from home or on the go.
You can choose your maternity leave length instead of having an employer decide for you.
You can set your own work hours around your kids’ schedules.

But here’s the thing—you have to make those decisions.

Don’t let your clients, calendar, or customers dictate how you run your business—especially during pregnancy and postpartum. People are often way more understanding than you think.

I’ve seen too many business owners assume, “My clients won’t understand me taking time off for a baby.” So they don’t take the time. They try to keep their business running as if they aren’t a mom, as if they didn’t just have a baby.

You don’t have to do that.

And if a client isn’t gracious about you taking maternity leave? They’re probably not the kind of client you want to work with anyway.

Be a Better Boss to Yourself

You wouldn’t want to work for someone who never gave you breaks, right? So don’t be that kind of boss to yourself.

Take the half-day for your glucose test.
Take a full day off to rest.
Take naps when you need them.
Spend less time on a project if it means you get to rest.
Give yourself a real maternity leave—and plan it well.

You are in charge—not your clients, not your team, not your calendar.

Define Your Own “It”

You can do this—but only you can define what “this” is.

Whatever your version of success looks like, you can do it. And that definition might change over time—and that’s okay.

Your motherhood and business journey will not look like mine.
It won’t look like that business owner you follow on Instagram who seems to have it all together.
It won’t look exactly like your mom’s, your mother-in-law’s, your friend’s, or anyone else’s.

Your journey is your own.

Give Yourself Time to Learn

Something else I want to encourage you with: Motherhood is a skill—and new skills take time to learn.

Think about it:

When you first got pregnant, you didn’t know what prenatals to take.
You didn’t know what was happening at each stage of pregnancy.
You might not have known much about birth or postpartum.

You had to learn—and learning takes time.

It’s the same with motherhood and business.

I actually saw a note in my Hosanna Revival Five-Year Prayer Journal today from January 2022. At the time, Colin was five months old, we had just moved into our new house, and I was trying to work more again.

In that journal entry, I prayed, “I’m having a hard time moving between mom stuff and work stuff, and I feel like I can’t do both well.”

I remember that season so clearly. I’d get in the zone with my business, and then suddenly it was time to nurse or put him down for a nap. It felt impossible to juggle both.

But over time, I learned how to manage it. It became a skill I developed.

And now, with two kids, I’m learning the skill all over again—because it looks different. And soon, with three kids, I’ll be learning it again in a brand-new way.

It’s all a process. It’s all learning. And that’s okay.

So be gracious with yourself. You are growing and learning just as much as your kids are.

6 Tips for Running a Business While Becoming a Mom

Before we wrap up, let’s quickly review all six tips. As I read them, think about which one stood out to you—maybe one that you can take action on today.

Don’t assume what you’ll want for your business until after you meet your baby.
- Make a plan, but stay flexible. You might think you want one thing, but once the baby is here, your desires could shift.
Learn how to delegate and let some things go.
- Motherhood can actually make you a better business owner by teaching you how to be more strategic with your time.
Plan for a longer maternity leave than you think you’ll want.
- Give yourself the option to take more time if you need it, because adjusting to motherhood is a big transition.
It’s okay to scale back, pause, or even quit your business if that’s what makes sense for your family.
- Be prayerful about it, talk it over with your spouse, and know that nothing is permanent—you can always shift again later.
Motherhood is both fulfilling and hard—and hard doesn’t mean bad.
- It’s okay to miss parts of your old life while also loving your baby. It’s okay to find motherhood challenging while also finding it deeply fulfilling.
You can do this.
- Define what “this” looks like for you in this season. Know that it will change over time, and that’s okay.

I hope this episode encourages you! Motherhood and business together is a learning process, and you’re going to grow so much along the way. You can do this!

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The Surprising Secret to Avoid Burnout & Grow Your Business: How You Can Prioritize Your Health in Life’s Busiest Seasons

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 18 minutes

In today’s episode, we’re talking about prioritizing health and wellness as busy women who are juggling businesses, chasing kids, managing marriages, maintaining friendships, and nurturing faith. With so much on our plates, our health often takes a backseat.

Our guest today is Shaela Daugherty, host of the Simple Fitness Habits podcast. She’s a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach who believes that every woman can build a healthy, fit lifestyle—no matter what season of life they’re in.

In this episode, we discuss why the busiest time in your life is actually the best time to prioritize your health. She shares simple, practical ways to focus on wellness without overwhelming your schedule or mental energy. We cover topics like hitting protein goals, incorporating rhythms for health and fitness as a busy mom, and even reframing the idea of our bodies as temples through scripture.

I absolutely loved this conversation. After recording, I told Shaela how motivated I felt—I immediately got up, ate some protein, and went for a walk! I hope this conversation leaves you feeling just as inspired. And if you’re listening in early February, right after those ambitious New Year’s resolutions may have started to fizzle, consider this your reset. Let’s dive in!

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Who is Shaela Daugherty?

Shaela is the host of Simple Fitness Habits Podcast. She is a Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach who believes that every woman can build a healthy and fit lifestyle no matter what season of life they are in.

Over the past 10 years, Shaela has had the privilege and joy of helping work from home and stay at home moms find rhythms in their health and fitness journeys and make working out work for them. She truly believes the busiest time in your life, like building a business and raising children, is the best time of your life to get healthy and fit, and she built The Stronger Collective Fitness App to help women do that.

She lives with her husband, a Middle School Pastor, three (biasedly) beautiful children, and a sweet border collie named Norman in Florida.

What are some signs that listeners could be in a health-related burnout?

Burnout can sneak up on us—it’s gradual. One day, we’re just a little more tired than usual and think, Maybe I should take a nap today. Another day, we’re struggling to focus on work during the “nap time hustle” and wondering, Did I have too much caffeine? What is going on with my brain? Or maybe we catch ourselves snapping at a loved one.

On the professional side, burnout can look like working harder but not smarter—feeling stuck, like you’re spinning your wheels. A phrase I keep hearing in the business world is throwing spaghetti at the wall—that feeling of trying everything but never making real progress. But burnout doesn’t just affect business growth—it seeps into our relationships and our ability to enjoy the life we’re working so hard to build.

There are some very real physical signs of burnout. Chronic fatigue, trouble sleeping—even when there’s no big deadline—and then realizing a month later, you’re still not sleeping well. Frequent illness, catching every bug from your kids or getting sick out of nowhere. Unexplained aches and pains.

Mentally, burnout can show up as brain fog, difficulty focusing, irritability, and a lack of motivation—not just for work, but even for basic self-care.

Professionally, it can look like procrastination, overscheduling, or that hamster-wheel cycle of If I just finish everything on my to-do list, I’ll be fine. But what usually happens? We get about 70% of the way there, then hit a wall, overwhelmed and exhausted, realizing we need to take a step back.

And personally—this one is big—I’ve been there myself, and I’ve seen it with my clients. Burnout can make you feel emotionally unavailable for your family. As a mom entrepreneur, you start your business to be present with your family, but then you find yourself constantly impatient, skipping meals, working nights, and neglecting movement. You’re there physically but missing out emotionally.

The signs can be small—like poor sleep—or much bigger, like completely losing joy in your daily life. And while we often blame burnout on our business, more often than not, it’s rooted in our health and how we’re taking care of our bodies.

Do you think there are any warning signs that we can watch for before we get to a place where we are completely burned out?

If you're skipping meals, staying up late, and then waking up early—especially if it's happening consistently—that's a big red flag. Another key sign is feeling resentful. And I think it’s important to be really honest with ourselves here, because none of us want to feel resentment as moms, business owners, or wives. But ask yourself:

Do I feel like my responsibilities as a mom are taking away from my business?
Do I feel like my business is taking away from my role as a mother or wife?

These feelings are often the first subtle signs of burnout—both physically and mentally. Another big one is losing your sense of joy and purpose in your work.

For me personally, I can tell when I’ve neglected my prayer time or Bible study. I always say that God is the CEO of my business. At the end of the day, I want Him to lead, but if I’m not intentionally meeting with Him—both personally and professionally—I find myself in this cycle of overworking. I feel like I have to keep pushing forward, constantly doing more, because I’m not relying on the Lord.

So if you feel like you're stuck in that cycle spiritually, that’s another red flag. It’s a moment to pause, bring it to the Lord, and figure out what’s really going on.

You share about the importance of small workouts and the power of 15 minutes. Can you give some examples of small but powerful habits?

Yeah, absolutely! Like you said, I’m a huge fan of small but powerful changes. When I first read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, it just clicked—this concept makes so much sense for health and fitness. I think there’s even a version of the book focused on weight loss.

About 70% of what I talk about on my podcast and with my clients comes down to making smart, small choices. Tiny, intentional habits can create a huge impact over time.

Some of my go-to habits that I share with my clients include:

Eating 100+ grams of protein per day – This starts with a mindset shift. Once you focus on it, it becomes easier to build into your routine.
Drinking water with electrolytes – Most women are depleted in minerals because we’re constantly on the go. Adding electrolytes can make a big difference.
Micro workouts – I love that you’re doing 15-minute workouts! In The Stronger Collective (the workout app I own), we have an entire program called Micro Workouts, and it’s the most popular one. These workouts range from just one minute (yes, one minute is enough when done intentionally!) to 15 minutes. The goal is to build the habit of moving your body—even if it’s just one minute at a time.
Walking – Simply walking between meetings or errands can add up significantly over time.

These are four super simple habits that don’t require much effort or planning. Aside from maybe buying electrolytes, there’s nothing extra you need to do—just small tweaks like doubling up on protein at dinner. These little shifts can make a big difference!

What are your favorite protein sources to hit that 100g?

Yes! I love meat—so if you're vegan, I apologize in advance—but we’re really big on doubling our protein at dinner. Whenever we cook meals, we automatically double the meat. If a recipe calls for one pound, I use two, keeping everything else the same (except for maybe increasing the spices). For example, if we're making tacos, we just double the meat.

Some of my go-to protein sources are chicken, lean beef—really any type of quality meat.

For quick, grab-and-go protein, I’m a big fan of eggs. I know not everyone is, but they’re such an easy option. Fun fact: two eggs contain 14 grams of protein. But if you add just 1/4 cup of egg whites, you bump that up to 24 grams—a simple way to boost your protein intake first thing in the morning!

And then there’s yogurt—specifically high-protein Greek yogurt—which is a great option. Collagen, protein powders, and turkey are also excellent sources.

We do eat lunch meat, though I know some people avoid it. We try to find nitrate-free options to keep it as healthy as possible for both us and our kids. Of course, if you're pregnant, you have to be more mindful of lunch meat, but for everyday convenience, it works well.

One of my absolute favorites for quick meals is frozen, pre-cooked chicken—I always grab it from Target. It’s already cut up, so you just take out what you need, toss it on the stove, and in five minutes, lunch is ready!

Do you have an electrolyte brand you recommend?

Yeah! I love LMNT—it’s my favorite electrolyte brand. Spoiler alert: It actually made my list of Five Health & Fitness Must-Haves for Working Moms!

What sets LMNT apart is that their electrolyte formula is scientifically different from most others. They include magnesium, which many electrolyte blends lack, and I really appreciate that from a mineral and overall health perspective.

I personally use it before my workouts because it helps recharge me. While many people rely on a pre-workout supplement, I skip that and just use electrolytes instead—and it makes a huge difference!

You share that the busiest times of our lives are often the best times to get in shape. Why do you feel that way?

This is my favorite question! If you’ve heard me speak before, you’ve probably heard me say this a lot—I truly believe that the busiest season of your life is the best season to prioritize your health. And it’s not just something I’ve experienced personally—I’ve walked countless women through this process and seen the transformation happen.

As business owners, it’s so easy to fall into a place of apathy when it comes to our health. We tell ourselves, I could lose 10 pounds… I could get stronger… I could work out more… but I don’t necessarily need to right now. Or we think, My kids need me more or I’m homeschooling, so that’s my priority right now. Maybe we’re juggling work, ministry, church, and all the other responsibilities that come with our season of life.

So I get why it sounds counterintuitive when I say this is actually the best time to focus on your health. But when we’re intentional—even in small ways—those small wins feel huge. They boost our confidence and help us build rhythms that work within the busy and the messy, rather than waiting for some imaginary “perfect” season to start prioritizing ourselves.

One thing I’ve noticed in the health and fitness world is that it teaches us how to pause—but not how to sustain a healthy lifestyle in the middle of life’s chaos.

We’re constantly told to go all in and do things like:

Meal prep everything
Work out 4–5 times a week
Eat 120 grams of protein daily
Get your electrolytes in
Walk 10,000 steps
Take all the supplements

It’s a lot. And when life inevitably gets busy—whether it’s a sick kid, a work deadline, or another responsibility—we feel like we have to press pause. And here’s the thing: it’s not a bad thing to want to give our best effort. As moms, as business owners, as wives, we naturally want to show up fully. That’s a gift from the Lord.

But when we adopt the mindset of If I can’t do it all perfectly, I shouldn’t do it at all, that’s when we get stuck. That’s when we’ve unknowingly built a habit of pausing instead of learning how to adjust and keep moving forward.

The reality is, life is always going to be busy. It doesn’t slow down—it just changes. If you have little ones, it’s a physically demanding stage. When they get older, the demands shift to school schedules, extracurricular activities, and emotional support. There’s always something.

That’s why building small, sustainable habits is so powerful. When we give ourselves grace and accept that just focusing on one thing—like hitting 100 grams of protein a day—is enough, it builds confidence. And that confidence is what so many of us are missing—not because we aren’t capable, but because we’ve only ever been taught the all-or-nothing approach.

But what if we flipped that? What if we said, Right now, this is where the Lord has me, and He’s called me to be present in all these areas. Taking care of my body is part of that calling. And if that means starting with just one small habit, that’s okay.

That shift in mindset is everything. It’s what helps us actually sustain a healthy lifestyle long-term. And when we do that, we’re not just taking care of ourselves—we’re becoming the business owners who don’t burn out. We’re the ones who don’t quit. We’re the ones who don’t feel like we’re running on empty all the time.

When we embrace this, we’re changing the game—not just for our businesses, but for our personal lives, our families, our faith, and our future. We’re learning how to build resilience, adapt, and thrive in every season—without the pressure of having to do all the things at once.

I know you’ve also talked about how our health can be the “ceiling” of our business. Can you explain what you mean by that?

Yeah, so there are a lot of analogies we could use for our businesses, but if we think of our health as the foundation of a building, it makes a lot of sense. In the Bible, it talks about the man who built his house upon the rock.

When we build our house on a solid foundation, it stands strong. But if it's built on sand—something unstable—everything above it suffers. The same applies to our health.

For entrepreneurs and working moms, whether at home or outside the home, poor health can limit how much energy and focus we bring into our businesses. On the other hand, when we’re physically strong and well, we’re more creative, we’re more resilient, and we can show up consistently—and not just for everything, but for the small things that truly matter.

It’s about building a strong base for both business and life so that we can flourish personally and professionally.

But it’s really easy to slip into the mindset of:
"Once I build my six- or seven-figure business, then I’ll focus on my health."

And I think back to when Jenna Kutcher shared her story about this. She kept putting off her health, thinking she’d work on it later. She had a lot of health issues, and it wasn’t until she reached a certain point in her business that she finally decided to prioritize her health. And looking back, she wished she had done it sooner because it would have impacted her business in so many ways.

When we are healthy in our bodies, it has a huge impact on our business.

Our energy levels directly affect our productivity.
Poor health can limit focus, endurance, and creativity—not just in work, but in life.
Having a strong, healthy foundation creates a ripple effect—leading to better decisions, stronger relationships, and more sustainable growth.

So often, we’re chasing after the next certification, business degree, or coaching program, thinking we need a higher ceiling for our business. But what we’re not doing is looking inward at our own bodies and asking:

"What does my body need in order to actually increase my capacity? What do I need to do to have the energy, focus, and endurance for my family, my business, and my life?"

Because when we start there—when we focus on building that strong foundation—we don’t just improve our health. We create the ability to show up fully, to grow sustainably, and to thrive in every area of life.

How can listeners identify rhythms for the health and fitness journeys in their own life?

Yeah, so I would say the first step is acknowledging your current season of life and understanding that your health doesn’t have to look like someone else’s. And we know that—we know comparison is a problem—but typically, when we start focusing on health and fitness, we’re already thinking about where we want to be rather than where we are right now.

And I think a lot of us have a hard time actually acknowledging where we are or even admitting how physically yucky we feel. It can be really hard to say out loud, Wow, yeah, I feel yucky, and I need to make a change—whether that’s to yourself, your spouse, or a close friend. It can feel like a failure if we’re not doing everything really well.

So acknowledging it is really the first step in figuring out those rhythms. And it’s actually a four-step process that I work through with my clients.

There’s something I use called Rhythm Dials, and I’ll explain how that works, but the first step is:

1. Acknowledge

Ask yourself:

What does my day-to-day actually look like?
Where am I right now?
If I’m a time blocker, what pocket of time do I have?
Is it 10 minutes a day? Five minutes?
Where am I mentally? Spiritually? Stress-wise? Sleep-wise?

2. Commit

Now that we’ve acknowledged where we are, we commit to just one area and one small thing at a time—whether that’s movement, nutrition, sleep, or stress.

3. Rhythm Dials

This is where Rhythm Dials come in. The way I explain it to my clients is to imagine a big circle with a scale from 1 to 10:

1 is the very least you could do every single day for your health and fitness—your minimum.
10 is the ideal, if everything were perfect—if you had no kids in the house, were making six or seven figures, had a personal chef, and could do all the things. But nobody really lives at a 10, and we’re not meant to. It’s just there as a reference for what’s possible.

Let’s take movement as an example:

A 1 might be simply taking a 10-minute walk daily or every other day—something small and manageable.
A 2 might be increasing that to 15 minutes per day.
A 3 could be adding in two strength-training workouts per week along with walks.
As we move up the dial, we eventually reach a place where we want to be—maybe four to five workouts a week, hitting 10,000 steps, and doing activities like hiking.

There are two ways clients can use this:

As a stepping stone—starting at 1 (the minimum) and slowly working up when it feels right.
As a way to adjust during busy seasons—For example, if someone normally operates at a 4 or 5, but they have a really busy week, instead of quitting, they dial it back down to a 2—maybe just 15-minute walks instead of full workouts.

This gives them a visual representation of how their health and fitness can ebb and flow through seasons.

I have a different perspective from many people out there—I don’t believe we need balance in our health and fitness. Because if we had perfect balance, then who’s really in control? Are we creating that balance, or is the Lord guiding our steps?

Instead, I believe in rhythms—we go through different seasons of life. So rather than striving for balance, we learn how to adjust and adapt—dialing things up when life is good and everything is in place, and dialing things down when life gets chaotic, while still moving forward in some way.

4. Tweak and Maintain

This way, we’re not pressing pause—we’re not saying, Nope, I can’t do it, so I’m just not going to try. Instead, we’re saying, Okay, this week, a 10-minute walk is enough, and that’s great.

So here are the four steps again:

Acknowledge – Identify where you are.
Commit – Pick one area to focus on.
Rhythm Dials – Adjust based on your season of life.
Tweak & Maintain – Find ways to build small habits into your day.

For example, if you already make coffee every morning, drink 8 ounces of water while it brews—that’s habit stacking.

For nutrition, their 1 on the dial might be taking daily supplements, while a 4 might be hitting 100 grams of protein every day.

So if they’re having a busy week and cooking high-protein meals feels overwhelming, they can dial it down—just take the supplements and keep moving forward.

We work through this process for movement, nutrition, sleep, and stress, so that no matter what season someone is in, they can still see:

I’m moving toward my goals.
I’m maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
I’m not stopping—I’m just adjusting.

This approach is especially important for my clients, who are all business owners in some capacity—because it helps them stay on track without feeling like they have to do everything perfectly or give up entirely.

How can women stop viewing self-care as selfish?

So the very first thing I talk about is shifting your health and fitness from a have to into a get to.

A lot of us have negative associations with health and fitness because we’ve gone all in before—we’ve tried to do everything—and it became overwhelming. Even in my recent market research, one of the most common things I heard from women was:

"I know what to do… I just don’t want to have to do it all again."

Because just thinking about it makes them tired. They don’t want to deal with the fuss; they just want to get to the results. And that’s so reflective of our culture right now—we see the same thing in business.

We think, How can I just skip to the good part? How can I reach success in my business without having to go through all the hard things in between?

And that’s why the mindset shift is so important. How can we take health and fitness from something that feels like a burden into something we get to do? How can we create positive associations with working out and healthy eating that feel simple and doable?

It’s about easy wins—those small dopamine hits, like:

Ooh, I ate extra protein today—win!
I drank my water before coffee—win!

But so often, we feel guilty for prioritizing ourselves. Or we don’t even want to mess with it because we don’t want to feel like a failure—we don’t want to try to do all the things only to end up with no results.

The reality is: Caring for our bodies isn’t selfish. And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

When we take care of our bodies, we’re better equipped to pour into our families, our clients, and our calling. Think about the simple analogy of an airplane: when there’s turbulence and the oxygen masks drop, they tell you to put your own mask on first. Because you can’t help anyone else if you’re incapacitated.

It’s the same in business and in our homes. We have to take the time—even though it may feel like a sacrifice—to care for ourselves. Because that sacrifice is a good thing. At the end of the day, what carries us through all the things we’re called to do? Our body.

And I just want to make this point real quick, Elizabeth—because I think this is so important, especially in Christian culture. For years—decades, even—we’ve heard the phrase “steward your body.” But when we look at scripture, it talks about stewarding our time, talents, and treasures.

Your body isn’t outside of you—it’s not a separate thing you manage like time or finances. Your body is you. We often reference 1 Corinthians 6:19—"Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit." But when we think of stewarding our body, we unintentionally create a mindset that our body is something external—something we just take care of rather than something that is part of us.

But the reality is—we are embodied beings. God created us as a body and soul together. Our spirit lives inside this body that He designed for us to use in our calling. So when we say, I get to take care of my body, we’re not just talking about an obligation—it’s who we are.

The Holy Spirit gave us this body so that we can live with purpose—in our homes, with our kids, in our businesses, in ministry, in our marriages, and in our communities.

So yes, we might sometimes feel guilty prioritizing our health. But when we shift our mindset in two ways:

Recognizing that our body isn’t separate from us—we’re not just stewarding it, it is us.
Creating positive associations—from “I have to” → “I get to.”

Then health and fitness becomes something joyful. And at that point, it can even become an act of worship—because we are treating our body well so that we can live out the calling God has for us.

And I know every woman listening—including you, Elizabeth—feels that sense of calling in her life. We all feel purpose in what we’re doing. And I firmly believe we should live that out.

But if we’re not giving our bodies the attention they need, then one day, we’re physically not going to be able to live out that calling.

That’s what we want to avoid now—while we’re in the crazy, busy, messy seasons—so that we can create a sustainable lifestyle that allows us to continue being who God has called us to be.

Rapid Fire Questions with Shaela Daughtery

What are some common misconceptions about fitness and wellness that you think hold women back?

I think the first big misconception is:

I have to do all the things.
I have to spend an hour at the gym every day.
I have to do cardio all the time.

So, that’s probably three right there!

And if you’re listening—please stop doing only cardio! I love cardio. We need it. But if that’s all you’re doing, it’s not helpful long-term. You need strength training, too. Lift some weights! That’s how I would combat that misconception.

Another one is the idea that fitness is expensive or that I can’t do it at home. Some people feel like they need to go to a class, or they need a gym community. But then that becomes a time commitment. And financially, it could be $149 or even $249 a month—which isn’t always realistic.

But the truth is, you can do it at home. It’s a priority and motivation thing. If you focus on small steps—like we talked about with the Rhythm Dials—you can make progress at home until you reach a place where you can afford a gym or find a community that truly supports your goals.

And lastly, we already talked about this one, but the misconception that prioritizing your health is selfish—that comes up a lot.

What's one practical strategy a busy woman listening could use today to improve her energy and avoid burnout?

You have to figure out what works for you.

Like I mentioned earlier, some great starting points are:
Increasing your protein—aiming for 100 grams a day
Drinking water—half your body weight in ounces, plus adding electrolytes
Walking more—getting in extra steps
Progressive overload in strength training

Progressive overload means that when you do your workouts, you repeat the same exercises week after week—but each time, you either increase the weight or increase the reps.

Even with short 10-minute or 15-minute micro workouts, you can build lean muscle if you stay consistent and progressively challenge your body. Ideally, you stick with the same exercises for at least four weeks before switching things up.

So, whether it’s hitting 100g of protein, drinking more water, getting extra steps, or progressively overloading your workouts—just pick one and focus on it today.

For example, if you have time to go for a walk with your kids, boom—that’s a win. Just take the walk!

For us, it’s a daily habit now. My kids expect it. Every time my son wakes up from his first nap and his second nap, we go for a walk. It’s just what we do.

And once that habit is in place, I can ask myself, Okay, when can I fit my strength training in?

One thing I didn’t mention earlier—a big misconception about workouts—is that we think we have to do them before the kids wake up or when they’re not around.

And yeah, if you work out while they’re awake, it will take longer—but letting them see you do it is important.

With my oldest, I started setting this example when he was a baby. Once a week, I would work out in front of him and train him to understand:

"Mommy is doing my workout right now. I can’t play."

I would redirect, redirect, redirect—and now, with my third baby, it’s just part of our life.

So every Wednesday, I still work out in the garage with all three kids awake. They see me. They can play outside. They can even join in. And you know what?

My 30-minute workout only takes about 35 minutes now—depending on the baby!

It’s all about training, consistency, and intentionality.

This process took five years for me, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. My oldest figured it out faster, but the key was staying consistent in the little things over and over again.

And that’s what makes all the difference.

Connect with Shaela Daughtery

I have a freebie called Five Health and Fitness Must-Haves for Working Moms.

It’s basically a shortcut guide—my top five easy health and fitness tips that make a big impact. If you’re looking for one simple thing to start with, this guide will help you pick it.

You can find me on Instagram at @SDFitWell, but I’m most active through my podcast, Simple Fitness Habits.

That’s where my community is, and I always tell people—I am probably the most personal trainer out there! If you have questions, please DM me on Instagram or email me. I love answering them and do my best to respond as quickly as I can—with three kids, of course!

Thank you so much for having me on the podcast, this was so fun!

Links Mentioned:

Grab Shaela's FREE Five Health and Fitness Must-Haves For Working Moms

Follow Shaela on Instagram

Tune into Simple Fitness Habits

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The post The Surprising Secret to Avoid Burnout & Grow Your Business: How You Can Prioritize Your Health in Life’s Busiest Seasons appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Baby #3 Is Coming! (How We Found Out, Close Age Gaps, and Preparing for Life as a Family of Five)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As the title says, WE’RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY! It’s our third! I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this incredible news with you all in the 300th episode of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast! This announcement feels extra special as it marks such a significant milestone for both my personal life and podcast journey. I recorded this at 14 weeks of pregnancy, and I can’t wait for you to hear all about how we are becoming a family of five.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 300!

Some highlights from the episode:

- The story of how I found out I was pregnant (hint: it’s wild—at a conference right before a big speaking engagement!)

- How I shared the news with Adam and my two boys

- The sweet and surprising intuition both Adam and I had about this pregnancy

- How I'm thinking about managing life with a 16-month age gap between our youngest two

- How we decided we wanted another baby—and whether this might be our last!

- My birth plans and the decision between trying for a VBAC or a repeat C-section

- How this pregnancy fits into our family’s evolving seasons—and what this means for my business as we become a family of five

- Plus, my thoughts on going from two to three kids, and why I’m embracing both the challenges and the joys of this new season as a family of five

… and so much more!

Special shout out to Alli Campbell Photography who took these announcement photos! I love them so much!

Whether you're a mom, a mom-to-be, or simply curious about balancing being a mom of 3 and entrepreneurship, my hope is that you'll love this behind-the-scenes episode.

I can’t wait to hear what you think. Come find me over on Instagram, where I’m sharing even more behind-the-scenes moments and updates.

Links Mentioned:

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram

Cranberry Brie Appetizer Recipe

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The post Baby #3 Is Coming! (How We Found Out, Close Age Gaps, and Preparing for Life as a Family of Five) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Stay Organized, Keep it Simple, and Make It FUN — How to Plan for Christmas to Avoid the Overwhelm

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 12 minutes

All right, let’s talk about holiday organization—keeping your sanity, staying organized, making the holidays fun, enjoyable, and filled with good memories. Basically, how you can plan for this Christmas season and avoid overwhelm.

This is a continuation of last week’s Christmas episode. If you missed that one, no worries! You don’t need it to understand this episode, but I’d still recommend checking it out. In that one, I talked about holiday tradition ideas for your family.

In this episode, we’re talking about staying organized with things like gift-giving, parties, hosting, and all the different things that happen during the holiday season. This applies whether you have kids or not. These are things I’ve learned over the years—being married, buying gifts for in-laws, parents, and more.

I’ve also grown as a mom, dealing with teacher gifts and other holiday responsibilities. Over the years, I’ve noticed how much more there is to manage, and these are tips that I think will help you, no matter your season of life, to make Christmas and the holiday season more enjoyable and restful.

So let’s get to it!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 297!

Two years ago, I recorded my very first Christmas episode, and it was such a fun experience—and you all really loved it! Last year, I re-aired that same episode instead of creating a new one. But this year, I’m excited to bring you a brand-new Christmas episode. If you’d like to check out the episode from two years ago, here it is. That one covers different topics, including practical tips for taking time off from your business during the holiday season, and traditions through the lens of having even younger kids—Colin was only about a year old back then.

Now, let’s dive into the traditions! I’ve got seven to share with you today. One of them has a lot of subpoints, but most are big-picture ideas, with a focus on how to bring Jesus more into your holiday season. Let’s get started!

1. Create a holiday note that you add to each year and reopen when the season starts.

Let me explain. This might sound confusing at first, but it’s something I started doing two years ago, and it’s been a game-changer. I keep a Google Doc in my Google Drive, in a folder with other family-related documents. In this document, I add notes for myself about Christmas each year.

Here’s how I keep track of it: I’ve added it as a recurring event in my Apple calendar. Every year, on November 1st, it reminds me to review the document. The calendar event is called something like “Review December Doc” or “Review Holiday Doc,” and it includes a direct link to the file in the notes section.

This system works so well for me that I made a similar document for the fall season, since the Thanksgiving and Christmas one has been so helpful. You could adapt this idea for any season—summer, spring, or whatever suits you.

For the past two years, this document has covered everything from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. It’s just a collection of notes I’ve added each year. I’d recommend starting your own document after this Christmas season ends. It takes about 15 minutes to create, and I promise, your future self will thank you.

When you open it next year, you’ll find all kinds of helpful notes that you would’ve otherwise forgotten about. If you’re still thinking about fall right now, you could even make a fall version while it’s fresh in your mind.

Here’s an example of what I include:

Send Christmas cards earlier than you think. It takes a long time to get them shipped, even when you pay extra for fast turnaround.
Go smaller. Last year, ours were accidentally giant. Smaller would work better.
Buy stamps early. USPS takes forever to mail stamps ordered online.

That’s it—just a few simple notes, but they make such a difference.

I also includes notes about:

Timing the Christmas meal.
Picking a Christmas church service that works with family visiting.
Hosting Christmas at our house.
Light shows we like to attend, including when to go.
Social obligations—I wrote a big note for myself last year that I overbooked in December and didn’t want to repeat that.

This system has made planning so much smoother. You could even use a note on your phone if you want something quick and easy to add to anytime. Personally, I prefer sitting down at my computer to type everything out.

The key is to keep building on the same document every year. For example, this year would be your 2024 note, next year 2025, and so on. Over time, it becomes an invaluable resource for making each holiday season easier and more enjoyable.

So that’s my first and biggest tip: Make a holiday document to help your future self. It’s a game-changer!

2. Use Babylist for your family/kids wish list

I’ve actually been doing this for years—even before Babylist offered it as an official feature. Back when I was pregnant with Colin, I made a Christmas wish list for Adam and me on Babylist, in addition to my baby registry. So it was like two separate lists. Now, Babylist has expanded, and you can create registries for Christmas, birthdays, or an expected baby. It’s really cool and completely free to use.

What I love about Babylist is how versatile it is. You can make lists for gifts from a variety of stores, not just Amazon. In the past, I’ve seen people create documents where they link to gift ideas or type out suggestions for family members. But what makes Babylist better is that it allows people to mark items as purchased so you don’t get duplicates. You can also write descriptions about why an item would make a great gift or even mark certain items as “most wanted.”

Here’s what works well for us: we make one list for our whole family and share it via a single link. It’s super easy to send, and my in-laws, my mom, and my sister all really appreciate having it. They don’t have to guess what to get for Colin, Ethan, or even us. Everyone else in my family also does Christmas wish lists—most of them use Amazon, but we stick with Babylist.

Now, if your family dynamic is different and some people might be offended by a wish list, this might not work for you. But if your family asks, “What do the kids want? What do you want?” This is a really great option.

On our Babylist, I organize the categories not by item type (like toys or books, which is the default), but by family member. So our list has sections like Colin, Elizabeth, Ethan, Adam, Whole Family, and Both Kids. This setup makes it super easy for grandparents or other relatives to see what they might want to gift and to claim items so we don’t get duplicates.

Plus, what’s great about Babylist is that it’s flexible. If you’re someone who prefers experience-based gifts over physical ones, you can add anything with a URL. For example, you could include a zoo membership or tickets to an event. Literally anything with a link can go on the list.

I also have the Babylist app on my phone, so whenever I think of a gift idea for the kids, myself, or Adam, I can add it directly to the list. It’s so convenient and keeps everything organized!

3. Keep a document to track your gift-buying

For me, I like to use the notes app on my phone for this. I create a note titled something like “Christmas 2024 Gift Giving,” and under that, I list each person’s name with a bullet point list ready to go beneath their name.

Here’s how I use it: First, I jot down gift ideas as they come to me. If I think, “Oh, this person would really enjoy this,” I add it to their section. My family uses wish lists a lot, so I can also refer to those for ideas.

When I purchase a gift, I update the document to include what I bought and how much I spent. This helps me keep track of the total amount I’m spending per person and how many gifts I’ve gotten.

In years when I didn’t do this, I ran into problems. When you buy gifts gradually over time, it’s easy to forget what you’ve already purchased. You might end up overspending on some people or realizing too late that you underspent on others.

For example, you might find yourself in a situation where you only got someone a small $10 gift when you meant to spend more, or you might realize that you bought one family member way more than another—like getting your mother-in-law ten gifts and your father-in-law just one.

Everyone handles gift-giving differently. In our family, we buy gifts for everyone but try to keep the spending reasonable and not excessive. This list helps me make sure that we stay on track with what we’re spending and that everyone is covered equally.

4. Do the same gift for teachers or other people who help in your life every year

I’m all about simplifying life by figuring out what works and sticking with it, especially for recurring gifts like those for teachers, lawn care providers, house cleaners, mail carriers, tenants (if you’re in real estate), or anyone else you give gifts to during the holidays. You don’t need to do this for everyone, but for the people you consistently give to, deciding on one go-to gift each year makes things so much easier.

It might take some trial and error to figure out your go-to gift, and it’s okay if it changes over time—like as your kids grow or your needs evolve. But once you find something that works, stick to it. It eliminates one of the many decisions you have to make during the holidays, which is such a relief.

I got this idea from the book The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. It’s literally the first principle in her book: “Decide Once.”

I’m going to read a quick excerpt from it to explain the concept.

The easiest way to give your brain a break

The research on this is varied and probably hard to articulate anyway, but we make a lot of decisions—like a lot. Constant decision making is one of the reasons you don't have energy for the things that matter to you. By discovering a few opportunities to decide once, and then never again, you give your brain more room to play. You might think that making a preemptive decision is robotic, but automating makes you a robot only if you automate everything. Making one-time decisions about what doesn't matter, so you have brain space for what does, is the lazy genius way and you'll experience the benefits immediately.

And then in another part of this chapter, she goes on to say:

A single intentional decision relieves your brain of effort, freeing you to think about what matters to you instead of living in a cycle of choosing this and that over and over again. The possibilities are endless, but you don't need endless. Losing your grip on making 37 decisions by the end of this chapter, 36 of which you'll forget by tomorrow. Simply look for one idea that works for right now.

And then she gives you a lot of applications and she goes through examples of all of them. But one is deciding on gifts once, and she talks about gifts for teachers, birthday gifts for kids, friends, gifts for family members, wedding and baby shower gifts, and then all kinds of other things.

How I’ve Done This

For us, here’s how I’ve personally applied it: Our go-to gift for teachers and others is homemade sourdough bread and butter from a friend’s sourdough business. Depending on the recipient, we might also include a gift card. This has been our gift for teachers, local real estate tenants, and a few other people in our lives.

Once you figure out what works for you, make it a recurring to-do item each year—plan to buy or prepare the gift at the right time, and distribute it to everyone on your list.

You might try something this year and realize, “Okay, that didn’t work as well as I hoped.” That’s totally fine. Adjust for next year. The goal is to decide once and create a consistent gift-giving plan for the people you’re gifting during Christmas.

For us, sourdough bread has been a great solution—it’s thoughtful, supports my friend’s business, and is something I personally enjoy having at home too. It’s beautifully packaged, making it feel special. For some recipients, we add gift cards as needed to round it out.

Whether you choose one universal gift or tailor it slightly for different people, this approach simplifies the decision-making process, reduces stress, and makes holiday planning much easier.

5. Have go-to items that you make for holiday events every year to keep things simple.

This tip takes the "decide once” principle and applies it to something else: having go-to items that you make for all your holiday events each year to keep things simple. Similar to tip number four, this might take a few years or a few events to figure out, but it’s worth it to find what you, your guests, and your party attendees enjoy.

We all have holiday parties where we need to cook or bring something. A few years ago, I realized I was stressing myself out trying to find new recipes every year. I’d be on Pinterest, looking up cookie or appetizer recipes, trying something new every time. Often, I didn’t even like what I ended up making or spent so much time on it only for it to flop.

So now, I have one standard dish I make for all parties where I need to bring something—and it’s always a hit. I’m still working on my go-to Christmas dessert or cookie recipe, but when it comes to appetizers, I’ve found my staple. Last year, I made this recipe at least three, maybe four times in December. It became my go-to for Christmas parties, and people raved about it. At Adam’s work Christmas party, someone even told me it was the best appetizer they’d ever had.

It’s a cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip served with Ritz crackers. The base is whipped cream cheese, and the topping is a sugared cranberry and jalapeño mix. It sounds like a strange combination, but it’s so good. It’s not hard to make, and people love it. Plus, it can be made ahead of time because it needs to set in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about making it right before the party.

I made it on repeat last year, and I’ll be doing the same this year.

In addition to that, I also have two go-to items we make every Christmas morning as part of our tradition. It took me a few years to figure out what I wanted these special items to be. For a couple of Christmas mornings in a row, I tried different things to establish a tradition—this was even before we had kids. I tested a few breakfast casseroles, but none of them were great. One was hash-brown based, and the other was potato-based, but they were just unimpressive.

After two or three years of experimenting, I found my home-run dish. It’s a crescent roll breakfast casserole with a top and bottom crust, sausage, eggs, and cheese. It’s easy to make, can be prepped the night before, and my whole family loves it. Colin has enjoyed it, and we’ll see if Ethan likes it this year as a baby.

The other thing I make is a “done up cinnamon roll” recipe that’s so good. It’s become a tradition for both Christmas and Easter. But the breakfast casserole is reserved just for Christmas, and it’s something I look forward to every year.

So that’s number five: Have go-to items that you make for your Christmas events to keep it simple.

6. Buy things early (especially if they often run out before Christmas arrives!)

Okay, number six: Buy the things early that you can freeze and that often run out before Christmas arrives. This is just a simple thing to add to your calendar—whether it's the first week of December, the second week, or whenever you’re listening to this.

For example, we do this with the cinnamon rolls I mentioned earlier—the done-up cinnamon roll recipe we make. Those tend to run out, and if I wait until the week of Christmas, I’m running around to Publix, Kroger, and all the places trying to find them. So instead, I’ve learned to start early. I literally add them to my Instacart order every week until I manage to get some. It took me two weeks for them to be in stock this year, but now I have them in the freezer, ready to go.

I also do this with the frozen breakfast turkey sausage I use for our Christmas breakfast casserole. Since it’s something that freezes well, I can grab it early and not worry about it being out of stock later. This ties into my earlier point about having go-to recipes and preparing in advance.

So, this tip is about adding a reminder to your calendar to get these kinds of items early. It saves you from the stress of last-minute shopping and ensures everything is ready to go when you need it.

7. Have a gift wrapping night and do ALL the gifts at once

Number seven: Have a gift-wrapping night and do all your wrapping at once. This is something I’ve figured out after trying different approaches over the years. One method some people prefer is to wrap gifts as they buy them and put them under the tree. If you enjoy seeing presents under the tree all December, definitely stick with that. But for me, I don’t really care about having gifts under the tree early, and I’ve found that waiting to wrap everything at once saves a ton of time and energy.

By doing it all at once, you avoid forgetting what you’ve already bought because everything is still unwrapped and visible. Here’s what I do: as I shop, I put all the Christmas gifts in our guest room closet. That’s also where I keep all the wrapping supplies—paper, bows, bags, tape, everything. Then I set a date close to Christmas and plan a night to wrap everything. For us, it’s usually a weeknight like a Wednesday, after the kids are asleep.

Having a specific wrapping night allows me to get Adam involved. If I wrapped sporadically, I wouldn’t realistically have him help every time. And let’s be real—gift wrapping and organizing for holidays often fall to women or moms. This method makes it a shared task. Last year, we turned on a Christmas movie, sat on the floor with all the wrapping supplies, and wrapped everything together. It was fun, relaxing, and nice to get it all done in one go.

This approach also means I only have to pull out the wrapping supplies once, which simplifies things. It’s a personal preference, but I think it’s worth deciding what works best for you. And it’s one less decision to make during the busy month of December.

You can decide, “I’m wrapping all my gifts on December 20th,” or whatever day works for you. Then as gifts come in, you just store them in your designated spot without stressing about getting them wrapped right away.

Links Mentioned:

Try Babylist

Read The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

"Done Up" Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

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