Reclaiming Your Hue
About:
At Reclaiming Your Hue, I am dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. My mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves.
I believe in nurturing both the entrepreneurial spirit and the nurturing essence of motherhood, recognizing that our light is not just for us but for the community we build and inspire. I am committed to providing support, resources, and a platform for women to not only reclaim their vibrancy but to also illuminate the paths for others.
My goal is to foster an environment where diminishing oneself is unnecessary, and where every woman is encouraged to shine boldly and without reservation, as we are all born to manifest the greatness within us. By liberating ourselves from our doubts, we collectively empower each other to live fearlessly and vibrantly!
Core Values of RYH:
Faith: Believing in the power of faith to guide and sustain us, trusting in our journey, and finding strength and resilience through spiritual connection and conviction.
Empowerment: Dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance, inspiring mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves.
Community and Support: Committed to nurturing both the entrepreneurial spirit and the nurturing essence of motherhood, recognizing that our light is for the community we build and inspire. Providing support, resources, and a platform for women to reclaim their vibrancy and illuminate paths for others.
Encouragement and Boldness: Fostering an environment where diminishing oneself is unnecessary, encouraging every woman to shine boldly and without reservation, manifesting the greatness within.
Fearlessness and Vibrancy: Liberating ourselves from doubts to collectively empower each other to live fearlessly and vibrantly, embracing and celebrating our inherent brilliance.
Reclaiming Your Hue
Ep. 49 with Mollie Windmiller | Owner & Founder, Lab MPLS
Beyond Social: Building Authentic Connections in Business
The intersection of entrepreneurship and motherhood creates a unique space where both roles can inform and strengthen each other—if we're willing to learn the lessons each has to offer. In this heartfelt conversation with Mollie Windmiller, founder of Lab MPLS, we explore how becoming a mother transformed her approach to running a creative agency and why authentic connection remains at the core of her business philosophy.
Mollie shares her journey from Sotheby's International Realty marketing director to launching her own design group in 2008, and later founding Lab MPLS in 2014 while pregnant with her first daughter. What makes her story particularly compelling is how she navigated these parallel paths with intentionality, creating what she calls "golden hours" of dedicated family time while still building a thriving business.
One of the most refreshing aspects of our discussion is Mollie's perspective on social media marketing. In a world where online presence often seems mandatory, she advocates for more meaningful ways to engage with communities. "There is a better way than always leaning into social media," she explains, emphasizing that Lab MPLS focuses on creating in-person experiences and building relationships that would survive if social platforms disappeared tomorrow.
We dive deep into the challenging decisions entrepreneurs face, including Mollie's difficult conversation with her business partner that led to combining her two businesses just before the pandemic—timing that proved fortuitous. Her guiding principle that "everything happens for a reason" helps her navigate both business hurdles and parenting challenges with the same resilient mindset.
Perhaps most valuable is Mollie's hard-won wisdom about recognizing the true value of time. After years of late nights and near burnout, motherhood brought clarity about setting boundaries and making tough decisions about where to invest her energy. This realization shapes how she now leads her team, encouraging them to protect their time as fiercely as she's learned to protect her own.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur contemplating parenthood, a mother considering starting a business, or someone navigating both worlds already, this conversation offers honest insights about embracing evolution, building authentic community, and finding your people—both in business and in life.
Connect with Mollie:
- IG
- Website:
Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:
- Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com
Get Connected/Follow:
- IG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirk
- Facebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook Page
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@RYHReclaimingYourHue
Credits:
- Editor: Joseph Kirk
- Music: Kristofer Tanke
Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!
Good morning, Molly Good morning.
Speaker 2:How are you? I'm well. How about yourself? I'm so good. Thank you for having me today.
Speaker 1:Well, it really is my honor, and I know that we talked about this before we started the podcast, but there is just some people who you meet that exude just warmth and love and this right amount of energy, and that is you, molly.
Speaker 2:that, literally, is how I feel about you so thank you, oh my goodness, thank you for saying that you're welcome, and I couldn't agree more about how I feel about you. I feel like we became fast friends. I I know Thanks to Alex at Lowering Corners making the mompreneur connection.
Speaker 1:Isn't it just so wild? And that that connection actually came through another gal who had been on the podcast, Alicia Price. Okay, so I had never met Alicia, but got introduced to her through an insurance agent that I know who also has been on the podcast, and she's like you have to meet Alicia. Alicia and I got connected and she was like I'm having this event, you should come. And this was even before I had had her on the podcast, even met her, and so I went to her event for her new. It was a grand opening for her new space right there in loring park, and that's how I met alex, but we also have another mutual connection too.
Speaker 1:It's like the more we get together and chat we it keeps, the more people we're connected with which is a beautiful thing so I do think it would be interesting to just share the other individual that we know and how that like ties into what I'm doing, which is real estate. So would you like to share?
Speaker 2:that well, I are. We talking about Jacob.
Speaker 1:Smith yes.
Speaker 2:I feel like we've talked about other people too, but so let's just be sure. Oh, my goodness, it's just a name. That brings me back to really the start of where I feel, really feel like my, my true career started. It was with. Sotheby's International Realty, and so a little bit of backstory there from me and with Sotheby's, which I'm so excited for you, kelly, of this new adventure with, oh, what an incredible brand too, by the way, exactly coming Coming from somebody who's the brand girly.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's what was so fun of really how it felt like it kickstarted my career. My story with Sotheby's is I was their marketing director. But before becoming the marketing director, I actually helped build a brand when I worked at a small creative agency in Minneapolis for the two founders of what was then called Sky Real Estate. It was in Sarasota, florida, and there were Minnesota connections and so I built this brand for a luxury boutique real estate company in Sarasota. Male and female started the business, still like best friends with the female founder and you know they had a new vision for what real estate was going to be and they wanted it modern. They wanted good marketing. Back when you know this was early 2000s when real estate marketing, with me being in the design world, was like the epitome of terrible design. Like it was like you look at real estate ads and that is just the ugliest. Yeah right, and so look how far we've come.
Speaker 1:I was just gonna say what an evolution you have seen.
Speaker 2:And it was so fun to be a part of kind of. You know, they were really the poster child of Sotheby's, to be honest. So fast forward. Only about a year or so I helped them with their brand, went down for the launch party, which was so incredible to see it all come to life and meet these people. But then it was a nice doing business with you. Best of luck scenario. They call me a year later and they're like we're now affiliated with Sotheby's International Realty. We'd love to hire you as our marketing director.
Speaker 2:At that time I was seriously like building my single speed bike to move to Portland Oregon. Like, okay, what's next? I'm getting out of Minnesota, but an opportunity like that I never thought. I live in Florida, but to work with a brand like Sotheby's I couldn't say no, I mean, and what they were doing? So Sotheby's is the auction house to start right. And then, with all of these incredible things that they were bringing into auction, I realized a lot of times homes were also part of the thing they needed to sell and so they launched the real estate side. It is global, there are affiliates all over the world and so, of course, with that, you really need to market it on a higher level of luxury right.
Speaker 2:So of course, with that, you really need to market it on a higher level of luxury, right? So they became the affiliate of Sotheby's one year in for Southwest Florida, and so I had the opportunity to move down there and work with truly like getting the start of not just the business itself and watching that grow from one office to three offices, but also to see how Sotheby's is supporting these agents, these brokers, with quality marketing, really strong messaging strategy, and my job as the marketing director was to make sure all of this was implemented successfully and cohesively. Right and, as you know, like consistency, keeping things cohesive and quality I mean that's what I always say is like the key elements to a good brand.
Speaker 1:And so.
Speaker 2:Hey, listeners, take that as a keynote, by the way, and for real estate right. And then of course it's for the brokerage as a whole, for real estate right, like, and then of course it's for the brokerage as a whole, like it's showing up uniquely, as you know, sky Sotheby's in Sarasota and we had opportunity to kind of shine on our own outside of what Sotheby's provided. So it was the greatest experience for me. But then one year after that, we built, you know, established, the Sarasota offices. We were essentially awarded the Minnesota market. So that is where Jake comes in.
Speaker 1:Jacob Smith.
Speaker 2:We bring Sotheby's to Minnesota. I was thrilled to move back home. I feel like Minnesotans always come back and Jake was the office manager from the beginning and he's still there.
Speaker 1:He's still there and he's the managing broker. Yes, not only for here in Minnesota, but also for Jackson Hole too, I want to say that's right, that's right so yeah, I mean he's totally making some waves. But what was so cool is, even though we had been connected already through Alex, and I want to say, I don't know if there was like this like little bit of area of time where, like we had already had our meeting set but we hadn't met yet, but then, then Jake was like yes, hey, I have somebody who you should connect with for your podcast, and I think he reached out to you directly.
Speaker 1:He did, and I think we had already met at that point, and it was the best feeling to be like done, Yep.
Speaker 2:I already know we're in love. Affirmed, affirmed.
Speaker 1:I love it. It was just so cool, and so yeah, he's. I mean, I see him every single day almost, and he's just a gem as well. So if you're listening, Jake, we appreciate you a ton.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and Kelly, this is big. I mean just to. I know I kind of alluded to Sotheby's and you know what it is, but this is a big jump for you.
Speaker 1:It is yes, and we could talk about that.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:I appreciate it. I mean, this is what it's about, though, Molly, in terms of like this podcast. But then the community that is ever evolving and growing from the podcast, this community of mompreneurs. How are we supporting, how are we lifting up? How do we just keep encouraging, Because it's already tough being a mom and it's very tough being in an entrepreneurial space, and when you combine the two, that is being a mompreneur I feel like the odds are against you. But if you have a community of women rallying around you, wow does it help?
Speaker 1:It really does so thank you, I honor it and appreciate it, but let's dive in. So now we've had about an eight-minute introduction of how we are connected.
Speaker 2:And I love that because that's so cool.
Speaker 1:It's everything. It's so cool. It's so cool. But can you share with the listeners what came first for you? I think I might have an idea, but what was it? Motherhood or was it entrepreneurship?
Speaker 2:It was entrepreneurship, and it started in 2008. And so I had a good leg up there before becoming a mom in 2014 and so yeah, so it's.
Speaker 2:And I actually launched two businesses during that time. So I started with Windmiller Design Group. That was really kind of like this, this the step. It was a leap, but it felt not as big of a leap as maybe for some, because I was the marketing director at Sotheby's. We were here back in Minnesota growing the offices and just the business here, and it was just time for me to make the next move as a creative yeah, getting out of just the marketing director role at Sotheby's are creative, getting out of just the marketing director role at Sotheby's.
Speaker 2:During that time we actually launched what is still here today and bigger, better than ever, is Artful Living Magazine. So you know, beyond the day to day of working with agents in their brokerage on the marketing side there, I was also helping with this quarterly magazine that has been such a great kind of I don't know foundation of such a unique way to tell a story and to promote. You know, in the middle of every single publication is what is the property brochure? You know that you might find it's not the single front back, simple little thing, it is a whole gallery of properties, which was kind of like how do we position these gorgeous homes that we're selling through Sotheby's in a unique way. And it was this oversized, fit and finish publication um, gorgeous and glossy that we realized very quickly like we were fine, it was a free publication, okay, wow. But we were finding them at half price books for two dollars where it's like, okay, we're on this. People didn't want to throw them away. They didn't even want to recycle them after they had used them. So we knew we were on to something to like we're positioning this publication in a really special way for the properties that were inside. But but of course, beyond the properties were the storytelling of kind of the information that goes beyond selling the homes that that reader really enjoyed.
Speaker 2:So I had Artful Living and I took that leap and I started Windmiller Design Group in 2008. And I kind of left the marketing director role behind and continued with the artful living side of what we were doing with Sotheby's. So essentially, both the Sotheby's kind of brand as a whole was still a client, yeah, but then artful living was the the bigger, first client that I had when I went on my own and honestly, like I call artful living my baby before my real babies, it was a lot. Yeah, it was a lot and I learned a lot from that of just you know, once I had my real babies, the true perspective of the value of time and um, how much I poured my heart and soul into that because I loved it so much and believed in it.
Speaker 2:But once you have the babes, something else obviously becomes bigger and more important when you have a family and these sweet kiddos to take care of, sweet kiddos to take care of. And so that shifted, you know, my mindset a bit of how I really wanted to show up. Where it's interesting, like, we had the best team women, and then Frank Roffers, who's the publisher. Um, all the women were younger than me and, um, so I was the first to have a babe, but I also was like the only designer on the team, and so when that fall issue needed to go to print, I had a newborn babe and everyone came to my house to get that sent off to print.
Speaker 2:And I just did it, I kept going as you feel like you need to do when you run your own business, like there was. I had no team at that point, so I did it, and my mom was there, of course, to help with Lydia. But I look back on that and it's like, huh, maybe that wasn't the best choice, but it felt like the only choice at the time and I don't have no regrets, to be honest. It's just my goal then is to then make sure that that can improve as Artful Living. This was such a startup at that time. I mean, we grew and we grew. It was so exciting, but it's really great. Like Emma, who's now the publisher there, she just had her second babe and I ran into her and she was just coming off of a three-month maternity leave and even Mitch, who's their paternity leave like okay you
Speaker 2:guys are good, you guys. This makes my heart happy. Um, so no shade whatsoever to Artful Living. It was more of a check-in with myself of I gotta, I gotta really figure this out, of how I'm going to be a mom and an entrepreneur and and changes just needed to happen that didn't need to happen before then. So it's good, it's. It's it's a bigger check-in on balance and just boundaries and all of it. And I think it's really interesting when you compare entrepreneurship to motherhood and knowing I have a few years under, a few more years on the entrepreneurship side than I do as being a mom, but for both, we're all just trying to figure it out.
Speaker 1:It's, it's so true. So I do want to go just a little off script and ask you this question, going back to this moment in time where you have your. You've started your business right, like you've. You've done the thing, you've officially gone out on your own, yep, and you are, let's say, you're in this moment of pregnancy, just about to actually have your first baby, yep, and was there ever in that time frame where you were like, should I be doing this? Is this the right thing? And I'm talking about the entrepreneurial baby not the actual baby, the entrepreneurial baby right.
Speaker 1:Because, you had some nice lead up in terms of working with the Sotheby's brand. There is a lot of entrepreneurial skills that were likely built up in that time frame. Right, but it is different. There's there's something different when you truly cut the cord and go out on your own. Right, was there? Was there a moment where you were like should. I continue this.
Speaker 2:Never.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 2:Never.
Speaker 1:Let's talk through that.
Speaker 2:Let's talk through that, because you know, I was already in it for quite some time and when I was pregnant with my first, during that time is when I actually it took a full year to not birth Lab but, you know, to bring my second business to life, which is Lab. And so I which side note today is Lab's 11-year anniversary.
Speaker 1:Today, yes, today, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:And so it's a day where I always think of this moment that is ingrained in my head, of driving to the coffee shop we were going to to launch the website, to send the emails, to post the post, and there was a song on and I, just like you know when you are pregnant, like you know that, like your babe can hear the things Lydia was with me.
Speaker 1:I had that moment too, you know in my belly.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I cried, driving to that coffee shop, like I'm doing it, we're doing, it's happening, yes, and I felt so, so many emotions, but just so ready for the next, even though I had a full-time business already happening. Yeah, there's a lot to say there too. Right, like what Lab was going to provide was, I think, the thing that was missing for me through Windmiller Design Group of just the community and more connection with people versus, I don't want to say just designing, but it was more. It was more of the public facing community, the events and everything that we've we've been doing. So so, yes, I I have these wonderful moments, happy, happy moments of even being pregnant or the first time being pregnant, launching lab, having these events and, like Jess, my vet and she founded lab with me would have like almonds in her bag and you know I'd get a little like hungrier week and she'd be like eat your nuts here we go.
Speaker 1:You know like these moments are not knowing. You need fuel.
Speaker 2:Yes, and so I fully embraced it and knew I was going to keep going, because I've always really, really loved what I do.
Speaker 1:And so I didn't.
Speaker 2:who knows, though, once the babe was born that's what I, you know I didn't know really what was going to happen once she arrived, but when I knew I was pregnant, and even launching lab during that time, I never doubted like being able to do both, or questioning if I should, that's so incredible, which is comforting.
Speaker 1:Totally, totally. I think you know there's some women who may be listening that fall in the camp of like the circumstance that I encountered when I was pregnant and all of a sudden those hormones are running and you're like you start to doubt everything around you sometimes, where you're like is the path I'm going down with my career truly the path that I'm supposed to be going down?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's like that's the reason I asked the question is because I'm I'm trying to gauge, um, truly like, where do women fall in terms of, like that timeframe of were you an entrepreneur first or were you a mother first? And what's the what's like, the key indicator for a business to keep going or to not keep going Right, Right and um, you know, like what are the steps to be able to like, continue to push that boulder down the hill for the business to keep going Right? So that was part of my ask there.
Speaker 2:I think maybe because I had been doing it long enough where I just couldn't see my life without the, the, just the business itself or the people I was working with or just the, the love that I had for it, Um so that was just important, Like that's also the the indicator that was.
Speaker 1:The indicator for me personally was do I truly love operating in this mortgage space? Right, I didn't. I never really loved it. I never really had true passion around it, and so I think that that's like for for individuals who are listening right now if you're having those doubts and you're having those like, really start to explore what that means for you and where does your purpose truly lie.
Speaker 2:Ignore it because I think, whether it's bigger life moments and it could be pregnancy, it could be anything from sick family members or just your own health, all kinds of other external things that, or even I know so many people because of the pandemic it allowed them.
Speaker 2:And I see this as a silver lining. It allowed them to rethink how they're showing up, what they're doing, and I think that's a good thing. So, whatever that thing might be, you know, don't ignore it. If it's not the thing that you really love, it doesn't mean you're going to figure out right away what that thing is. You know to do next, but try to find it right for sure, right.
Speaker 1:So I want to hit pause on continuing the story of like that thrush crossing the threshold into motherhood. Yes, let's share with the listeners about the two businesses yes, like the difference between the two so that there's kind of a clear cut identification between.
Speaker 2:Good idea okay so now there's 2025 and um lab is officially 11 today. Um, back in 2019 is when I actually kind of combined the two businesses, so lab launched in 2014. And um, then it I was juggling between two different businesses but, honestly, behind the scenes it was the same team.
Speaker 2:Um and it's interesting realizing, like I started Lab even though I was already pretty busy with my creative agency, winn-miller Design Group. So, going back to what you were saying of like making sure you're loving what you're doing, I really did love what I did, but once I kind of started talking about this idea for lab, which started as creative workshops, that really excited me and so it was, I think, like I said, the thing that was missing, so that you know those things that excite you I then realized I wanted to do things for lab even more than kind of the ongoing work for clients.
Speaker 2:And I'm like okay, I knew there was something special there and I knew that this is something that I really was excited about and had a lot of passion for, and so we we launched in 2014 and then, you know, went hard for five years and we had a team, cause, you know, went hard for five years and we had a team because, you know, had Winn-Miller as well, and in 2019 was when I it was a really, really hard conversation to have, but had the hard talk with my business partner and I really hope, at the end of the day, you know it's a win-win where I ended up buying her out of the business, and so she because it was not a full-time job, you know it wasn't paying us as like a full-time type of salary either, which was great.
Speaker 2:But to know how to best move forward, both from how you spend your time and how you're going to make money, I think we kind of got to that point of like this might be the best way to keep moving forward for both of us, and so that happened in 2019, with obviously no idea this, this events-based business, was not going to be able to exist, you know, in 2020.
Speaker 2:Um so I'm very, very happy that conversation happened. When it did so in 2019, bought out my business partner and we folded everything from Windmiller Design Group under lab.
Speaker 1:So I.
Speaker 2:Windmiller Design Group is no longer a business Okay, it's all under lab. Under lab, um. We position it now as a creative agency. You know. It provides the credibility it deserves and all the services that I offered under windmiller design group is now under lab and we really show up as a creative agency. That is unique, where the bread and butter of what we do is branding, marketing websites and supporting small businesses. But what is really unique from a creative agency standpoint is that we are here to celebrate and elevate local businesses and help build them up, and for the smaller businesses and artists, we have a whole separate kind of platform called Collective that we started back in 2016. There's evolved a lot that I can get into more, but then the creative services side is really how you know, we have a team now of creatives and just individuals that help keep that moving forward and supporting the small businesses, from branding, copywriting, brand messaging, website design, email marketing a lot of great things. So it's all under one now.
Speaker 1:That's incredible and, as a business owner, you have highlighted key points of in order to keep a business running and operating, there's an evaluation that needs to be happening. Yeah, and what that looks like for individuals sometimes can vary right but the evaluation needs to happen and it's it's wonderful for you to be talking about those, those tough conversations that have to happen, no matter like if it's just a tough conversation with your you know, like the person that you're working alongside with, if it's a smaller business, right About decisions right or directionality or, in this circumstance you're talking about like, the realities of like.
Speaker 1:Should this even be a partnership? Yeah, and and thankfully, there was something intuitively speaking to you, something in that gut of yours that was like okay, yeah, I. I think that we need to cut the ties respectfully right Respectfully cut the ties and then COVID happened.
Speaker 2:And then that happened. But you're so right about that and you know, thinking about things I've learned in business and just kind of looking back on growth, the, the hard questions to ask or the hard conversations, do them Like don't wait, because that was the hardest thing I I did, um, but like you said, in my gut I just really felt like whenever I'm making a hard decision, I feel like it's easier for me to have that conversation if I can somehow make it feel like it's a win-win. Yeah, you know, like truly.
Speaker 1:Not everybody has that skill, Molly.
Speaker 2:So that's really like that helps me a lot and so I really I approached it that way. But my gosh, that was hard. And when, after we talked and thankfully you know, yeah, it was it was tough, like we built something great together but it we we handled it well, and um, after that conversation happened, I was kind of like gosh, why these conversations need to happen, why wait and for for both of us, you know, for for her, excuse me, her sake as well, and so that was a huge lesson for me of those hard conversations do need to happen for you to keep moving forward.
Speaker 1:And sooner rather than later it's deciphering and having the wherewithal there's a better word for it, but it's not coming to mind for me right now. To the discernment. The discernment is what I'm really trying to get at, the discernment of like how quickly can you get to that as somebody who's a proverbial people pleaser?
Speaker 2:and perfectionist.
Speaker 1:Those conversations can be really hard because I avoid what's the word.
Speaker 2:I'm looking for Con, like the plague. Yes, but I think that's why, maybe, being a business owner, you have to have the hard conversations. That is why, if I can somehow in my head figure out how to have this conversation where it does feel like a win-win, that makes it easier.
Speaker 2:But you're right, I mean it's tough, but timing is everything too, and the why don't wait type of thing. It's just you know in your gut when you just know you can't wait anymore, I guess. But yeah, so that happened in 2019. And then we went into the pandemic, where everything that lab was known for really couldn't happen anymore. We able to take lab talks, which was an event that we did glass house, um, actually, at that point we did it every single month which, um, it's a panel conversation. There's a moderator and typically like three people on a panel that are incredible people in the twin Cities community doing great things, and so we were able to do some of those on Zoom, as everyone just adapted to that new way of trying to stay connected.
Speaker 2:But then, other than that, honestly again silver lining, it allowed us to just really launch this new website. That was the new lab, and we're a creative agency. This is the work we can do, and we were able to help so many people in a time when they wanted to engage in a different way with their community or their clients, when they couldn't show up in real life, and so marketing, getting in front of your people online and in unique ways, was necessary. So it was a wild time, but also a time where we could really emphasize that side of the business, without the event side kind of competing, I guess, to really establish that as the foundation of what Lab was.
Speaker 1:As somebody who's in that true creative space and branding and marketing, was it at that point that you saw this just massive integration of social media, your presence on social media and how you were marketing for the local businesses around here During the pandemic?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know yes and no.
Speaker 1:We always try, or do you just think that there's a better way than always leaning into social media?
Speaker 2:100%.
Speaker 1:Yes, there's a way Amen.
Speaker 2:There is a way.
Speaker 1:Because I just have this love-hate relationship with social media, don't we all?
Speaker 2:I mean, yes, but from a business standpoint too. Right, if you're a small business, solopreneur, artist, I mean, you wear so many hats already and if you can't hire out that person to do your social, it is that just little monster that's staring at you like what you gonna post again. So yes, I it. It is a tough thing to manage regardless, but I really do feel like there are. We, as lab, want to be the thing that can help you engage with your people and not fully depend on social media. You, you know.
Speaker 1:Right Cause I suppose there's also this notion and idea that, like at the drop of a hat that can be gone, it can Good point and like how, how real are those connections Really?
Speaker 2:It can be a first step, it can be a oh, now I know this business exists and you can start following and you can start learning and you can maybe, you know, bookmark that business for when you might need their services or something right and feel a little bit more connected in the know of what's happening here for local things or events or whatever it might be. But I just really believe and this is the foundation of Lab is creating in-person experiences and engaging with people in real life yeah and just honestly providing other opportunities for businesses or just our community to connect um.
Speaker 1:That's not on social so that's so refreshing to hear too, by the way, molly, because, um, as as a you know, an entrepreneur now coming into this space of real estate, where social media is blowing up, in terms of how agents are marketing on social media and it's, you know, good, bad or indifferent, it's just kind of the way of that world and, as as somebody who's in business with their husband and we strive to be integrated into the community, I'm like, oh, there is a better way and it like we kind of do the proverbial like let's, let's post, like I'm giving away our secrets, but like let's post to ensure that we have the presence and that you know clients it's what's the word I'm looking for Like we're there, we're present, we're engaged, but at the same time, our job isn't to be posting on social media. Our job is to ensure that we are helping our sellers to list their home, get that home sold, or help a buyer find a home.
Speaker 2:That's such a good point and I think this is so true for so many of that. What are we going to post on social media today can take over what actually really matters about your business. So maybe maybe they could kind of go hand in hand of, like, what are the things that we really want people to know about our business and what really matters is, you know, improving your process, creating that exceptional experience for your clients. How can we share that you know and do that on social, but know that what really matters is the in-person, the process in person the process, that experience that you're creating to make it exceptional.
Speaker 2:That you know you can't get from just a social media post.
Speaker 1:Right. So those of you who are listening right now, another really nice note to jot down, because Molly's giving away secrets right now.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's something too of like just to go a little deeper on really just the foundation of lab. So we're 11 today and 11 years ago it took a year to to bring it all to life, but when we launched lab, we had three words that really were the foundation of who we are, what we wanted to be, and it was create, connect and collaborate. I think at this point, 11 years later, you know the silent C. There is community, but the connection and collaboration. Part of that. It does go back to the importance of not feeling like you should just be doing things online. But what are those things to truly engage?
Speaker 2:And so one area of lab that we do that for in-person is we do workshops, and one of the workshops is our branding workshop. I've been doing it for years. I absolutely love it. You get a whole workbook to work through. We work through it together and you can refer to it always. But it is figuring that out. How can you authentically engage with your audience? You know, how do you really want to show up? And it's community pillars. That is. What matters is just making sure that that's a big part of how you are building your brand, and it's not just checking the boxes or I also say buckets of your marketing buckets, doing the things, but truly authentically engaging with your audience and building real relationships. Otherwise, yeah, social media goes away. Then what, like what are the real relationships that you really have?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the authenticity, that word authenticity and being authentic is really something that I've always tried to keep, especially as it pertains to, like, what I'm doing for the marketing for the podcast is how am I authentically representing you as the guest? And then how am I authentically showing up to share some of the things that I've had takeaways of from you as the guest? That also pertains to people who are listening as well. I'm like authentically being able to show up on video.
Speaker 1:To do that can be a drudge but at the same time, because I have such a key tie to you as the guest, a love and an appreciation of how you authentically show up and then have these gold nugget like drops of information, I'm like golden and I can't help myself. Right, Like so authentically being able to tie in to what you're doing for business, but then who you're serving, right, right, that's so key.
Speaker 2:It is so key and breaking down for you everyone is different. What is being authentic, you know, for you, for some, maybe showing up on video isn't authentic. Maybe showing up on video isn't authentic. You know, and I think that's a reminder too of just the bigger picture of when you're developing your marketing strategies or growing your business and defining success. You know success is really. You can't compare yourself to others. It's success is really what feels really best for you and how you want to show up to achieve that. Um, and I think it's so easy to have all the other things that are out there kind of get in the way or make you think you need to be doing it that way. But if you look at it authentically, as you, you know, bring it back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, stay true to how you want to effectively show up as you.
Speaker 1:I like to think of all of that that's happening. Is it's just noise? It's just noise happening around you and, if you're, if you can rein it in and have your um like your guiding principles as I like to say right. So I think that this is a perfect segue into talking about, like, some of those guiding principles for you and what that has looked like, whether it's spiritually or it's in the vein of faith or universe. What has that looked like for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean what are your guiding principles? Yeah, I think what I love about this podcast is it's thinking about that. It's my brain goes to both well, for business or for motherhood, you know, because, again, I think so often those two can kind of be somewhat of the same of showing up authentically as yourself and um, I don't know guiding principles of just there there, something that I kind of live by is that everything happens for a reason.
Speaker 2:And so with business, I think you know, there's the hills and the valleys, the peaks and the valleys right, and peaks and valleys for business can be. You can maybe look at them weekly, you can maybe look at them monthly or even annually. Peaks and valleys, as a mom could maybe even be minute by minute, hour by hour.
Speaker 1:I'm like sitting over there trying not to like bust out, laughing at the seams, because it truly is like.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it feels like it's like millisecond by millisecond but with that you know the peaks and valleys and knowing this, we are all here to embrace it. It's knowing when you're in those valleys, in those really tough times, things will get better. And if it's, you know a moment with your kiddo screaming because they can't get something, or who knows that will pass With business when you're doing the hard things or if something isn't going the way you really expected, that it will get better. It will take more time, you know, than most of the things on the mom's side, but, like from a business standpoint, that helps me so much when I'm kind of the visionary of the business, I know what the angle is and I just want to get there.
Speaker 2:Sometimes things don't go the way you really were hoping. Sometimes things are just really hard and during those hard times those are probably the growing times and so you just have to embrace it instead of being like I can't do this. This is awful, like you, it's a mindset and you have to embrace those hard times and really see it as a growth time. And I think that's in anything in life really, like even the mom's side. So it will get better. You are learning from it and even if it's hard, like it will. You will be better because of it, or you you'll get out of it. You will get to the hills and things will, the peaks and things will get better. And that is so helpful for me to remind myself of, and during the hard times I mean. Another thing I kind of live by for all areas of life is like you got to learn from your mistakes.
Speaker 2:And if it's a business mistake, if it's something that didn't go the way we expected, it's showing up in a way as a leader where you need to embrace it with respect, and I'm just always wanting to try to bring the positivity to a situation and learn from it. So either we know how it's not going to happen again or we know how to just handle it, moving forward with it, not letting us kind of pull us down but gain momentum, or just know how we can keep moving forward, acknowledge it and then know that we can keep going. And I just think that is such a big, big reminder too, of just whether you're a mom or you're managing a team. It's how you show up as that leader or mom to bring the positive attitude and to bring the we can get through this. What just happened here? Okay, we talked about it. Let's move on and keep going. You just gotta keep going so normally.
Speaker 1:I ask this question towards the end of the podcast, which is what's the advice that you would give a woman who's listening and you, literally, I feel like you literally just answered it. No, it's perfect, literally. It's perfect, molly, and I will still ask you that towards the tail end of this interview.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, I can probably pull up a couple more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, something tells me that you'll be able to pull something out and share it. It was so beautiful what you just shared, because, man, that is.
Speaker 1:It's so true, especially as somebody who, like I've oftentimes in this interview process talking to other guests, have said, like, as the mother, you really are kind of like the CEO of the house right, which means that there is this leadership stance that you need to take, and how can you take bits and pieces if you are a mother first and then deciding to come into this entrepreneurial space, right, like, what are the things that you're honing in to as a mother, the leader that you can carry over into your business, and vice versa? If you're an entrepreneur first and you are, maybe you're leading the charge, just you as a solopreneur, but you're leading, you're still leading yourself through all of that. Or if you're starting to acquire and you're scaling and you've got more people and you are then managing and leading a team. Like what are those skills? Like what are the things? And you beautifully encapsulated it and shared that.
Speaker 2:So thank you, encapsulated it and shared that, so thank you. Of course, I just think, something that I learned early on starting a business where you, you, you grow right, you start as an individual and then you bring on a team and um, culture is everything, and I think that's even going deeper is just how do I want to show up so I really enjoy every day of what I'm doing?
Speaker 2:And then how can I do that to have my team feel that way too? And there are a lot of ways that you can do it. But it's defining your values and how you can show up as that leader and how you can create a culture for your team. And this is what I love, again, kind of comparing this to motherhood. That's also defining your values as a, as a family, as a, as a mom.
Speaker 2:And how can you because, again, I don't know if it really matters if you know, yes, I was an entrepreneur before I'm a mom, but it is really interesting to compare the two of similar values, of course, and the same human. But how do I want to show up when I am a mom too, of the values I want to instill and the embracing every day, focusing on the positivity and I just know, from a business standpoint, culture is so important to just a healthy environment, right, like how making sure my team knows, like not just like having the real life conversations, not just the grind of work, you know, creating that kind of an environment where we actually have fun with each other, beyond just the work part, like I want to enjoy our time together, but it's also, you know, just for creating a healthy environment of like you take those vacation days, you take that time to go to your yoga class, just let us know.
Speaker 2:And same with being a mom at home I want my kids to see me working out, I want my kids to know I'm going to yoga, I want my kids to know that health matters. Or again, worker, worker. Home, let's eat the good food, let's do the good things. Like it is. This is our life. This is work is work, yes, but like we need to show up and really create this great environment.
Speaker 2:We're there all day, monday through Friday, yeah, and that is what I think as an owner of a business, as an entrepreneur, it's hard, but if I can make it an environment where I enjoy it and hopefully my team does too, that is everything. Why not? If you have the power to do it like you also like flexibility, yay. Being a business owner, you think like oh, I can.
Speaker 2:I can do whatever I want whenever I want, but no, it's like there's so much. It's not that like you. Only wish you had more time to do all of the things.
Speaker 1:It's, it's so true. I like to say that if we're going to, if we're going to just briefly touch on this um opportunity of flexibility as an entrepreneur, as a business owner, it is in those moments where, if you're a young mom like me and your child is in daycare and you get that call oh my gosh, where you're like, I need, I need to come and pick up my child because they've, they have got pink eye, yep, and the next, like 48 hours flashes before your eyes yes, so the beauty in that moment is, thank goodness I have the flexibility to be able to pick up my child with your child at home as well is something of a different challenge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yep, yep, yep. So yes to flexibility, but also knowing that when there's beauty over here, there's always something else that comes along with it, and just be prepared for what that's going to look like it's a different kind of challenge to be able to quote-unquote balance.
Speaker 2:That sort of flexibility yeah right, absolutely, and that's so hard, I mean to know the right way to do it and when you are that solopreneur, there isn't somebody else to do the work for you. But yeah, I think it's just maybe understanding kind of just the mindset of to get you through those moments of just give yourself a little grace. You're going to figure out what's in front of you and it'll all get done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I. I just in those, in those little moments, I'm like throw a little prayer up and just be thankful for that flexibility, but then going all right. So if I've got to hit pause on a project that I'm working on, yeah, for instance, what needs to happen on the back end of all of this in order to ensure that that project is is being completed Right? And I'm sure that you you're shaking your head Like you're like yes.
Speaker 2:I understand that's when I would get those calls. It was truly, oh my word that my calendar for the next 24, 48 hours would flash before my eyes. You know of just the flexibility, for sure is there, but there's still a lot of just shifting gears and, okay, I'm not going to be able to do these things. But to be able to, to be able to appreciate the fact that you do it is okay, number one. This is life and hopefully, whoever those meetings were with, they get that too. And establishing with team everyone like, yeah, this is life and please help me out and things keep going and it's fine.
Speaker 1:But yeah, like, who can pick it up? Um, in this instance, Um, or if you are the solopreneur, it's like all right, really, to your point. I love that you said shifting the gears. I'm going to shift the gears here and um, where do I need to just kind of like remaneuver this schedule and understand like things will get done Exactly? And those clients who you have in that moment if, for whatever reason, they're not understanding. Yeah, that's an opportunity, yeah, to evaluate something in your business as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly Okay evaluate something in your business as well. Yep, exactly. Okay, I truly love all of the directionality that, but let's, let's go back to that moment in time where you you're about to have your first child and I everything that I love about this podcast is um talking about folding in motherhood and entrepreneurship, and you've done a beautiful job of that. But there are these shifts that happen and I've got my little flamingo here. The real like genesis of this is like finding finding this thing on social media about flamingos and I was like when flamingos have their babies, they lose all of their color and then they start to regain that color, reclaim that color. Hence the reason reclaiming your hue I love that so much.
Speaker 1:Was there this moment that you had when you had your first or maybe your second? How many kiddos? Two, you have two, two girls, okay. So, um, your first or your second, where you felt like you lost some of that like essence of who you were as a former self? Right, yeah, and what did that look like for you in terms of reclaiming a?
Speaker 2:color of yourself. Yeah, I, you know. I think I don't have a specific moment, but I think you know, being in the at the time when I had my first.
Speaker 2:I was in an environment where no one else was no one had kiddos, you know and so there were so many firsts for me and just a little bit of the unknown for everyone around me and, honestly, there might be a little bit of beauty to that of, yeah, I'm just figuring it out and I don't know like I'm just going to out and I don't know like I'm just gonna keep going, type of thing, and in hindsight, sure, I maybe wish that there was a little bit more um time that I could have where I didn't feel like I needed to be checking in with work and things like that. That was tough, like you know, the the whole maternity leave I always use air quotes when I say maternity leave so very early on was like okay, this is real, this is real Um.
Speaker 2:And it was also this torn feeling of I really love what I do and I really love this kiddo, and so from the very beginning it was defining ways to intentionally show up for both and shifting things right away of after I was home with her for the first four months and she started daycare, not rushing to daycare, savoring that time in the morning, just the two of us of, like you know, and yeah, I'd maybe get there closer, like nine-ish, sometimes later, like it wasn't because I could right right, I set the meetings and so finding those moments to not my gosh getting out the door in the morning.
Speaker 2:I mean now with kiddos in school, it's like it is a constant rush. So I'm glad in hindsight, looking back at that, of just yeah, hope, try not to lose that part of my precious time with her. Um, but then having those moments where I could also just be alone was like, wow, this is more precious than ever. Yes, like if I was at home, or maybe not with my team. So, um, yeah, those moments of just the losing part of like who am I? You know, I think we all deal with it when you just add that mom role, but trying to find the beauty in this new role you're playing, and so when I was feeling losing a bit of me, I think it was also gaining a bit of this new person that I am.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna cry right, well, it makes me.
Speaker 2:It's that way yeah, and then when I had so being so intentional, I get like goosies just thinking with Lydia in the morning I get goosies like I like can think of the photos I would take of the outfits I'd put on her and, like you know, before daycare, like the one moment before they're dressing themselves, but like this intentional time, and then I would drop her off and then I could be I don't know if this is good or bad then I could be business molly, yeah, and I knew she was in a really safe place. This was great for her. I've had my special time and then went after work. We called it the golden hour because we get home and we'd have like an hour before we'd have to put her down to bed.
Speaker 2:You know like yeah, you do the dinner and then it's the golden hour of okay, this is our time, and then we do it again. But I think if you can be so intentional with those times and then then I could really devote that time to do work. When I dropped her off a daycare and then the best feeling ever when you go and pick them up and you see that smile. But like I, yeah, just knowing the role you play and play it when you're in it, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Ooh, it's giving me the different hats. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:All the hats.
Speaker 1:Like, yeah, the hats that you wear, right, and I feel like you're really doing a good job of identifying, like the this was the hat that I wore at the specific moment in time and I understood I, for me, personally, I didn't want to feel like I was rushing to drop her off at daycare and, um, really savoring those moments in time, because I think that the like at the core of this it's understanding that if you're, if you're an individual like myself who is only planning to have one, yeah, you don't get that time back. Right. Right now you have two, and so you had another round of being able to go. Okay, what have I learned from this experience and what can I take away from that to shift into this next experience with my second child?
Speaker 2:More of a juggle, oh yeah, sure, juggling two and getting out the door was a different experience, but still, yeah, yeah, trying to keep that mindset right of just like okay, these kiddos are, you know, like make it enjoyable, of the crazy getting out the door, and it just I was so grateful that I kind of instilled that in myself right away of like please don't feel like you have to rush.
Speaker 2:Of course there were some days you know where like really needed to get up, Like that's just life, but yeah, that helped a lot Culture.
Speaker 1:I keep thinking like you keep talking about culture, right, like culture in the business workspace, and then culture as it pertains to you as a mom within that home space too, like that. I feel like that's sort of a resounding theme for you, and it's so, it's so cool.
Speaker 2:Well, it's funny too with culture of just like. When you think of culture and you associate it with family, there's the deeper dive there too, of like your family's culture, the culture how you were raised, where you came from, and that is something. Every day I channel my mom, but it's also tough because I try to channel my mom, but my mom, when we were little, was a stay-at-home mom. She, she is an art, wasn't yet art teacher, so she stopped working when she had kids to be with the kids, and then, when we got older, she went back to being an art teacher and so channeling her energy you you know, but also knowing like, well, she didn't have to rush off to work.
Speaker 2:She wasn't running a business, but my gosh the culture side of just the family and my upbringing. I don't know if this is the case for all moms. Are we constantly kind of comparing to our upbringing or what we saw or experienced when we were little and how? That pertains to whether we want to or not how we show?
Speaker 1:up.
Speaker 1:You know whether it's consciously or subconsciously yeah, there's an evaluation that's being done and, um, yeah, like there are the way that you were raised, um, whether it was a, it was a positive home environment or not, like that's instilled, that's within every fiber of your body, right? And so for some people, they become mothers and they're perhaps unlearning some habits from before or how they were raised and going. I'm going to leave some of that and actually reinstill something. Or they catch it after they've had their children and it's like oh, oh, wow, okay. Or, in your case, you're going Ooh, I really like it. There was just so many wonderful things about my upbringing that I want to continue to fold into how I'm raising my girls and it's been beautiful, it's been really beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not easy.
Speaker 1:No, it's not.
Speaker 2:I will say, motherhood is harder than running a business for me, like because I lead with heart in everything I do, more than mind I mean the mind's there but like, yeah, I lead with my heart and I obviously my heart for my girls are just so, it's so big and so the business side of things I don't know.
Speaker 1:They're both hard, but you know the motherhood is my gosh, go where you want to go, go where you want to go. I feel like you were starting to go down a specific path. The business side of things with heart is real.
Speaker 2:I mean it really is real and I mean that's where, whether it's my nugget that I was going to share at the end of just it's understanding your time versus value. You know, and there's that side right, but, like the leading with, heart for a business. I just want to help people, yeah, and I just want to help my kids.
Speaker 1:And so when.
Speaker 2:I'm like these children. Just when it doesn't go well for them, my heart explodes. Sometimes I wonder if I'm an empath. I was just gonna ask you.
Speaker 1:I feel like we should ask this question.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't know, do you get diagnosed for that? I don't even know, but I feel like I might be well.
Speaker 1:So I would say like, if you, if you haven't done the enneagram, oh, I'm a number nine.
Speaker 2:You're a number nine with a seven, as okay, what a um wing, seven wing. Anyway.
Speaker 1:I don't know what that means yeah, um, uh, enneagram two, okay, close three and um, is it close? Three and nine, okay so nine is peacemaker?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And what is seven Adventure? I think there's like certain words, depending on where you're reading it from. But, yeah, the peacemaker, I just want everyone to be happy, like you were saying earlier. Well, that can be hard as a mom, right Like the confrontation part.
Speaker 1:Like that's, you're literally hitting confrontation all the time as a mom. Right like the confrontation part. Like that's, you're literally hitting confrontation all the time as a mom all the time.
Speaker 2:You're so right about that, and but how do you show up effectively, knowing this conference that you need to be that person to guide whatever situation you know you're dealing with um effectively, not just caving in to make them happy, well here's.
Speaker 1:Here's something we can tie into. All of this is like we do have our, our significant others our spouses to help harmonize that and balance it.
Speaker 1:Perhaps, you know, I I think, um, personally, for me, in our household, my husband is the more stern one, yeah, and I've had to hone in on being a little bit more stern with Maddie and the boys, um, and perhaps going a little too far in terms of that sternness. And Joe goes whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm the stern one, you're going to confuse the children, you're going to confuse them and I'm like, oh okay, you know like you told me to be stern, Okay.
Speaker 1:Sounds good, Um, but you know I I think where I want to go with this is like I think this is a nice, opportune moment for us to talk about what has that support network looked like for you, both in business and motherhood?
Speaker 2:And I'll let you, I'll turn the tables to you Absolutely. That was another thing for sure, of just like it takes a village.
Speaker 2:And people say that right, like we know that is real, um, and when, comparing it, you know both for motherhood and, uh, business, entrepreneurship, um, the village, for family. You know you, it's. You need that support. You need just the, the husband, perhaps that partner, to come in to play that different role or to just as my husband says, like sometimes, molly, you just have to kind of have an out of body experience and remove yourself from the situation I'm like yeah, okay, I'm going to work on that. That's not as easy for me.
Speaker 1:I want to know what he means by that?
Speaker 2:Well, kind of almost like kids are having a crazy moment right. Just like try to zone it all out, like this too shall pass type of thing you know of, just like there's literally probably nothing I can do. This kid just needs to get out their energy, their emotions, like yeah, do this. It doesn't really matter even what I say right now. They're just in this moment and like I'm gonna have an out-of-body experience during this time and just pretend it's not happening and I'm gonna come back in a little bit see how it's going.
Speaker 1:I'm laughing because it's impressive. I have had um very little of those, but when it has happened. I'm not good at that, I'm kind of giggling about it, because I'm I'm thinking to that moment where I'm like, should I actually be doing this and just zoning this out, when Maddie is literally having a tantrum right now? I like to say hey, hey, honey, we're having our big emotions right now. Do we need to go and hang out in our room?
Speaker 1:Oh, you would think the world was coming to an end when you say it's time to go into our room and have our big emotions in our room and she's like that's just it, like, is there anything that I can do in this moment?
Speaker 2:Cause that's the. Maybe the mom in us like, I am that way too.
Speaker 2:Like what can I say? What can I do? How do I make them feel comforted and that everything's fine, and sometimes like going back to maybe when I was a kid, like they just have these emotions. They have to get them out and remind yourself of that, but that is not easy for me. So Brandon is better, which I really admire. But yeah, I think that it takes a village of just the support and we're learning that more and more. It's different type of support as the girls get older, as they're going to practices or just the crazy juggle of you know, the kids and the after school things or whatever it might be. It's really great when you have kind of that tight family like group of the friends you know and their families, the extension there.
Speaker 2:But and same with business, I think it's just ultimately you can't do it alone. You can't. You can't do parenting alone, even if you're a single. Just ultimately you can't do it alone. You can't. You can't do parenting alone, even if you're a single parent Like you cannot do that alone. And there are people that you should surround yourself with to make it a better experience for you and a better experience for your kids, and the more we can just stay busy and surround ourselves with great other great people that are good examples for our kids and things like that yeah, great. Same with business. I know I can't do it alone. I've been able to grow my business with bringing on full-time employees and independent contractors, but also like vendors. The thing I hate doing the most is more so of a creative is the numbers. So the greatest hire I I mean not the greatest hire ever, but like my first big hire was a bookkeeper game changer. Yeah, I did not have to worry about that, unless I really wanted to worry about it they handled it they still.
Speaker 2:I mean, they do, and I am beyond grateful of just knowing what your strengths are and, yeah, who can help you with your weaknesses, whether it's the meltdown moments or the things that you're just not that great at in business. Um, that's a big one of just don't do it alone.
Speaker 1:I like to think of it this way like, like, if you're surrounding yourself with an A team, whether it's in business and you know, like you just gave a prime example, a bookkeeper.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not everybody, not all of us who are business owners are going to go into this, this game of entrepreneurship, knowing what the heck we're doing with managing the books, right. And if you can find that a team bookkeeper and just like what a game changer, a lifesaver, too, right. And so my husband and I talk about that, with the real estate side of things and partnering with key vendors and going how can we continue to elevate this experience that sellers or buyers are having and who's the A-team that we're surrounding ourself with? I think it's really important to do that evaluation as a business owner, absolutely, really important.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And people always say hire people that are better than you, where at first, as an entrepreneur, you're like wait what, like what? But it is so true and maybe even shifting that slightly of just like, hire people that also are doing the things that you. I mean, if you're not good at it, by all means means, you know, find some, or you don't love it. Yeah, if I still had to keep doing those books, I mean, I really just maybe I would be okay at it. I don't love it. I think that I wouldn't enjoy showing up every day as much as I do you know Well.
Speaker 1:Again, it's like when we were talking about social media and posting, and if it's a drudge for you, then then like how can you get your business to a point where you could then go all right, it's time to hire on a social media manager and somebody who's like if you don't love to create that content, um, and can't easily do it on in a space like canva for instance, right like then, yeah's time.
Speaker 2:It's a big deal when you can get to that point, in your career too, of like being able to hire out, like when you first starting, it is all the hats you know, and like what hat are you going to put on someone else first? And hopefully you can keep taking off those, some of those hats. But um, yeah, it's, it's in defining those processes to just hopefully kind of start making this somewhat of a well-oiled machine, to just know how to keep things going and have your team, have your people.
Speaker 1:So we talked about the peaks and the valleys, right, mm-hmm, was there ever a moment in the duration of time that we've talked about thus far where you felt like it was truly like that dark moment for you and and it doesn't have to equate to like a dark moment- or maybe just a challenging moment where you needed to pivot, and how did you work through that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it was. It was probably like maybe not to say dark moment, but in a way it felt it was so scary for me and it maybe did feel a little dark going in to this conversation with my business partner that started lab with me and and asking if this was the right next move.
Speaker 2:I didn't want to, you know, offend her or that was really a tough, tough conversation to go into. I think I I knew enough in my heart that it was worth an ask and to start the conversation and I also really did think and hope, like maybe she wants this too, but for her too right, like it's something maybe she never really wanted to bring up, I don't know, maybe with a little bit of a like, maybe she's also feeling the same way, it made it a little easier, but you know, it was a little dark because we had hit this point of how do we keep going? And that really felt like the right, right next step. And and I'm really glad that I brought it up and honestly, like really glad that I brought it up then because we kind of finalized everything in June of 2019. And then, not long after that, the pandemic hit. So it's just in hindsight, looking back, it was a really good hard. It was a hard conversation, but good time. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, to have it well, that is exactly where that everything happens, for a reason exactly exactly, and timing is everything.
Speaker 2:Those are my two big things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely well, I've enjoyed this so far and I we're not done yet, okay, but we're gonna start to land the plane right softly, okay, I want, I would love for you to share a piece of advice that you would give a younger version of yourself. Yeah, all that you have learned thus far in your lifetime yeah. What's something that's coming to mind that you would love to like share with that younger Molly?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's the value of your time. No, no, that your time is valuable and I learned that, you know, being somebody that really has loved so much what I do every day in my younger years, well before kiddos.
Speaker 2:yes, I mean it's crazy thinking back of the amount of hours I put into things and maybe that was fine and good and normal.
Speaker 2:It was also a time when people weren't talking about burnout. You know, I think for me, as a hard working entrepreneur, it felt like it was just what you had to do. You just keep going and as an individual, without anyone working with me to have those check-in moments. You know I just clients needed stuff. I just kept working to get it done, and so I wish I mean I did it at. You know, I eventually did have friends and people who are also entrepreneurs, like and other people like, kind of start talking through the value of time versus you know time, versus what you're getting, the money you know like, and breaking that down. And even though money is not something that drives me, when you really stop to look at you know how valuable your time is and then you realize maybe what you're actually making from the amount of time you're putting in. That's where, as a business owner, you just it will help you make those bigger decisions, I realized.
Speaker 2:For me it's just like, oh my gosh, what am I doing? Yeah, and so it's still hard for me, of like I know, and for my team. I wish we could all make gobs of money you know, know, but like it's.
Speaker 2:It's understanding the value of of you know what we are creating for our amazing clients, but it's also from an individual standpoint for my team and just knowing like our time is so valuable of just I don't want people working late at night, cause that was what I did when I was young, I worked every night at night.
Speaker 2:You know, just, it felt I worked so much and I don't know. Again, it just felt I didn't know anything different. And so I don't have regrets from that, from to other people who, you know, maybe aren't seeing the value and like other things beyond the value of their time and feeling like they have to just keep working, like maybe try to pause and realize like you need to step away and you need to do other things and you need to just sleep and also create Like it's not, like I wasn't, you know, doing fun things and being with my people, but I just I think I maybe did reach a point of burnout at some point and I never really like faced it or even allowed myself to accept that, and because I just felt like I had to keep going. Um, so yeah, knowing the value of your time and and who you are.
Speaker 1:It's beautiful. I I felt myself getting so like drawn into that and having a very out of body experience in a positive way, and I I think it's so right and that can be so applicable to so many different like circumstances. Yeah, so it's. It may not necessarily be that like working into the like wee hours of the night, slash morning Right, but like if you're spending a ton of time working on something that just isn't getting you the return that you were hoping or wishing for Right, then that's an opportune moment to evaluate your time Right, exactly, right.
Speaker 2:Then that's an opportune moment to evaluate your time, right, exactly. And I mean, I think, back in the day, pre-kiddos, and even when they were little like I, I just I somehow was able to do the late night, yeah you know, but like I just can't, anymore.
Speaker 1:Nothing like having you know, like becoming a mom and understanding then really the value of time yes, and that also that also means like getting quality sleep yes, you can, if you can, because that plays into health, yes, and that plays into, like, modeling for our children.
Speaker 2:Well and exactly, and I think it's just you have to be in charge of your own boundaries. It is only on you you know whether you are running a business or you're not even working. Like you need to set your own boundaries and there's some power to that. Of like today I'm trying it's still not easy always for me of like I just want to do all the things and I'll figure it out. But like you know, with work things happening and just knowing the reality of kind of when I'm I'm putting my time into work, I kind of had this realization like oh, tomorrow's Friday, I have this meeting and please know I hate rescheduling meetings, I hate it.
Speaker 2:I don't want to be that person, but when I know it's a coffee to meet someone new, you know it's not like I can't. I also can't. I love those coffees. I made the decision this morning of like to make this week not feel so crazy and to ensure I am going to get the things done that I need to get done that are really important for work this week. You know what I got to move that coffee meeting and I did it and it felt good, can't wait to meet that person.
Speaker 2:Still, I made sure they knew Like I am really sorry to do this but, yeah, truly like I have to. It's kind of the priorities too, I guess. So, just so you're not adding too much to your plate, it's okay to just acknowledge that and not try to do it all. I was kind of proud of myself, of just like I think a younger me or just whatever would be like I'll just make it work. It's fine, I'll make it work and whatever I'll figure out how to get it all done. But why do that? I want to be very intentional and focused and present when I'm meeting with this person and I didn't feel like I could be that if I kept that meeting and so I moved it.
Speaker 1:That's recognition and acknowledgement too, there's the recognition of how am I going to be able to go into this meeting showing up, how I authentically want to always be able to show up, especially if I'm meeting somebody for the first time, that's just it too right.
Speaker 2:Where I think, at the end of the day, I don't want them. I don't want to sound flaky, you know like there's all these other reasons, like no, I should just keep it. But at this point in my life, I need to look out for me and I'm not always good at that and so being able to make that decision this morning, I'm like, okay, good job. Like I, I know that I don't really even know this person, but like it, like you said earlier, if they don't understand that you know, then maybe they're not my people. Yep, so I'm sure she would 100%, 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you had some really incredible advice for a younger version of yourself, and you also added in a few other gold nuggets. There Are some of those pieces of advice that you just laid out, something that you would provide a woman who's listening right now. Or is there something else that's coming to mind that you just laid out, something that you would provide a woman who's listening right now? Or is there something else that's coming to mind that you would love to go?
Speaker 2:hey, I'd love to share this with a woman who's listening, who perhaps is like they're nibbling on the edges of a consideration of a business and going into that space, and they're also a mom yeah, I think it's we we touched on this a little bit earlier of just um priority shift throughout life and so, as you take mom, motherhood being one of them, things shift and um be open to the shifts, be open to new things, be open to finding maybe a new role at you know, from a career standpoint that best serves you when you are adding other things to your plate, or just the end of the day, you know you want to. I just think it's so important to love what you do when it's your career.
Speaker 2:You know and maybe your your passions and what you really want to find like your true kind of that purpose for a career that might shift over because of experiences, because you're now a mom and don't, don't um, close those or shut those down.
Speaker 2:Like listen to that and I just think at the end of the day, I hope, like you love what you do, and if you don't, maybe there's something else that's out there and you don't need to know what it is yet, but just keep that little like know, keep that open and see something might be calling to you or you know it's community too. It's like what you're building here, kelly, and it's connecting like the more people you connect with. There's so many ways to connect with like-minded people.
Speaker 2:We're doing this, even just like it's a little story that we're doing in our upcoming collective magazine of just like so many ways to connect with like-minded people in real life. The community aspect of just who are your people? Yes, and I think sometimes your people find you. The beautiful thing of being a mom is sometimes you're finding your people through your kids, which is cool too. It's a whole new network of people that they're bringing to you.
Speaker 1:It's pretty incredible. It really is wildest dreams would. I imagine I would be sitting here doing a podcast that I'm hosting on my own and interviewing mothers who are entrepreneurs, like really, no, I would have never, because the life that I was living, call it four years ago, five years ago, wildly different yeah, wildly different, and it just took experiences and shifts and um shifts in priorities. There we go in becoming a mom yeah, that here's the pathway that this is.
Speaker 2:It is the path that led me to sitting here in this moment, having this conversation with you and with those shifts or changes in priority, you know, come just, you know how do you embrace that and how do you want to show up and, um, evolve. I think that's a good reminder of like funny we say this actually in our branding like from a business side again, you know, I love how I'm bringing all of this stuff in that we talk about in business to the mom side of life. We always say, for business, you always have to be evolving and I think if you try to apply that as, like you know, parenting, motherhood, all of that, or just like life with a family and sometimes that's really hard, like right, but it's the reality of like right when you figure something out with your kid then it's something new, like oh okay, so we're not dealing with that anymore.
Speaker 2:Now it's something different and if you can be very open to just the shifts and knowing we're constantly evolving, whatever this is, and figuring it out as we go, that might help.
Speaker 1:Well, as a creative and as kind of a branding girly. Maybe you don't like me to say it like that, but I think that we can just briefly touch on this evolution of a woman right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:There can be. Do not be afraid to re-evolutionize yourself, because you're shifting and you're changing and the people who love that new change about you are coming along for the ride, and those that aren't, they're not going to and maybe they come back around. I've had conversations with other guests about this is like sometimes, when you're going through that revolution and that evolution, that means other people aren't going to come along for the ride with you. Yeah, true, and do not be afraid of it.
Speaker 2:Right, but new people will Maybe better people will.
Speaker 1:It's so true.
Speaker 2:It's so true, I think it's just truly, we're always evolving, you know, and that's the beauty of life Knowing, that's that's living.
Speaker 1:We're getting really deep right now. I love it. You're so good. Who would be a good connection for you? Oh, my gosh, personal or professional, who would be a good connection for you?
Speaker 2:Ooh, can it just be more of like local small businesses that want to connect with a local small business, other local small businesses and that community? Um? That's a very broad answer. It's not a specific person, but truly that um is a big part of just how we want to show up as lab and build this community, and so it's very exciting this year.
Speaker 2:What we started in 2016, um, which was a pop-up market called collective, has evolved so much. Of course, you know, pandemic caused for a pause of these markets, um, and then brought it back to be like a full year membership after the pandemic, because we just needed to connect as a community and the most beautiful thing about that was, instead of a one day pop-up market, people were signing on for a whole year of community and connection and for lab to create awareness for their business, and I I take the brand awareness side, the, the, the promotion side of that so seriously. Yeah, but what warmed my heart is I think so many people showed up more for the community, which was it spoke volumes to just what really matters at the end of the day, or what people were seeking, you know. And so this year we're just taking what we have been building since 2016 and taking it to a whole. Nother level of having collective be on a dedicated website all on its own, not under lab.
Speaker 2:Um we are taking our band by annual newspaper and making it into a magazine. So, going back to my roots with artful living and my passion for print, and going away from it's not just social media people, it's. There's so many ways that we can tell your story and engage with other people that are doing great things. So small businesses that are looking for community, that are wanting help promoting their business, that are local, is my ask.
Speaker 1:I guess Beautiful.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love it. What a beautiful ask too, and I am so excited to see this evolution of this as well.
Speaker 2:Evolving right, it's constantly evolving. I feel like that's the big takeaway from today, and I love it it's oh my gosh, it's so good.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is okay. So, in this vein, right now, because of, like, so many great takeaways I've personally had and I undoubtedly know that there are there's at least one person listening right now that is going to want to connect with you, molly. How can they get connected to you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, lots of ways, but I'll start with. You can go to our website, so L-A-B-M-P-L-S, so labmplscom. Or same thing for Instagram it's just at L-A-B-M-P-L-S. That's how you can find just my business. Or you can email me mollyat lab mplscom. I'm molly with an ie.
Speaker 1:Yes, just so you know, duly noted, because, like initially, when we got connected, I was like it is not m-o-l-l-y no, no, nope, it's unique yep, just like molly. No, just Thank you. Thank you. I'm so appreciative and so thankful for this powerful, amazing conversation, so thank you.
Speaker 2:You made all this happen, thank you.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you Well but reminder that this is you as the guest. It's your story, and so I just guide. I'm the host. I just guide the conversations.
Speaker 2:It's all about you, though, so I'm very grateful. I'm so grateful.
Speaker 1:So I hope you have an amazing day.
Speaker 2:You too, thank you, thank you.
