36. Mom Brain Meets CEO Energy: Running a Business on Minimal Sleep

Welcome back to Caffeinated Chaos — In today’s solo episode, Whitney is serving up real talk for the moms and multitaskers trying to run businesses on little sleep and even less time.

If you’ve ever wondered how to tap into your CEO energy when your brain feels like mashed potatoes (yum), this episode is for you. Whitney’s breaking down five real-life strategies that help parentpreneurs make progress even in the most chaotic seasons.

Whether you’re answering emails while nursing, recording podcasts before the kids wake up, or just trying to survive on coffee and grit — you're not alone, and you’re doing enough.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why the "perfect morning routine" myth is keeping you stuck
• The power of microproductivity for busy parents
• How to work in mom-friendly time blocks (Nap time CEOs, unite!)
• The freedom of embracing “done is better than perfect”
• Sanity-saving automation tips for the non-techie entrepreneur
• And the most important one: Give yourself grace (and maybe a nap)

🛠 Tools + Tips Mentioned:

• Voice notes for on-the-go brainstorming
• Social media scheduling tools (even built into Instagram!)
• Email templates + website automation ideas
• The “Power Hour” during nap time or post-bedtime hustle

💬 Connect With Whitney:

Got a business-while-exhausted hack to share? DM Whitney on Instagram @caffeinatedchaospodcast or @aguonstudios — she might share it with the Caffeinated Chaos community in a future episode!

Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

Let’s Connect:

• Connect with us via email at ccpodcast@aguonstudios.com
• Follow us on Instagram: @caffeinatedchaospodcast or @aguonstudios
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• Sip and Share: Click here to submit

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Transcript

0:00

Welcome to Caffeinated Chaos, where business deals happen between diaper changes and friendships are fueled by caffeine. I'm Whitney GaN, your host, and I'm here to talk all things business parenthood, and of course keeping up with the BFFs, whether you're juggling the boardroom, the playroom, or just here for some coffee fuel chaos. We've got you covered. Get ready for real talk, laughs and a whole lot of heart as we dive into the beautiful mess that is entrepreneurship, parenthood, and everything in between. So let's embrace the chaos together. Ated, of course. Welcome back to the podcast. Okay. You ever look at those entrepreneurs who wake up at 5 a. m., they journal, they meditate, they do yoga, and then they conquer the world before breakfast. Whoa. I can't even. And think, Oh, that's cute. I woke up at 3 a. m. because my toddler needed water. My baby needed a diaper change. And well, my brain decided that. I just had to remind me about an email I forgot to send yeah, so if you're running a business on minimal sleep, questionable amounts of caffeine, and sheer determination, I got you. I got you today, because today we're talking about how to tap into that CEO energy even when your brain feels like mashed potatoes. Did anyone else think that mashed potatoes sound really good right now? I know, my brain and sleep have not been friends today. So grab your coffee because I already have mine and we are about to make the most of whatever energy we've got going on right now. Question, do you believe that in order to be a real CEO, you have to have your life together, perfect morning routine, color coded planner, and at least eight hours of sleep every night? But wait, you have kids, so what now? Morning routines turn into being at the mercy of your tiny little overlords. Planners? Colored in crayons. Sleep? What is that? Yet somehow we are here. We're still running a business and if you're listening to this, that means you are too. Because let's throw out this idea that we need endless time and energy to be successful and let's talk about how we can actually make it work. So guess what? I got five more steps for you. Take what you like, leave what you don't and Let's get into it. Step 1. I want you to ditch the all or nothing mindset. You do not need a three hour morning routine or a full day of uninterrupted work to move forward. If you have 20 minutes before nap time and snack time, bless you and use it. Microproductivity is a thing. Answer emails while you're nursing. Brainstorm content ideas while you're folding laundry. Small, consistent steps add up. I mean, when I'm working, I usually have some earbuds on and if I think of a good idea, I will make a voice note that I can review later. Keeps my hands free, keeps me working, whether it's laundry or anything like that. And I still get to add that into my brainstorming folder. So that's my little small tip too. Step two. Work in mom friendly time blocks. Forget the 9 to 5 schedule, because that was not built for moms. Instead, break your day into flexible work blocks. Do you have the morning hustle? That's before the kids wake up, if you're lucky. Like, literally, I'm recording batch solo episodes of the podcast right now before my kids wake up. Nap time power hour? Now that's the golden window where you can sprint through the majority of your important tasks for the day. Or are you an after bedtime CEO? Where you catch up, but only on things that actually move the needle, because that's all you got before you have to hit the bed. So the key is prioritizing. Let's be real. We don't have time for busy work. Okay. Step three. I want you to embrace the power of good enough. Listen, done is better than perfect. That social media post doesn't have to be a work of art. That email, just send it. If you're waiting for everything to be perfect, honey, we are going to be here too long. We'd never get anything done. So let's embrace good enough. And keep moving forward. Done is better than perfect. Just had to tell you one more time. Step four. Automate like your sanity depends on it. Because, it does. If you're still manually sending every email, posting in real time, and chasing down clients for payments, stop. Just stop. Automate where you can. Use scheduling tools for social media. There's even one inside the Instagram app itself. Set up email templates. Let your website do the heavy lifting. The less time you spend on repetitive tasks, the more time you have for actual level moves. I know this can be hard for some people. Some people are out there being like, but Whitney, I'm not techie, I don't know. Let's connect on Instagram. You can leave us a comment. You can send us a DM. Pick our brains. I am here. We are here. Let's just do this thing. Okay? Step five. Give yourself grace. And a nap. If possible. You are not a robot. Some days, you are going to crush it, mama. You are going to crush it. And Other days, you will stare at your laptop like it personally offended you in some way. And that is okay, too. Your business isn't built in a day. And your worth is not tied to your productivity. If you need rest, rest. You'll come back stronger, okay? So, if you're running a business on minimal sleep, you are already a superhero. Congratulations. You are proof that dreams don't require perfect conditions. Instead, they require persistence. so whether today is a getting things done day or a barely surviving day, know that you are doing enough and your business, it's growing because of you. All right. And if you've got a running a business while exhausted hack, please dM me. I can get it out to our audience and yeah, we could all use any tips anyone has. We are all in this together. So until next time, keep chasing those dreams, coffee in hand, chaos and all. I will see you in the next one. That's a wrap on another episode of Caffeinated Chaos. I hope you're leaving with a little more clarity, a lot more inspiration, and maybe even an extra shot of motivation. If you love today's episode, don't forget to follow us. Leave a review and share it with a friend who could use just a little chaos and caffeine in their life. Until next time, keep embracing the mess. Chase your dreams and make magic happen. One caffeinated, chaotic moment at a time. I will see you all soon. Bye now.