The Growing Pains Podcast
Growing a business and a family? Join host Alyson Caffrey as she interviews mompreneurs who have scaled businesses and juggled life at home. Having it all may seem like a pipedream, but we are making it happen every day. Tune in and fold time in that carpool line!
The Growing Pains Podcast
Turning Inward vs Outward with Carol Szuky
Are you constantly looking outward for answers in your business and motherhood journey? Carol Szuky, a multi-passionate entrepreneur and mother of four, joins me to challenge that approach. Discover the power of turning inward and trusting your intuition amidst the noise of external expectations. Carol reveals her strategies for reconnecting with your inner wisdom, building confidence, and cultivating an abundance mindset. Whether you're juggling multiple businesses or navigating the ever-changing landscape of parenthood, this conversation offers invaluable insights on creating success on your own terms. Tune in to learn how turning inward can be your secret weapon in both business and motherhood.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Building confidence as an entrepreneur.
- The importance of intuition and turning inward for guidance, rather than constantly seeking external validation.
- Methods for reconnecting with oneself and finding focus.
- Developing an abundance mindset as a mom entrepreneur.
- Recognizing when you're getting too caught up in external influences or comparison.
CONNECT WITH CAROL:
https://www.carolszuky.com/
https://www.instagram.com/carol.szuky
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolszuky
https://open.spotify.com/show/3hejLjqkXRKBbcvtKfFKRL
RESOURCES FROM ALYSON:
The Kid-Proof Business Checklist
https://alysoncaffrey.com/checklist
Maternity Leave Planning Guide
https://www.mastermaternityleave.com/guide
Are you juggling the challenges of running a business while raising your little ones? Do you crave more ease in balancing your professional ambitions with the demands of parenthood? Well, sit tight, you're in the right place. I'm your host, alison Caffrey, and I understand the growing pains that come with building a business while nurturing a growing household. Think of this as a soft spot to land when you feel like your ambitions are starting to become just a little overwhelming. Welcome to Growing Pains.
Speaker 2:Hey and welcome back to the Growing Pains podcast. My name is Alison Caffrey and today I'm sitting down with Carol Suki. This was an incredible, incredible chat all around how to use our inward intuition versus using external forces to help us make some decisions as it relates to motherhood and business ownership. So Carol has a ton of different types of specialties and a ton of different types of business, but her lifelong goals and empath has always been to serve people in reaching their highest potential. So for over a decade, carol's extensive experience as a multi-passionate entrepreneur is evident through a combination of owning her own fitness business while raising four small children. She's done a previous career actually in a primary school system and she actually started a construction business from scratch. She has a luxury travel business and she is an abundance mentor, so she's got a ton of irons in the fire. This mama has a luxury travel business and she is an abundance mentor, so she's got a ton of irons in the fire.
Speaker 2:This mama has a lot going on and honestly, it was super inspiring to hear not only her excitement towards what she does and how specifically excellent she is at that, but it was also cool to hear just how happy it made her and how it clearly just brought this lightheartedness to their family.
Speaker 2:And I know that a lot of us struggle with a bunch just how happy you know it made her and how you know like it clearly just brought out this lightheartedness to their family. And I know that a lot of us struggle with a bunch of different types of things. We struggle with a lot of the stuff that we talk about in the episode, like comparison syndrome and imposter syndrome and all of these different types of things, but really what it boils down to is being able to just have a good time and roll with it, and I loved Carol's personality in kind of telling her story and positioning this as something that is just a lifelong practice that we need to just enjoy the ride. So I hope you guys enjoy this episode and I will see you inside. Carol, welcome to Growing Pains. I am so excited to have you here today.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much, allison. I'm happy to be here, all right. Well, after what, I'm happy to be here, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, after what I am happy to say was a very slight technical difficulty, we are here. We are excited to dive in and, carol, I am so pumped for our listeners to get to hear some of the juiciness that we discussed really quickly before we press record. But for those of you who are listening, let's get a little bit of kind of lay of the land of who Carol is. So tell me a little bit about your business and the family that you have at home.
Speaker 3:So I am a multi passionate entrepreneur. I say that with like a little bit of this is not a flex. Let me just tell you this is not a flex, but that is what I am. I have a few businesses. I have a construction business, I have a travel business, I am also an abundance mentor, and I might have another thing on the go. I won't go too deep into that Because it's not happening as of yet. I am also a mother of four beautiful, healthy blessings of children, and they are ranging from 15 to almost 22. Of children, and they are ranging from 15 to almost 22. And I am a wife of, I think, going on 19 years now. Congrats.
Speaker 2:Thank you. My husband and I are about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a couple of months and there's something about that like decade of being married that feels so like first of all, exciting, right, we're like, whoa, look at what we've accomplished in the last 10 years. And then there's another phase that's like, well, what is the next 10 years look like? So I love hearing from folks who have like done life together for so long. Yeah, yep, it's a trip. Oh, my goodness. Well, okay, so 15 to 22, your kids are a little bit older. Tell me about when you became an entrepreneur. Like when did you start working for yourself, in kind of the scheme of you know, like having kiddos and that kind of thing. Were you working first? Did you start a business first, and then, kind of, what was the timeline like?
Speaker 3:Oh, interesting question. Okay, let me try and. Let me try and not digress here. So the entrepreneurship started? I think it was my, my. I think I was pregnant with my youngest. No, I was. I started before my youngest, actually, because I did lose one of my beautiful blessings in between my two there. And so, yeah, it was before I had my fourth.
Speaker 3:And I am lucky to have a husband who had the same goals as me, which was I wanted to raise my kids and he wanted his wife to be able to raise his kids, and as much as I was definitely always and still am prioritizing motherhood, I also knew that with that many children, there's a requirement for money. You need some money because kids are not cheap and if I really wanted to contribute to the family, I felt like bringing in some money was part of that, but I didn't want to give up on raising my children. So I knew that if I wanted to have the flexibility of raising my children as I wanted to and as I needed to, I needed to do my own thing, and so I started with a fitness business, which I no longer have, but that has kind of like never left me. I never thought that I would be running a business. I actually thought business was a little bit icky. I didn't like you know the whole sleazy sales thing and what have you. And I was like, and that's not the way it was raised too, right, I have like really old school parents who are like get a good job, have a pension, have benefits, that's that's how you live, that is success. Quote, unquote. But anyway, so.
Speaker 3:So yeah, that's that's how my entrepreneurship journey started. And I actually did go back to work when my youngest finished kindergarten and I was, like you know, running this fitness business. Most of the moms were. I was making most of my money in the evenings when the moms came back from work and that's when I wanted to be with my kids because they just came home from school and I'm like kiss you, you know, love you, and bye, and that's not that that wasn't working for me at that point in life. And so I went to work and I worked in a school and then I realized this is not for me. I feel like a caged animal and that entrepreneurial spirit just never left and so I had to go back to pursuing being an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2:What was it like working through some of the ways that you were raised and perhaps even some of your parents' definitions of what success was? Did you hold those to be true at that point where you were like, wow, taking the leap into working for myself is basically putting everything at risk. It's risking my security and my success and all of that. What was that like that?
Speaker 3:is literally a constant battle and I still battle with that today. You know, because I still have my mom. I lost my father in 2019, but my mom still sometimes thinks, like, what are you going to do if, if, if, you get sick, or if Joe gets sick, my husband, you know, how are you going to make money? You don't, you don't have pensions and benefits Like, what are you going to do? I'm going to, I'm going to make money, mom, that's what I'm going to do. You know and and really and truly, I've realized that you know, working for someone who isn't exactly always just the safest way, and then there's just, there's just that piece of I am who I am. Mom is who she is, dad is who he was, and we're just different people.
Speaker 3:I am a risk taker. Clearly I'm a risk taker and I need to embrace that. I need to embrace who I am. They are who they are. They were raised how they were raised. They did what they had to do in that day and age. And this is my time and this is how I want to do life, and that's okay. And I have to and I do have to keep reminding myself that's okay, this is okay.
Speaker 2:Where does the confidence I'm imagining that your confidence was not just there or created overnight, Like were there ways or particular things that you did to build that confidence in that decision? Because I know so many folks, just like you said, who are still struggling with aspects of this daily right, or even weekly, when they are, you know, chatting with their families or talking with their friends and that kind of thing. So what kind of steps did you take to build that confidence? Because it's very, very clear in the way that you've just described it that you have a confidence that this is who you are and what you're meant to be doing.
Speaker 3:It's definitely a lot of conversations with myself A hundred percent, reminding myself who the F I am. Can I swear? Yes, you sure can I swear.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, this is a safe place, safe safe place.
Speaker 3:It is a heck of a lot of knowing who the fuck I am, allison, because that's just the way life happens, right?
Speaker 3:Your parents raise you that's their job or guide you I should say your parents should guide you and then the people who are around you guide you your teachers, your friends, your aunts and uncles, so on and so on. But then there's that piece of okay I have, I have an adult brain now, and and despite who all these people are and who they, what they mean to me, then there's just me and my thoughts and my wants and my needs and my desires and my goals. And you start to separate yourself from what is your truth and their truth. And when you know, without a shadow of a doubt, who you are, what you want, what you can achieve, what you want to achieve, and you take those steps to do it, you start to build that confidence after taking those steps. If you don't take any action whatsoever, it's just it's thoughts, it's dreams, it's wishes. Take action and you know what. Even if you fail, you tried and or you'll learn a lesson that will guide you towards where you can and or should be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's really a lot of the women that are listening to the show are most likely going to be like younger in their season of motherhood. I imagine that that time, particularly when so many things fundamentally change about who you are right. I remember when I had my first son, frank, I felt like I was almost clinging to my business because that's what made me feel like me, like past version of me, right Was. I was a leader in my organization, I was working with my clients. That felt really natural to me, and so I didn't actually have those conversations with, like new Allie, right, I was like I'm just going to do the same stuff I've always done.
Speaker 2:So how do we navigate some of those times where maybe we don't even feel like us? Maybe you were like who is this person, especially as you enter in newly you know new motherhood or maybe you're doing something aggressive or different in your business, right, like launching a personal brand or going into a new industry right, you've mentioned you have several different companies in several different industries. Like that probably felt like a time where identity felt like it was a bit in flux.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, and you know what. That's okay, and that's something I keep saying to myself too. That's okay, carol, whatever you do, that's okay. You started this. You didn't, you know. You chose to go in a different direction, that's okay. You prioritize motherhood while everybody else was hustling, that's okay. You have to be forgiving and compassionate with yourself, especially when you're a mother, because you are becoming something else. You are doing something totally different that you've never done before, and it's okay. You have to forgive yourself.
Speaker 3:There's nothing wrong with evolving. There's nothing wrong with evolution. It happens, that's life, that's the world, that's what happens, and there's nothing wrong with it. Oh, you know, if it's well, alison, Alison never used to be like that, like you know she, you know she prioritized her business. Or or you know she, um, you know, let's say, for example oh you know, allison never said she wanted kids. It's so weird that she has kids. Who cares the opinions of others really and truly don't care If they don't jive with how you're living your life. Maybe the evolution includes, maybe you've evolved from those quote unquote friendships or relationships. Right, and I think that's it's just. It's okay. Whatever you decide, whatever you're learning in life, wherever you are in your journey.
Speaker 2:it's okay, Roll with it. See what?
Speaker 3:happens, take a chance.
Speaker 2:I had a conversation with a wonderful mom a couple of weeks ago here on the show about like playing it safe and what it means to play it safe and that where she is in Canada they have like minimum of a year maternity leave with you know her employed counterparts and how we as business owners, I think oftentimes, especially in those identity crises moments and one of them is becoming a parent that you try to kind of fit yourself into the box, the normalcy box.
Speaker 2:We talked specifically about maternity leave and putting your kids in traditional school versus doing homeschooling and things like that. And I'm wondering like we talked a little bit before we press record about, you know, like turning inward versus turning out outward in terms of getting the next best step or building that confidence or really being able to decide right where to go or what to do. When do we start to wave that flag and be like I'm looking too far out, I'm doing the comparison thing or I need external validation in order for me to feel comfortable moving forward? What kind of red flags or things might we start to see when we know we're looking too far outward versus looking inward to make some of our decisions?
Speaker 3:I would definitely say the confusion. Yeah, when you start to face just utter confusion and chaos in your thoughts, in how you're running your business, in what's happening at home, like when you start to lose control, basically, and or burnout, there needs to be like If, if, if you know for sure that you know your family is number one, your kids are number one, always make sure that that's in line, because you know what you're. You're going to be a mom to them forever. Businesses can come and go, clients can come and go. You know everything external. That can all that can all come and go, and that's that is within your control. Somewhat.
Speaker 3:I've done it to myself where I was like, okay, you know, I really want to, I really want to focus on on the business. Like I knew when my, when my boys stopped playing hockey and they just focused on baseball, I'm like, okay, I have time, I'm going to gung ho on, you know, strategy for business. So I started to go doing this networking, taking this course and, and you know, following this person and and and trying these systems and what have you? Oh, my goodness, alison, I was completely overwhelmed and I had no idea what was going on. And then you're. You have people telling you, well, you should do this, you should brand this way, you should, you know, post this many times. Hey, I try my best to really stay off of social media as much as possible as in, like taking stuff in and and putting my whole life out there.
Speaker 3:I might do it in waves, but, like I have, I have kids to raise, I have a, I have a husband that I want to stay connected to. You know a, I have a husband that I want to stay connected to you. Know, um, do it, do it your way, do do the things your way. And if it's like, if it feels like you're just almost leaving your body from taking so much in from out there, it's like wait, wait, wait, come back home, come back to you, come back to your intuition, come back to your why. Why are you doing this? It's not for fame, it's not just for the dollar. More times than not, especially women who actually create a business I'm not talking about multi-level marketing type of businesses. I mean like creating a real business from scratch, from the heart, from the soul. If you don't know where your why is, if you're not working from your why reassess.
Speaker 2:I love that invitation and I want to double click on this really quick, because if I'm in this position where I feel like things are crazy, I'm seeking external validation. I'm constantly comparing or taking in information from other quote unquote experts, right, who are telling me what I should do. I'm being should all over, right. I need to start getting back to center, getting back to my why, having those conversations with myself, like you said before, what's the best outlet for that? Like, do I just close myself in a room alone and be like Allie, what do you want out of life? Like, how do I create that opportunity for myself?
Speaker 3:And is there like an activity that you particularly on in those crazy seasons where you're like I just need to get back to center. What do you do? That? That actually, literally, is one of the things that I do, more so than kind of like going into a room and, you know, sitting in the dark or something and meditating, I like to go for a walk, I like to go to nature.
Speaker 3:Nature is a beautiful teacher that a lot of times, especially, if you know, for people who live in the city or in the suburbs I am blessed to be living in the countryside. I have, you know, some acreage that I can just roam all by myself and take time. Take that time by yourself. If you know, if bugs bother you, maybe don't go to nature time by yourself. If you know, if bugs bother you, maybe don't go to nature, bugs bother me. But anyways, I do love nature and and just unplug and and turn in walking, you know, maybe even just like listening to some frequency music there's a whole bunch on you on YouTube that you can find and just not thinking about business, not really think, just kind of sit there, just sit there or walk there and just open up and just maybe even say to yourself okay, I feel lost. I need to come back home, like say these things to yourself. I need to come back home, when am I, where am I in all this noise? And even say I need answers. Show me a miracle. Show me a miracle today. Show me a miracle this week. Show me a miracle. Show me a miracle today. Show me a miracle this week. Show me what I need to know. Right, and then just just kind of let your thoughts flow. Don't think about your, your business systems and did I send that email and all that, not that kind of stuff. Just like just open up and ask the questions. And it's funny how you know realistic things. Actionable tips will just kind of download.
Speaker 3:Other than that, I like just breathing exercises, breath work for sure, and then you can seek external validation to where these people aren't telling you what to do and giving you you know like actionable, like business advice. It's more of like if you go to someone who, for example, you can like have a conversation with your highest self, they can tap into your highest self. Or even tapping. Have you, if you have you ever heard of tapping? Yeah, emotional freedom technique like that kind of brings you back to you, even though there's someone else supporting you through that. They're bringing you back to you. They're not telling you what to do. You're kind of working through, you know, energy blocks and and things like Like. Sometimes you don't realize what it is that's blocking you. You may think that you're having you know like your business strategy is not working, but really it's something else. It's something energetic, something emotional. Maybe that's kind of stopping you from making you know, opening up to those business decisions that you need to make. Is that helpful? Yeah?
Speaker 2:totally no. I think it's great, I think there's a lot in there and I think the big thing that I heard from what you said was that blocking in intentional time to get up out of the day-to-day whether that is going and being in nature or doing some meditation, doing some breath work, doing some journaling like that, for me is actually particularly, really helpful. I have a lot of thoughts, carol, like a ton of them, and so I think sometimes we like to think as entrepreneurs that all of our ideas are good, right, like we get excited about something. It sparks that thing. So talk to me about filters, because I think if I went out for a walk in the woods, I would come back with 30 ideas and not all of them are probably good and not all of them probably need to be implemented. So, like those filters I want to talk about, like personal filters, and I also I love the idea of having a coach Like I think coaches strategically placed in my growth trajectory, in my business, my personal life, my motherhood, my relationship with my husband, very, very incredible people to come into my life, and those relationships were so life-giving and I want to know what that role needs to look like.
Speaker 2:Right, because I do. I think as you become a mom and this was true about me before is that I, steve and I joke my husband we're like. I didn't have intuition before I had kids. Of course I did, I just never really worked on it. I've always in my career been able to almost will something into existence. Right. With hard work I can get whatever I want. With kids it's a little different, right.
Speaker 2:They like show you the places where you haven't quite worked on yourself or where you feel like you're being too stubborn or too impatient, and so I think that intuition for me particularly, and maybe for some listening is like a very new thing. So creating that filter of like is this actually what I want or is this just another idea or another shiny object? Like, talk about that a little bit, Cause I'm sure there's moms on here listening that are like can I trust my own thoughts in the woods? I don't know if I can.
Speaker 3:That's so true and I get that. And you know what? Yes, as entrepreneurs, our job is to kind of like be innovative and think of, think of new things, right, and what's? Okay. Other people are doing what I'm doing. How can I make my you know my approach different, and what have you? Okay, other people are doing what I'm doing. How can I make my you know my approach different, and what have you?
Speaker 3:If you're kind of going so far out of the box that it like you don't know the how, how to get there, you might be thinking a little too far ahead, or maybe it's just not for you, because, as entrepreneurs, we literally can probably do anything, maybe not in our zone of genius, maybe not even in our zone of excellence, but our capabilities are, are, are pretty, we're pretty talented people in the sense of you know, you see somebody you know who's doing well at something like I, I should have thought of that, I could do that, because, yeah, we probably could, right, but if there's no, there's no passion to it, it was just like I should have done that, I could have made money doing that, and there's really not. There's nothing like really behind that, like driving a fire inside of you you know, and and it you just don't know where to start. Like really like, sit back, take a step back and really really look at it. I would say, never just jump into anything like sure, we have these ideas and it's like, oh my God, ok, great, I can run for president. I budget this house so well, I could probably be the president.
Speaker 3:Right, I mean, that's extreme, but you know, really like, okay, fine, take the download. But then like really work, pick it apart, pick it apart and really see, is this just another great idea or does this feel right to me from every aspect? Right, really, pull it apart, sit with it. Sit with it and see if your ideas are just you know, you just you're just downloading the whole world, or if it's like really, really meant for you. Feel it out. And if it doesn't leave, if that fire doesn't leave for that, then maybe try and pursue it, see what happens.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's interesting. Something that I have been doing recently is when I have ideas, I'll write them down in my journal and I'll say is this something I think will bring me money or bring me fulfillment or both? And so I think that oftentimes when we are looking at the pursuits of next in our business especially in those early years, or when times feel tight financially or we want to, you know, we have a specific revenue goal. I always joke with my clients. I'm like revenue goals are excellent, but if the revenue goal is the only goal, then the only thing we're going to do is make decisions to serve that top line. And I think that where I've gotten particularly into some sticky situations in my business growth trajectory are when I'm only serving a revenue goal versus an actual fulfillment goal, right? So a fulfillment goal could look like something a little bit more customer facing, like something for our company master maternity leave.
Speaker 2:We want 100 voices this year, 100 women who've gone through our programming, who have just a rave review to give us, and that goal, I personally believe, will also impact revenue, like it absolutely will.
Speaker 2:But it also, at the top, top, tippy top of our focus, shows us that we're serving first, right. So I think those types of things for me personally have been really helpful filters and I think like it's so, so hard to prioritize or focus on one thing. So I'd love to like shift our conversation ever so slightly, because I know you said that you're focusing on abundance, and I think abundance mindset in my experience of growing a company doing lots of personal development, doing lots of business development abundance is a really lots of business development. Abundance is a really, really hard one to wrap your brain around, especially for moms, because moms are always, I feel, like juggling 10,000 things. There's never enough time in the day, the to-do list feels like it's ever-growing and the only thing that feels abundant at times, at least for me, is the demand on my time right, like I know that there's an endless demand for my time and I just can never meet it.
Speaker 2:And so let's talk about how moms can practice more abundance, and I think one of the cool things that I've personally experienced out of abundance, or practicing more of an abundance mindset, is that prioritizing feels easier. I can say I can focus on this one thing because I know that that thing has an abundant amount of opportunity. If I just focus there and when I decide to focus on the next thing, that will give me the opportunity and it will still be there right when I come in I decide to give it my focus. So talk to me about some of the early stage things that moms can start to do to focus on really curating an abundance-based mindset.
Speaker 3:So abundance to me is it's like it's freedom, a freedom to live as you desire, right To have the things that you desire. Abundance is not about a dollar amount per se. Obviously you have an abundance of money if you got a lot of figures in your bank account, but at the same time it's like you don't necessarily need that to feel abundant. If you feel whole, if you feel at peace, like you should be aiming for these things freedom, peace, you know, just living in gratitude every single day, just there's that feeling of wholesomeness, like that's abundance to me. Right, just just having joy about what you're doing, how you're doing it and you know, feeling confident that it doesn't even matter what anybody else is doing per se or how their abundant life is going. If you're living life on your terms, you know. That's to me that that you should feel that if you want like that equals abundance Knowing what you want, doing what you want at the pace that you want, and just having that gratitude and peace with it all.
Speaker 2:How has your perspective on abundance changed as your kids have gotten older? I know that you're in a season right now where the kids are older and you've been in business for a while and I'm sure the demands on the time just look a little bit different. What does that look like now for you?
Speaker 3:That definitely is.
Speaker 3:I will definitely say the freedom piece is really working for me, because I really felt almost like a slave to what I had to do, you know, had to make money as these kids were growing and they were all competitive athletes, and again there's there's a dollar value to that and so, and, and then there was just me just spreading myself thin amongst, you know, the four kids and, and I have no regrets about that, but it was a busy time, you know, but also respecting the fact that, hey, you know, right now it's a busy time, carol, like you know, you chose to put these kids in these sports.
Speaker 3:They are thriving, they're, they're grateful, they're, you know, um, it's worth it, um, but knowing that I could be here at this moment in time and not going crazy and having this whole schedule that basically doesn't belong to me, and so now, looking back and just knowing how much it has supported my children in their own journey, it feels like, you know I, you know I did that from the heart and it feels good and I'm feeling abundant. And I'm feeling abundant and you know, again, just you know, having having my businesses and you know, kind of just just being so grateful for where I am now, knowing that what I did then now knowing that what I did then woo, it was busy, it was, it was a gong show, but you know, I am grateful for those experiences that I've been able to offer my children and now I get to kind of like sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Speaker 2:That is so excellent. What are you excited about? What else on the horizon for the rest of the year? I mean, you've got a couple of businesses, you've got kiddos who are growing into adults and you're able to have fun experiences with them and have conversations Like I'm so grateful for the time that our kids are in mine are at four and two, but like so grateful for this time. Like they love being like cuddly, like we were cuddling earlier today and they just like love being with us and it's so excellent. I know that sometimes it feels very demanding on, like my body and my time and, um, I'm just so grateful for this time and I'm looking forward to some of the things that you're probably experiencing. So what is that? Like you know, having um excitement about what's happening in the future. Are your kids like involved in your businesses at all?
Speaker 3:Yes, my construction business. My boys are now old enough and they like to help out. They think that they're gonna take over the business and I'm like honey, are you sure you wanna get that dirty? But they're awesome and their work ethic is amazing and it's a joy to watch because I remember. So, like I said, I have a construction business. So I remember when they used to, you know, play with these dump trucks and these, you know these little toy backhoes, and now they're like running them with their dad.
Speaker 3:It's. It does bring me to tears, but like who cries on a construction site, right? They all, of course, love the travel piece. They love that mom is a travel advisor and sometimes get to go on some journeys with us. So that's really nice.
Speaker 3:And you know, even when I was a fitness instructor and I would do, like these big, you know charity events and I'd be instructing up there, like the whole family would come and support me. So I definitely am blessed to have like my own little cheer team. That's always got my back and they know that mom is the same. I've got their back too. So you know it's really beautiful. Like as much as you know, you can enjoy those little cuddles and kisses and those tiny hands that you get to hold. There's this different, beautiful side of life.
Speaker 3:As they get older and you, you know you can have those conversations like a couple weeks ago my son was like you know what mom? Like you, you really are an inspirational person. Let me hold it together here. But you know, it really makes it all worth it to hear your kids appreciate you, um, and be, you know, some of your fans. So, to all the moms out there that are, you know, pursuing their entrepreneurial journeys and hoping to make their kids proud, like you are, they're watching, have fun with it and, you know, involve your kids, tell them, tell them what you're doing and you know whether they pursue entrepreneurship or not. I don't push it on my children. Um, my eldest does have some entrepreneurial stuff going on, but she also, um is working um a full-time job as well, and you know she she gives me credit for that and and it and it feels good because I know that I'm, I'm being a good example to my kids. And so all those entrepreneurial moms out there, like, keep doing what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Your kids are watching and they're proud of you. That is so incredible, carol. I think everyone listening probably needs to hear that, including me, because I'm sure there are days that still get tough right. I mean, even though you're out of the thick of toddler life and all the things that maybe I'm struggling with or the other moms listening are there are plenty Like I had a mom on here a few months ago whose kiddos are about to go to college and she's like doing the whole thing where they're going and visiting the schools and it's just such a demand on the family's time and it's such an emotional experience to making a decision like that.
Speaker 2:So I uh, before we press record, I was saying I had a mama on um, her name was Crystal, and Crystal said that as your kids get older, nobody tells you that it doesn't get easier, it just gets different. And I think, while I might be getting lots of the rewards of like the sweet cuddles and that kind of thing and like the little kids, like you're getting the very sweet rewards of being able to see your kids grow up and become adults and apply the things that they've learned from watching you and your husband over the years and get those little lovely points of validation where they see you right, like for the human, the adult that you are, and not just like their caregiver. So that's so beautiful. Thank you so much for encouraging.
Speaker 3:Oh, you're welcome. Yeah, we need it. We do need it. You're right. And you know, sometimes you forget because we're so busy just trying to make, trying to make shit happen. And you know what you are. You're making shit happen. You're here, the kids are good, you know, and they're watching. So you know, show them what. You know what real love looks like. You know, and sometimes it looks like hustle, sometimes it looks like crying. You know, trying to hide it, trying to hide in the bathroom crying. But you know, when they come out, they notice that your eyes are a little bit welled up, but it's all part of it, it's all part of life and you getting through it all is teaching your kids something and you don't even know it.
Speaker 2:So keep going. I do. I believe that I think the entrepreneurial backdrop for a family is incredibly, incredibly educational, and not only just in capability and trusting yourself and hustling and working hard and all that stuff, but also you have to get up and believe in yourself every day, and even when you don't, you still have to sort of pretend like you do. That's right, and it's hard. It's so hard because some days especially, I think, for moms with, like our women in general, for like our hormonal cycle right, especially I think for moms with, like our women in general, for like our hormonal cycle right Sometimes I feel like the guys get it slightly easier because they wake up with the same amount, like a hormone dump, every morning. We don't, and so we've got that like 30 day cycle where we're like oh man, I stink, I stink, I stink, I stink, I stink, I stink, I stink, I stink. Where's my mom who told me I could run my own life? Um, yeah, so it's so incredible.
Speaker 2:Carol, honestly, thank you so much for the, the real conversation here and for all the encouragement, too that you gave to moms. I think I learned, um, I learned a lot about turning inward and about how to block that that time in because transp, I think, especially for moms growing businesses and raising families. I mean, the demands on the calendar are just so, so high. So being able to proactively schedule in that time for anybody listening, I really do think that that's gonna be helpful. And for folks who want to get in touch with you, where can they follow along and find out all the fun stuff that you're doing with your multiple businesses and your growing family? Follow along and find out all the fun stuff that you're doing with your multiple businesses and your growing family.
Speaker 3:I am most active, I will say, on Instagram, at carolsuki. I'm also on TikTok, I have my website, carolsukicom, and I do have a podcast as well, the Carol Suki podcast. So just try and find me wherever.
Speaker 2:I'd be happy to have you. Fantastic. I will link all that stuff up, Carol, for folks to be able to connect with you. Thank you so much for taking the time out today to join me on Growing Pains.
Speaker 3:Thank you, allison, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode of Growing Pains. I know that you have so many things vying for your attention right now, so I am so grateful that you just spent the last hour or so with me. So I hear all the time from mompreneurs Allie, allie. What systems do I need to have in place in order to thrive in business and in parenthood? If you go over to alisoncaffreycom checklist, you can grab my kid proof business checklist and it will get you started in the right direction around making sure that you build a business that doesn't steal all of the time away from your family. If you loved today's episode, I would be so, so, so honored if you would leave a review on the podcast. It helps us reach even more incredible mompreneurs just like you and give them the resources they need to be wildly successful in business and wildly present at home with their families. Thanks so much again and I'll see you next time.