We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sally Bisbee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sally, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
Being a mom of 3, along with owning 3 businesses, burnout almost felt inevitable. And sure enough, a few years ago it hit me. I absolutely love being a mom, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I also absolutely love being a business owner….also, not easy. About 4 years ago, I remember waking up for what felt like the 100th day, feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and already behind for the day. And it was in that exact moment I knew something had to change. My kids were still young (2, 5, and 17) and I knew I couldn’t continue down the path of waking up every day feeling burnt out and exhausted before the day had even begun. And so I started making changes. I simplified everything I could in my life. My schedule…I started only saying yes to the things that brought me joy or added something good to my life. My friends…I looked at who were the people who supported me, build me up, and made me feel good about myself and poured more into those friendships. My house…I created simple routines that streamlined the things I have to do every day. I created The Simple Seven Habits, which is now the backbone behind much of my coaching business. And I stopped trying to do it all alone. I talked to my husband, let him know what I was feeling and asked for help. It turns out, there is not medal for being super mom and doing everything by yourself only leads to burnout and exhaustion. Asking for help and not doing everything on my own has been one of the biggest game changers. I’m glad to say that 4 years later, my life is way different. My days run smoothly, I rarely feel stressed or burnt out, my husband and I are more of a team than ever, and my life is thriving because of it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
When I became a mom at the age of 22, I knew the most important thing for me was to be able to be the one raising my kids. And that thought is exactly what led me to being an entrepreneur. My passion from a young age has been to help people. And now being a mom (for 22 years), my passion is helping other moms. Through my 3 businesses, I get to do just that. My coaching business, Simply Sally Coaching, started out of a desire to help moms navigate the stresses of mom life. Throughout the journey this past year, I decided what moms really need is a community of other moms around them, going through the same stages of life as them, to not have to do mom life alone. And so I created my online membership/community for moms called The Real Moms Society. This is a space for moms in the “messy middle” of mom life (think sports, school, mental load overload, and all the in betweens) to connect, simplify their lives, and feel less alone in motherhood. While it’s just in the beginning stages, I am so excited to be able to support many moms and help moms find their village. I also offer 1:1 coaching for moms who just need a little extra help figuring out exactly what to do in their own lives to simplify and ditch the stress for good. My organizing business, Simply Sally Organizing, started out of a passion to help those same overwhelmed moms organize their homes. As a mom of 3, I know how busy life can be and how sometimes are home is what gets neglected. I also know how much physical clutter can add to our stress levels. I love being able to go into my clients homes and help them reclaim not only their physical space, but also their time and peace of mind. And through my craft business, Simply Sally Creations, I create custiom craft items to help make every day moments even more special. Think Etsy, although I don’t actually sell on Etsy. I make custom shirts, cups, signs, make up bags, wedding gifts, items with company logos on them, and so much more. If it’s something you can add words to, I can likely make it. And I can make 1 of an item or 100 of an item or anywhere in between. I offer shipping throughout the contiental US.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the 3 things that were most impactful on my journey were faith, hope, and a dream I wasn’t willing to give up on. Faith is the #1 most important thing in my life. I firmly believe God has a plan for me and wants to use me to help others. It’s been my passion my whole life and I love seeing how He can use it for so much good. Hope has been a huge thing in my life too. One of my favorite verses is Hebrew 11:1. Now faith is being confident of what we hope for and sure of what we cannot see. I believe God placed it on my heart to be a mom, who runs 3 businesses, so that I can continue to provide for my family, while also chasing after my own dream. I love being a mom, but that is only part of who I am. I also love having a dream that is bigger than me. I love showing all 3 of my kids the power of chasing after your dream and working hard for what you want in life.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As a mom, life can be overwhelming. So here is what I do when I start to feel overwhelmed. The very first thing is I try to figure out and name where the overwhelm is coming from. So often it’s easy to just feel overwhelmed, but not really think about the why behind it. I’ve found that when I’m able to think about what is actually causing my overwhelm, I am better equip to work through the overwhelm faster. I also go back to what my life coaching is built all around, which is simplifying every aspect of my life. The method that I walk my coaching clients through on their journey is called The Simplify Method. It teaches them to simplify every aspect of their life, as to get rid of any unnecessary overwhelm, so that when overwhelm creeps in, you can just deal with that specific overwhelm and not the 90 other things that used to cause you overwhelm too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simplysallyco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/simplysallycoaching, www.instagram.com/simplysallyorganizing, www.instagram.com/simplysallycreations
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplysallycoaching, www.facebook.com/simplysallyorganizing, www.facebook.com/simplysallycreations
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplySallyCo
Image Credits
Shealyn Lane Brand Design & Photography
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