Remember our Inspiring Mom series? We know, it’s been a while since our last. Sorry about that. But it’s back! And it’s back with a mom that may not even need an introduction, should you visit her site on the daily like we do. She’s the owner + creative director of Camille Styles, and mama to that darling little Phoebe seen below. She’s a busy lady to say the least, but like all of us mamas, she’s doing her very best to juggle it all. And what’s more inspiring than hearing how another mama makes it work for her & her family?

Business name:
Camille Styles

Date/year started:
2009

Where do you work?

Austin. My team has worked out of my home for a few years, and just this year we finally moved into a studio space that has been really amazing for styling and shooting stories for the blog. It’s also provided a nice separation between work and home, which didn’t seem to matter as much before I became a mom, but seems necessary now!

What was the inspiration or impetus to start your business?

I started my blog as a creative outlet a few years ago while I was running my event planning business, and over time, I realized that creating content for the blog was actually my favorite part of my job. As our readership grew, I finally decided to take the step to make it the full focus of my business, and it’s evolved and grown from there. Our vision is to inspire our readers to infuse life’s big celebrations with creative touches, but also to “celebrate every day” through the food they make, the rooms they design and the outfits they wear.

How does your business inspire your family, or your family inspire your business?

As a business owner who truly loves what I do, there’s often no definite line between “work” and “life.” They’re all part of the same thing! I’m grateful that I get to work in a job where the things that I’m interested in and passionate about get to flow right into the content that I create on a daily basis, and since the thing I love most in the world is my family, their influence naturally shows up a lot.

How has it changed or evolved as your child/ren have grown?

Phoebe is still pretty little (20 months), but the moment she was born, everything in my life changed, including my business. There’s no such thing as a “regular” office schedule anymore, but I love being in a job that allows me to juggle career and still be the kind of mom that I want. I typically work through lunch and then spend time with Phoebe in the afternoons — instead of scheduling conference calls, I’m often pushing her in the swing at the park! I’m probably making up those work hours late at night or on the weekends while she naps, but I also think that I’ve become much more efficient with my time. Sometimes I amaze myself by how much I’m able to accomplish in a 5-hour workday.

Do you find it challenging or refreshing to work for yourself, as a mom? And/or are there particular places or people that you rely on for support as a creative business owner and a mom?

The challenge of being a mom who’s also an entrepreneur is that you’re never truly “off the clock,” and it’s often difficult to resist the temptation of constantly multitasking — checking emails and returning phone calls — when I’m spending time with Phoebe. That’s something I’m still working on, but I’m so thankful for a job that allows me to be really flexible with my time. As our family grows, I’m able to keep shifting my schedule to one that makes sense for us in that particular season of life. As a mom, I’m learning that kids are constantly changing, and the minute you’ve found the “perfect” routine, it’s probably just about to change again!

How do you figure out the balance of time with your child and time to work?

It’s great that we live in a time where women can make the choice to pursue their career and raise a family, but the challenging part of that is that most of the time, there’s a societal expectation for us to still take on a larger role in childcare than fathers. I know from experience that this can create a feeling of being pulled in a million directions, and always feel like you’re letting someone down (your co-workers, your child, your partner…) I’m still learning to give myself a break and not chase after the illusion of being the “perfect” parent or the “perfect” worker or boss. Finding the right balance between time with your child and time to work is so individual for everyone and there’s not one right solution, but for my husband and me, it’s meant living near both our parents so that we have a lot of support from family. My mother and my mother-in-law take turns keeping Phoebe in the mornings, and my cousin takes care of her a few hours a week, too. I’m at home with her all day on Thursday, and squeeze in just a couple hours of work during her afternoon nap on those days. Sometimes, I do have to finish up a blog posts late at night, and I usually get up an hour before everyone else in the house to catch up on emails first thing in the morning. It’s a constant juggle, but I do feel incredibly lucky that Phoebe gets to spend quality time with family when I’m working. Next year, she’ll start preschool a couple mornings a week, which will mean finding a new schedule that works for us then.

Such a beautiful little peek inside her workspace + wise words on how she’s trying to manage entrepreneurship & motherhood at the same time, right?

Camille and Phoebe photos by Buff Strickland. Office photos by Q Weddings.