Seeing as how I run my own company now and do things like hire and fire staff, I’ve learned a little bit about what works and what doesn’t work when applying for a job. Sure, there are tons of books out there on the subject, but this is what the books don’t tell you. (Maybe because it’s considered general knowledge?)

So, should you find yourself in that stressful position of seeking employment, here are my pointers - just from my experience over the last week:

• Any time you’re on the phone - either with a person from the company or just leaving a voice mail - speak clearly. It’s important that they at least understand your name and phone number.
• Remove that loud rap song from your answering machine message and actually say something (again, clearly), just in case they do call you back.
• Leave 2 messages at most. And certainly not more than 6.
• When you leave messages, consider not swearing, cursing, or calling the company or its representatives words that most sailors would by too shy to use.
• When granted an interview with said company, show up. It seems self-explanatory, but apparently it needs to be said.
• Dress appropriately. A swim suit is generally not considered interview attire.
• Don’t threaten the interviewer.
• Try not to walk in with a ring of cigarette smoke still hovering around you.
• Think about smiling.
• Don’t bring your kids. If you do bring them, don’t ask them to help you answer interview questions. Especially if they’re under the age of 3.
• Flat-out lying generally disqualifies you for most jobs.
• Don’t answer your cell phone in the middle of an interview.
• Don’t volunteer information about how often you’ve been fired from jobs. Yes, it’s helpful to the employer, but perhaps doesn’t show off your best traits.
• A “Mwa-ha-ha-ha-hah” laugh can be entertaining, but there’s a time and place for everything, and an interview isn’t quite the place for it.

I thought all these things were common sense, but apparently I was mistaken. So, tell your friends. Help spread the word.

(Oh, and Kathy dear, don’t cut your finger tips off… There’s grace for that, but it does keep you out of commission for a while. Sure, there’s plenty of sympathy for you, but wouldn’t a paycheck be more helpful?)

That’s how many showed up. Many more than I thought, and it comes out to about 45%. I can handle 10.

4: Number of days I have to find and train new employees

2: Hours I spent on the phone today scheduling interviews

22: Interviews I have scheduled for tomorrow afternoon

4: Number of people I expect will actually show up

5: Interviews I had scheduled for yesterday

0: Number who showed up

5.8: Percentage of people in Georgia who are unemployed (the highest it’s ever been in recorded history, and currently higher than the national average)

I think I know why it’s so high. Come on, people! Woody Allen said that 80% of success is just showing up.

Running a business and managing staff is a lot harder than I expected.

Running a business is hard. Especially when trying to keep up ith a 2-year old and a 4-year old. And nursing a 2-week old newborn. And stressed by your ever-present in-laws.

Oh. and when your employees quit with less than 24 hours’ notice, that makes it harder.

… When running a business, contracts are in place for a purpose. They aren’t just decorative items to adorn the filing cabinet… They need to actually have signatures on them if they’ll ever help said business…

Running a business is hard work. It’s been a rough day - one in which I’ve learned that not everyone is as trustworthy and nice and honest as I’d expect. Lessons learned.

Now that we have built-in babysitters and my company is booming, I’m working full time and basically running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I don’t think stress management is one of my strong points.

A typical day for me: Wake up at 6, make an effort to read something from the Bible (if I can keep my mind from wandering to either work, kids, or sleep), rush out the door around 7:30 to do something work-related. Come home around 9 AM, just in time to make the kids’ lunches if they have preschool, usher them into the car and drop them off at preschool. Work like a mad woman until pick-up time, at which point I race into the school with barely enough time to grab them and their bags and pretend that it doesn’t bother me that it takes them 20 minutes to wander to the car. Drop the kids off at home, put at least one of them down for a nap and let my in-laws deal with the other, and rush back to work where I spend the rest of the day until I have to run home to make dinner. Race in the door, head straight for the kitchen, waving to the kids as I walk by (at which point they’re usually deposited in front of the TV), get dinner going as I try to talk above the TV and get reacquainted with my family. Finally take off my coat, scarf, and boots just in time to put the plates on the table and sit down. Mask my stress while I try to calmly cajole the kids to eat (and not tell me they ‘hate’ whatever I put on their plates) and hopefully finish my dinner before everything breaks down. Get the kids into bed, only to realize that I haven’t even started getting all the paperwork / bills / whatever ready for the next day. Take care of all of that while wondering if Bean spent the entire day screaming like she did at dinner, or if she just broke down when I got home. Measure out the flour, salt, yeast, etc. into the bread machine for tomorrow’s fresh loaf. Attempt to blog, and possibly read a few blogs. Resort to knitting for about 3 minutes as some sort of reminder of what life was like back when I had time to relax in the evenings ( I don’t think I’ll ever finish that baby hat at a pace of 3 minutes a night. He’ll be in college by the time I’m done). Crash into bed, hoping that the next day will bring much more energy than I had today.

That’s quite a change from my (very) recent stay-at-home-mom days. I wonder if the routine will ever stop driving me mad. I wonder if I’ll ever learn to cope with the stress.

I chose to take today off to spend with the kids. I got through all of about 4 hours with them before realizing that my pregnant, anemic body is crashing and desperately in need of sleep. But at least I had 4 uninterrupted hours with my kids. And now I’m off to the tub for a good soak. Hopefully a nice 20-minute soak will refresh me and I’ll be able to return to the kids without needing an hour-long nap. I’m also hoping that by the time they’re ready for naps this afternoon I’ll have enough energy to bake some cookies or brownies from scratch for the school bake sale (and extras for my family to enjoy). And prepare my company’s donation for the school’s silent auction. And run all the errands I haven’t had time to run for the last 2 weeks. And figure out something to make for dinner. And catch up on the laundry pile that’s about to eat my closet. Ambitious? Maybe. But this super-mom laughs in the face of a challenge… (note the sarcasm)

I’ve officially entered the world of the working mom. I started my own company about a year ago, and for the first year it was a very part-time thing I did from home. Really, it was more of a hobby that I did while the kids were napping.

But in the last month business has picked up significantly. I’m out of the house a lot more. And with my in-laws here, they’ve taken on more of a ‘nanny’ role while I’m at work. My office is still in my home, but the nature of the business has me out visiting clients, training employees, and just generally being away from my desk.

It came to me as a sad revelation this week. My days as a stay at home mom are numbered. In fact, looking at my schedule for the week, I’ve been able to keep one morning open to spend with my kids. That’s all - just one half-day. And I’m going to cherish that day like none other.

I wasn’t ready to become a working mom. I really wasn’t ready to turn my kids over to someone else’s care. The good news is that I have the best of both worlds in a way. The people who care for my kids are family. The grandparents. And sure, I have differences with them in child-rearing, but it’s free, and I know exactly who they’ll be with and what they’ll be doing and eating each day. Also, I can build my schedule so that I can have breakfast and/or lunch with my kids most days, and sometimes even be around to put them down for their naps, read them stories, or be the first face they see when they wake up from naps. I’m also home in time to make them a healthy dinner without being too rushed, and just generally make time for them.

Looking at it with some perspective, I know that I kind of have it all. But that doesn’t keep me from bemoaning the fact that I’m not really a stay at home mom anymore. I have a better perspective on what working moms do every day, and I honestly don’t know how those of you who work outside the home for a real boss do it.  It’s hard enough for me to sacrifice bits of time with my kids, even with all those other things in my favor. But if I had to do it 9 to 5 every day, I really think I’d jump off a bridge.  Working moms, I salute you. I’m just not ready to join your ranks.

I am very privileged that I have the choice to stay home or work. And even more privileged that my hubby believes in me enough to let me start my own business (shameless plug). It’s really tempting for me to discard this whole business idea in favor of staying home with my babies. After all, how cool is it to be around for the first step, learning to write letters, and discovering all sorts of new things! My kids are fun, and I like being with them. It’s comfortable for me. And safe.

Starting a business on the other hand, is hard. And risky. And there are lots of people who depend on me. Employees who need to pay their bills. Clients who expect us to do a good job. Service providers and resource companies who expect me to pay the bill… And on top of it all, I could fail. And the thought of failure is terrifying. In fact, I usually don’t start something unless I’m pretty sure I’ll be successful at it. Playing soccer was the obvious exception to that rule, but I’ll chalk that up to being a teen with poor judgment.

So why would I start a risky business that could heap failure on my head? Well, there’s the first (and most obvious) reason - that I believe in it. I truly feel that if my life were to revolve around my kids they would feel that the world revolves around them. (Or, in romanian, they’d think they were the buricul pamintului.) And that’s no good. I don’t want them to grow up with a sense of entitlement, or the idea that the world should revolve around them.

But I love that being my own boss means I can take an afternoon off to go try out the new slide at the playground. And I love that I can ‘have it all’ - the job, the time with my kids, the home-cooked meals (cooked by yours truly).

Now if I could only find a way to fit an extra 3 or 4 hours into the day… And do it all while I take long, luxurious naps… ‘Cause being pregnant while I have it all kind of means that I’m exhausted every moment of every day. And I desperately need those long, luxurious naps. Hm. So much for productivity.

I’ve had a dream for over a year now. I won’t go into details, but it involves big changes in my life and the lives my family. And that’s scary. I’ve come up with reasons to postpone, and sometimes to forget about it. It was all very logical. And it’s a very good thing I waited this long - it wouldn’t have been feasible before.

This dream involves me opening a business of some sort, being what some have called a “mompreneur.” As I understand it, it’s a mom who starts an entrepreneurial venture while still putting her children first and structuring her life around her family, not making her family conform to her career. So that’s my dream. Well, it’s more specific than that, but no details for now.

So, my most recent objection has been something I read in the Bible about not going into debt. And this business would involve taking out a loan. But I was reminded this morning, by a post at And by Faith, that the Ultimate Dream Giver will do just as He said. He fulfills His promises. He can be trusted. And this dream that I’ve had may just have been given to me by Him. And so. maybe it’s time. to step out. in faith.

Here’s to trusting in the One who does not disappoint.