Mama of the Month: Julien Garman
Posted on July 22 2019
Mom To: (Names and Age of children/pets): Chloe (11 months) and fur-baby Dallas (11 years)
What are you currently working on?
I'm really focused right now on helping grow our coffee business, Aperture Coffee Roasters. I handle the marketing and branding, while my husband does the roasting and business side of things. It's a lot of hard work (on top of my regular 9-5) but we're super passionate about it. My husband and I are both very into food (as is our little one!) so it was a very natural fit for starting our own business.
How have things changed for you since becoming a Mama?
It seems like everything changes when you become a mom, doesn't it? I've definitely developed a new sense of anxiety, but also a new level of love I didn't know existed. I am definitely more careful with how I spend my time more than ever before. I'm more selective about the blog campaigns I chose, and about the commitments we take on for Aperture Coffee Roasters as well. As a working mom, I want to really soak in the time I get with Chloe, so I use breaks in my day (naps, lunch breaks, after she goes to bed, before she wakes up) to focus on the businesses, and myself too.
How do you take care of yourself outside of motherhood?
It changes day by day. I try to check in with myself, and gauge what I need each day. Sometimes it's a lunch with friends, other times it's a bath, and sometimes it's through making a really tasty, healthy meal. (Or sometimes not-so-healthy and that's ok too!) And, truly, the best way is to give myself grace when I feel I'm falling short. As moms it's so easy to get down on ourselves, so I find that it's imperative to step back and recognize that I'm doing my best, and that's enough.
Every mother needs to find balance, what does your village look like?
We are really blessed to have family nearby, and an incredible nanny who watches our girl a few days a week. My parents are all about food as well (we're Greek!) so they always bring over something tasty! I try to achieve some semblance of balance by being intentional about communicating my needs. Sometimes, mama needs to meet up with a friend for coffee. Other times, she needs a nap (often the case for me - I love sleep. A lot.) Don't be afraid to ask for help! That's how we get burnt out as mamas.
What are you working on improving about yourself as a woman and mother?
Everything, always! No, but really I'm all about self help...I've been reading self help relationship books since I was a teen (Love Languages, anyone?) and since I was pregnant, I've been reading parenting books. I really love Bringing Up Bebe right now, and I have Happiest Baby on the Block on my bookshelf next! During my commute, I listen to a lot of business-related podcasts. These amp me up on my drive home, so when I get home and put Chloe to bed, I can take action on what I learned. I've also been trying to do more self-reflection on my commutes, and working hard to admit when I'm wrong (although that's rarely the case! JUST KIDDING!)
You can follow along on my website, www.itsjulien.com and my Instagram page (http://instagram.com/juliengarman.) Don't miss my Stories, where I share lots of reality moments and some very unflattering photos of myself!
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