Building and supporting local community is always front of mind for us at Madison Mompreneur. Which is why we are excited to announce another way for the whole Huntsville/Madison/Decatur/Athens area of Alabama to keep their local economy strong this holiday season – by utilizing the 2024 Madison Mompreneur Shopping Guide!

As we reflect on another incredible year, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement for the growth and connections we’ve fostered within our community.

This year has been transformative for Madison Mompreneur. We’re thrilled to share that our community has blossomed to nearly 100 members, a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of moms in our area. Our friend and co-founder, Lauren, has recommitted to the vision of Madison Mompreneur, bringing renewed energy and dedication to our mission.

Throughout the year, we’ve hosted over 40 coworking sessions, creating spaces where women in business could come together to accomplish tasks, network, and support each other’s growth. These gatherings have been a powerful reminder of the strength we find in collaboration and mutual support.

We’re thrilled to announce the expansion of our community through the Mompreneurs of Huntsville Facebook group, which now connects over 1,100 local entrepreneurs. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Stephenie Walker for her unwavering commitment to women in business in the Madison area and her continued support of our group. This expansion allows us to connect with and support even more mom entrepreneurs in our region.

As we present this year’s Shopping Guide, we’re reminded of the incredible value that mom-owned businesses bring to our community. From passion projects that have blossomed into thriving enterprises to established businesses that continue to innovate, the moms of the Madison area are truly making a difference.

We encourage you to use this guide as your go-to resource for supporting local, mom-owned businesses. By choosing to shop with these entrepreneurs, you’re not just making a purchase – you’re investing in dreams, supporting families, and strengthening our community.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. Here’s to another year of growth, support, and success for the mompreneurs of Madison!

Happy Shopping and Supporting Local!

The latest work trend on social media, Bare Minimum Mondays, has sparked a conversation about reclaiming work-life balance. Many employees, especially those working from home, are embracing this trend to ease into the week. On Bare Minimum Mondays, they focus only on essential tasks—skipping optional meetings and avoiding new projects. The goal is to reduce stress and allow time for personal or household tasks that often fall to the wayside.

As a mompreneur, this trend might resonate with you. One of the main reasons many moms choose entrepreneurship is the flexibility it offers. While owning a business can lead to long hours, answering emails late at night, and feeling constantly “on call,” it doesn’t have to be that way. Bare Minimum Mondays can serve as a reminder that you have control over your schedule.

Instead of diving headfirst into a packed Monday, consider adopting the idea of a slower start to your week. Use this time to prioritize essential business tasks while also tackling personal or household responsibilities. It could mean answering only urgent client emails, skipping non-essential meetings, or avoiding starting any new projects until midweek when you’re in full swing.

As your own boss, you get to decide when you’re working and when you’re not. Embracing a Bare Minimum Monday can help you prevent burnout, find a better balance between your business and family life, and create the space for a more productive and focused rest of the week. After all, your success as a mompreneur isn’t just measured by how much you do, but by how effectively you manage both your business and your personal well-being.

Want to read more mompreneur-focused content? Check out these previous blog posts and workshops:

Blog Post: WAHMing (Work at Home Mom-ing) this Summer? Tips From Our Mom + Biz Owners!

Blog Post: The Value of Co-Working

Video Workshop: Creative Mindfulness for Mom Entrepreneurs

Running a business as a mom can feel like juggling endless to-do lists for both work and home. Between managing the household, caring for your children, and growing your business, the pressure to handle everything at once can be overwhelming. One productivity technique that can help you balance these competing demands is task batching.

What is Task Batching?

Task batching is a productivity method that involves grouping similar tasks together and completing them during a dedicated block of time. Instead of bouncing from one type of task to another, you focus on one category of tasks at a time. For instance, you could group all your administrative tasks—such as answering emails, writing blog posts, and scheduling social media—into one session. By focusing on similar tasks, you reduce the mental strain caused by switching between different types of work.

Why is Task Batching Beneficial?

1. Task Batching vs. Multitasking:
Unlike multitasking, which splits your attention between multiple tasks simultaneously, task batching allows you to focus on one type of task at a time. Multitasking often feels like you’re being productive, but studies show it can reduce your efficiency and performance. Constantly switching between tasks drains your energy and can lead to more mistakes. Task batching, on the other hand, encourages sustained focus, leading to higher-quality work.

2. Creates Momentum:
When you batch similar tasks together, you get into a rhythm that helps you work faster and more effectively. For example, writing several blog posts in one sitting builds momentum because you stay in the same creative mindset. This is often more efficient than spreading out similar tasks over multiple days.

3. Requires Less Mental Switching:
Every time you switch between tasks—say from creating social media posts to answering emails—your brain needs time to adjust. This mental switching can slow down your productivity. By batching tasks that require similar cognitive effort, you reduce this mental load and free up energy to work more efficiently.

4. Allows for Deeper Thinking:
When you dedicate a block of time to one type of task, you can focus deeply and think critically. This is especially helpful for complex tasks like creating content, recording videos, or writing long-term business plans. You have the mental space to think strategically and come up with more creative solutions, which can help grow your business.

How to Incorporate Task Batching into Your Mom-Owned Business

Task batching can be a game-changer, especially when you’re managing both a business and a household. Here’s how you can start incorporating it into your routine:

1. Group Admin Tasks Together:
Administrative tasks like responding to emails, reconciling finances, and scheduling social media posts can take up a lot of mental energy. Block off a specific time during the week to tackle these tasks all at once. For example, reserve Mondays and Fridays as admin days, where you complete all of these tasks without interruption.

2. Create Content in Batches:
If your business relies on content creation, whether it’s blog posts, social media, or video recordings, batch similar tasks together. Set aside a day or a few hours each week to write multiple blog posts or record several videos at once. You’ll stay in a creative flow, produce more content in less time, and avoid scrambling for last-minute posts.

3. Separate Personal and Business Tasks:
One of the biggest challenges for mompreneurs is balancing personal and business tasks. Consider designating different days for each. For example, reserve weekends or evenings for household chores, grocery shopping, and family time. Use your weekdays for focused business activities. This separation can help you stay present with your family while also ensuring your business gets the attention it needs.

4. Block Household Tasks Together:
Just as you batch business tasks, you can also batch personal and household tasks. Dedicate certain times to laundry, cleaning, meal prep, and other chores. When you group these together, you avoid feeling like you’re constantly switching between managing your household and running your business.

The TL/DR:

For moms who own businesses, time and energy are precious resources. Task batching helps you stay focused, reduces the mental burden of constant task-switching, and gives you the space to think more strategically. By batching tasks together, you can manage your business more efficiently and still have the time to care for your family and yourself. Whether it’s blocking off time for admin work, content creation, or household chores, task batching can help you regain control of your schedule and increase your productivity.

Want to read more mompreneur-focused content? Check out these previous blog posts and workshops:

Blog Post: WAHMing (Work at Home Mom-ing) this Summer? Tips From Our Mom + Biz Owners!

Blog Post: The Value of Co-Working

Video Workshop: Creative Mindfulness for Mom Entrepreneurs

As a mompreneur, it often feels like you’re expected to do everything at once. Between running a business, managing a household, and caring for your family, the temptation to multitask is strong. You might try to respond to emails while cooking dinner or schedule social media posts while helping your kids with homework. But as efficient as multitasking may seem, it’s likely undermining your productivity and focus. Cal Newport’s book Deep Work sheds light on why multitasking isn’t helping you and how focusing on one task at a time can transform your business.

The Multitasking Myth

Many of us believe that multitasking helps us get more done. We’ve been led to think that handling multiple tasks simultaneously will save time and boost productivity. In reality, research shows that multitasking actually reduces efficiency and increases the likelihood of mistakes. The reason? Our brains aren’t wired to handle multiple high-level tasks at once.

When you try to multitask, your brain has to switch between different activities. This constant mental shifting leads to what’s called “attention residue,” where part of your mind remains focused on the previous task. This split focus means it takes longer to complete tasks, and the quality of your work suffers.

Insights from Deep Work

In Deep Work, Cal Newport argues that true productivity comes from focused, undistracted work. According to Newport, multitasking prevents us from engaging in deep work, which is the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. This type of work is essential for producing high-quality results and making meaningful progress in your business.

For mom entrepreneurs, the concept of deep work is especially relevant. You often have limited time, so it’s critical to make the most of the hours you do have. Multitasking leads to fragmented attention, preventing you from achieving the kind of deep focus that drives real business growth. On the other hand, dedicating uninterrupted blocks of time to a single task allows you to enter a state of deep concentration, where you can think more creatively, solve problems, and complete tasks faster.

Why Multitasking Hurts Your Business

1. Reduces Efficiency:
   Every time you switch tasks—whether from answering a client’s email to checking your social media feed—it takes your brain time to readjust. This constant switching not only wastes time but also reduces the quality of your work. For a mom entrepreneur juggling business and family, this time loss adds up quickly.
2. Increases Stress:
   Multitasking often creates the illusion of being busy, but in reality, it contributes to burnout. The constant mental switching leaves you feeling drained without making significant progress. By focusing on one task at a time, you reduce the mental load and experience less stress.
3. Prevents Deep Thinking:
   Many business tasks require deep thinking—whether it’s planning your marketing strategy, writing content, or analyzing financials. Multitasking keeps you at the surface level of your work, never giving you the opportunity to dive deep and think strategically. In contrast, focusing on one task at a time enables you to engage with the work on a deeper level and produce higher-quality results.

How to Break Free from Multitasking

For many moms, multitasking is a habit born out of necessity. However, breaking this habit can lead to significant improvements in your productivity and well-being. Here are a few strategies inspired by Deep Work to help you shift away from multitasking:

1. Time Blocking:
   One way to combat multitasking is by using time blocks. Dedicate specific blocks of time to focus on a single type of task, such as content creation, client communication, or financial management. During these blocks, eliminate distractions and focus solely on the task at hand. This helps you achieve the deep focus Newport advocates for, allowing you to complete tasks more efficiently.
2. Set Boundaries:
   As a mompreneur, setting boundaries is essential. Let your family know when you need uninterrupted time to work, and schedule personal and household tasks outside of these work blocks. This helps create a clear separation between work and home life, reducing the temptation to multitask.
3. Prioritize Your Tasks:
   Not all tasks require deep focus. Identify which tasks in your business need your full attention and prioritize those during your most productive hours. Save less demanding tasks for times when you have lower energy, like responding to emails or organizing files.

The TL/DR:

Multitasking might feel like a necessity when you’re balancing business and family life, but it’s doing more harm than good. As Cal Newport explains in Deep Work, real productivity comes from focused, uninterrupted work. By breaking free from the multitasking trap and embracing deep work, you can manage your business more effectively, reduce stress, and create the mental space needed to truly thrive as a mompreneur.

Want to read more mompreneur-focused content? Check out these previous blog posts and workshops:

Blog Post: WAHMing (Work at Home Mom-ing) this Summer? Tips From Our Mom + Biz Owners!

Blog Post: The Value of Co-Working

Video Workshop: Creative Mindfulness for Mom Entrepreneurs

Madison Mompreneur Member: Buffy Walker

About A Piece of the Puzzle Therapy and Speech Pathologist: Speech and Feeding Therapy for Children

Private speech and feeding therapy for kids of all ages, conveniently located off University Drive. Buffy is pediatric speech therapist who is passionate about building connections and helping children unlock their potential. Her specializations are wide and varied since 1999. Some of her primary areas of passion are in pediatric feeding disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and language disorders. They provide high quality, evidence-based therapy that they hope is fun, engaging, and focused on the unique needs of every child and family.

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Looking for our latest Shopping Guide? You can download it here.

Ready to list your business in our directory? See if you meet the requirements and join us here.

Madison Mompreneur Member: Amy Houk

About Studio 11 Home & Body | Handcrafted Candles and Treasures: Studio 11 home & body, located in Huntsville’s Lowe Mill, specializes in handcrafted aromatherapy candles and unique treasures. Inspired by European craftsmanship, the business offers clean, phthalate-free candles made with pure soy wax. Each piece is meticulously handmade, embracing beautiful imperfections. Founded by a military spouse with a passion for creating cozy atmospheres, Studio 11 brings a touch of global inspiration to local homes.

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Looking for our latest Shopping Guide? You can download it here.

Ready to list your business in our directory? See if you meet the requirements and join us here.

Madison Mompreneur Member: Amanda West

About IRS Aquatic Warriors:  ISR with Amanda West, Proudly Serving the Madison/Huntsville AL Community. Give your child the competence, confidence and skills of aquatic safety with Infant Swimming Resource’s Self-Rescue® program. The safest provider of survival swimming lessons for children 6 months to 6 years of age.

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If you would like to add your business to our directory, you can join here.

Industry: Fitness

Madison Mompreneur Member: Alisha Bidetti

About 1CORPilates: Jumpstart Your Health with reformer-based Small Group pilates (5-6 people), Private or Duets, Girls’ Night Out, Said Yes to the Dress bridal party fun, Birthday Celebrations, or The Pink Ribbon Program for post-op breast cancer patients (6-wk structured curriculum). Alisha can help you on your Fitness Journey at her Small Boutique Pilates Studio, she is a Comprehensively Certified Pilates Instructor.

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If you would like to add your business to our directory, you can join here.

Industry: Arts/Crafts

Madison Mompreneur Member: Alex Ragland

About Juanita Mae: Juanita Mae is a unique retails space, where Alex shares her fashion creations, Vintage wares, and inspired photography. The shop was created top share her love of repurposing things and capturing beauty in the simplicity. Proceeds help pay for medical devices not covered by insurance for herself and her son.

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Member Highlight: Coached by Connie

Welcome to another edition of our Member Spotlight Series on the Madison Mompreneur blog! Get to know the members of Madison Mompreneur as explore their personal and professional life as moms who own businesses in the Madison, Alabama area.

Empowering Health and Wellness: Meet Connie Garcia of Coached by Connie

Connie Garcia is leading a wellness movement in Madison, Alabama with her business, Coached by Connie. With a unique approach to nutrition and fitness, Connie is changing lives and reshaping the way we think about health. Let’s dive into her inspiring journey and discover how her business is making waves in the local community.

A Journey Born from Necessity

Connie Garcia, a Madison resident for eight years, founded Coached by Connie out of a pressing need she observed in the health and wellness industry. “I was inspired to start my business due to a lack of solid information, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Connie explains. This gap in reliable health guidance became the catalyst for her entrepreneurial journey.

A Holistic Approach to Health

What sets Coached by Connie apart in the saturated wellness market? Connie’s philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: “I don’t believe in diets, challenges, or medication alone for fast results. I feel any sustainable health needs to start with fundamental basics and education.” This approach addresses not just physical fitness, but also mental health, hormonal balance, and gut health – a comprehensive strategy that resonates with her clients.

Making a Difference in Madison

Connie’s impact extends beyond individual clients. “I have been told that I’ve changed lives,” she shares proudly. Her commitment to the community shines through her willingness to offer complimentary services to those facing financial hardships but are committed to improving their health.

The Challenges and Triumphs of Entrepreneurship

Starting a business is no small feat, and Connie counts launching her LLC single-handedly as her biggest success so far. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs in the wellness industry? “Be prepared for the emotional roller coaster and don’t take anything personally.” This resilience has been key to her growing success.

The Future of Coached by Connie

Looking ahead, Connie envisions growth for her business. “I would like to eventually have enough clients to hire an assistant coach or possibly rent a space,” she says, outlining her 5-10 year plan. This expansion would allow her to reach more people with her transformative approach to health.

Balancing Business and Motherhood

As a mother, Connie faces the universal challenge of balancing family and business. “The hours. It doesn’t seem like there’s enough in a day,” she admits. However, she finds ways to involve her children, encouraging them to work out with her and take an interest in nutrition, seamlessly blending her personal and professional passions.

A Community-Centric Approach

Connie’s love for Madison shines through in her support for local businesses. She particularly recommends her massage therapist, Amanda Peoples, highlighting the interconnected nature of the local business community.

Connect with Coached by Connie

Ready to start your wellness journey with Connie? You can find her on Facebook and Instagram. Whether you’re looking for in-person training or interested in her growing online services, Connie is ready to guide you towards a healthier, happier you.

In a world where quick fixes and fad diets dominate, Coached by Connie stands out. Through education, personalized care, and a deep commitment to her community, Connie Garcia is not just running a business – she’s leading a wellness movement in Madison, Alabama. As her journey continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the impact of Coached by Connie on the local health landscape is only just beginning.

If Connie’s experience as mom and business owner resonates with you, we want to hear from you in the comments! And if you are a mom and business owner in Madison, Alabama email us at madisonmompreneur@gmail.com. to be featured in a future Member Highlight post!

Don’t forget to read about other Mompreneurs, our latest member highlight was The Flour Elise