We are excited to continue our Flight Path series with a look at how Tracey Rudolph, co-founder of The Refinery Skin Clinic in Burnsville, MN. 

Tell us about the services your business offers.
The Refinery Skin Clinic is a full service Medical spa in the Minneapolis area with all the services you love with n a traditional day spa. We offer massage, body scrubs and wraps as well as classic spa facials. With the infusion of the medical esthetic we are able to bring you more advanced results-driven procedures. With Botox, fillers, Kybella, PRP and dissolvable sutures. Medically advanced facial treatments are offered as well. Medical needling, chemical peels and dermal infusion help your skin to radiate. ​

Have you always wanted to do what you’re doing now? If not, what did you want to do?
There was a time when I wanted to be a psychologist, and even toyed with the idea of studying archeology. When I was in my 20s I went back to school. But after I had my third child I had to make a tough decision to follow a practical trade to make a steady income for my family.

Did you start this business to spend more time with your children?
No. Honestly, I worked for other businesses while my kids were young and I waited until my children were grown to start my own business. I knew it would require outrageous hours to really start and launch this kind of business.
 
Often RocketMamas blur the lines between work and home life. What is your work/life balance like?
Right now, having just opened the doors of a new business two months ago, I’m never home. I’m at the medspa open to close, six days a week, plus special events. Right now there is no work life balance. I’m really fortunate that I have a partner that understands this is what I need to do, and truly takes care of everything at home. I’ll get to a point where work life balance looks different than it is now, but right now it’s all hustle.

What does your “office” situation look like?
It’s not an office, it’s a spa! I have a brick and mortar location with an actual office in the medspa. But my workspace is the spa, and really my true “office” is the facial room where I work with my patients.

How do you get time to focus exclusively on work?
My kids have recently left the nest, so I do have the ability to focus on my work without constant interruptions. When I first started in this industry I was juggling three small children with school and work. I always worked nights (away from home) to make it work. When I first got my license I was working 2-9pm plus Saturdays. My husband and I would tag off. He would get home and I would head to work. Once the kids went to school, I made sure my work schedule was school hours and weekends, so I could be there when they were home.  

What are you most proud of?
Having the courage to try something new and go for it. I took the leap into the unknown. And it could fail, but it’s ok. I’m learning and growing the whole time.

Do you have a special promo you would like to offer our readers?
We would love to offer 20% off a service of your choice. Mention “RocketMamas” when you book your service.
​

What did your career look like before you started your own business?
I worked in Education Reform (for Teach For America) and then took on a development position at a small Montessori School before finding myself and identifying what truly made me happy.

I haven’t traveled into an office to work a normal job for someone else since 2009. I do remember my last day however. At the time, I worked in fundraising for a small Montessori school, and while I enjoyed parts of my responsibilities, it was never going to be a good fit. But it only took one full day of funemployment for feelings of doubt and failure to sink in. So I buckled down on my budget and eventually started taking odd jobs to pay the bills.

At some point, I applied for a dog walking position for a super small company out of Wicker Park. I got the job, intended to use the time before and after my route to job hunt, but then fell madly in love with the work I was doing. After nearly two and a half years of living far below the poverty line, I opened Rover-Time.

Have you always wanted to do what you’re doing now? If not, what did you want to do?
I think so... I think I've always been entrepreneurial since girlhood. That said, when I dream about what's next, it's not necessarily to remain in the pet industry, but it's to remain working for myself.

Did you start this business to spend more time with your children?
Nope. I didn't have pregnancy even on the brain when I opened. It's possible, had I thought about parenting and truly understood the challenges, I may have never launched.  

Often RocketMamas blur the lines between work and home life. What is your work/life balance like?
I believe running a small business for years before becoming a parent actually made life more balanced and content after my son was born. Those first years as a start-up taught me how to set realistic and achievable goals, how to hire, how to identify my strengths and weaknesses, how to know when to hire experts, and how to delegate things to others that I hated doing. This hugely impacted my life as a mom juggling my business.

I also believe I chose the right partner to do this all with. My husband and I do not keep stereotypical gender roles in our relationship. Outside 13 months of nursing, Mark really maintains the role of the primary caregiver to our son. Although I love being a mom, my personality type isn't capable of doing it around the clock. I break easily when I don't have time to be my own person.

What does your “office” situation look like?
I have a home office that I share with my husband who also works from home. We're in the basement which is detached enough from my son's life upstairs.

Do you leverage childcare during your working hours? How do you get time to focus exclusively on work?
Up until this September (2017), we hired a full-time nanny from Archie's second month of life until he turned two and a half. Now he's in school Monday through Wednesday from 8:00am-3:00pm and in a parent/child program on Thursday mornings at a second school.

We employ the same nanny now, Monday through Friday from 1:30-5:30pm. This provides me one-on-one time with my son on Thursday & Friday mornings, but relief in the afternoons to put out end-of-week emergencies. Monday through Wednesday she comes in when she does so I can put in 10-hour work days without much interruption.  

What are you most proud of?
Being the type of mom I ended up being.

Do you have a special promo you would like to offer our readers?
Rover-Time doesn't have a brick & mortar location to host parties but we do have a really special birthday box offering for $150. It includes a freshly baked pup cake of our choosing, dog-friendly party favors for four, and a small arrangement of balloons with free delivery on whatever weekday of your choosing.

Our RocketMamas spotlight business of the week:
Business Name: Rover-Time Dog Walking & Pet Sitting
Address: 4210 N Monticello Avenue
Business Website: http://www.rover-time.com/
Phone: 773-242-9176
Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rover_time/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rovertime
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rover_time
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rover-time-dog-walking-and-pet-sitting-chicago
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/10512545/​

 RocketMamas is proud to launch our Q&A series, Flight Path, where we interview our favorite RocketMamas for a behind-the-scenes look at how they make it all happen. Often we entrepreneurs, work-at-home moms and telecommuters go it alone, figuring out childcare and time management on our own, with little help or guidance. Each RocketMama’s flight path is a little different and those of us out there doing this on our own can learn so much from studying the trajectory of the mamas making it work.

We begin our series with a true friend and collaborator of the RocketMamas, Tiana Kubik, co-owner of TK Photography in Chicago, IL, which she runs in partnership with her husband, Thomas. Thank you Tiana for this glimpse into the life of a business-owning, on-the-go BossMom.

Tell us about the services your business offers
TK Photography offers children and family photography, newborn photography, birthday party photography, and smash cake, fall, Santa, and holiday mini sessions. We also provide event photography, headshots and other commercial photography. We service Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

How did you decide to start your business?
TK originally began with just my husband, Thomas, photographing children in 2009. I was in grad school and we decided that I would take on some light admin since business was growing. I also was an assistant preschool teacher part time. During my last year of grad school, I had to do a full-time student teaching position, which meant I could not have another job and we had to live off of just the photography income. So, it opened up a discussion about what our future was going to look like. We decided to just make this MASSIVE leap, become partners AND get pregnant! We decided to run TK as a husband and wife team and become parents at the same time.

What did your career look like before you started your own business? Was this a big change?
Before TK, I was a preschool teacher, then a nanny for several years, and then a graduate student at the Erikson Institute where I earned a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. Oddly, switching to running a children and family photography company was a HUGE leap. I went from being "on the front lines" working with kids to being the behind-the-scenes gal. I rarely come in contact with the kids we photograph.

I still use a lot of my skills and knowledge, coaching the team about (early childhood) milestones and how they develop. We have also discussed behaviors and challenges and how to engage children to get them to trust you and let you into their inner circle (which is VERY important to get good photos).

However, I have no aspiration to be a photographer, which feels weird to say. I love kids, I love how they grow, I love seeing photos of them...but truly love my business owner hat and being behind the scenes.

Have you always wanted to do what you’re doing now? 
Owning a business is hard core! I actually thought I would be a teacher. Then I toyed with the idea of doing Early Intervention work. This business owning life just came at the right time.

Did you start this business to spend more time with your children? If so, how has that worked out?
YES. I really wanted something more flexible. I wanted to be present for my kiddos. I want all the fun things that Mom Life can offer: Room parent, field trips, class visits, recitals, ALL of those things that drive us crazy!

So, running TK is how I make this happen. I work hard but I have a flexible work schedule. I also do this so that my husband can have more time with our children. If I were a teacher or worked for a different company, the kids would be in day care. Our team shoots 80% of our sessions on Saturdays and Sundays, so it would mean very little family time. Having a business together gives us so much more time as a family, even if at odd hours and days. My kids may never know what the Museum of Science and Industry looks like when it is packed!

How has it worked out? Great in the grand scheme of things. The details can be hard. The logistics, the planning, the decisions...working while tiny humans use you as a mountain. I am constantly having to decide which "baby" is most in need. Like today, I had full intentions of getting so much done, but my 10 month old is teething and would only take her nap ON me. So, three hours of work became an epic cuddle fest...and I am 100% okay with that.

Often RocketMamas blur the lines between work and home life. What is your work/life balance like?
The last three years have been all about getting out of the day-to-day of running the business. We hired a studio manager and slowly I am transitioning away from answering emails and phone calls and focusing on networking and creating partnerships with other businesses. THIS is my balance. I love getting out, meeting other mamas and business owners. I love finding creative ways to do what we do. I can also almost always take one or both kiddos with me to meetings and that has made my life so much less stressful.

What does your “office” situation look like?
We have two studios, neither of which are my office. 90% of the time my office is on my laptop and on the couch. My office is also the world all around with my smart phone!

Do you leverage childcare during your working hours? How do you get time to focus exclusively on work?
My four-year-old started three half-days of school in 2015. Now he does five half-days. Outside of that, we try to be very strict about one of us being available. So, if I have a meeting we will not book Thomas for that time so that he can do school pick up or hang with the kids. Likewise, if he has to work, I try not to agree to a meeting where the kids can't come with me.

Surprisingly both my kids are also great at entertaining themselves while I work. They play, often destroying the house, but I can get so much work done!

What are you most proud of?
Oh goodness. So much to be proud of. I am proud that we are making this our best life! We don't have EVERYTHING we want. However, we have our little family, a thriving business, beautiful, happy kids, amazing community of friends and partners, and a flexibility to be engaged in all of this in a way not everyone is able to.

I am also proud of the work I am able to do in the community. Serving on the board of Mom + Baby, Hip Circle Empowerment Center, and being involved with the RocketMamas, have brought so much joy to my life, outside of work and family. Having the opportunity to give back to women, who have given me and my family so much of their time and energy, is amazing.

How can our network commission your services?
We love working with RocketMamas! You can email us at [email protected]
​
Is there a special promo you would like to offer our readers?
NEW CLIENTS ONLY- Mention RocketMamas and get $25 off your full session.

Our RocketMamas spotlight business of the week:
TK Photography
www.tkphotographychicago.com
TK Photography on Instagram 
TK Photography on Facebook ​

RocketMamas is excited this week to launch the first in our Q&A series, Flight Path, where we interview our favorite RocketMamas to get a behind-the-scenes look at how they make it all happen.
 
Often we entrepreneurs, work-at-home moms, business owners and telecommuters go it alone, figuring out childcare and time management on our own, with little help or guidance. Each RocketMama’s flight path is a little different. Those of us out there doing this on our own can learn so much from studying the trajectory of the mamas that are making it work. 

So stay tuned to learn more from our RocketMama sisters about why they started a new business, how they convinced a company to let them work from home, where their kids are while they get work done, and how they balance it all.

First up will be a conversation with Tiana Kubik, co-owner of TK Photography in Chicago, IL.
​is a behind the scenes look at how a RocketMama pulls off their personal trajectory of being a RocketMama. I would love love love to feature you, if you're interested?

It's meant to be educational and aspirational for those who are struggling. I ask about where you get work done, how you handle childcare etc. ​