Did you start your business when you got married? If so, what was the timeline?

Yael: I was in a post-high school program in England, where I met my husband. We got married when I was 18, and he was 19. And I had my first baby two weeks before our first anniversary.

Back then, I wasn’t interested in working because I was wondering, “What can I do as a high school dropout? What am I qualified for?” The decision to get a job was made when my youngest son was a year old because managing the whole family with only one person’s income was becoming increasingly difficult.

I was trying to find something that I could do from home, and then I discovered blogging.

“You don’t get to graduate from that job until you have perfected that job.”

But after a while, I realized that it was a very long-term income strategy. So I started working as a virtual assistant for other bloggers because I already had skills. Being a virtual assistant led me to start doing social media, followed by Facebook ads.

I discovered that the actual businesses paid better than bloggers, and therefore I became a marketing strategist. I found discovery funnels, sales funnels, and things like that. So I actually started my current business as a mom of four.

Did you notice that there were thoughts and feelings that came out of the woodwork as you were starting and continuing to grow your business?

Yael: In the past, I played much smaller than I should have because I felt unqualified since I didn’t even have a high school diploma. And that doubt comes up at every point in your business, and you’re like, “Oh, am I qualified and equipped to do this? Am I the right person for this job?

Five years ago, I wasn’t qualified to run Facebook ads or do marketing strategy, but I feel pretty qualified now, based on my experience. As my business grows, I move into a team instead of spending time doing things on my own.

“Leadership and team management are skills that you have to learn just like any other skill.”

So, wherever you’re at in your business, there are always new challenges that come up against you, and you have to work through them. But, understanding where those feelings of doubting your capabilities are coming from is so crucial to scaling.

What do things look like in your house with 5 children? And, what’s your philosophy on running a business while raising kids?

Yael: I have four boys and a little girl in my house, so it’s chaos most of the time. My kids do a lot of household work, actually. I have a twelve-year-old, a ten-year-old, an eight-year-old, a six-year-old, and a one-year-old baby.

They put away their own laundry.

My two older kids clean up the kitchen, my two young kids are very qualified to clean up the living room. Sometimes they say that they can’t do this or that, but they have to keep doing it until they are capable of doing it really well.

I’m seven hours ahead of my clients and people in my team so I tend to be up late working. During the day, I do work on tasks like writing or strategy.

And in the evening, I do any calls or communication that needs to happen. I’m a control freak, and that’s reflected in my family and work-life, and I’m all like “I can do it faster than you”. I’ve realized now that just because you can doesn’t mean you should, and that goes for your business as well as your home.

My house is definitely not as clean as it was when I was not working. But it’s kind of like a trade-off, and you have to pick your priorities and choose what’s most important to you.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should, and that goes for your business as well as your home.”

What has changed in your philosophy on having babies from then, when you had one child, to now when you have five children and how has it affected her work life?

Yael: After I had my daughter, I noticed that I got really clear on what I needed to be doing and what I did not need to be doing. I find when I have less time, I am more productive.

So if I know that if my baby is sleeping, I will be super productive during that hour because anything can happen, i.e., she could wake up anytime. When you live like that, you get really clear on what work needs to be done even before you sit down at the desk.

You don’t have to waste time deciding what to do, what is non-negotiable, what cannot be delegated to anyone else, etc. My business maybe grew a little slower than it would have had, but I got my baby.

She only made me a better business owner and a better delegator. She’s helped me really to let go of things.

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