With all the hard work that comes with building a business, it can quickly feel impossible to juggle work and your personal life in a productive way. And while it’s so exciting to throw everything into creating something of your own, how do you find a balance that allows you to live the life that you’re looking for? WELCOME LAURETTA HAMILTONToday I’m chatting with the wonderful Lauretta Hamilton, who made the leap from working under a franchise model to starting her own birth education business. Lauretta is an acuneedling midwife who helps birthing women and their partners feel prepared for and excited about their births through in-person classes and online sessions. In our conversation, Lauretta shares the backstory on how she made the move to become a business owner, including how she weighed up the pros and cons and got really clear on what she wanted out of life. Lauretta talks about the hopes she has for her business, the struggles she often faces and the practical steps she takes towards continuing growth. BATTLING IMPOSTER SYNDROMESo many of us experience imposter syndrome when we step out of our comfort zone, and this certainly was true for Lauretta when it came to creating her own course. We discuss the fears that come up around this, and how to quieten that little voice that tells us we’re not enough. We also talk about shifting our mindset to prioritise connection over perfection. RELEASING THE PRESSURE TO PERFORMFor many women, life is not consistent. However, we tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to get it all done perfectly. Lauretta shares the challenges she continues to face as she grows her business while raising a family. We talk about going easy on ourselves when things don’t go to plan and finding solutions that work for our unique situations. FINDING SUPPORT THROUGH OUTSOURCING Lauretta loves so many aspects of running a business that she’s often tempted to wear all the hats. However, making the investment to work with a virtual assistant has freed up so much of her time and relieves her of that mental load. Lauretta encourages us to get help where we can so that we can achieve the work/life balance we’re all searching for. We’re all on our own unique journey, and there’s no one way to successfully build a business. Lauretta’s honesty about where she’s at is a beautiful reminder that while we all struggle to make it work at times, our love for what we do will keep us going.LINKS: Where to find Lauretta Hamilton: Website:  https://midwifelauretta.com.au/ (https://midwifelauretta.com.au/)