Confession: I read A Cup of Jo every day. So when Joanna asked me to contribute my career tips (and be amongst these other fab ladies I look up to), I jumped at the chance. Here are three lessons I've learned since starting MCMC Fragrances:

Just show up. Every day.
Owning your own business, sometimes it feels like there's just too much to do. There are these big goals, and there are a million little steps to get there. But you just have to show up. Every day.

Sometimes people ask me how MCMC Fragrances got to where it is today, and I shrug and I say, "luck." Maybe I don't want to sound too proud, or too boastful, but the truth is, it took work. It took showing up every day and just doing a little bit at a time. I like to keep an actual handwritten list. I update it every few weeks. I have one column on the left that's for longer term tasks, and on the rest of the page I write down every thing I need to do that comes to mind. As I do them I strike them off with a big pink marker for satisfaction.

I don't let fear get the best of me.
When you have your own business, there's so much you don't understand how to do. How do I get a barcode for my product? How do I make my blog link to my website? Can I even pull off this big project? I usually just say yes first, and figure it out later. I don't let any opportunity slip away. I study hard and learn to do it, even if that means learning the hard way.

On balancing life and work.
What I've learned is that there's never going to be a perfect balance. There's only the balance of right now. When I first started MCMC Fragrances I was 28 years old and unmarried. I worked all day, all night, and all weekend - and I loved it. Now I'll be celebrating my five year wedding anniversary and I have a 2 year old. I work 9:30 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday, and it's never enough, but I cherish the time with my family, cooking dinner for them and watching my toddler grow up. Soon this schedule will change again, and there will be a new balance. When I feel behind at work, I tell myself, "Everything in due time."