What is the āJuggle Struggleā? It is a stupid term that Iāve made up to represent this period of my life (early 30s). I am juggling being a good husband and father, keeping up with friends and family, staying healthy, while also trying to maximize the prime earning years of my life. I picture myself as a clown with ten balls in the air (and a baby under one arm).
Donāt get me wrong, I have a lot to be grateful for ā and I am.
I also think my younger self would be really surprised at some of the turns my life has taken. Lived in LA then moved to Greensboro? Working in gaming? Rapidly receding hairline? Man, I had great hair in high schoolā¦
Like the term ājuggle struggle,ā Iāve come up with a similarly odd piece of content - āMy Past, Current & Expected Valuesā. I was trying to put structure behind where I have blinders right now and how to orient some major life decisions to best serve my future expected values. Iām hyper-focused on career to support my family; however, I recognize that the emphasis Iām putting on my career for the next several years will likely drop to zero in my 60s. It is a balance!
I much prefer Tim Urbanās graphic to my own and his quote, āWe think a lot about those black lines, forgetting that itās all still in our hands.ā
Without further adoā¦.
Why Eloise?
Eloise and I both grow up in Charlotte and we overlapped in NYC. I believe her twin brother Moore gets credit for introducing her to her husband Aiken who was a friend and one of my roommates in New York. Iām always impressed and bit envious of my friends that make the jump into entrepreneurship, so Iām excited to highlight Eloiseās business and to follow her success.
Corporate girl turned small biz owner and new-ish mom trying to figure out how to do it all! Ex-New Yorker (does 8 years count?) back home in Charlotte trying my best to bring NYC fashion to the Queen City.
Several people have already recommended Caroline Chambers as an Insta/Substack follow for her recipes (@carochambers), but she recently launched a podcast called "So Into That" and it's been my go-to listen for a good laugh and to hear from interesting people! I find a lot of inspiration from Caroline's journey as a fellow entrepreneur and busy mom. She's interviewed some big names already like Emily Oster and Emma Lovewell (see Peloton obsession below)
Well-Being
20 Minute Class on Peleton
I love my Peloton, but after starting a business and having a baby my daily exercise time decreased significantly. So my fitness "hack" is that I started doing 20 minute classes (usually HIIT or Tabata) on busy days or when I don't feel like working out. I find that committing to 20 minutes of exercise is much less daunting than a "full" workout class. I'm much more likely to do it...and you can get a great workout in that time! I did it throughout my pregnancy and I swear it helped with my nausea early on.
Vice: I have a huge sweet tooth. I'm a dessert every night kind of person...particularly Dark Chocolate Quadratinis. They're delicious and you can have several and not feel guilty about it!
For anyone constantly on the go, I highly recommend the Proenza Schouler White Label Stanton Sling Bag. It holds just about everything you need and is the perfect blend of fashion meets function! Personal plug: we sell a couple different fabrications at my boutique Thirty-One Jane. We are all obsessed!
Another (semi) personal plug: my husband works for DoorDash...in sales! We use DashPass just about every week. It has saved us so much money in delivery fees, especially those early days postpartum.
Also hot tip: if you have the Chase Reserve card you get DashPass for free!
I read this book when I was writing my store business plan and it changed the way I think about customer service and employee management. It's truly relevant for anyone in a consumer-facing role (and not just the fashion industry). It taught me that the foundation of any successful, long-term business is a customer-driven strategy.
Travel
Big Sky, MT!!
My husband and I were lucky to spend time out there during COVID (thanks to remote work!) and we absolutely fell in the love with the place. It still has that "undiscovered" and unpretentious ski town vibe, but with some awesome restaurants and good shopping. It's an easy (and beautiful) 1 hr drive from the Bozeman airport. And for CLT peeps - they just re-opened direct flights for the summer!
Side note: Lone Mountain Ranch has a rodeo every Tuesday night during the summer that is SO much fun. They also do sleigh ride dinners in the winter ā Iāve never been, but have heard theyāre fun too!
Chill:Riverhouse BBQ ā it sits next to the Gallatin River so has beautiful views, especially in the summer, and best BBQ in the area. Insider tip: under orderā¦itās so much food!
Hike:Beehive Basin ā itās a 6.9 mile hike that has stunning views. Definitely have to bring bear spray!
Bar:Tips Up in the Big Sky city center. Best place to drink a MAP Brewing Party Lager after a long day of skiing!
Misc:Yellowstone Park is a quick 1 hr drive from Big Sky and is a hit for all ages. Flying fishing on the Upper Madison is also an incredible experience, and thatās coming from someone who fishes once a year!
My Mom and I opened a women's clothing boutique in Charlotte called Thirty-One Jane! We carry brands like Ganni, Staud, Anine Bing, Proenza Schouler White Label and several other contemporary brands. We list all of our products on our website and ship anywhere in the US! We're also happy to help with birthday, anniversary, Christmas gifts, etc. (looking at you, guys!) Just reach out and let us know how we can help https://www.thirtyonejane.com/ and @thirty_one_jane
Want to get in touch with Eloise? Email her, eloise@thirtyonejane.com
