Today is our seventh and final entry in our series interviewing moms who have successfully achieved their goals while being present moms.  In the first article, I interviewed two single moms who were able to make full-time income freelancing and were therefore able to stay home with their kiddos.  You can check out their stories here. 

Then we met a mom who found a balance between working a full-time job and raising her daughter. She loved her job and loved being a mom so she found a way to make it work.  You can find her interview here. 

Next we heard from two mamas who created their own businesses after becoming parents. Both of these amazing ladies had a passion to help other people with their knowledge and skills and were able to find a way to do it even while being busy moms.

Then we heard from Dr. Sarah Reck, anesthesiologist and mom of 4. She talks about how she was able to create a resource for other women and moms in medicine even while working as a doctor and being there for her family.

Following that article, we met two goal getting moms. First we had Mandy Youtz who together with her husband was able to pay off $40,000.00 in debt in just 2 years.  They were able to do this after they already had 2 kids. 

We also met Gloria Mondragon who has figured out how to earn an income from home while raising her two daughters.  She didn’t want to miss out on all of her babies’ firsts so she figured out a way to make it work.

Then we met Darya who was able to complete her Master’s degree in Natural Resources while pregnant and then raising her first child.

Last time we talked to Sharon who was able to create a website to help people live a gluten free lifestyle without the stress. She wanted to use her experience and expertise to provide a resource for people who need to adopt this eating style and she has done an amazing job.

In our final interview, we are hearing from Samantha Milner who was able to go from working outside the home when her son was born to being a work from home mom by the time he turned 4. Below she talks about how she made that happen.

So, without further adieu, meet Samantha!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.

My name is Samantha Milner, I am a full time food blogger and also a mum to 3 amazing kids. My kids are Sofia who is aged 4, Jorge who is aged 2 and my eldest Kyle, who turns 18 this summer. I live in Portugal with my husband Dominic and we have been together for almost 2 decades.

WHAT IS ONE MAJOR GOAL YOU WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL, AS A MOM?

When my first child Kyle was a baby, money was tight and I never had the luxury of being a stay at home mum. If i didn't go out to work, then we wouldn't have been able to eat. My husband (then boyfriend) worked full time as a chef but the job paid very badly.

I hated sending my son to nursery when he was a baby and vowed never to do it again when I had more children. By the time he was 4 years old I was working from home and it felt so good to achieve it.

WHAT WAS THE WHY BEHIND YOUR GOAL?

There are so many mums out there that choose to go back out to work when their kids are little and don't mind. But that’s just not me. I am one of those mums that wants to be with their children full time and stay with them whenever I can.

As I type this my 2 young children are playing with their toys after their breakfast and I couldn't be happier about my decision.

WHAT KIND OF PLANNING AND TIME MANAGEMENT TACTICS DID YOU USE TO ALLOW YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL?

I worked incredibly hard over a few years to make it possible. I then worked when my son was at school and then he had me to himself when he came home. Though I did go through phases of working through the night and then slept after he went to school in the morning.

DID YOU GET HELP FROM OTHERS, FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS?

Yes my husband Dominic has been very supportive and we are now full time food bloggers together. Because he was a chef, his experience as well as my work experience go hand in hand together.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU FOUND ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL?

When you have a goal you have to remember that you are not going to get it automatically, that like most things in life you have to work for it. But having your own goals and dreams is essential for you to get what you want from life.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BLOG AND WHERE WE CAN FIND YOU.

We run the food blog recipethis.com and it specializes in kitchen gadgets. It started in the November of 2015 and it is a real family affair. My husband is the tech guy and the photographer, I am the planner and our eldest son is the graphics designer.

Though our little 2 have the best job and that is taste testers! This makes it easier for families to cook when time management is a problem or you want more family time. We love cooking with our air fryer, instant pot, slow cooker, bread maker, sous vide and the kids love the ice cream maker.

Cheers,

Emily