Meet Jessie Browning | Entrepreneur, Mama, Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessie Browning and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessie, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My husband and I are spousal entrepreneurs; we own 2 coffee shops and 1 laundromat. We are the parents to 4 daughters. I also host a podcast, unrelated to our business. We started our business at the same time I was pregnant with our first child. That first year was hard both personally (being pregnant and having our first child) and with our business (the first year is always the hardest). There was no balance in the beginning. It was survival mode at work and home.

My husband and I ran the business together for about 5 years, then a change happened when I had our 3rd child. The 3rd child changed that balance, if you will. I stepped back from an active role in the business to care for our family. During this time, our work and life was balanced by a division of labor between my husband and I. He ran the business, I ran the home.

After having our 4th child and staying home for a few years, I needed stimulation outside of the home. I was ready to start working again in our business. I worked part time once all the kids were in school.

A few more years passed, kids got older, and we moved to a bigger city to grow our business. I have then come back running the business full time with my husband. We both work together to run our business, grow our business, raise our family and try to enjoy our unusual full life.

I think the phrase work / life balance can be misleading. The definition of the word balance : a condition if which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Who says what is equal or correct? The life of an entrepreneur is not the clean cut, I suggest that entrepreneurs look to achieve flow. Is your life flowing? You may never achieve an ambiguous balance but how is your life flowing? Are you able to feel like your home is running smoothly? Do you feel accomplished at work? The flow changes. During the summer, the home takes up more of our time because we have 4 kids home.

Forget balance. Find YOUR flow, that is my advice.

What should our readers know about your business?
My husband and I started our business with very little capital. We have gotten where we are by sweat equity. We have worked IN and BUILT our business at the same time. It has not been easy. I don’t know how else we could have gotten where we are if we were not willing to put in everything we had. You can half *ss being an entrepreneur. We do it all. We tile, we paint, we clean the toilets, we pay the bills, we serve customers, we hire, we fire, we market, we train, we work with vendors, we cost analyze….. we do it all. We have made sacrifices and we have made magic…

Over the years, I have learned about the 3 tenants of every business. The product, the service, and the experience. At our latest shop, I am leaning into teaching this tenant to our staff. We can’t make a great product but serve it rudely in a crappy environment. The most successful businesses excel at all 3 of these principles: product, service, environment (this can be digital environment).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite meal is the Mexico City enchiladas from The Grill, with an egg on top. My favorite drink is from Urban Salt, any of the specialities. The place I can get the best burger (being celiac) is from Twisted Root, they have a GF bun! The restaurant my husband and I have next on our agenda is Una at the Chicken Farm. My favorite building to look at is the library downtown. My local bookshop is Old Town books. I am a fan of Eggmeyers. I’ll toot my own horn and tell you my coffee shop, Buttercup is a must. We have speciality coffee and lite fair with lots of gluten free options. I love going to see live music at The House of Fifi Dubois. The place I spend the most time is at the lake. I love going to events at the Murphey Performance Hall. I show every visitor Paintbrush Alley and the Concho river downtown. I also adore the Art Museum!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I believe in sisterhoods, tribes, hives. I have a group of women behind me, around me, supporting me. They are the ones who send flowers. They are the hive I go to when I need back up, clarification, perspective, kind ears to listen, a support shove in a direction or a place to share Tik Toks. Women who lift other women up, I won’t have it any other way. I am texting with while I write this answer. We are catching up on kids, work, life, menopause, mortgages, etc etc etc. Even though most communication is over text, I feel connected to them immensely.

Website: https://www.pricklyandblooming.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pricklyandblooming/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-browning-prickly/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/pricklyblooming

Image Credits
Brooklyn Clark took the group family photos and the headshot of me in front of blue brick wall. Everything else is my photo.