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As the summer sun sets and the hustle of fall begins, transitioning from carefree days to the structured school year can be challenging! Especially for women. As much as we want equality in our homes, according to the latest Pew Research, even in egalitarian opposite-sex marriages, where women and men earn about the same, wives are still spending more than double the amount of time on housework than their husbands (4.6 hours per week for women vs. 1.9 hours per week for men). Additionally, women spend almost two hours more per week on caregiving, including tending to children—a form of work often referred to as “emotional” or “invisible” labor, because it largely goes unseen.
Relatable? Absolutely. And with “Back-to-School,” one of the peak emotional labor seasons, fast approaching, we checked in with members of the Female Founders in Hospitality group about their routines. Until we change the system, we wanted to learn their practical, time-saving hacks and strategies for maintaining balance, while being entrepreneurs. Whether you're a seasoned mompreneur or simply trying to navigate the seasonal shift, here are some ideas to help you confidently tackle the fall grind!
Transitioning from Summer to Fall
Blaire McCoy, Founder of Traverse, an all-in-one commerce platform that revolutionizes hotel management, and mom of a 10-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, says, “I'm transitioning my kids from the freedom of summer to the structure of fall by focusing on finding balance. About a month before school starts, my husband and I help them set goals for the upcoming year, encouraging them to write down what they want to achieve. This sparks fun conversations and builds excitement for what's ahead. We also focus on pre-work activities to emphasize accountability and responsibility, which they'll need in school.”
Rebecca Lombardo, Founder of The Rebecca Lombardo Agency, which offers marketing consulting and coaching for hospitality brands, and mom of two boys, ages 9 and 12, shares, “My summer is actually the grind at home because I have two kids in water sports. Weekends are eaten up with meets, and practice is every weekday. We get a short break, and then it's back to school. Oddly enough, I look forward to fall! Conference season is typically from September to December. This has forced me to learn how to pace myself no matter what season it is. And that it's okay to do nothing on a Wednesday from noon to 4 pm because I'll catch up later. All I do, when fall arrives, is change the blocks of time I'm ‘out of the office’—you can't always go on vacation, but you can find a happy place to hide out for a while, even during regular business hours.”
Leah Murphy, Founder and CEO of Jane Hotel Group, a hospitality company dedicated to creating unique guest experiences, and mom of a 12-year-old son and 9-and-a-half-year-old daughter, approaches the transition by treating herself: “I give myself a little ‘reward’ for finishing the summer—like a special outing or a trip to my favorite shop. Summer was lots of fun but also took a lot of work to align everything for vacations and summer camps. Then I can jump right into planning for the rest of the year.”
Juggling Entrepreneurship and Back-to-School Prep
Blaire emphasizes the importance of organization: “I'm all about staying organized. My family relies on a shared calendar to manage school needs, carpool schedules, and activities. This helps me balance everything effectively. The flexibility of entrepreneurship lets me work from anywhere—whether it's taking a conference call in the car line or handling tasks at a track meet.”
Rebecca focuses on communication: “Communication is key. With clients and with my family, I try to over-communicate. I let them know when I'm available immediately versus when I can't get back to them right away. Taking away that pressure to reply immediately, even to a text message between the hours of 6 pm and 9 pm so that I can focus on my family helps my heart rate and lets my kids know they have my undivided attention.”
Stephanie Smith, President of Cogwheel Marketing, a full-service digital marketing agency for branded hotels, and mom of a 9-year-old boy, finds routine to be her ally: “When school starts back, we get back into a routine. We eat better, and normalcy returns with schedules and who does what. It helps to have a partner to share the workload of being chauffeurs, showers, and handling homework. Fall also means the conference schedule heats back up, so I'm back on the road more. We generally sign our son up for extended after-school programs, which he likes because he can play with friends more.”
Time-Saving Hacks for the Busy Season
Blaire’s go-to hack is using Amazon Prime: “I order my kids' school supplies from there so I don't have to go shopping and fight the crowds. I would love to know what other parents use!”
Rebecca’s time-saving secret is her morning routine: “Exercise, meditate, or pray first thing in the morning. Otherwise, it never happens, and I'm not my best self the rest of the day.”
Leah sticks to her to-do list: “I try to read emails only during designated times and stick with my to-do list first. It's easy to get sucked into a spiral away from your goals when you react to emails first. Get the to-do list done, and then check on emails—or at least have a start and stop time to help manage how much time it takes.”
Staying Balanced, Energized, and Sane
Blaire relies on her support system: “I'm grateful for my amazing support system. Communication is key, so when my husband or carpool families handle school drop-offs, I can dive into work and make the most of my time. I also schedule lunchtime workouts to boost my energy and maintain peace of mind. It's harder to stick to this routine during summer when the kids are home, so I appreciate it even more in the fall.”
Rebecca has learned to let go of the obsession with punctuality: “I used to obsess about being on time everywhere. I've had to let that go and just thank everyone for their grace in understanding that I'm going to be late sometimes, but I'm thankful I showed up at all. And, of course, it takes a village. Big thanks to all my fellow working moms who have given my kids a ride home or to practice. We've got to have each other's backs!”
Leah maintains balance by reflecting: “Every Friday, I take some time to reflect on what I accomplished that week and also outline what is coming up in the following week. I do this same exercise for my personal and family life on Sundays—this way, I'm paying attention to both and see where things overlap.”
Sharing the Load
Robin Zeidel, mom of two kids in their twenties and Founder and Owner of Zeidel & Associates P.C., a high-end boutique law firm serving hospitality, corporate, and real estate clients, offers straightforward advice: “Although I know no man would ever be asked questions about managing back to school…I say, get others to help you! Like your spouse! Family-related fall tasks need not be performed exclusively by moms.”
Excellent point, Robin! Which brings us back to where we began, along with these tips, let’s try for equality, by calling out “emotional” labor and making it less invisible.
Female Founders in Hospitality is a global network of inspiring women who are building companies in the travel and hospitality industry. FFiH provides a platform to share best practices, access resources and advance the next generation of founders who will change the travel and hospitality landscape. To find out more, visit FFiH here.