***All images in this post are copyright Michelle Anderson***

NEXT WEEK: TBA

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How long have you been in business and how did you get started? When my first child was born, I left my job in marketing to stay home with my kiddos. But about three years ago, I realized my clock was ticking and I was eventually going to have to go back to work. I was working part time at a department store and I hated it. One day, I called my mom in the parking lot and just bawled, "I have a degree in Communications. What am I doing with my life?????" She asked me what I really wanted to do in my heart and I told her that I wanted to be a photographer. So, I put in my notice and within a month, I had bought my first SLR and started a business.

You have two businesses, two kids, and a new baby, what do you do to keep things simple in your life and studio? I'm NOT very good at managing it all. Baby number three really made me take a step back and examine exactly how and why I was functioning and managing my time. Truth be told, I realized I'm NOT very good at managing everything at it all. So, every day I streamline more and more. I'm constantly trying to think of ways to make processes more efficient and still building in time for my family. Because I don't have a studio, I found I was working round the clock with no dedicated time for the different aspects of work and life. So, I recently instated office hours (duh! Why didn't I do that before??). I still do work more than a typical 40-hr a week job, but my kids know that they have me all to themselves on Tuesdays and Thursdays and when I'm done shooting on the weekends.

What do you think are the top three things you must do as a mom and wife every day? Laundry, laundry, and laundry. ;-) I think as a mom and as a wife, I need to practice being a good listener...giving my kids/husband their full attention when they need me. I try to multitask too much, but at least once a day, I need to sit down with each of them individually, give them my undivided attention (even if it's just for a couple of minutes) and really engage in what they're telling me. There is one other thing I try to do every day. This advice comes from a good photographer friend Lyndsay: take pictures every day...you don't necessarily have to edit them or print them right away, but at least the moments have been snapped forever.

What three products or things help you stay organized? They all come from google: Google, Google mail, Google Calendar. These are always open on my computer. Always.

For women who are thinking of starting another business in addition to their photography (shooting) business, what 3 tips do you have for them? It can and will pull you away from your shooting time and time with family, so seriously consider if you have the time and drive to do it all.

With so many things on your plate, what do you do to market your businesses? How does that fit into your busy schedule? My blog drives my business. Truly, my online presence is the driving force of it all.

What does your workflow look like? How do you keep all of your clients straight and deliver products on time? I'm actually in the process of typing out my complete workflow for members of my photography resource site (www.pinkletoes.com/pt4p). It's taken me about a year to iron this all out because each day, I discover new things to help make things more efficient and secure. (When it's finally ready, I will put a notice up on the PT4P blog.)

What plans do you have for your business this year? How will your plans impact your family? Actually, I have big, big plans for big, big changes in my business that will greatly affect how I do things and how we operate as a family. One big change is that my husband recently left his job to homeschool our children. But that is only the tip of the iceberg for Pinkle Toes 2009...

What did you do when you were pregnant and getting ready for your baby’s birth to get your family ready as well as your businesses? Truth be told, my baby girl took us quite by surprise and so I was very, very, very shocked and unprepared for what to do with my business that had just exploded. With severe morning sickess and then the aches and pains that came later on in pregnancy, physically, shooting and keeping up with the work demand got really tough. I was just very open and honest with my clients and the closer I got to my due date, the fewer sessions I was taking on. The last 6 weeks or so, I decided to not take sessions with children under the age of 5 because I couldn't promise kind of pictures I like to take of the little active kiddos.

How much time do you spend on the computer? WAAAAAAAY too much. I'm working very hard to cut down on the internet surfing and photographer browsing and constant e-mail checking.

Are there times that you feel overwhelmed? What do you do? I get overwhelmed at least once a day. Sitting down with my baby girl or visiting with my husband outside or wrestling with my boys gets me back in check.

To see more of Michelle's work:

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***All images in this post are copyright Michelle Anderson***