Nanapreneur Unfiltered

09/04/2026

Have you ever been so tired that it takes you WEEKS (or months) to recover from it? And I’m not talking about “I need a nap” tired. Although, for the record, not sleeping certainly doesn’t help.

I’m talking soul-crushing, tired-of-every-damn-thing tired. The kind where nothing seems to help.

People annoy you faster.
Your patience has officially taken a leave of absence.
Little things feel like BIG things.
Stress has pushed your give-a-crap meter dangerously close to zero.

And somewhere along the way, you realize…

Damn. I am in a CRAPPY mood.
Not for a day.
Not for a week.
For what feels like an entire freaking season. 😬

That’s where I’ve been.

This has been a tough year for so many people I know, and yep, I’m raising my hand too. Some of it we couldn't control. Some of it we never saw coming. Some of it just plain sucked. It is what it is.

But today feels… different.

Not “everything is magically wonderful and I’m skipping through a field of daisies” different. Let’s not get carried away.

Just a tiny shift......
Today I noticed something good.
And instead of immediately finding something wrong with it, I actually APPRECIATED it.

Progress, people. PROGRESS.

Maybe my patience is slowly returning from wherever the hell it went.
Maybe my give-a-crap meter is starting to register again.
Maybe there really is a little light at the end of this ridiculously long tunnel.

I’m not ready to declare victory, but I’ll take the win.

And if you’ve had to deal with me in any capacity over the past several months…

Thank you.

Or perhaps…

I’m sorry.

Honestly, probably both. 🤣

Here’s what I’m learning, though: sometimes entrepreneurship isn’t about pushing harder, setting another goal, fixing the problem, or finding the lesson.

Sometimes you’re just freaking tired.

And maybe the win isn’t conquering the world today.

Maybe it’s finally looking up long enough to notice that the world doesn’t look quite as crappy as it did yesterday.

I’ll take it. ❤️

08/25/2026

Congrats to Jodi Sprandel for her feature in the latest Tow Professional Magazine. You will find her story on page 18 of the magazine or 20 on the digital one I am sharing. It took me a bit to get her story but it was so worth it! I am so proud to have been given the privilege to write about her. In this industry, towing can take a lot from you but Jodi is a great example of giving back to it! Congrats on your milestones!

Dive into our extensive resources on the topic that interests you. It's like a masterclass to be explored at your own pace.

08/21/2026

100 visits doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when customers become friends, your business becomes part of their routine, and somehow ice cream keeps calling their name. 😂🍦 That’s the kind of business story I’ll celebrate ALL DAY LONG. Here’s to the people who keep showing up, supporting small businesses, and giving us a reason to keep scooping! 💕💯

100 VISITS?! Now THAT deserves some sprinkles!

A HUGE congratulations to Mance & Kara on officially hitting their 100th visit to Jerzey Junction! 💯🙌

At this point, we’re pretty sure you’re not just customers… you’re part of the JJ family. 😂

We always look forward to seeing you both, and we truly appreciate all the laughs, visits, sweet treats, and incredible support you’ve given us along the way.

Here’s to visit #100… and because we know you’re not quitters, let’s start working on #200! 😜🍦💕

Thank you, Mance & Kara! We appreciate you more than you know!

08/20/2026

I was already annoyed this morning. 😏

Got down the road and realized I left my lunch sitting on the table. So, back home I went… grumbling about the wasted time and my apparently unreliable morning brain. 😂

Then I pulled into my driveway and saw this. 🎈A hot air balloon floating right there.

Suddenly, forgetting my lunch didn’t seem so inconvenient.

We see hot air balloons around here fairly often, but definitely not often enough to stop appreciating them. And had I remembered my lunch and stayed perfectly on schedule, I would have missed this one.

There’s a business lesson hiding in there too.

We get so irritated when we have to backtrack, change plans, take a detour, or redo something. We immediately label it a setback.

Maybe it isn’t.

Sometimes the thing that messes up your perfectly planned schedule puts you exactly where you needed to be for a moment you would’ve otherwise missed.

Go back and get the lunch.
Watch the balloon.
Then get on with your day. 🎈

Not every detour needs to be productive.

Some are just worth it.

08/19/2026

Apparently my sister has decided I need fewer hours at Jerzey Junction this year already. And you know what? She might be right. It has definitely been a YEAR.

I'd love to tell you I've handled everything beautifully and gracefully......I have not.

There have been hard days. Frustrating days. Days I've questioned myself, my decisions and probably my sanity a little. And I've struggled even saying that out loud because people I love have had a much harder year.

I've caught myself thinking, Who am I to complain? It could be so much worse. Then someone reminded me: It's not a competition.

Hard is hard. Tired is tired. And being grateful for what you have doesn't mean you're not allowed to admit when something has been difficult. So I'm working on that. But here's what I'm REALLY excited about...

A little less time working IN the business means I can finally spend more time working ON the business.

And entrepreneurs, you know there is a HUGE difference. Marketing has been sitting at the top of my “I really need to do better at this” list for way too long. Not just for Jerzey Junction, but for HDM Towing & Truck Center too.

I want to create.
I want to market better.
I want to work on my brand again.
I want to get back to some of the things I originally set out to do before everyday business ownership swallowed the calendar whole.
And yes, I also fully intend to fill a few of those newly available hours with "Nana time." ❤️

My grands are at such fun ages, and I'm not foolish enough to think they'll stay there while I finish my to-do list.

Maybe this isn't really about “slowing down.” Maybe it's about shifting where I'm putting my energy.
Less running from one thing to the next.
More intention.
More time working ON my businesses instead of constantly IN them.
And hopefully, more time with the people who matter most.

And maybe that's a lesson more entrepreneurs need to hear:

You don't always need more hours. Sometimes you need to be more intentional with the ones you have.

08/18/2026

My phone has a calendar. My computer has a calendar. I have reminders, alerts, apps and notifications.

And yet...

I still need to WRITE. IT. DOWN.

Call me old school. I can take it. But here's what I've learned about time management as an entrepreneur:

Having a calendar isn't the same thing as "managing your time". My digital calendar tells me where I'm supposed to be. My physical planner makes me think about "where my time is actually going".

BIG difference.

There's something about putting pen to paper and seeing the whole week staring back at you that makes it painfully obvious when you've scheduled 47 hours of work into a 24-hour day. 😏

And that's also why I built goal setting into the Chaos Coordinator.

Because writing down a goal in January is easy. Remembering what the heck that goal was when you're knee-deep in May? That's entrepreneurship.

Goals need more than good intentions.

They need to be written down.
Broken into action steps.
Revisited.
Tracked.
Adjusted when life inevitably decides to rearrange your plans.
And occasionally celebrated because, HELLO, you actually did the thing! That's what I love about having those goals right there in my physical planner. I'm not just scheduling appointments and making to-do lists. I'm able to look at what I'm doing today and ask:

Is any of this actually moving me toward the goals I said were important?

That's what I want the Chaos Coordinator to help entrepreneurs do.

Manage the appointments.
Organize the chaos.
Set the goals.
Track the progress.
And make sure all that *doing* is actually getting you somewhere.

I'm a big fan of technology. But when it comes to running my businesses, keeping my goals in front of me and protecting my time?

Give me the paper. Give me the pen. Give me the plan.

👇 Entrepreneurs: Do you actually track your goals throughout the year, or do you set them in January and hope they somehow remember themselves?

08/17/2026

**It's that time of year again... 📚✏️**

Yes, it's back-to-school season. But nope. That's not what I'm talking about.

It's time for me to go back into DESIGN MODE for the next Chaos Coordinator.

And before I start moving boxes, changing layouts and obsessing over whether something needs three lines or four... I want to hear from YOU.

Because last year?
I made a few mistakes.
Mother's Day wasn't even in the planner.
Whaaat?! I KNOW. 🤦‍♀️
And Easter was wrong.

I was genuinely disappointed in myself for not catching those things. When you create something people depend on to organize their businesses and lives, the little details aren't really little.

And that's exactly why I care so much about getting this year's version right.

I pour my heart into the Chaos Coordinator because I don't want it to be another pretty planner that sits on your desk looking adorable while you continue writing important things on random Post-it notes. 😂

I want it to WORK.

Digital is great. I use it. I love it. But there is still something to be said for analog.
No battery required.
No password forgotten.
No notification popping up while you're trying to focus.
No 37 open tabs.

Just you, a pen and a place to get the chaos out of your head and onto paper.

And entrepreneurs? We have a LOT of chaos up there.

So before I officially disappear into planner-planning mode, I need your help.

If you've used the Chaos Coordinator, what would make it MORE useful this year?
What should I add?
What should I take away?
What needs more room?
What do you never use?
What would help you run your business, organize your life and keep all those spinning plates from crashing into each other?

This is your chance to help me design the next Chaos Coordinator.

👇 Tell me what you want. I'm listening.

And yes... **Mother's Day WILL be in it this time.** 😂

08/14/2026

Entrepreneurs aren't very good at “free time.” 😏

There's always something.

An email that could be answered.
A problem that could be solved.
A new idea bouncing around in your head.
Something at the business that could probably use your attention.

Running two businesses, I don't have an abundance of extra time. And I'm realizing that makes it even more important to be intentional with the time I DO have.

After a hard week, I'm choosing to spend some of mine with a few of my favorite little people tonight... my grandkids. ❤️

Yes, being Nana means considerably more YES and a whole lot less NO.

Snacks? Yes.
Stay up later? Probably.
Extra snuggles? Always.

I already did the parenting part. I'm basically a consultant now. I offer guidance, provide snacks and leave the daily operations to management. 😂

But here's the entrepreneurial lesson I'm learning:

Building a business shouldn't mean giving your business every piece of you. We talk a lot about being intentional with our goals, our money, our marketing and our growth. Maybe we need to be just as intentional with our time.

Because there will ALWAYS be more work. There won't always be another weekend exactly like this one.

So this weekend, I'm giving myself permission to put the entrepreneur hat down for a little while and put the Nana hat on. Monday, I'll pick it right back up.

Entrepreneurs: What are you intentionally making time for outside of your business?

08/13/2026

When did the “side hustle” stop being about getting ahead… and start being about keeping up?

A dear friend of mine recently told me she's thinking about starting a side hustle....
Not because she has dreams of building the next million-dollar company.
Not because she wants to become an influencer.
Not because she needs something to keep her busy.
She simply wants to bring in a little extra money to help cover the bills as she begins her next chapter in life.

And that conversation stuck with me.

Because I think the meaning of a side hustle is changing. For a lot of women, especially those entering a new chapter, it's no longer about creating the "next big thing." It's about supplementing "what's happening right now".
Groceries.
Insurance.
Utilities.
Helping family.
Having a little cushion when something unexpected happens.
Maybe even having enough left over to actually enjoy this chapter we've worked so hard to get to.

And here's the part I keep thinking about...

Women our age have DECADES of skills, knowledge and experience.
So maybe the question isn't:

What new business could I invent?

Maybe it's:

What do I already know how to do that someone would pay me for?

Now THAT is a conversation I think we need to have. So let's help a girl out......

👇 If you needed to make an extra $500–$1,000 a month, what side hustle would you consider?

07/27/2026

This summer has been CRAZY busy. Honestly, I've worked more this summer than I did during the first two seasons of our ice cream shoppe. But there was one commitment I refused to miss...

My grandson's very first year of T-ball. ⚾❤️

Watching him out on that field brought back so many memories of when his dad played baseball. There are definitely some similarities, and yes... I probably need to dig through the old photo albums!

Here's something I've learned as an entrepreneur...

People often think business owners can just take off whenever they want. Pfft....

The reality?

Most of us don't "take time off." We simply move everything else around the moments that matter. Every game was blocked on my calendar.

But that didn't mean my work disappeared........

It meant appointments got rearranged.

Tasks got pushed to the evening.

Work came home with me.

Emails got answered later.

There is almost always a cost. But here's the thing... Not every cost is a sacrifice. Sometimes it's an investment.

An investment in memories.

An investment in relationships.

An investment in being present for the people who won't stay little forever.

I didn't miss a game when his dad was growing up. And I wasn't about to miss these. The work was still waiting when the game was over. But my grandson's first season of T-ball? That only happens once.

As entrepreneurs, we spend so much time building businesses, serving customers, leading teams, and checking boxes that it's easy to believe everything is equally urgent.

It's not.

Some moments deserve to interrupt the work. Those are the moments you'll remember long after the to-do list is forgotten. And this summer... The price of rearranging my schedule was worth every single inning. ⚾

**What's one family moment you've protected on your calendar this year, no matter how busy life or business became? I'd love to celebrate those moments with you.**



**picture is a free one off the internet... not mine to credit**