Evalyn Parsons: Family, Marriage, Business - The Balance

The Full Life Podcast with Melanie Lynam

I just had so much fun talking with Evalyn Parsons about how she and her husband Greg do life. We talk about parenting 5 kids (from baby to 15 years old) with intention, raising them to be God-loving, confident, responsible people. We talk about marriage, some challenges they have faced and how they overcame them, how they saved their marriage 9 years in. And we discuss how Ev started her multi-award winning wedding hair styling business and what it looks like to get your priorities right so that you can do all these things well.

There is so much wisdom here in this episode, so much so that I chose to let it be a whopping 2 hours long! But if you’ve ever sat down with a friend whom you admire and chatted with them for 2 hours, you’ll know that it’s worth every minute!

In this episode we answer the question, can you do both? Can you be a great Mum with a happy, close family, and excel in your career?

How you stay present with your kids when there is work to be done.

Can you do both - career and motherhood.

So much wisdom for marriage and parenting

“That’s our main focus. We’re not thinking about who they are right now, we’re thinking about who they’re going to be at 25. And we parent directly towards that.”
School teaches knowledge but a parent’s job is to teach wisdom.

Parenting with intentionality.

Readjust. Be rigid but flexible

There’s rigidity - things that can’t change - and extreme flexibility so that when that plan changes, you’re ok with it. Ie. staff member sick, child home sick from school.

In early years overcommitted. Affected their marriage. 5 years in business was exploding but they felt like they always had conflict.

“Ultimately in 10 years I might have a business but I still want to be married.”

In terms of keeping on top of it all, finding a rhythm that suits every person and then accomodating it to a certain extent. We’re a family unit. We all work, we all help. Because of that we can achieve a lot as a family. We have expectations about what they’re going to contribute to the family unit and that increases as they grow.

Invest in the family culture that you want to have.

Strategies for family time.

“When you have less time you’re more intentional and so you make the time count.”

“Conflict is the doorway to greater intimacy.”

Date nights - “It’s a lot cheaper than divorce.”

“What you invest in shows your value…time and money and energy.”

Prioritise spending time together.

Values - family first.
“God’s the centre of our home and everything has to come from that place.”

“Living life with God as the centre means that every single thing you do comes back to that relationship.”

Teaching our kids about God and leading them to have their own faith in Jesus Christ.

“There’s no perfect work life balance.”

“We all beat to a different drum, we’ve all got different capacity and ultimately I think guilt is always a lie.”

It’s too much pressure. Don’t feel guilty for going to work.

How Ev got started. How to believe in yourself and stay motivated. Hustle. Just do it.

“I believe in this so I’m going to do something. One step in front of another.”

“Despite challenge, despite finance, or time…, I’m drawing a line in the sand and I’m gonna move forward…and hustle!”

You have to keep pushing no matter where you are in business.

“I’m a daughter of Christ and that’s my value.” Her value isn’t defined by her achievements.

“I don’t mourn the past, I get excited about the future.”

@evalynparsons

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