Sarah Ingle is the owner and founder of Nest Analytics, a data analytics company dedicated to helping companies make sense of their data. She is also a wife and a mom to two young children (3 and 1).
Let’s get down to it — who cares for your kids so that you can work?
Our kids go to a traditional preschool and are also cared for by a nanny.
What keeps your plate full these days? What’s your job?
My plate is very full but in all of the right ways!
I really love being a mom. We struggled with infertility and have had multiple miscarriages, so these kids feel like such a gift! But having little ones that can’t even get a cup of water for themselves is HARD. My husband and I are basically in service mode 100% of the time. I have let a lot of cleanliness goals fall by the wayside, and I prioritize the things that are right for us. I tend to prioritize playtime with the kids and am okay spending more money on outsourcing house cleaning / laundry.
My plate is also full with my job. I started my own company in 2021 and it has taken off! I saw a need in the industry for analytics support, and I was right – most companies need help with their data. I have a lot of heads down time working (which is what I wanted) and then other time is spent pitching new work and collaborating with clients.
Lastly, my husband is a full time pastor at Hope Community Church, so I have a role with our church. I get to spend a lot of time with women from our church, hearing their stories and helping them see God’s work in their life.
Do you work because you want to, need to, or some combination of both?
Combination of both – the money is VERY helpful financial. Things would be pretty tight without it. But, more so, I work because I want to. I receive a lot of joy from getting to use my mind and getting to help clients. I love solving a hard problem, and I love learning new things. There is a sense of accomplishment I get when taking on a client that needs a lot of help with analytics and returning to them a finished product that helps them run their business better.
What does day to day look like and how do you juggle it all with kids? Walk us through your typical day.
We wake up EARLY! I have found that I really need some time to myself before the kids get up. I empty the dishwasher, feed the family cat, make myself breakfast, and spend some time with Jesus. Then, before the kids get up, I take a deep breath! Their HATCH lights turn on at 7:30am, and its go time until school. My husband and I tag team breakfast, lunches, and getting dressed. He is REALLY helpful. Then I take the kids to school and head to my office. After school, I pick the kids up, and we come home and PLAY. I try to have my mind focused on them. It’s hard though – I am always trying to fit in chores here or there, or a text to check up on a friend, etc. My husband and I tag team dinner time and bed time. And then, we have about an hour at the end of the day before we collapse from exhaustion and start it all the next day.
How does being a working mom impact your kids – either positively or negatively?
I truly believe it impacts them positively. I had a lot of doubts about starting my own company, “Could i do it? What if I fail?”
We love to tell little kids that they can do whatever they set their minds to – and I feel really strongly that for me to say that to my daughter and son, I needed to prove it to myself, too.
What holds the biggest tension for you in trying to manage everything?
Guilt over not being able to give myself more to friends and family.
What’s one thing or resource that, if you had, would make your working mom life easier?
All food for everyone made for me :) But for real, I wish that I would be okay with knowing I was doing my best.
How would you encourage other working moms who are overwhelmed? What would you say to someone who’s in your shoes?
Spend money to outsource things that you do not care about – grocery delivery, amazon, laundry, etc. Your sanity is worth the extra money.
Also, it’s okay to be away from your kids – more than anything, they need a mom that is happy with who she is. And it is worth taking the energy with your partner to keep refining schedules / processes at home to make everything run more smoothly.
Find Sarah online here:
- Instagram (Nest Analytics)
