Working Mom: Sarah Hubbell of Emma Magazine

A fellow HGTV addict and baking fanatic, Sarah Hubbell, started the incredible Emma Magazine – and now balances being Editor-in-Chief and mom to a 3 year old! How does she do it? We’re hearing it straight from the source on our business blog today! Listen in – and check out these adorable photos! – and walk away inspired by her honesty and ambition!

 

Name: Sarah Hubbell

Company: Emma Magazine

Title: Founder/Editor-in-Chief

City: Phoenix

Kids: Hudson, almost 3!

 

We love Emma Magazine! How did you come up with the premise for it, and eventually start the Magazine?

Baking and binge watching HGTV episodes might be my favorite form of therapy. I really just love turning a house into a home, so the magazine started as an extension of those hobbies. My background in journalism helped with the editorial side of things!

 

The magazine covers so many fun topics! What is Your favorite part about it?

Yes! Emma’s core editorial themes include food, home, beauty, entertaining, and holiday, so there are plenty of fun topics indeed. Definitely hard to pick a favorite, but I love home tours with a lot of personal touches. There’s so much you can do with a huge budget, but I’m always most impressed with the creative ways people DIY their spaces. That and recipe testing probably take the cake. 🙂

 

 

 

 

Tell us about your beautiful family! How do you balance being a Mom and running your own business?

Thanks for the kind words! When I started Emma, I struggled so much with balance. The first issue came out the day after Thanksgiving, and I forfeited family time on Thanksgiving day to finish up the issue. I felt so bummed and still struggled with when to prioritize family time over deadlines in the months that followed. I realized that in the long run, I’ll never hope I worked more or made more money, and I will never regret time spent with the people I love. Since then, I have learned to say “no” often, which sometimes means passing up opportunities that sound awesome. At the end of the day I feel most balanced when the majority of my time is spent loving on my boys, so that is priority one!

 

 

Were you a mom when you started Emma Magazine? If not, how is it different now that you are?

Hudson had just turned six months when I started Emma! Since I mostly work during nap times and those have slowly decreased, I get a sitter once or twice a week now to give me time to work. Getting a break to truly focus on Emma makes me a better mom the rest of the time!

 

 

What is your favorite part about being a mom?

Unprompted I love yous top the list! I love planning fun outings and getting to know his sweet and theatrical personality.

 

 

You run your own blog in addition to Emma Magazine, are there ever days you think you can’t do it all? 

I definitely don’t think I can do it all! Truthfully, I don’t try. I rarely get my own blog posts up, and that’s okay! I do what I can when I can, and that’s enough. After all that’s the benefit of being your own boss. If it’s not work directly affecting a sponsor, I cut myself slack when I need to.

 

 

 

What’s the best parenting advice you have ever received?

To put my marriage first. If our foundation is solid, we’ll be much better parents for it.

 

 

 

Favorite activity to do with your son: Zoo!

Favorite date night spot with your hubby: a local wine bar called Postino

Beauty Secret: dry shampoo

 

 

 

Someone You would love to work with someday: HGTV producers 🙂

I can’t live without (as a mom): lots of grace

I can’t live without (as a business owner): nap time!