In CafeMom's monthly series, Work It, Mama, powerful moms detail how they navigate their professions and home life.
Fueled by the need to create a community for women where we can freely talk about and find solutions for our vaginal issues, mompreneur Natasha Semago founded the company VeeFresh.
VeeFresh provides nature-based solutions for women who have vaginal issues. VeeFresh also encourages its 15,000+ members to "take back their confidence" through community and education.
After struggling with chronic vaginal problems for more than 10 years and enduring countless visits to the doctor and a number of prescriptions, many of which were no help at all, Natasha came across a doctor who encouraged her to try natural remedies. She was so impressed with the results that she became inspired to share the treatments with others and launched VeeFresh online in 2019. VeeFresh offers affordable products that provide urinary tract support, probiotics for gut and vaginal health, hair and skin conditioning oil, and more.
Here, the mom of two chats with CafeMom's editorial director, Jessica Herndon, about wanting to be her own boss, her daily routine, and her secrets to striking a harmonious work/life balance.
What does a typical day look like in your household?
"[I am] usually [up by] 6 a.m. I don't have this as a strict routine, as I have an 8-month-old that usually dictates when I get up!" says Natasha. "I have a variety of notifications I get into every morning as I tend to my baby. I also have some alone time on our back deck in the mornings to get ready for the day.
"We are 100% at home for work. I own, with my husband, an ecommerce website all about feminine care. Our office being our home makes things hectic, and juggling [our two daughters] can be stressful and can feel like you have no space to be alone. But I love the freedom. When it comes to being a mother, nothing is greater than having the freedom to do anything, any time."
In the morning, Natasha adds, "My husband checks marketing statistics and progress daily. I will have phone calls with business partners and continue editing, testing product formulas."
What keeps you motivated?
"My husband and I are very like-minded in that starting from about 16 years old, we've both just seen something wrong with the lives of everyone around us," Natasha says. "It looks like a hamster wheel of 9 to 5 life and then you get a retirement package at 65, if you're lucky.
"We both rejected that mentality and realized that thinking outside of the box is how you really make moves in this world. For those who are hungry and pissed off enough to find a way out of the rat race, the riches are there. Go get it."
As a business owner and mom of two, how do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
"We make sure to go on fun family trips and fun days where the only focus is on the children," details Natasha. "There's so many times where the business needs attention, but my 6-year-old is giving me puppy dog eyes saying 'You work too much.'
"This feeling hurts, but it comes with the territory of owning a business. We know in the long-run the efforts and lifestyle gains are worth the trouble."
What are some of the other ways you de-stress at the end of the day or throughout the day?
"Alone time. Time to truly be alone with your thoughts without another iPhone notification," Natasha says.
"In a way, life is an autobiography and you're the author," she adds. "Whatever you accept into your life is what your life will be about. You can make anything happen. If you decide your situation is not good enough, you will find a way to change that. Take accountability for what your life is and recognize it is you that's in charge."
