Owning your own business is such a gift. What made you decide to open Scarlet & Gold Boutique?
Megan: I wanted a creative outlet. I was in full-time pharmaceutical sales and did this on the side. I never thought it would be my full-time job, but then the business grew, and I took a leap of faith.
I love the custom side of what we do. Working with custom clients is a dream. Hearing their vision and bringing it to life is really rewarding.
With a New Year here, what are you and your family most looking forward too? Do you set resolutions/goals?
Megan: My greatest goal is to raise kids who love Jesus, love each other, and make an impact in this world with the gifts that God has given them. My goal each year is to lean into that mission. I want my boys to be confident in who they are and use those gifts to bless others. I do this by pouring into their hearts daily and coaching them on how to work towards something.
We set little goals, and the boys will have things they want to achieve, and then we work towards that. One of those recently was making it into their school spelling bee. The twins set that goal, and then we worked as a family toward achieving it. And they did it! It was such a sweet moment.
As a mom of three young kiddos, how do you handle feeling overwhelmed or stressed as a mother?
Megan: I have to take moments to refuel. We have great rhythms, and it all feels less overwhelming when we stick to them. I am teaching the boys to be helpers too. We are a family team and I cannot do it alone. We function best as a family when we all work together toward the common goal, even when it is as simple as getting out the door.
They often say it takes a tribe to raise a child. What resources do you use to support your parenting journey?
Megan: It does take a village. Giving those I trust the ability to help makes my boys better people. I often find that I can say something 1200 times, but someone else says it, and magically, my boys listen.
In our family, the village looks like college girls, co-workers, neighbors, church members, and podcasts that help with sources. My family is amazing, but ten hours away, so we have had to get creative with the day-to-day village.
What is the most important lesson you have learned so far as a mother?
Megan: The most important lesson I have learned is that you can’t pour from an empty cup. I can’t give to my family, especially my children if I do not prioritize myself. I have to make sure that I am taken care of.
This looks like finding small moments of time to take care of myself so that my cup is staying full and I am not running on empty. Running on empty is very easy as a mother to let it happen.
Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice you would tell your younger self?
Megan: There is no one right way to do things in motherhood. Trial and error is the name of the game. You are not a failure if you try something that doesn’t work. Just try something else. Everyone is going to offer you a lot of advice and be very passionate about the right thing to do. You need to figure out what is right for your family. Do that. You are the mother of these children that God put in your house.
Rapid Fire Questions:
- Playlists or Podcasts? Podcasts
- Which season is your favorite? Winter – Christmas
- Coffee or Hot Tea? Coffee
- Dinner at home or eating out? Both. Dinner at home
with kids, eating out without kids. - Text or Call? Text – specifically a voice memo!
Megan Smalley is a coach’s wife, and the family spends the majority of the winter months in the gym watching Blake’s basketball team. She is a mom to three boys — first-grade twins, Stisher and Eli, and then the youngest, James, is 4! All the boys are IVF babies, which she says are beautiful miracles after the storm called infertility. The Smalley family loves to travel and attend sporting events. We also enjoy the simple life of being outside. We live on 3 acres and it’s truly boy Heaven on earth.
Author: Staff
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