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A Balancing Act: Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith is the quintessential working mom, and some would say she is the ultimate "working out" mom. She's just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and next up is the release of her The Matrix workout on DVD. I had the opportunity to speak with Kathy about how she manages to lead a balanced life as a celebrity fitness guru and single mother of two, while staying in shape at the same time!

Samantha: How do you balance your fitness empire and your family?

Kathy: Family comes first. Through my career, the business/family juggling act has always been there, but it's changed. Now that my daughters are in their teens, I'm no longer needed for Mommy and Me classes or to be the chauffeur. Now more time is spent listening to emotional dramas, from the ups and downs of dating to finding a dress for the prom, or hearing the horrors of too much homework. Whatever the stage, hanging out with my family gives me the most satisfaction, so I've always factored that into my work week, which sometimes means taking off for a school performance and making up for it by working on the weekend. Perhaps the biggest lesson of all is learning how to delegate, as well as partnering with people on projects. Even though you make less profit, you have a smaller time commitment. My saving grace is having an ex-husband who is a committed father and is willing to chip in in any way he can to make things run smoothly.

S: What is a typical morning like for you?

K: During the school year, a typical day starts at 5:45 AM: I'm a big believer in breakfast for myself and the kids, so I'll start some steel-cut oatmeal with hard-boiled eggs, cut up some fruit, and throw on some tea. After a quick browse of the front page, I get the girls up at 6:15 and start the hectic process of getting them off to school by 7. During that time I get their lunches prepared. At 7:00, I take a deep breath and get a rush because I know I have two hours to myself - and this is where I fit in my workout. Workouts range from a hike/walk with friends to a strength-training workout with weights to a yoga class down the block.

S: And the rest of the day?

K: There's never a typical workday. I try to break my work week up so that two days are devoted to "clean-up" - answering letters, finalizing production details, approving pictures, as well as keeping the household running smoothly. The other three days I block out chunks of time for writing chapters for my book, working on new fitness routines, brainstorming about new ways of delivering information to customers with new technology. By 4pm, my kids get home from school, and since I work from home, there's time to get them a snack and catch up on the day. I do finishing touches on office stuff by about 5:30 and start on dinner.

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