Be a Mom AND a Business Owner? You Can Do Both
For all the women wondering if you can have it all… I’m attempting to answer that question today. First off, Happy Mother’s Day. Whether you’re preparing for when you are a mother, or are already chasing toddlers, this post is for you.
I’ve heard it both ways A) you CAN be a mom and business owner and also B) you really can’t do both well. And I have to say, I agree with the former.
I wouldn’t say I have this whole mompreneur figured out - far from! But I’ve been able to make a great living while working from home with my son (who is now 2) and working 15-20 hours a week, so MY answer to the question of “can you be successful as a mom AND business owner?” would be a resounding Yes!
I would love to share some tips with you that have been helpful to me as I’ve been navigating this journey and I hope this helps you too!
Go into it with zero expectations
Pre-kids, I didn’t know what to expect with having a business while being a stay-at-home-mom. I had high hopes of quiet mornings while sipping hot coffee and designing my little heart away. While these are fun daydreams and how it can even look on social media, that’s just not how real life plays out most of the time.
One of the best things you can do is look at this new season of having a newborn, having a toddler, welcoming baby #2 or #3 etc. as an adventure you have yet to experience with zero expectations.
When you do that, you’re able to more fully enjoy the experience rather than being frustrated your baby didn’t nap.
I remember when I went on maternity leave, I gave myself 3 months off work. I planned out my content in advance, and gave myself a lot of time to enjoy the newborn phase. I ended up coming back to work after 2 months off because I felt ready and excited to come back, so I did. But having that freedom was essential. And I think a lot of motherhood is like that: not being so rigid in the process, but focus more on what you want the outcome to be. It may be a little messy, or not how you envisioned it, but it may just be DIFFERENT than how you planned.
Stop the comparison trap
Something that was hard for me when I had my son (besides the fact that we were knee-deep in 2020) was that I found myself comparing my business (and the amount of money I was bringing in) with other entrepreneurs who were making multiple six figures but who were not at my stage in life, i.e. childless, or who had more support in their business, or fill-in-the-blank. Remember we only see the highlights of other peoples’ lives on social media so don’t compare yourself to others you see online.
I know it’s a tall order, but if you constantly compare yourself to other people who have a live-in nanny, or someone who has an employee or 2, or someone who works 40 hours a week because of daycare, you will never be happy with how you’re doing work, life, or motherhood.
So enter into this new season by trying not to compare yourself to others, and figure it out as you go with loads of grace and compassion.
Something that may be useful in a particularly challenging season is either taking social media off your phone. I’m currently in a phase where I took Instagram off my phone and I have to say, it’s life-giving! You can also mute people’s stories that are triggering. You can always change your stance on this later, but for a trying season this can be immensely helpful.
Invest in support
They weren’t lying when they said “it takes a village to raise a child.” Even having just one child, I find that I need a break once in a while. I used to think if I was a stay-at-home mom then I wouldn't need a sitter. But the truth is, I need help sometimes and hiring a sitter for a morning can be everything - to give yourself a break, go shopping by yourself or run errands alone, or work in peace and quiet.
Right now as my son is 2, I hire a sitter every Friday so I can work IN my business, and I’m looking to hire for an additional weekday to get chores done and work out at the gym. And while I cringed at the cost of childcare at first, it’s been such an expander in a lot of ways. I see the growth potential in my business, I see the mental clarity in my daily life, and I recognize that this is something that makes me a better mother, wife, and business owner - taking care of myself with some childcare.
Another form of support I highly recommend is business coaching. Especially as you go into motherhood, having a business coach to help give you that clarity is essential.
I have worked with my amazing business coach Anna Rapp in different containers over the last 4 years, but it’s been such an amazing gift to my business. Having her point things out to me, help me see things in a new light, and offer encouragement and being a sounding board has been one of the best things I’ve done in my business.
While I don’t have all the answers, I CAN say that being a business owner while being a mom is invigorating. I’m able to problem solve, be creative, overcome challenges, and bring in a solid income while being home with my son. And I’m able to take on as many or as few clients as I want while being in charge of my schedule. I think it’s one of the coolest opportunities we have at this point in history.
And the beautiful thing is, right now, I’m in a great stage. But I know that will change into a different stage as my son gets older. And that’s ok. Things will always change when you’re in the little kid stage. And that’s just part of it - rolling with the punches and being open to the challenges and surprises that arise.
I think it’s really important to mention that there are trade-offs with every situation. Whichever path you choose there will always be feelings you need to work through. For example, if you have children and are a stay-at-home mom, then maybe you find yourself getting bored, not making time for things you enjoy, or feel a tug to do something more. And if you work fulltime and put your kids in daycare, you may wonder if you’re doing the right thing, you may feel guilty that you should spend more time with them, or something along those lines. There will always be that push/pull of wondering if the path you’re on is the right one, and navigating all the feelings that come up in between is part of the path. I don’t believe one path is better than the other, but I DO believe that you can do both and thrive!
I would love to hear what you think of my opinions about having it all as a mom and biz owner, do YOU think it’s possible?
What’s something you would add for someone looking to take the plunge into entrepreneurship while being a mom?
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