Becoming a Mom Made Me a Better Entrepreneur & Here is How

Apr 23

So I mentioned on my podcast that this blog post is a meaningful one and it is. It’s something I have really come to realize over the last year or so, and it’s a conversation I love having with other moms and entrepreneurs in all seasons of life. And to be honest it kind of came from this idea or conversation that moms can’t be great moms and also successful in their careers. And that’s just not something that I subscribe to. I absolutely know that moms can do and be both. In fact, I think that becoming a mom made me a better entrepreneur in so many different ways. And listen, I want to be very clear on something – I don’t think you need to become a mom to learn these lessons that I did. I know that there are people who read this blog that are not mothers, that are trying so hard to become mothers, and who don’t want to become mothers.

The three things I am going to talk about are simply lessons that I learned because of the delicate balance between business and motherhood. Really how I found myself in motherhood and how in many ways it changed my perspective on things, made me both stronger and softer simultaneously, and how my business changed because of it.

Becoming a mom was a catalyst in my journey of entrepreneurship, and it may not be that way for you, but maybe there’s a different catalyst that changes the way you do and think about business.

I just want to acknowledge that these things are not things that can solely be learned or gained by becoming a mom, I think they are things that some people already are really great at naturally, things that you can learn in different ways through different experiences, but that they are things I didn’t realize, learn, change, etc until the last few years of being thrown into motherhood. Whatever this journey looks like for you, you are welcome here. <3

So for a little background and timeline history – I have been in entrepreneurship for just over 6 years. As most of you know I started out in network marketing and that is what I was doing when I left teaching and what I did for about 4 years. In 2019 we struggled with infertility and loss, and then in the Dec of 2020, we had our oldest son Luke. 2021 was a year of really realizing that I didn’t want to keep doing what I was doing and started to explore other avenues, and in Dec of 2021, we found out I was pregnant with Jackson which was a huge surprise in every single good way. Then in April of 2022, I launched my VA business, 6 months pregnant with a toddler on my hip. And now we are here!

So I had about 3 years of experience as an entrepreneur before I became a mom, and now I have been balancing both for the last 3.5 or so! During the last 3.5 years, I have learned so much about myself, and how I want my life to look and a lot of it has to do with becoming a mom.

There are so many things I could list off that I have learned during this journey of juggling motherhood and business but there are really three things that stand out to me most, so those are the ones I wanna talk about today! Let’s get into them!

Okay so the first thing is:

I got really good at prioritizing what is most important in terms of tasks.

Before I was a mom, I had a much larger capacity. I was able to work longer hours, and I was able to pick up and do pretty much whatever I wanted. I could say yes to a ton of different opportunities, I could start new projects and have them done by next week if I wanted to, you get the gist.

But naturally, when I became a mom I suddenly didn’t have the same capacity. And even becoming a mom of 2 under 2 shrunk that capacity even more. And because my kids are the most important thing in my entire life, I wanted most of my time and energy to go to them, even though up until this point… much of it went to my business. And it was hard to figure out how to both slowdown and keep my business and income afloat because it is what supports our family the most. So this meant getting clear on the things that mattered most in my business (like the tasks that move the needle forward) and what doesn’t.

I stopped wasting time on perfecting Canva graphics and DIYing things that I could outsource and I started being intentional with the limited work time I had doing only the things I could do and working with my clients, and outsourcing the things that I simply didn’t have time for.

I also am someone who loves a new project. I have new ideas for things I want to do ALL THE TIME. I joke that I have like 3-5 business plans in my head for different businesses would love to start…. But that’s not really a joke- it’s true! I am a visionary for sure. But what I found is when I was splitting my time between so many projects, businesses, etc, AND THEN adding in motherhood and prioritizing my family (not to mention my own mental and physical health)... I was burning out fast. And this honestly was a lesson I really didn’t fully learn until last year.

Now I am happy to say that I am really focused on about three things in my business: my own clients, our Beginner to Booked VA program, and my 1:1 coaching clients. Right now in this season, anything that either doesn’t ADD to furthering the work and mission of those three things isn’t something I have time for. Now, I think that in the future, I will have time to add other projects and businesses in! When the kids are older, there will be plenty of time to do other things I want to do in my business. I would love to speak more on stages, I would love to write a book, I don’t know- there is a lot that I want to do! As a yes girl, it’s hard to say no to things if I am being real! But I trust that it’s just a “not right now” not a no forever, and I don’t see it as a loss but instead as something that I am proud of because I am protecting what is most important to me right now which is spending time with my family and working less.

It made me stronger, but softer all at the same time

There is no shortage of people or content or whatever telling us that motherhood is hard. And it is! It is hard. But here we are, freaking doing it. And that is the “made me stronger” part of this. I feel like I have gone through some of the hardest years of my life since becoming a mom. Now let’s not confuse hard with bad. These years have been the hardest but they have also been the best in so many ways. I literally would not trade any of it and I would do it all over again if I had to. But getting pregnant in 2020, having a tough pregnancy not once, but twice and having to deliver early through induction both times, delivering with COVID restrictions, adjusting to 2 under 2, postpartum depression and anxiety, starting and building a business while being pregnant with a toddler and even now doing it with two toddlers, like this stuff isn’t easy by any means!! Not by a long shot. So a lot of times I think about like okay if I can do THAT, then I can do this.

What felt “hard” before becoming a mom just doesn’t compare anymore, and this isn’t really about comparison but it’s just made me so much stronger in so many ways – mentally, emotionally, even physically if I am being real with you. I can kinda pull myself up by my bootstraps and handle things a little more, ya know?

But on the flip side, it has also made a whole lot softer with both myself and others! And that has made a huge impact on my life and business! I’ve become a better communicator because trying honestly to communicate to a 3-year-old is a lot different than an adult lol. And the grace and patience it requires is different! And I started to wonder how could I translate this same grace and patience into how I was communicating with EVERYONE and it’s led me to ask more questions and assume less, giving people the benefit of the doubt more often than not, being more empathetic, and even just being softer with myself and extending the same grace I extend my kids to me because I deserve that, too. We all do! I am so far from perfect and I still can catch myself being short-tempered or judgemental at times because I am human and I think we can all admit to that, but becoming a mom has humbled me in the biggest and best ways and that has only helped me in my business I think.

“Nothing else matters anymore”

When I had Luke, these were the three words that came out of my mouth. There was this overwhelming feeling that THIS is what is most important, and I will do whatever it takes to give him (and now Jackson too) an incredible life. All the things I used to worry about, or a lot of the fears that used to hold me back, while maybe creeping up here and there – they no longer have the same pull they once had because all that matters at the end of the day, is my family. And everything I do is aligned heavily with “How does this support/benefit/impact my family?” Because the second they laid that little baby on my chest, I just realized there was nothing more important.

Yes, I love the work I get to do and I am really proud of my business. But it’s not my identity like it used to be. It’s not something that consumes me like it used to. In fact, I have found so much more purpose and fulfillment in motherhood than I ever would have found in a career, a business, or an accolade. Being their mom is the greatest gift I have ever been given, and I thank God every single day He chose me to be theirs. I can’t imagine my life any different. And in the same breath, I am so thankful for a business that has provided for our family and has been the reason I can work from home with them! It is such a blessing.

Alright, there we go! How becoming a mom made me a better entrepreneur. One of the things I hope to share through my content is how women can do both – you can be an incredible mom and also love your work and be wildly successful. Contrary to popular belief, your kids don’t have to be the thing that holds you back. Sure, it’s not easy by any means lol. It’s really a freaking hard balancing act! But this balancing act uncovered a potential that I never even knew I had.

And for my boys, if you ever listen read this blog... I hope you know how thankful I am for you. You are the greatest gift, a perfect example of God’s faithfulness, and you have taught me so much already. You are my reason for everything I do, and nothing matters more to me than you grow up happy and healthy, knowing how much me and your dad love you. You make me better, and I love you so much.

Alright, see you next week friends.