This one goes out to the work-at-home mom and the mompreneur out there. I have a serious question. How do you successfully parent and do business? I know they say it’s not about “balance”, but all about “juggling”. But even Oprah said that if she had children, she wouldn’t be able to do both jobs [parenting and Oprah-ing] equally good. Do you agree? I was reading a book earlier today that shared the story of a rich successful man who kept telling himself that all the hours he committed to work was “for the kids”. So that they could a lavish lifestyle. But it all his success came at the cost of his kids barely seeing him, and dare I add, barely knowing him.
I did a stint as a work-at-home-mom and I was doing the blogging thing and I was also part of a Multi-level Marketing/Network Marketing business. I’ve seen with my very own eyes the fruit of what that labor can yield. Most say that it’s a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain of not just financial freedom, but TIME-freedom. And for the lucky, it really is just that. Maybe I shouldn’t say lucky, but those who wholeheartedly dedicate themselves. What I remember though is being in front of the computer A LOT, on my phone plugged into webinars, and I found myself never 100% present as a mom or as a mompreneur. For me personally, going back to a 9-5 was what I needed to have a distinct separation of mom < > mompreneur.
Another revelation I had is that however much I said I’m done trying to be a mompreneur (mostly because I felt I hadn’t earned the title with little to no income to show for it LOL), I couldn’t NOT engage in a side hustle activity. Here’s another question for you, what makes a mompreneur a mompreneur? I haven’t (yet) filed any tax or proprietor paperwork for my “brand”. And in Canada, until I earn a certain amount of income from said brand, I don’t need to. However, does that make me a wannabe-preneur?
Back to my original question of simultaneously parenting while running a business. I found that for me, the children either need to be in bed, at school/daycare or away in some fashion for me to not do either any injustice. I know women are known to be excellent multi-taskers, but studies actually show that multitasking lessens productivity. So I gave up having one earplug listening to predecessors dropping gems while also “engaging” with my young ones. It didn’t work for me, and I’d end up having to re-listen to really get any value out of it. Same goes for blogging. I can’t concentrate and it just takes longer.
Social media makes being a mompreneur look easy breezy beautiful, but the truth of the matter is, it’s hard, rough, and often ugly. And this is where your village steps in. The word “mompreneur” can come off as though you’re the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. you do it all and can have it all. But the truth is if you don’t have the support you’re either gonna collapse or your business will. Obviously, we want neither, which is why I want us to get real about what it truly takes to be a successful mompreneur.
What is your number one mompreneur advice?
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