Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. On any given day, you’re likely feeling like a failure on one side or the other, no matter how many people throw around “Super Mom” or “Boss B*tch” compliments. We’re told that if we “Lean In” or wake up at 5 am, we’ll be so productive that the guilt of being a mompreneur magically disappears – but every mompreneur knows that’s categorically false. Spoiler alert: It’s not that easy.
During the peak of our last business, Beth was navigating the wild teen years with her four kids, while Victoria was juggling five little ones under 8. And trust us – running a rapidly growing business while tackling the daily chaos of our homes (with very different challenges) felt like climbing Everest every single day with no sherpas.
We learned the hard way (and yes, through more than a few tears where we felt completely and utterly defeated) that we had to redefine our vision of the “perfect” mom entrepreneur. Perfection, for us, wasn’t about the picture-perfect Insta moments. It was about showing up for our kids and families when it mattered most – like when your hormonally charged 13-year-old invites you into her room for a quick chat about her day (which, let’s be honest, can be a marathon). Perfection was also simply tackling our “One Hard Thing a Day”, moving us one step closer to a big milestone for the business. In the end, perfection turned out to be the beautiful mess that comes with being both a mother and an entrepreneur.
Well, obviously, we didn’t stumble upon that perfectly well-adjusted (cue the dripping sarcasm) mindset for success overnight. It was more of a slow-and-steady process where we had to build new habits that actually supported this evolved way of thinking.
First, embrace the fact you CANNOT do it all and that it takes a village.
You have heard the saying, behind every successful man is a woman, well the reality is behind every “Super Mom” or “Boss B*tch” is a village, whether its amazing partners, best friends, a stellar HR or Finance person or the supportive investor willing to take the leap with you. You need to know when to “phone a friend” and ask for help. The best leaders (and working moms in our view) know how to delegate and focus on the most important items on the to do list.
Second, define what work life balance means to you as a mompreneur.
Stop reading or listening to any blogs, podcasts or articles that promise to teach you how to achieve work life balance – it doesn’t exist for mompreneurs. What does exist – if you create it – are boundaries, schedules and your non-negotiables. For us, that was always making it home for dinner, even if we got back online after the kids went to bed and worked until midnight. It also meant setting our schedule for the days we were committed to being in the office vs. working from home, blocking time for the things we knew we needed to be at for the kids and making sure we over communicated with each other, our employees and our clients. Truth be told, we broke the rules all the time – because, let’s be real, we’re capitalists at heart. So when a new client opportunity or deliverable popped up, we were the first to dive in. And guess what? Our families survived just fine; thanks to that trusty village we mentioned earlier!
In professional services we were afforded a bit more flexibility if we were proactive with our schedules, and your industry might not have as much give. Even so, defining how, when and where you are able to drive the business forward is the beauty of being a female founder. You control your destiny – both at home and in the office.
Third, accept good enough when you can.
Victoria likes to call this the 75/25 rule. People will call her the dreaded “Super Mom” and her response is always, “I do everything 75%.” Now, her 75% may look different than yours, but the point is, you need to be willing to admit that your kid might get a “B” on their science project or the press release you just sent to the client is good enough to get the job down but not perfect. As our favorite Ice Princess Elsa would say, “Let it Go.”
And last, but certainly not least, know when to disconnect.
Let’s be real – as a mompreneur, you never truly disconnect. But finding ways to clear your mind? That’ll make you a better mom and a strategic leader. Most people talk about unplugging from work, but let’s be honest – it goes both ways. Maybe you just survived winter break (looking at you, Victoria) where “quality time” with the kids almost made you lose it. So, maybe now’s the time to log in those extra hours while the mom guilt takes a breather. On the business side, you never fully sign off when you’re building something, so you have to be intentional about scheduling time – even if it’s just for an hour – to shut down the laptop, put the phone away, and enjoy your very important Real Housewives episode. The point is, just do it – whatever it looks like for you.
We’re both as Type A as they come, and our fear of failure has us pushing nonstop. With business #3, we’re learning from past mistakes and making sure our priorities – personal and professional – hold equal weight. And yes, we hear you – you’re thinking, “Well, you’ve already had your success, so you get to have that flexibility. My [partner, kids, fill in the blank] are counting on me…” We get it. We weren’t always in this position. Victoria still has PTSD from staring at the $0 balance in her retirement account while taking a cash advance on her credit card to make payroll. But here’s what we want you to hear: If you burn out before hitting your vision of success, you’ve already lost. The right mompreneur mindset for the long haul will pay off – for your business and your family.
