A Salute to Momtrepreneurs
There are as many different kinds of mom’s out there as there are individuals. We all have different parenting styles, different goals and different ways of celebrating our children and ourselves. The one thing we all have in common, no matter our ideas on parenting, is that we’re moms.
And we’re exhausted.
When I first became a mom, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer amount of sleeplessness that comes with a first child, but the most surprising thing about motherhood was the complete and sudden identity change.
At first, I felt like I had lost a piece of myself, by becoming this new person I divorced myself slightly from the old. In the beginning, I felt selfish for feeling this way, and I don’t think I’m alone in this.
As moms, we face unique challenges when it comes to pursuing our professional ambitions. There is a balance that we all have to maintain and we all have to find our way of managing it. Just as we all have different parenting styles so, too, do we have different methods for regaining and hanging onto that piece of ourselves that defined us before children.
For me, it’s freelancing.
Starting My Own Business
I started my freelance graphic design business five years ago and though it has been difficult to maintain at times, it’s made all the difference. At first, I felt like I must be the only woman on the planet who would actually want to struggle to meet deadlines while dealing with teething and tantrums—but fast forward to today, I realize that is far from the truth. There are moms who work from home all over our community: starting businesses, serving on boards, striving to make positive impacts and creating something new.
I am proud to be part of this incredible group of women.
My Fellow WAHMs
Within my personal friend group, I know photographers, event planners, business owners, web designers, jewelry designers, copywriters, artists and accountants who work for themselves. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
We’re the ones with the laptops out in the pediatrician’s waiting room, answering emails in the grocery line, taking conference calls at the park. We work in the morning before our family wakes up, we’re at our desks long after our sleepy littles have finally gone to bed. Why do we surrender our precious free time to build our businesses?
Because it’s what we’re passionate about.
As we build our families, we also want to build a better community for them, because without this outlet —we’re afraid of losing that little piece of our old selves.
There are moms who work, moms who stay home, moms who work from home. We are all managing an unbelievable amount of tasks around the clock. Whether you’re managing a career, a household, or both—you’re a Superwoman.
As the entrepreneurial movement grows, so does our opportunity to grow with it. I am excited to see so many women seizing the moment. It’s not easy to be a mom, and it’s not easy to be a momtrepreneur. It really does take a village and I hope that all of my fellow WAHMs (Work At Home Moms) out there have access to the same kind of tremendous and supportive community of like-minded women that I have found.
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