How to Balance Business and Motherhood

What to expect when starting a business as a mother—and why it’s the best choice you’ll ever make.

No one gets how much work it is to be a mother until they have a kid. No one understands how much blood and sweat goes into running a business until they launch. And there’s no tried-and-true guide to starting a business at the same time you’re juggling the trials of motherhood. But for some crazy reason, I decided it was a good idea to hop on board the mompreneur train—daycare sold separately. 

Let me tell ya, being a mompreneur is HARD work. You may as well have another child. There are days when you want to pull out one side of your hair while your toddler is happily plucking away at the other side. You’ll have moments where you break down in tears because one logistic turns into two and then eight until you realize that what you thought was a simple task of changing something on your website turns out to be a Russian nesting doll of headaches. 

Sleep might take a back seat to business and babies or rowdy tweens...and partners (if you’re lucky to have one). Sometimes the babysitter will cancel and all your hopes and dreams of a quiet day building your empire will be snatched away with a single phone call.

You’ll have times when you doubt everything you’ve worked so hard for. You’ll tell yourself you’re not good enough for the goals you made. You’ll ask, why am I putting myself through this day in and day out just so I can have a business? 

And then you’ll remember. You do it for your family. You do it for financial freedom. Most importantly, you do it for yourself. You want to wake up every morning excited for the day because no matter how many tantrums and peanut butter stains, you get to choose how you live your life. You’re a boss mama following your passion and teaching your kids to do the same.

While every mom must go through their own process to figure out what works and what doesn’t, I’ve gathered some key tips that will help any aspiring mompreneur survive the stormy waters of a startup and stay afloat after launch. I won’t sugarcoat; it will be hard. But it will also be one of the best decisions you make.

If you’re crazy like me and you want to start your own business, you should first know this: I am SO excited for you. I want you to succeed and feel the fruits of your labor. I want you to see the smiles your passion project ignites on your customer’s or client’s faces. I especially want one of those smiles to be yours. Here are the habits and practices that have kept me sane and motivated while filling both roles of mom and entrepreneur.

Invest In Your Mindset

It’s enough work to navigate daily life without having to deal with a mind that spouts negativity and doubt. When you’re starting a business and have a myriad of tasks on your plate, you want a mind that is patient, self-loving, and has a can-do attitude when ticking off your checkboxes. Taking time out of your day to focus on your state of mind makes mountains of difference.

While there are many different ways to improve your mindset, from the books you read to the boundaries you set, my go-to practice is using affirmations and visualization. Affirmations are little but powerful statements you say to yourself to provide personal encouragement and direct your focus towards your overall goals. Visualization is choosing a scenario in which you picture yourself accomplishing those goals and living your best life. 

Every morning and night, I read affirmations that I’ve written to myself. I find that affirmations with present tense wording and emotional verbiage are incredibly effective in altering my mind space. Here’s one that I use often:

I live in the now. The fruitful and beautiful world is only in the present moment and I refuse to miss out. I allow all guilt, regret, and anxiety to flow through me. I recognize that these feelings exist and allow them to flow past me like a dainty late summer stream. I am here now and I feel at peace, organized, and happy. 

In other words, train your mind to be your own best friend! Who wouldn’t be motivated to accomplish their goals when they have their own personal cheerleader playing motivational highlight reels of future you and telling you how amazing you’re doing?

Prioritize Your Time

Splitting your days into chunks of time and adding edges to your schedule will save your life. My schedule consists of work, play, relaxation, health and exercise, and family. Your schedule will look different from mine, but sectioning off your time into specific categories will boost your mood, confidence, and energy. You will feel like you can rely on yourself and you won’t feel as if you’re giving away too much time to one thing while neglecting other parts of your life. Then, when you have one of those days with a fast-approaching deadline and you have to park your kid in front of a tv or at Grandma’s house, you won’t feel so guilty.

One of the worst emotions that arises for a work-from-home mom is guilt. Guilt because you need to work. Guilt because you need a sitter. It’s one big messy trap. Having a schedule where you have specific times to give the most important aspects of your life your undivided attention--whether it’s filling an order for a client or spending time with your loved ones--keeps you centered, organized, and guilt-free. 

Of course, not everything goes according to plan. Your kid gets sick. Your sitter is busy. But you still have a structure. Even when your plans veer off the rails, you know how to get back on track. It’s all about balance, baby.

Take Rest Days Seriously

Rest days should be non-negotiable. Having days when you can unplug and put your feet up will make you more productive during the days you do have to work. Cuddle with your kids, get out of your house, read a good book in the bath, do something different. I promise you, rested time is not wasted time. I find that for every hour I rest, I get double that in productivity. It’s an investment with massive returns. 

Even if you can’t take a full day to rest, half a day is better than nothing. Burn out is all too common when you’re a mom running a business. Rest allows you to refill your cup when it’s empty and return to your sweet spot. This will keep anxiety at arm's length and give you the upper hand.