To Be or Not to Be a Mompreneur

At the heart of every great mother should be a stable, secure, and strong woman who knows her worth, role, and value. As you can see from the photo above I am a proud mother of six beautiful children ranging in age from three to 20 years old. Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me but I did not want it to be the only thing that happened to me.

In July of 2000, my second son was born and I became a stay-at-home Mother. I loved being with my boys everyday, providing a great home environment, and was glad to leave behind the strenuous nine to five routine. But soon after the birth of my second daughter, I begin to feel guilty at not having the same thrill of being a stay at home Mother.

I had always loved learning and was always greatly intrigued about anything related to business management. In 2003 I received my bachelors and begin to work from home as my husband’s bookkeeper. The objective was to help him save money on payroll expenses but I noticed using my dormant skills brought a spark back into my life. I still fought the voice of guilt from not feeling the greatest title on earth and staying at home with my children was enough for me. I did not want the structured corporate job but I also knew I was capable of more than cooking, cleaning, and changing diapers.

My first entrepreneurial venture was born out of necessity. My marriage was on the rocks, I was suffering from depression, my ex-husband controlled our finances and he was not very good with handling money. So to supplement the little he did give me I started making and selling pies using a family recipe. The ability to budget enough to invest in the ingredients, create the product, market it and receive revenue was such a rush! I wanted more!

Over the last ten years my life has changed drastically. I went through a long divorce, had my youngest daughter, experienced some major health issues, and financial hardships. A major part of my being able to survive these transitions was my decision to unapologetically say YES to being an Entrepreneur. It created the flexibility I needed to care for my children while at the same time providing me with the necessary income to meet their physical needs. During my marriage I suffered greatly from low self-esteem. Being an entrepreneur helped me to gain back my confidence in my own abilities. When I experienced my major health issues and lost my job, I still had a skill set I could put into use to generate income.

The job of mother is a life long commission that can never be compared to anything else we may do in life. But I want women like yourself to know we no longer have to choose between being a boss or being a mother. We no longer have to feel guilty about wanting to pursue our dreams and aspirations in between baking cupcakes and making costumes. You were created as a unique individual with skills, gifts, and talents the world needs. Know your worth! Don’t be afraid to embrace the world that is still available to you beyond dishes, diapers, and dirty laundry.