“If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?”
That’s one of my favorite questions to ask my mom built business clients during a Brand Boost because it’s so revealing of their true passions in life.
There were definitely times at the beginning of my business when I looked at it as just a way to make money. Working with men looking to grow their “empire” was not something that filled me up. If we suddenly came into a small fortune and didn’t need to my income anymore, I could have easily walked away from my business.
But one chance interaction with a new mom changed everything for me. As my friend tearfully poured out her heart about how hard it was to choose between being with her baby and helping provide for her baby, I found my passion – helping moms launch and build businesses online.
Mom built businesses like yours and mine are changing the world, one family at a time.
My great-grandmother taught in a one room school house around the turn of the century. Going through her teacher’s book as a child, I remember thinking how incredible of a woman she must have been to teach so many kids at so many different levels by herself… from one book.
I’m sure she could have been a force to be reckoned with if only she had been born a century later. Instead, she traded her passion and profession for a life as a stay-at-home wife and mother.
Part of me really respects her willingness to walk away from the job that she loved in order to take care of her family. But then there’s this other part of me that is so frustrated with her for quitting!
Aren’t you glad that her decision is not our destiny? We don’t have to choose.
In fact, every day moms like you and me can decide to do both. We get to take care of our families WHILE pursuing our passions and careers.
Is it easy? No, not at all.
In fact, some days we might even think balancing business and family is more than we can handle. But if the alternative is walking away from one of them, isn’t sticking it out worth it?
Let’s take a minute and remember all of the good that our businesses bring into our lives.
Mom built businesses build confidence
I don’t know about you, but I am not the same person I was when I started my business. In fact, that 30 year old wall flower is hardly recognizable to me 8 years later.
One of the hardest parts of parenting is constantly being reminded of how much you don’t know. Every new phase you child goes through is a whole new learning experience for you. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, along comes another kid who is completely different in every way.
But the foundations of your business won’t change. In fact, you’ll just continue to grow in your knowledge and expertise the longer you’re in business. And then one day you’ll find yourself doing things you never thought were possible, with more confidence in yourself than you ever thought you was possible.
That confidence spills over into every other area of your life. It makes you a better mom, a better partner, a better friend, and a better overall member of society. It changes how you see yourself and what you believe is possible.
How you see yourself is the mirror to which your kids see themselves.
As you become more confident in yourself, your kids become more confident in themselves.
See the ripple effect of your business? You aren’t just changing yourself; you’re impacting the next generation to go into the world with the confidence to accomplish for their own dreams.
Mom built businesses open up new opportunities
Let’s be clear here for a second… you’re in business to make money, right? This isn’t a charity, it’s a business.
For women who want to stay home with their kids, the harsh reality is living on a single income can be extremely stressful. And yet women working a full time job often discover that the freedom and flexibility to spend more time with their kids is often not possible.
Enter option three: mom built businesses.
See behind door number three is the best of both worlds. It’s the second income that most families really need, while still providing the freedom and flexibility that most moms want. Your business really can open up a whole new world of opportunities to you and your family.
Suddenly your kids’ dreams of being in karate or gymnastics or music are a possibility. These things aren’t just nice “extras” in life; they’re your kids pursuing their own interests and passions while they’re young to have time to try things out. Your business is giving your kids the opportunity to chase their dreams as you chase your own.
Mom built businesses show the next generation what’s possible
I grew up in an entrepreneur’s home, sitting around the dinner table listening to conversations about business almost every night. I didn’t realize it then, but those moments that bored me as a kid also shaped the lens through which I see the world.
When my friends were tearfully going back to work just mere weeks after having babies, I was wondering why they didn’t see that they had a choice. And it’s all because my dinner conversations as a kid were totally different than theirs!
Small businesses are the heart and soul of America, but being a business owner is an unrealistic pipe dream for so many people because they’ve never seen anyone model what’s possible to them.
Yet every day our kids get to see first hand what’s possible. They get to see their moms choosing to prioritize their families AND their careers.
Our kids get to witness what it’s like to have parents who have the flexibility to take care of them when they’re sick without having to risk their job taking yet another sick day. They get to hear parents dream about their futures without the limitations of salaries.
Your business is not just about the money you’re making; it’s about the life you’re creating for your family and the next generation. It’s about raising confident kids and opening up a world of opportunities and possibilities for the next generation. Imagine what a generation can do when they aren’t limited!
So even on your hardest of days, trying to balance it all, remember that your business IS changing the world, one family at a time.
