Juggling Motherhood and Running a Company

“Being a mom gives you superpowers for doing stuff you don’t want to do.” Solly Baby founder Elle Rowley

Jennifer is a mother of a three-year-old and also manages a company that is into the travel and tourism industry. Her husband has a job that demands a lot of traveling and he is often out of the station. That puts Jennifer in command of her domestic front, but she also understands very well that the dual responsibility of handling the professional and personal fronts is not too easy. But as mompreneurs always do the right things right: the role of a juggler made Jennifer learn from her situation and after mastering the skill, she taught the same to other women in similar positions but with lesser experience. 

The idea of managing kid(s) and work together is not as easy as it is often projected in fairy tales or electronic screens. Since both responsibilities are heavy and demand perfect execution, there is not much scope for errors. Doubts can arise frequently in one’s mind and confidence can take a hit. But with experience and a positive attitude, the challenges can be overcome and there can be a situation where the roles of motherhood and entrepreneurship can prove to be complementary instead of conflicting. 

Here are some tips for mothers and mompreneurs who can help them to conquer the skills of a juggler while managing both duties: 

1. It’s not that you have to put yourself under pressure just because there are many responsibilities: 

To become a juggler doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be under all sorts of pressure that could eventually derail you. It is also good to know that you do not know all the answers to questions that you have in front of you. That makes you more flexible towards challenging situations and makes you put that much extra effort to find ways through them. In this way, you can actually discover solutions that you would not have otherwise imagined. Feel free when you go about a difficult task like juggling between motherhood and entrepreneurship. Fortune favors the brave.  

2. Treasure the small achievements that you have and note down the failures: 

This is a very important realistic step that you need to take as a mompreneur. There is no simple and easy formula of success in a role that demands a balance. There will be moments of success and disappointments and you need to make note of both so that you learn from both. If you notice that on a day, you did manage the role of a mother and businesswoman perfectly, give yourself a small reward so that you can aspire to replicate the success again for another day. Similarly, if there is a moment that you felt could not bring out the best in you, do not feel dejected. Note down the situation where you could not do things as you would have liked to do and prepare yourself for another such situation. This two-pronged approach will bring in you the required transformation.  

3. Try to build a support system: 

This is all about man-management and picking the right person for the right job. A juggler’s job can be tiring and even can lead to burnout if continued over a long period of time. There could also be instances where you will fall ill, and the lack of a support system can destroy your routine at those times. So, it is always better to plan out ways in which you can set up another support for your dual ventures -- at home and office. You can plan with your partner to make an arrangement whereby there will be hands to take care of your kid(s). It can be your parents or any relatives or a babysitter. At the office, too, you can have a team of capable people who can run the show to lessen your burden. Less pressure will enable you to enjoy both your roles more, despite being a juggler. Even if you feel vulnerable, there is no reason to worry as Dr. Brene Brown says: “Being vulnerable is powerful”.  

4. Remain present, always: 

It can be more than tiring to go through the daily chores but there lies the power of a mompreneur. To show up every single day without a fail and give it the best possible shot makes you a better juggler through practice. This unfailing attitude also helps you grow as a leader who persists and lasts the distance. It is not important how much time you have put in but the quality you have shown all the time you were there. The combination of the heart and the will creates the commitment that makes one a perfect manager of many roles in life -- mompreneurship being one of them.   

5. Make time for yourself, recharge: 

This is a very, very important task to accomplish if you want to be a great juggler of two roles. If you are constantly running between the two roles from sunrise to sunset, you have every reason to get exhausted -- mentally and physically. To keep yourself fit for a long run in the crucial roles of a mother and entrepreneur, you thus also need to relax and attend to yourself. That could be getting away from both roles for some time and recharging your mind; spending quality time with a friend who also plays the dual role of a mother and businesswoman. Solve a crossword puzzle, read a good book or listen to soothing music. This will make you believe that you are also a normal human being who has the right to enjoy her own life amid all the busy commitments.  

6. Have right priorities: 

As a mompreneur, having the right priorities is also key. As reality TV personality Kim Kardashian says: “It is an adjustment trying to balance a career and motherhood for sure, but the key is to prioritize. You become more selective and work on projects that are so meaningful because you want every other waking moment spent with your family. You have to remember, though, to make time for yourself." These words definitely carry weight.    Doing the more important projects and not getting involved in all and sundry at work will give you that much extra time to spend with your family and kid.