As a mompreneur, how do you see yourself? Do you view yourself primarily as an at-home mom who also works from home? Or, do you see yourself as a mom who works at home because you feel passionate about being there for your kids and equally passionate about running your own business? I ask these questions because, the other day, I heard one woman tell another, “Well, you don’t know what it’s like to be a working mom; you work from home.” This same mom then went on to say, “If I worked from home, I could do everything I want to do. I could scrapbook my son’s baby pictures, keep the house clean, and get more than Taco Bell on the dinner table. Please.” That’s what I say. Please. This woman’s comments really got me thinking about how I see myself, and how other mompreneurs might see themselves.
It’s easy to think that everybody else has it easier than we do. I t’s true I don’t work for someone else’s company outside my home. But I am a working mom. Oops. Do I sound defensive? Probably. I honor all moms. Stay at home moms work. Work outside the home moms work. Work at home moms work. All moms work. How we work looks different based on our circumstances.
I think as mompreneurs we need to acknowledge that we are in a very unique category, and with that comes unique needs and challenges. Yes, we work from home, and that enables us to do some pretty cool things that work-outside-the-home moms might find more challenging: put dinner in the crockpot, throw a load of clothes in the wash, read our child a story or help her with homework, write a blog post, talk to a client, lead a teleseminar. Still, because we work from home, we can be pulled in several different directions. We can be painfully aware of our children or husband needing us (and don’t forget the dog), while we are busily working away on our businesses. We are constantly being called to be intentional with our time and our boundaries in ways that differ from other moms. It doesn’t make us better or worse. It just makes us different.
As mompreneurs we need a tribe of people who “get” us. We are trailblazing a new path in motherhood, which is both exciting and overwhelming. Because of this, we need support that is tailored to our unique situations. Our tribe can consist of other mompreneurs (both as friends and business partners), life and business coaches, virtual assistants, etc. The key is to surround ourselves with people with whom we resonate and who support us. Sometimes these relationships will be reciprocal (as in friendships or business partnerships). Other times, they might be others we pay to provide a service that makes our life easier (such as a virtual assistant or a housecleaner). I think it’s important to have both kinds of relationships so we can build our tribe of support. I’ll admit that one of the reasons I love hangin’ with other mompreneurs is that we “get” each other on a fundamental level. We understand the desire to work for ourselves, to have a flexible schedule so we can be there for our kids, to leave our mark on the world as a mother and as an entrepreneur. All moms deserve their own tribe.
Who’s in your tribe?
Straight off, let me apologize to any mompreneurs out there who are rocket scientists (and you know who you are). I don’t have anything against rockets or scientists. Rather, I just want to say, “Hey, Moms! I know we’re busy, so making ourselves a priority can feel weird. Or just plain guilt-producing. But let’s not make this harder than it has to be, okay?” And for the record, I’m wagging my finger at myself here, too.
“C’mon, Mom—let’s GO! I want to GO somewhere!” I hear this phrase every day from my youngest child who’s seven. As an extrovert, she gets her energy from being around people, and the people in her house don’t always cut it it! She’s been wired this way from birth. I could see her try to meet others’ eyes, even as a tiny baby. She smiled and laughed in an effort to engage others around her. You could just see her searching for ways to connect with others.