“The traditional definition of a ‘stay-at-home’ mom, an old school homemaker, is long gone…and in today's economy, where so many of us are piecing together side hustles and various freelance opportunities to stay afloat, it turns out that staying at home has become a gig all on its own.” - Laura Vanderkam
According to a study done by redbookmag.com, 62% of the self-identified “stay-at-home” moms surveyed indicate they contribute to the household income, 34% work an average of 4.5 hours a day and 25% run a business from home. “Stay-at-home” moms aren’t just caring for their kids they’re caretaking and working! So what do you get when you have a “stay-at-home” mom that spends a good portion of her day working? A mompreneur.
Here are a few quotes from successful mompreneurs as they reflect on why they love their role:
"I love that I can set my own schedule, even though it's a crazy one. Some days look more traditional, 9-to-5-ish, and others flip-flop all day between work and personal responsibilities. The flexibility of being a mompreneur helps me to be both a better professional and a better mom." – Allison O'Kelly, founder and CEO, Mom Corps
"The best thing about being a mompreneur is the message I'm sending to my two daughters. I don't buy the dichotomy of motherhood and business success, and hope they won't either. If you can't 'have it all' under someone else's rules, create your own rules and pave your own way." – Stephanie Winans, COO, Bundoo
"I get to be boss lady/creator/innovator by day, and mommy all the time. I have a different purpose now, and being a mom has changed the way I look at everything. Plus, having a toddler tugging on my leg while I bounce a baby in one arm and type on my phone in the other makes life more interesting — and fun!" – Leila Lewis, CEO, Be Inspired PR
But despite all this evidence from successful mompreneurs, something holds many of us back from pursuing this desired life…fear. Fear of the financial implications, fear of losing all security, fear of the unknown, etc....
There is a good reason for this. Science shows that our brains want loose ends to be tied up and questions to be answered otherwise we begin to feel anxious and fearful. And because there are just too many unanswered questions that make us uncomfortable and bring about immense fear, many of us will never take a leap out of full-time work to be a mompreneur, even if we desperately want to.
In and effort to relieve the fear, over the next 5 blog posts, I will answer the top questions moms wrestle with when considering a life as a mompreneur. I believe you can have the life you want as a mom and a working parent.
In preparation for the upcoming posts, I encourage you to spend some time pondering the following two questions:
- If you didn’t have to consider the financial implications, what would you do with your time?
- What other fears do you think are holding you back from pursuing these dreams?
Keep your heart and mind open to all possibilities as you dream about life and all that it could be. Believing it is possible is the first step to making it a reality.
