Moms Make Strong Entrepreneurs

I may be biased, but I truly believe Moms make AWESOME entrepreneurs! Think about it,  in order to be a successful entrepreneur you need to have some key skills that you coincidentally develop being a mom.

Let’s start with the most obvious, PASSION. I can remember the moment I first heard my child’s heartbeat, I was almost instantly filled with an overwhelming passion for this little being I hadn’t even met yet. I would do anything to make sure that my baby would and could thrive in life. Now translate that into the spirit of entrepreneurship. The passion we feel when we look at our children is the same type of passion that should fuel our hunger for success. We want to do whatever we can to make sure our business ventures survive and thrive.

The next skill we develop as mothers is COMMUNICATION. This one is a skill that is constantly being developed as the years go on and our children grow up. The way you communicate with a toddler is not the same way you communicate with a teenager (although it might be how you communicate to certain adults throughout your career, am I right?). In each stage of your business, you have to evolve as things will constantly change especially during the start-up phase. As parents, we’re constantly shifting and learning how to communicate and how to be the best parent and that is needed when being a business owner. 

SELF-DISCIPLINE is another entrepreneurial attribute that we naturally have as moms. The self-discipline to wake up in time to get the kids dressed and ready for school, to get them to their sports events on time, to not just curl up when all we want to do is cry ourselves to sleep or get an extra hour of sleep. We as moms have the self-discipline to keep going even when things are tough and our children think that they hate us. 

PROBLEM-SOLVING abilities and CREATIVE THINKING really go hand-in-hand. I mean, how many arguments between our children have we had to quell by thinking out of the box? 

I think one of the hardest skills to learn as a mom is the WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN AND LEARN. I remember growing up being told “mother knows best,” and the truth is we do not always know best. It's a skill I am so glad I learned though. Empowering my children with their voice and showing them I can listen and learn has saved us from various power struggles and has made our relationships stronger. Likewise in business, showing your willingness to listen, learn, and adapt results is powerful. It’s important to surround yourself with a team that challenges you and encourages you to learn. 

PERSISTENCE is one I learned dealing with toddlers. How many ways can we cook broccoli before they decide to finally try it? 

GREAT PEOPLE SKILLS ties together most of these previous skill sets Communication, problem-solving, and active listening BUT it also incorporates flexibility, empathy, good judgment... All things we develop through motherhood. 

Entrepreneurship 101 is focused around a mindset of POSITIVITY AND GROWTH. For anything to flourish and see success, it has to be surrounded by positivity. This is a skill set that has to be practiced DAILY, especially in the sphere of motherhood.  PPD, temper tantrums, and teenage angst all work against our positive mindsets, but we are stronger than those difficult days. I make it a daily effort to start my day off with positivity and prayer to ensure that this skill set is always sharpened. That is NOT to say that I don’t struggle with this. I think that this is an area that will always need work, but I try my best to keep focused on the things that bring me joy and will help me and my children grow.  

The final skill I want to mention is that of a RISK TAKER. Now you may not think of yourself as being a risk-taker in your parenting, in fact, you probably try to avoid certain scenarios because of the risks they present. I am here to put into perspective how being a mom has made you a risk-taker. Becoming a mom in the first place was a risk! Is it not true that there is an emotional risk involved in loving and taking on the responsibility of keeping a tiny fragile human alive? Not even just the emotional risk, there is a physical risk in giving birth to these precious children. Now, speaking from my own experience I also am the mother who will do ANYTHING to protect her children. Being that protection for them is also taking a risk. You, Mama, are a risk-taker, and a bad a** one at that... 

Mic Drop RIGHT? :-) If anyone is ready and STRONG enough to possess the entrepreneurial spirit it’s us!

Hats off to moms for all the things they do and the skills they have to develop and constantly sharpen to be able to be a leader and to develop leaders within their family.

Balancing Multiple Hats

Written by Deana La Rosa

Mom, CEO, Best Selling Author

👒👑🧢🎩

I have always been asked, How do you do it?  How can you do it? And sometimes, WHY do you do it? One thing I have learned is time can work for us or against us. We can choose to manage it OR allow it to manage us. I have always felt the need to grow and learn constantly. As a new mom, I wanted to know what other moms were doing so I could decide what I liked and what I wanted to stay away from in order to ensure I was being the mom I intended to be. There are several aspects that I took from my own mother where great memories were formed, ones that built me up. On the other hand, there were things that I feel did not serve my self esteem well as a child, and I made the point of not repeating those behaviors. The same applies for all the bosses and managers I have had over the years. I took what I learned and implemented what I thought motivated me and helped me grow, and then I vowed to not do the things I felt held me down, took away my drive and passion, or created an emptiness at work. 

To come back around to the questions, I spent many years watching, listening, and pivoting my way of life to be the best wife, mother, leader and woman.  As I write this today, I know I have a lot more to learn and a lot more to grow (even after being a mom for the past 19 years!). That said, I do feel accomplished and have overcome so much and have left a positive impact on my family and my past and present team members. 

A few ways that you can have it all, (I do not like the word balance when used in this format), is to know what your priorities are (family, work, etc.) and how to keep them as priorities. Schedule it, plan it and stick to it.  Take your time to find what drives you, what inspires you, what the impact is that you want to make, and then the HOW will come. Then use the same principle to plan it, schedule it and stick to making progress each and every day. Try to include your family into the process to make it fun and help them understand what you do, how you do it, and why it is important.

Plan out your schedule as far in advance as possible, have it laid out for the family or create a family calendar so everyone has access to it. This will help your spouse know when you have a meeting and he/she need to pick up the kids, cook dinner, do the bedtime routine, etc. It’s best to have this written down. 

Ask for all family members to share up front and in advance all sports, school or outside events so you can plan around them. NOTE: Give yourself grace when something cannot be changed. It is okay if it does not work 100% of the time. I always say, “Aim for excellence and not perfection.” Plan at least 2 weeks of uninterrupted FAMILY time each year. Plan out date nights with your spouse (YES IT IS OK TO PLAN IT AND SCHEDULE IT). Plan out one-on-one time with each of your kids to LISTEN, SHARE and just BE! If a weekly dinner is impossible due to sports, school or conflict in family schedules, plan a dinner for the next week where you are all able to be at one table together.

Ensure that you set aside time each day to work on your plan, and to work for your business. I am most efficient, productive, and fulfilled when I schedule my mornings and nights to get enough sleep, BUT work around my kids. This could mean I wake up at 4 or 5am in order to feel accomplished knowing that I pushed forward toward my work goals, and to be focused and present when my kids wake up to pour into them the attention and motherly affection they need.

Remember that when you are having that one-on-one time or that quality time home PUT AWAY YOUR PHONE... It will distract you and result in you not listening, not being present, and the family will resent it. If you can’t be present, then be honest! DON'T try and do a half-ass job. 

It will be trial and error, so be open to tweeking it and talking as a family to discover what is working and what just isn’t. Don’t take feedback personally, just adjust as needed.  YOU CAN DO IT ALL and HAVE THE FAMILY LIFE you deserve with a CAREER that is fulfilling and impactful.

With all of the above, DO NOT FORGET to schedule in time for YOU!  ME time is key to being in the moment, at peace, and in a state of gratitude that all who surround you will see. It also keeps you healthy and happy in order to be all you are to all around you. 

Life is about the journey NOT just the destination!

Finding Inspiration from Other Mommas

On any journey it always helps to have someone to look up to, to mirror, or to find inspiration from. At times, you need more than one person to draw inspiration from to discover what most resembles the path you want to take. As mothers on this journey, we start to ask ourselves questions and revisit our childhood. What were those qualities that made me love and respect my mom? I took a deep look inside and back to my childhood to what I wanted my children to say and feel about me. That is when I had the ah-ha moment about my mom's love and dedication.

I took this part of my mother's dedication to her children and I adapted it. I took away from my upbringing how important my mom’s role was in our family to care, and nurture, and to be fully present. But, one aspect I vowed to never emulate is to be reliant on my husband or anyone else for my finances or choices for my life path. I remember asking myself just days before getting married: Is that even possible? Is that truly what God wants? Can I be a great mom while also having my own career and being self-sufficient? When you begin asking yourself these questions you start to look for other people with a passion for their family and with a vision for something more. No one wants to feel alone on their journey. When you are able to see other moms with the same mindset, who are achieving their goals, it sparks HOPE that, “YES it is possible to have it all!”   

However, being a working mom (no matter how dedicated to your family) is often a double-edged sword. You will get the people who say that it is selfish and then you will get the people who have blazed the path before you and say do it all (but with help!). Listen to others and gather the information while remembering to be open-minded and open-hearted, BUT most importantly do what works for you and your family. Every woman and every family is unique and what works for one will NOT always work for another. Figure out what works for you and yours and create that charged life. 

I wanted to share with you a few Mom-trepreneurs that inspire me and who leave a positive impact on others’ lives.

Jessica Alba - Actress, Founder of the Honest Company, Mom to 3

Vani Hari Food Babe –  Co-Founder of Truvani NY times best selling author of “The Food Babe Way” & “Feeding you Lies”

Shanda Sumpter - Founder Heartcore Business - Author of “Core Calling”

7 Things Moms Need for a Healthy Work/Life Balance

1. Morning Routine with quiet time blocks – Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

   • Wake up an hour before your kids so you can workout, read, pray, meditate, eat and/or plan your day

2. Calendar Plan with Time Blocking – A planned day is a peaceful day

   • Color code your calendar with FAMILY time, WORK meetings/calls, ME time and BLOCKS for just empty space (things come up or maybe you can just sit, breathe and gain clarity). Finding this time can be difficult but it’s ESSENTIAL and will help increase your productivity for the rest of the day. 

1. Prioritize – Decide what is most important for you to accomplish that day and take one task at a time 

   • If you try to do it all at the same time each project will only be partially completed

2. Team – It takes a village... Have back up! DON’T TRY TO DO IT ALL!

   • Have your Team on call for when you need backup for kids, house, and/or work

     • Babysitter

     • Housekeeper

     • Assistant

   • Utilize apps (grocery delivery, dry cleaning, courier services, etc.) when you need things to come to you and your time is more valuable than waiting in line

3. Give yourself Grace – Don’t aim for Perfection, aim for excellence with Grace included 

   • Not everything will always go as planned

   • Release, Let go and Move on - don’t obsess over things you can’t control

   • Best learning comes from mishaps

   • Tweaking is always needed so go with the flow when you have no other choice

4. Self Love – Some R & R 

   • Mani/Pedi

   • Massage

   • Meditate

   • Pray

   • Book club

   • Exercise

   • Girl time

5. Have an outlet  (Hint: A good listener) – BFF/soul sister

   Release and be heard when needed with a confidant and good listener because when you release your thoughts or frustrations you relief stress

   • Who will you call or meet with when you’re frustrated and you just want to give up?

   Have someone who provides advice you trust and respect - This could be the same person as your confidant or someone different

Written by Deana La Rosa

Mom to 4, Step-Mom to 1, Dog Mom to 4

Author of Blended Families: A Roadmap For Success

IG: @DeanaLaRosa

IG: @MotherandCEO

A Letter to You Working Moms

Dear Me, 

I’ve been thinking… 

I’ve always dreamt of being the mom who makes cupcakes for the class, the one who hands out orange slices and mini water bottles for the soccer team at halftime, and the mom who is there for all of the award ceremonies-- even if it means showing up seconds before they begin.  

But I also want to be the working mom, the mom whose kids are proud of what she does when they’re busy learning. And that my daughters know that they can have both a family and a career if they so wish, and that choice is theirs to make. 

These are the questions I’ve been asking myself…  

Will I sometimes fall short of the expectations I set for myself? Highly likely. 

Will I show up to work sometimes with ___’s spit up on my blouse? Probably. 

Will I have to reschedule a work meeting to pick up __ or __ from school when the nurse calls and they have pink eye? Yes. 

Will I sometimes need back up (i.e. babysitter, family member, neighbor, etc.)? Most definitely. 

Will I have to make difficult decisions? Absolutely. 

Will it all be worth it? Every. Friggin. Day. 

Love, 

Your Biggest Supporter

P.S. You’re killing it! 

Written by Deana La Rosa

Author of Blended Families: A Roadmap For Success

IG: @DeanaLaRosa

IG: @MotherandCEO