How Motherhood Made Me a Better Business Owner
I get the question “what has helped you become a successful business owner?”. There are a variety of things that have shaped me. There is one that stands out as a front runner. That is motherhood. Of course, my education, certifications, mentors, and prior work experience helps. But very valuable lessons have come from being mother first.
Motherhood is a masterclass in leadership, negotiation, strategy, and resilience. Often which you have no choice but to figure out as there is a tiny person depending on you for their life needs. As a mom, I navigate big emotions, problem solving, unexpected fire drills, balancing priorities, and having to think ten steps ahead all waking hours of the day.
Sound familiar? It’s what running a business requires too.
Here’s how the lessons from motherhood show up in my business:
1. Prioritizing What Matters Most
My time and energy have always been precious. It is 10-fold more precious in motherhood. Time and energy are resources I don’t get back once they are spent. I better use them well. I get one shot at making my son feel heard, supported, and loved. I learned to ruthlessly prioritize and distinguish between what’s urgent, what’s important, and what can wait. I have put up boundaries to ensure that the time I spend with my son is uninterrupted.
I do this every day in business. The same ruthless prioritization mindset helps me focus on the most important first. I get a clear picture of what needs to be done to move the business forward and ground myself in foundational excellence. This mindset in business helps me stay focused on high impact needs instead of getting buried in the minutia.
2. Flexibility and Grace Under Pressure
Toddlers don’t care about if their big feelings come at inopportune times. Plans change on a dime. It is a lot of adjusting and adapting in real time. Toddlers can be very unpredictable. I would go insane if I did not learn to roll with it.
Motherhood teaches me every day to adapt quickly, assess in the second, release rigidity, and to find grace in the chaos. The truth is we can’t predict the future or the exact path something will take. We can do our best to give an estimate, but it is still an estimate. Business is no different. Markets shift, client needs evolve, hiccups happen, technology breaks, and some days everything feels like it is exploding. Graceful flexibility is the superpower that keeps everything moving forward.
3. Empathy-Driven Leadership
I have always been empathetic by nature. That is the astrological Cancer sign in me. Motherhood has deepened my capacity for empathy and understanding to levels I did not know existed. I have learned to really listen and to hear what is being said. I can’t simply jump into reactive or “fix it” mode if I want to make an impact. It is a practice of hearing first and acting second.
Empathy and listening helps me connect better with my team, my clients, and my audience in the business world. It’s not just about delivering a service. It is about understanding I work with humans first and building trust with them.
4. Creative Problem-Solving
As a mom, I have become an expert at finding solutions on the fly. I have forgotten bottles while traveling. I’ve calmed the waters of a meltdown mode toddler in public. I have had to pull magic out when trying to entertain a baby at a restaurant before he starts screaming bloody murder. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t have to get creative about something.
Creative thinking and being open to new ways of problem solving is imperative in business. I need to find a way to turn a challenge into opportunity or at the very least a positive move forward. It has taken me out of black and white thinking. There are numerous ways to accomplish a goal and I need to be open to them.
5. Patience, Patience, PATIENCE
I became a mom for life when I became a mom. It is truly a marathon effort. The results are not always immediate, which can feel frustrating. I have found the hard moments where it feels like I have explained something for the 853rd time and it still is not yielding any results. The “do it myself” era of toddlerhood is not for the faint of heart.
That patience and long-term vision are critical in business too. You will not blow every launch out of the water. Not every idea will come to fruition. Your first iteration of something is often not the last. Success comes from staying the course, staying flexible, adapting, and being willing to see the long-term vision.
I have always been a businesswoman, but motherhood has certainly made me better at it. I have sharpened my leadership skills, become more resilient, and learned to show up as I want to be. Do I get it right every single day? No. I am a human being. It is my willingness to keep learning and keep trying that keeps pushing things along.
