I mean, let’s be honest. You know our answer to this is “yes.” Obviously we believe women can be moms and CEOs. 

We also know that it darn sure isn’t easy.

We know the doubt. The double standards. The undeniable push and pull. 

Is it fulfilling? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. Do you sometimes feel like you’re failing times two? Yes.

So let’s talk about it!

 

New Business or New Baby

 

Depending on where you’re at in life and business there will be one that usually comes before the other. (Unless you’re totally crazy and launching a business while pregnant, ha! Rock on girl.)

If you have an established business and a baby on the way, you’re going to feel very nervous about how things will change. Will you be able to keep up? Will you be able to fit in working hours between feedings?

On the other hand, if you’ve been a mom and your business is starting to take off, you could be concerned about how far you’ll be able to run with this before you’re tapped out.

Whichever comes first though, the advice is the same: trust yourself to do the thing you’ve been doing. Give yourself room to grow in what’s new. 

I think too often CEO moms are afraid they can’t “do both.” But the truth is, you already know how to do one of the things. You’ve already been succeeding. So your skills in the area you’ve been living in aren’t suddenly going to slip away. In fact, your first skill set is the one with the most flexibility. 

Trust you won’t suddenly lose your built-in abilities even if they change and look different. 

 

The Feeling of the Double Fail

 

This feels like an extremely important aspect to cover. Because we think it’s safe to say that EVERY mompreneur has had the feeling like they are doing two things terribly instead of two things admirably.

Running a business and raising kids (no matter how you’re managing that balance) can frequently feel like robbing Peter to pay Paul. If you have your kids watched so you can work, there’s guilt. If you let the TV run for hours while you are on your laptop, there’s despair. If you ignore your emails for a few hours for kid time, there’s panic. If you are late for a video conference because your baby wouldn’t go down, there’s anxiety. 

The unfortunate truth of being a business owner and a parent is that sometimes you’re going to feel like you’re doing neither well. And there’s no escaping those occasions. It is a hard balancing act and the scales will not always tilt in your favor. 

That being said, remember that succeeding at both is not the same thing as giving perfectly to each aspect 50/50.

There are some days where you will be able to rock your work while someone else cares for your kids. That’s ok!

There will be some days where you put an autoresponder on your email to get back to inquiries soon while you play around the pool. That’s okay too!

And there will be a lot of days that will be a hodgepodge of both. Some that feel like you’re killing it. Some that feel like they’ve killed you. Plan for what you can and forgive yourself for the unexpected mishaps. 

 

These Things Will Happen

 

Now if you haven’t quite crossed the threshold where you are all-in on business and kids, we wanted to take a minute to tell you the things that will certainly happen so that when they do, you know you’re not alone.

  1. You will have days where you want to quit. Both jobs. 
  2. There will be times when you get a big work win, and still have to change a diaper/do smelly teenage laundry/scrub rotten milk out of an under-the-couch sippy.
  3. Your kids will get frustrated with your lack of attention.
  4. You’ll totally drop a ball in the midst of mommy chaos.
  5. You’ll yell at your kids to be quiet so you can concentrate. 
  6. You’ll waste a day where you could have worked watching kid TV and snuggling. 
  7. There will definitely be days where you cry. And feel hopelessly stuck.
  8. It will all go by very fast. A tough phase with your kids or business can feel like it’s never-ending, but you will come out of the hard seasons.

There’s good news too…

  1. You will impress a work ethic on your kids as they watch you persevere. 
  2. The rewards of your business feel even more gratifying when you can share them with your family.
  3. Skills in one area will serve you in the other. 
  4. Your kids will be just fine.
  5. Your business will be just fine.
  6. Making changes is a part of the process. You’ll tweak and tweak again and tweak one more time until you find what works. You’re not flighty, you’re experimental.
  7. There will be ways to integrate your kids with your work. 
  8. It’s okay to take a break from both. At the same time. Just for you.

We know being a parent and business person is possible. We know you can be successful at both. We also know there will be tough moments that make you question how and why you’re doing this. What we want you to remember is that it’s all okay! 

You don’t have to be in perfect balance to make things work. You just have to be honest with yourself. 

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