Starting a business as a mom was a very scary thought, because the first thoughts are usually those of self doubt creeping in. How juggling all of the demands of home and family would work out, and more. Although it was a learning curve, I always made sure that I built an open communication relationship with my clients. Some of them were moms and understood more than I thought. I began to walk more in my authenticity, and really learned how to schedule meetings around my daughter's nap time, and stick to a schedule. The scheduling, calendars, apps and digital tools have really helped me to grow. I also realized that in order to scale that I had to restructure my service prices and hire a project manager to vet potential clients. That was the true magic to my business becoming more of a flow with my life. Once the clients are onboarded, I am able to build with them and be a bit more personable.
As a young mom, I frequently heard older women lament that they had completely lost themselves when their children moved out because they had lost themselves in motherhood. As much as I love being a mother, I did not want to burden my children with the feeling they were responsible for my entire identity. As a result, I was always working on something when they were young. When one of my passion projects went viral and became a viable business, I knew I owed it to myself and my children to cultivate that. I've been working full-time and homeschooling my children for nearly 10 years now. The business that I started has unlocked a world of possibility that would not have existed otherwise. I've been able to provide for them better and create incredible memories that would have been out of my financial reach otherwise. I also derive a tremendous amount of satisfaction from my work, which gives me more energy and helps me be a better mother. It's a win for all of us.
Success has a way of finding you when you change your attitude -yes, I’m paraphrasing Jack Sparrow- I realized that starting a small business while raising a family is possible if we look for harmony, not perfection. I decided to turn a Eureka moment into a successful business by focusing on what success meant to me. Establishing clear goals, identifying needs, and following my dreams -no one else's but mine- helped me to become a CEO mom without feeling like an imposter or a bad mom. The beautiful part of becoming a small business owner is the freedom and creativity it entails. Yes, you need a plan showing the different steps to take, but the direction and form are up to you. It is all part of the entrepreneurial journey. Still, the critical factor is having clarity of what you want, following a process, and maximizing the chance of success with a positive attitude. I manage my small business while carpooling, PTO volunteering, and enjoying time with my soon-to-be college students.
In 2009, my dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Throughout those years, until his passing in 2019, my interest in longevity was ignited. Textbooks, podcasts, medical journals -- I wanted to learn all about the biological processes that drive aging and age-related disease. My family's health is one of my biggest priorities, and one day I went searching for some specific supplements for our aging dog. I couldn't believe they didn't exist for the pet world. Effectively, Staay was born. I love that my children see me showing up, day after day, and putting in the work to help people make longevity a priority for their pets. I hope what I've learned through the challenges of business and motherhood can someday help my kids gracefully navigate challenges of their own. Creating boundaries in my work has absolutely made me a better mother, and knowing what I'm working for -- the health of my family and others -- has absolutely made me a better businesswoman.
Hi there, My name is Linn Atiyeh, and I'm the CEO and founder of Bemana, a recruiting firm specializing in the equipment and industrial sector. Like many moms, I struggled with the decision of whether to start my own business. While I saw an opportunity, I wondered if I was up for the extra hours away from my children. But one day, as I was making dinner, tutoring my oldest, and fielding a work call, I realized something: being a mom isn't preventing me from being a CEO, it's priming me for it! I'm already juggling ten things at any given time -- and I'm good at it. Once I flipped my mindset to see motherhood as a form of career preparation, all the pieces fell into place. Now, when I'm placing a candidate who's taken time off to birth or raise children, the first thing I ask them is to outline the duties they took on at home. I'm valuing parenting like any other relevant experience. Name - Linn Atiyeh Title - Founder & CEO Company - Bemana Website - https://www.bemana.us/
I had a steady job at a bank when I started my first business, mainly because I saw a gap in the market when shopping for my 6 year old daughter. Since this was my first foray into entrepreneurship, I didn’t want to uproot my family’s life on a whim, so I did almost 2 years of market research before jumping in with both feet. With the success of that first business, I realized that I needed to apply the same careful, yet ambitious principles with my current business. As an established entrepreneur at this point, I had credibility to build partnerships with experts in the tech field and hire better talent than if I was just starting out. Even more importantly, I was able to take some big business risks with the support of my family, who saw firsthand the grit and determination I had with my first business.
It was a little over six years ago that I decided to start my own business. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, and while I loved spending time with my kids, I also felt like I needed something more. So I took the plunge and started my own online marketing company. It was a lot of work at first, but it quickly began to flourish. The key, I think, was finding the right niche. Once I identified my target market, everything else fell into place. Suddenly, I had a purpose beyond taking care of my kids – I had a business to grow and clients to serve. And as a result, I found myself thriving both personally and professionally. These days, I can honestly say that starting my own business was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only do I get to be my own boss and set my own hours, but I also get to make a real difference in the lives of my clients. What could be better than that?
I always had an interest in business and I always wanted to explore the field of business. Because of my interest, I never found things that are disinteresting to me and this has made me flourish irrespective of the challenging circumstances. I faced many but I have overcome those with my confidence and with the support of my family members, friends.
Becoming a mom gave me an extra sense of conviction for not only my time, but also my professional visions. It became clear to me that the level of involvement I wanted to have in my daughter's life would not allow me to work a traditional 9-5 job. I had always wanted to start my own business, but this extra push made it feel like 'now or never' timing, and I took the leap. It also felt super important to me to set an example for my daughter that she was capable of 'having it all' as they say, but more importantly, being a strong and independent woman who works on her passions while being a great mom.
I’ve been a full-time employee for decades. I relied only on my salary. It was not bad as it can meet our needs. But somehow, deep within me, I know that I can still do more. It has been a nagging thought for many years. One day, I finally decided to quit my job and tried dipping my feet into a small online business. It was not easy, and I had my own share of challenges. But the feeling of freedom and being in control was overwhelming. I hold the reins in my hand. I learned how to analyze and plan. It was an empowering experience. All my efforts continue to bear fruit. It is still a long way to go for me, but I am thankful for that day when I had the courage to cross this bridge.
There are a lot of reasons why people decide to start their own businesses. For me, it was a combination of wanting to make a difference and being tired of the daily grind. I knew that I had something special to offer the world, and I was determined to make it happen. So I picked an industry that I was passionate about, found my unique selling proposition, and made sure that my target audience knew all about it. It’s been a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey, and I wouldn’t change a thing. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, just know that it’s possible to make your dreams a reality. As a result, now I'm the CEO of an online publication with 100% remote workers: HealthCanal.com and it’s been doing well so far under my leadership. I started the business 3 years ago and now my team has 15 members.
I was let go more than a year ago. I had never been fired before. I had mainly been heading in the correct direction up to this point in my life. I had graduated from college. I then pursued a higher education. I was informed I had big things coming. Then, I was employed by a nearby business as a bright talent. I later quit that company to take a top position at another company. I had grown pathological self-confidence as a result of my life's series of small triumphs. This caused me to become a toxic leader and even worse colleague because I started speaking down to people and assuming that I was better than them. You know, I came to this turning point in my life after engaging in some painful and ego-crushing introspection. At that time, I determined I needed to launch a business because I knew it would benefit others rather than impress them.