As Vice President of Human Resources, I was a busy mother of two before I left my job to start my own executive coaching business in the fall of 2022. In early 2023, I found out that I was expecting my daughter, which made me realize the importance of balancing my family and work time. I struggled with switching between work and family time, so I decided to adjust my client schedule to serve clients only on Monday and Tuesday, allowing me to spend the rest of the week with my family. I have an amazing support system, and my husband is an equal partner who helps me manage the day-to-day tasks, especially during my workdays. As a working mom, I often experience mom guilt, feeling like I'm not doing enough for my kids and around the house. Most days feel like organized chaos, but as long as my family and business are thriving, I know that I'm on the right track.
The best strategy I can give on balancing being a mom and a CEO is to prioritize and delegate. One way to do this is by creating a schedule or routine that works for both roles. This could mean setting aside specific blocks of time for work and family, and making sure to stick to it as much as possible. It's also important to communicate with your team at work and your family at home about your schedule so that everyone is on the same page and can support you in maintaining this balance. Additionally, delegating tasks both at work and at home is crucial in achieving this balance. As a CEO, you have a team to support and help you with tasks, so it's important to delegate responsibilities and trust in your team to handle them efficiently. At home, involving your family in household chores and tasks can also help lessen the workload on you as a mom.
Managing life as a mom and CEO can be challenging but one of the greatest things that helped me in the transition was to manage my expectations about this season of life. Understanding that my capacity was different allowed me to release the pressure of what productivity looked like previously. When it came to motherhood, I changed my mindset from, "I have to" to "I get to". Also having a daily routine helps tremendously for both myself and children. The key is to fall into a flexible rhythm and not a rigid routine.
How do you balance being a Mom and CEO? This may be shocking but… I make myself replaceable at work. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and my company. But nothing is more important to me than having the freedom to prioritize showing up as a mom in all the ways that matter most to me. As a CEO who craves ultimate flexibility, this means intentionally and consistently setting up systems, tools, processes, and people to allow me to step in and out of the business, without missing a beat. I've taken several steps to create my ultimate CEO-support model including documenting all company standards and processes, ensuring I have the right administrative and strategic support (shout out to my Chief of Staff!), onboarding my team to a highly effective project management tech stack, and ensuring wide-spread transparency and communication with my team and family about my flexibility goals as CEO. Being intentional about these CEO hacks has allowed me to never miss a milestone with my business, and most importantly, feel immense satisfaction and fulfillment as a new mom to my little guy.
As a CEO and a mom i'm navigating a complex maze. I've learned to ask for help. I've built a strong support network both at home and at work, and I'm not afraid to ask for help when I need it. Whether it's delegating tasks to my team or leaning on my husband and extended family for support, I've come to realize that I don't have to do it all alone. I will mess up, I will miss out, I will make it happen and all of that is ok.
Career parents need to stop being told that it is possible to balance work and family as if somehow the pendulum can equal one another at any point. I tell myself daily I’m a better parent because of my career; without it, I would not be the parent I am today. We must look at things differently and acknowledge that perfection can never be the goal with career and family; it’s impossible to meet. As a mother and CEO, I remind myself daily that there will always be a swing to the pendulum where my career will require more of me one day, and then the next day, the pendulum shifts, and parenting has to come first. Too often, our expectations of ourselves are beyond our reach when it comes to being the perfect parent and the entrepreneur expected to do it all. In those hard days of self-doubt, I tell myself that there is perfection in imperfection, which has more powerful learnings to support building a successful organization and being the parent I strive to be than reaching for flawlessness in both.
Being a mom and CEO is challenging to navigate. The most powerful strategy I've adopted is to use my values to clearly identify boundaries. The most impactful boundary I've created, and clearly communicated, is around my paid working availability. For example, those that I work with are aware that I do not have Slack app notifications on my phone to limit distractions. If I receive a message after working hours, colleagues and clients know they will not receive a response until the following day. This boundary has created a powerful separation between my paid work and home life that empowers me to be fully present and bring the best version of myself to both. - Tara Ryan is CEO/Founder, InfiniDEI and a Fair Play Method Certified Facilitator
I´m already a mother aka leader for 10 years now. Having this said, the essential strategy I learned was the chaordic leadership model. Chaordic is a term combining of the words "Chaos" and "Order". Usually we think about CEO as order and Motherhood about chaos. When we learn that both are required to find creativity, balance, safety and innovation, our satisfaction and performance are reinforced. What also works for me is to know and apply the «Fair Play» game about invisible care work historically held by women.
As the mom of two teenagers, one of the best ways that I balance being a mother and a CEO is by including my children in conversations surrounding my business and teaching them facets of entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Not only does it keep them engaged and interested in what I am working on, but it keeps us connected. Sharing what I am working on gives them insight into entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, branding, and most importantly, how they too can pursue their dreams. Their time left with me at home is limited, and I am focused on making the very most of it as a family while modeling what entrepreneurship is in practice.
As a child life specialist in hospitals, I always dedicated myself fully to every family I encountered because they deserve nothing less from their care team. Now, as a mom and CEO, I apply the same principle. When I'm with my children, they receive all my attention, and when I'm working, I'm completely focused. I've learned that attempting to juggle everything simultaneously only dilutes my ability to fully excel in each role I take on.
As working parents, we carry a ton of guilt and set ourselves up for disappointment when we try to adhere to society’s standards of “doing it all" or carrying it all. As a former network news anchor turned founder/CEO, I’ve learned to drop the perfectionism and instead, accept that every day I’ll drop a ball or two…or even, three. The key is: keep the glass balls in the air (because those ones shatter), let the plastic ones fall. In doing that, I drop the perfectionism, get my priorities in order and embrace my humanity, showing my family what it means to give oneself (and others) plenty of grace. -Paula Faris, Founder CARRY™, Journalist and Author ((NOTE: I attempted to upload my photos several times...it wouldn't take. Please email me if you need it. Paula@carrymedia.com))
Balancing the roles of Mom and CEO involves setting clear boundaries and prioritizing effectively. My best strategy is to designate specific times for work and family, ensuring that I am fully present for both. I also rely heavily on a strong support system both at home and in the workplace, which allows me to delegate tasks and focus on high-priority activities. Open communication with my family and team helps manage expectations and keeps everyone aligned on our goals and commitments. This approach not only optimizes productivity but also ensures quality time with my family, maintaining a fulfilling balance.
“Time blocking/following a schedule and remembering our why are essential in balancing two key roles in my life, Mommy and CEO. Our family wakes up, goes to nap and bed at a certain time, family time is at a certain time, and none of them are negotiable (no calls during family time). Since age 2.5, I have communicated to my daughter her role in our family why of bringing Daddy home (to no longer have to go to our off-site client). Nap time means going to sleep is her, and now her brother's, role in bringing Daddy home, and Mommy being on calls and doing reports is hers. Daddy helping clients, on the 5 days he’s already home, is his. Remembering our why and playing as a team every day is what allows us to be present during family time and after 18 months of focused effort, brought us being a free family to fruition.”
Being a CEO and a single mom is a very challenging but extremely rewarding. In order to keep sane I schedule the day and give myself enough breathing time, delegate tasks to my team, assemble an A-Team for home support and let go of guilt. I schedule self care time for meditation and exercise. With planning, a supportive system, and self-care, balance can be achieved. Mindfulness is key!
Finding the right balance between my personal and professional life has always been a top priority for me. It's not an easy task, but with careful planning and some helpful strategies, I've been able to successfully juggle both roles.As a CEO, it's easy to get caught up in work and let it consume your entire day. However, as a Mom, you also have responsibilities at home. It's important to set clear boundaries and stick to them. This means establishing specific work hours and making sure you leave work at the office so you can focus on your family when you're at home.With so much to do both at work and home, it's essential to prioritize your tasks. Make a list of the most important things that need to be done each day and tackle them first. This will help you stay on top of things and not feel overwhelmed.It can be tempting to try and do everything yourself, but as a Mom and CEO, it's important to delegate tasks. Learn to trust your team and empower them to take on responsibilities. This not only helps ease your workload but also allows you to focus on more critical tasks.It's also crucial to carve out some time for yourself each day. Whether it's waking up early before everyone else or taking a few minutes during your lunch break, make sure you have some "me time." You can use this time to do something you enjoy, whether it's reading a book, going for a walk, or practicing yoga. Taking care of yourself is essential for maintaining balance and avoiding burnout.
I balance things out as a mom and a CEO by leveraging delegation and giving my team end-to-end responsibilities for the projects or deliverables. This isn't the strategy that I choose to go with at work only but also at home, as I outsource several chores. At business, this helps me save time and enables me to focus on the things that matter like identifying new opportunities and growing my business. At home, I get more time to focus on the upbringing of children and provide them with better care. So, I think delegation is the key to ensuring the right balance and having peace of mind. You only have a finite number of hours in a day and delegation helps you utilize them optimally.
I maintain a structured schedule to manage my dual responsibilities effectively. I dedicate my mornings and early afternoons—when my kids are at school—to tackle the most demanding and critical tasks. This time is reserved for work that requires deep focus and strategic thinking. For tasks that require uninterrupted attention but are less urgent, I schedule them for the evening after my kids have gone to bed. This approach allows me to maximize my productivity by aligning my work demands with the times when I'm least likely to be interrupted. Crucially, none of this would be possible without the robust support network that surrounds me. My family, especially my husband, along with my friends, play an integral role. They provide invaluable help with childcare and other support as needed, which allows me to commit fully to my role as a CEO without compromising my responsibilities and joys of motherhood. Their support not only helps in managing logistical challenges but also provides emotional and moral encouragement
Many of the clients we've worked with at spectup were both, a mom and a CEO. A standout strategy that has proven effective is the implementation of a flexible, yet structured schedule that prioritizes time management to accommodate both business obligations and family life. One such example involves a mom CEO who integrated block scheduling into her routine, where specific times of the day were dedicated exclusively to work or family. This method not only increased her productivity during work hours but also allowed her to be fully present during family time, without the overlap causing stress or guilt. Moreover, delegating tasks effectively both at home and in the workplace played a crucial role. By empowering her team to handle operational details, she could focus on high-level strategic decisions and spend quality time with her family without the constant worry about work tasks. She also established a support network that included trusted family members, a responsive childcare provider, and a professional team that upheld the company’s operations, ensuring that both her business and personal needs were met efficiently. This dual focus on structured flexibility and delegation is a powerful strategy for any mom in a leadership role seeking to balance professional and personal responsibilities. It illustrates that with the right systems in place, achieving a fulfilling and successful career alongside a rich family life is not only possible but sustainable.
It's not about balance, it's about integration. I don't compartmentalize these roles. I interweave them seamlessly into my daily life. On the flip side, I'm not afraid to take conference calls from home or review documents while attending my kids' activities. I use technology to stay connected and productive from anywhere. I also make sure to schedule quality family time, like having a tech-free dinner together every night or taking a weekend trip every few months. This integrated approach allows me to be fully present and engaged in each moment, without sacrificing either my role as a mom or as a CEO. It's not always easy, but it's incredibly rewarding. The key: Don't miss out on the most important moments.
When it comes to being a mom and a CEO, the notion of "balance" is a misnomer. In today's technology-driven world that offers flexibility in where, when, and how we work, it's more accurate to describe it as a juggling act. As demands pile up on the home front, at work, or both, I always remind myself this journey is a marathon, not a sprint. The needs of a business and a team and those of growing children are constantly evolving so it’s important not to get bogged down in the moment when it feels intense. As corny as the saying is, it’s true, “the days are long but the years are short”. Rather than being mutually exclusive, I believe the roles of mom and CEO complement each other. The skills honed as a parent – prioritization, empathy, and drive – translate into being a better employee, whether you're an individual contributor, a small business owner, or a C-suite executive. As nearly 3 in 4 employees are parents or caregivers, it's time to embrace and support this dynamic openly in the workplace. And, since it’s 2024, can we start posing this question to male CEOs?