Mompreneur Next Door

Boundaries - we hear over and over again that we need to be setting them, but what does that mean? Building Better People Productions , a theater company because she wanted to have the flexibility to produce her own show. Timing didn't work out with the organization for whom she was working, and she knew she wanted to move forward with her vision, so her company was born. And how is it applicable to being a mom and being an entrepreneur? Lynne Streeter Childress, wife and mom of one super adorable son, knows all too well the importance of setting boundaries. She started her business, Even so, as all of us entrepreneurs know, being our own boss has its downsides as well. It is no different in the world of the arts. One of the great things about theater and the arts is that in general, they are very flexible professions. But with great flexibility comes great responsibility and some times burdensome feelings that you should always be available. Does that sound familiar to anyone? ...

Any moms out there feel busy? I mean truly busy - like you cannot even imagine putting one more thing on your plate? That's exactly how Dr. Alise Cortez felt when she started her business a little over sixteen years ago. Her daughter was a toddler, her husband traveled 100% of the time, and she was working on her PhD. Ultimately, though, she knew she wanted something professional for her and for her daughter because as she put it, being a stay-at-home mom wasn't cutting it for her, and her daughter would have fired her had she continued. Alise began her mompreneur journey as an extension of what she had previously done, helping people find jobs based on her recruiting experience. She made plenty of mistakes along the way, as do most of us mompreneurs, but it's all part of the journey. Since she had recently moved to Dallas, her network was rather small, but she fumbled through growing it at various networking events, and as her business grew, she realized her passion a...

Those of us who are moms know why we want to be Mompreneurs - to have the flexibility to be with our kids, plain and simple. We see other moms doing it, it looks amazing, in our minds we're all in. But then the self doubt arises. We wonder if we can do it. We're afraid - afraid of being a failure, afraid of it not working, afraid to get outside of our comfort zone, afraid, afraid, afraid. Many times we're afraid, and we don't even know what we're afraid of, and it can be paralyzing. This week's guest, Breanna Gunn, shares what aspects of Mompreneurship have been most challenging for her and how she has overcome them. Being her own boss has not always been easy, but it has been well worth it. Her tips and advice are applicable no matter what type of business you're thinking of starting. Brea, a wife and mom of two boys, lives in Michigan and started her marketing business shortly before her first son was born. Flexibility was her main reason why. She soo...

This week's blog post is a little different than past ones. The common theme is celebrating and empowering other moms who are going outside of the box to live the lives they want so they can make money and also be with their children. It's not always easy, but the rewards are so worth it. This week's spotlight, Maralee McLean, is not necessarily an entrepreneur in the traditional sense of the word, but her story needs to be shared because someone reading this needs to hear what she has to say, needs to know she is not alone, needs to know that there is help and support. Maralee's story begins where many times we think it would end. She was in a domestic violent marriage. All of the red flags had been there throughout their relationship, but they were not spoken of at that time. So she was unprepared but ultimately left, taking her young daughter with her. That is when her living nightmare began. Her ex was allowed weekend visits, and when her daughter returned from ...

So you have these admirable degrees, this fantastic job, and this amazing son, but you want more. Should you want more? Is that even fair? Shouldn’t you be happy with what you have? But maybe there’s more out there for you. And then something happens. Your goddaughters want a tutu, and you make them the cutest ones ever, and you embroider shirts, customized especially for those sweet girls. Other people start to want embroidered items for their children, and you find yourself as a mom who works full time who stumbled upon an amazing business. And your name is Shatara Weaver, and you think that you never would have imagined your life where it is, but here you are, and it’s pretty amazing! You may wonder why I used the pronoun “you” in the above paragraph, and it’s because although this is Shatara’s story, it is not hers alone. There are so many of you moms out there who have incredible degrees, work histories, and experience who may be looking for something more, who may have some cre...

Imagine this - you have two small children, a full-time job you love, but it's intense. There are a lot of early mornings, late nights, and missed moments with your kids. Then you're lucky enough to have your boss let you go part time. You may make less money, but it's relatively flexible, you have more time to be the present mom and wife you want to be, and things are going pretty well. Then one day all of that changes. Your company is no longer going to offer part-time, flexible positions. You have the option to either work full time or say good bye to the career you have built for the past 23 years. That's exactly what happened to Christy Kelly and what happens to many women once they have children. She had worked full time in the dental field and had recently moved to part time, which apart from the lower pay had been wonderful for her and her family. Luckily for Christy, she had her eyes open to other opportunities and had started a Plan B that soon became her P...