I always questioned if women could have it all. Back when I was in graduate school at DePaul, I had to write a paper on this very topic. While writing the paper, I took the stance that women can have it all.
I had two amazing women who were examples of this for me when I was growing up, my mom and my sister. Both set the standard of a working woman who can have the family and the career. My sister worked her way from the bottom to the top at her company and has been there for over twenty years. While working her way to the top, she also raised three children, cooked and cleaned. My sister walked in the path of my mother.
My mom is one of my best friends and one of the strongest woman I know. She too has had an amazing career while raising three children, cooking and cleaning. Recently my dad was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and my mom has stepped up to the plate as his caretaker while still working and making breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Tonight I called my mom and spaghetti was on the menu along with her homemade sauce and meatballs. Again, my mom has proven her strength and that she is the anchor to our family.
If my mom and my sister can have it all, I know going into my 30s that I will be able to have it all too, especially as a new found entrepreneur. The path is already paved for me to walk in and I’ve been blessed to have similar woman in my network who walk on the same path. These working women are entrepreneurs who are running their own businesses while also raising their children. In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to celebrate and bring attention to some women in my network who have inspired me and who I think you should get to know because they workin.
- What do you want your children to learn from you? I want my children to learn to be hard workers and independent. I was brought up that way at a young age. I was taught to take care of yourself in the morning; wash up and brush your teeth. Then I was taught to make my bed and to make sure the house was clean, as well as to look after my younger siblings. I want my girls to learn that being a woman is taking care of yourself, while also following your dreams and making sure that you always put your family first. I want them to know anything they want to do they can and I will super them along the way no matter what.
- How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a mother? I try to keep a good balance between motherhood and entrepreneurship by turning my work responsibilities off while I am with my kids so that I can give all of my attention to mommy daughter time. It has also been a big help having my family support me and having my mom and sister jump in and help when needed. I have also learned to never put my work before my children. One day I aspire to have a business with my daughters.
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? Hmmm…I can say that I look up to Jada Pinkett because she allows her kids to express and be whatever they want to be without judging them. She is a strong mother who not only has taken care of her own children, but she also has loved and supported Will Smith’s children that he had from previous relationships.
- What do you want your children to learn from you? I want my children to learn that anything is possible if you believe it and do the wok that is required to get the job done. Also, l want them to love themselves for who they are even when everyone else tells you it’s the wrong thing to do.
- How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a mother? I put my kids first and then focus on my job. The balance comes with time and understanding. Knowing when you can push hard and knowing when to lay low for the kids.
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? Beyonce. People assume it is easy to bounce back. But it’s really not. It takes every ounce of you just to make a small step in the right direction. I feel like she shows resilience. Every time she laughs in the face of what people thought would defeat her.
- What do you want your children to learn from you? I want them to know that no matter what, never give up. You can do anything, have anything and become anything.
- How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a mother? I balance being an entrepreneur and mother by planning. I use a family calendar. I plan our week every Sunday. Things may come up, but we always have a plan.
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? Honestly, I don’t look up to any celebrity mom. Almost all my friends are mothers and they are the strongest most selfless woman I know. They make me go harder as a parent. So to Angelique, Robbie, La, Vanessa, Aja, Tiffany, & Brittany keep going. Thank you for being a great example.
- What do you want your children to learn from you? What I want Jamison to learn from me 1. the dynamics of a healthy relationship, meaning, how you should care for the people around you, but still have regards for yourself. I think that is something that we lack when bringing up our black boys . 2.Money is a good thing, but it is not everything. Follow your passions and stay consistent and the money will follow. I’ve been through a lot of jobs and career changes in my life and all because my parents always made it clear that “you need to make money” or “you need to have a trade or job to survive”. But all my success is accredited to me. Following my heart lead me to my passion.
- How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a mother? I balance by the skin of my teeth! I am blessed to have an amazing support system. My husband is very hands on with our son and we are also blessed to have my parents, that live next door, and my mother-in-law that lives 3 blocks away. But on a day to day I have to schedule my time accordingly and be consistent to make sure all daily task are met for my family. It’s sometimes a struggle, but we all get it done. I also making sure my mental is together . I make sure that I have “me time “ outside of my family and work . I go on girls trips, have spa days, dinner with girlfriends or just go downtown and walk around by myself. Because being a mom and an entrepreneur is a 24/7 job with no days off and you are the only one accountable for you, your family and your business. If your mental health is not together, how can you be of any use for your family or business?
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? Ok well I have two for totally different reasons. My first is Kris Kardashian because she can turn coal into diamonds. Her marketing mind is mind blowing to me. She makes her children’s adversities into dollar signs. My other celebrity mom is Venita McCullum, Lil Yachty’s mother, she is a true example of believing in your child’s dreams and making them come true while still being a parent not a friend. She didn’t lose herself in her child’s dream and she didn’t use her child as a cash cow. She has always had his best interest at heart and I can appreciate that. I love that about their relationship.
- What do you want you children to learn from you? I want my son to learn the importance of keeping God first in all that he does. I want him to learn integrity, hard work and stability from me. I also want him to learn that self-care/self-love is important to his growth and there is nothing wrong with a good cry every now and then.
- How do you balance an entrepreneur and a mother? My balance between these two are pretty smooth now because my son is an adult. However, balancing the two before his adulthood was challenging mainly because of being a single parent. I created a daily schedule and stuck to the script faithfully, but I still deemed it very important to spend quality time with him on a weekly basis and provide self-care for myself as well.
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? Although I don’t know them personally, from what I have observed Jada Pinkett Smith is one of my top favorite celebrity moms and my second is Kris Jenner. Jada because she was open with her children always, always spoke her truth to them and allowed them to be exactly who they were created to be. She allowed her children to discover themselves within and growing into who they were meant to become. Also teaching them integrity, self-love and stability not only in the industry, but in a marriage as well. Kris because of her drive to help and guide her children to success at the same time keeping the importance of family balanced. She is the best momager and as a parent who is pushing her son to be an entrepreneur I can relate in a lot of ways. Lastly, through all of the diversity her family has faced and continues to face, she remains humble and a constant support system for her children through the good, the bad and the ugly.
- What do you want your children to learn from you? The number one thing that I want my children to learn from me is that anything is possible when you put your faith in God and trust in his word. My level of faith has changed so much over the past few years simply because of the testimonies that I have experienced and the countless blessings that God has placed in my life. I want my children to lead a life that is faith-based and to always know that anything is possible as long as they put their trust in God and continue to walk in their faith. I also want them to strive to make a positive impact for others and to be the change that they want to see. My ultimate purpose in life is to give back to those in need and to make a difference for others. I want my children to do the same and be voices for positive change just like their Mom!
- How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a mother? As I always say to fellow moms, balancing mommy-hood and entrepreneurship is tough, but it can be done. My life is always busy and on-the-go given that I am a single mother and raising a special needs child single handedly. But the process has made me so much stronger as a mom and I have found a few great helpful tips to help me keep it all together. Here’s a quick glimpse of my life: I work a full-time job as a Marketing Manager for a start-up company so I am running their entire marketing department. I manage two of my own businesses- a mommy brand that empowers moms to effectively balance motherhood and entrepreneurship and a children’s bow tie brand that gives back to children with special needs and unique medical challenges. In addition to all of this, I am also a devoted mother to my 4-year old son Noah who was diagnosed with a rare genetic chromosome disorder called Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome. As you can see, I definitely have a lot on my plate. However, I live by a few best practices to help me stay effective, hold myself accountable, and help me keep my head above water:
- I focus on managing my time effectively and prioritizing my goals
- I always put my child and his needs first
- I commit myself to accomplishing my goals and always walking in my purpose.
- I consistently pray, ask God for guidance, and lead a life that is based upon my faith and the positive impact that I was designed to help make for others.
- I practice self-care and enjoy personal time when I can (whether it’s going shopping, reading a book, going outdoors for a jog along the lake (which is so stress relieving for me), having a glass of wine, watching one of my favorite movies or tv shows, or catching up with my close friends.
- I keep the vision of the life that I have pictured for Noah and I in the forefront of my mind and strive each day to create a roadmap of success so that I can accomplish my goals and turn my dreams into a reality.
- I always remember that I can do anything that I set out to do.
- I’m never too proud to ask for help when I need it.
- Who is your favorite celebrity mom that you look up to? Why? I honestly look up to all moms because I know how challenging that it can be managing the role of motherhood while also balancing a career. However, I absolutely love the way that Ciara sets a positive example when it comes to motherhood and balancing her career. Not only is she a successful artist, but also a wife and devoted a mother of two. Her fans watched her transition from being in a relationship that didn’t work out with her first child’s father and becoming a single mother while still balancing her career as a musician in an industry that has its fair share of challenges. However, the great thing is that she still kept going, she stayed driven, and she waited for God to send her a husband. From what she shared, her and her now husband, Russell Wilson practiced celibacy until they were married (which I think is simply amazing). I also just love the way that her husband Russell Wilson, loves her son, Future and has become an influential figure in his life. As a single mother myself, I have asked God to place a good man in my life that will not only be a great husband for me, but also an excellent father figure and positive role model for my son Noah. I admire Ciara because she has shown that anything is possible when we put our faith in God and allow him to place the right people in our lives and in his perfect timing. Ciara is a reminder that just because some women may be single moms, that doesn’t mean that we don’t deserve happiness and life that is fulfilling with our children. Single moms can have it all too!