Mompreneur is a neologism defined as a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur. I preface by empty nester because the actively balancing part of the definition is not what it used to be but is still significant nonetheless. Once a mom, always a mom!!
As my kids started leaving the nest I realized that I would one day be looking outside of the home for something to fill my time, luckily there was a 7 year spread between the first and last so I had some time. I had many concerns surrounding this after spending my whole adult life being home for my family. I touched on this a bit in pervious Essential Living posts but am taking a deeper dive into the insecurities empty nest stay at home mom’s face here. Two main issues plagued me when I allowed myself to face this dilemma. I was a mom after all so problem solving was my forte but the catalyst was it had to be someone else’s problem, facing and solving my own was not in my job description.
Since the parenthood path started for me before the career path, I felt that nothing I would do outside of the home would give me even close to the same level of fulfillment as raising my boys and then there was the question of what skills did I possibly have to offer? This line of thinking was false on both accounts but it has taken a lot of personal growth for me to come to this realization. I assume this is what leads many women in similar positions to the safety of network marketing. I know of several who have dabbled in many of the home party businesses due to having a circle of friends who are always looking for an excuse to get out of the house for a glass of wine, having a business model already formed to follow, the flexibility of setting your own schedule so you can work around your family and there is very little emotional risk involved. Many enjoy it for a period of time, it runs it’s course, people lose interest or just no longer need more of what you are selling so it dries up because there is no way you have what it takes to go outside of your circle. This is great for a hobby but what if you want more?
My divorce is what led me to wanting more for a variety of reasons and luckily I was already a part of the network marketing company that eased me into a world I don’t know if I would have had the courage to be in now. I learned that the source of fulfillment can be different but yet effect you all the same. My boys will always be the greatest joy in my life but I can derive just as much pleasure from something I am doing for myself. One of the reasons I loved being home with them all those years is because I am a natural care giver but I can now expand that care to whoever is wanting to receive it. So this takes care of issue number one, now onto the hard part. I did not believe I had the necessary skills to be of value beyond what I was doing within my comfort zone. The essential oil world clicked for me because of the benefits I was experiencing myself, I believed in the company and how it is run and I was staying safe, playing small and not trying to out kick my coverage. Working at the school quickly felt comfortable to me since I have a natural connection with kids. But as I continued to learn about myself and let go of limiting beliefs that plagued me for years, I knew this was not enough.
It was time to become a full on entrepreneur and face my fears to get there. (Hint, there will be a whole post dedicated to fear to come). Once I allowed myself to come to terms with who I am at the core, the what I can offer people fell into place without any struggle. We spend too much time trying to sort out the what first without considering the who (again, a post yet to come) but because of the strengths assessment and my mentor, I got those flipped and am ready to tackle the world. The coolest thing is, I am realizing that so many of the tactics I naturally used while being a stay at home mom for 25 years between the parenting, household organization and logistics of dealing with 5 people and 2 dogs, I am more than equipped with the skills needed to build my own business, I just needed to change my perspective of them. Because I am following my authentic self, all of my passions fit beautifully together allowing me to grow a business incorporating the different modalities to achieve the same goal, help people live a more empowered life!
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