With Mother’s Day weekend in full swing and so many mamas who are also founders and business owners, I thought you could all enjoy some articles on entrepreneurship and motherhood. Wishing all the Mamas (cat-moms, moms with young kids, seasoned moms, moms who’ve lost their moms, new moms, moms-to-be, mother figures, and moms-in-waiting) an amazing Mother’s Day (though we all know we deserve more than a day!).

Here are a few pieces to help you (and me!) navigate whatever season of motherhood and entrepreneurship you're in!

First, let's take a look at the 2022 Women In Business Small Business Trends report prepared by Guidant based on a email survey of 4,500 current and aspiring small business owners nationwide. 

This piece is a little order but, oh, still so relevant! It addresses the question many working moms struggle with, namely, is it possible to do it all; to have it all. I've been saying this for a while now, yes, it's possible to have it all, but perhaps, not at the same time. The author of the article puts into words beautifully and we agree 100%: 

"It's not possible to be an ideal mother and an ideal worker, but the problem is with the ideals, not with the women who aspire to occupy both roles. It is possible to carefully question and examine one's priorities and circumstances, and to make life decisions that take more than one role or goal into account. Almost certainly, this examination will reveal ways in which parents and children could be better supported, and workplaces better designed." 

This article offers helpful tips for juggling motherhood and running a company -- I'll take them all, please!

• You don't have to have all the answers. 
• Celebrate the small wins and not only the big moments. 
• It takes a village from family to friends to a nanny to advisers and investors. 
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. 
• Be persistent, humble and present. 

And if you haven't seen the movie The Lost Daughter yet, you should! It's a unconventional, not-so-main-stream but oh, so relatable, raw way of looking at the complexity of being a mother. 

"I think it's very difficult, even for adults, to hold the ambivalence of parents and mothers in their mind. And so I think we've seen lots of films and television shows where the spectrum of what's normal is pretty slim," Gyllenhaal said. "And, in fact, I think despair, terrible anxiety, confusion, along with the kind of heart-wrenching ecstasy is all a part of the spectrum of normal."

To wrap up, here's a piece that I can fully relate to on how the childcare crisis led one mom to change her career and lean into her village. And, while for me, personally, the concept of the village has been challenged by the pandemic and frequent moving due to my husband's career, every time we find people who love my family for who we are, I try to hold onto them dearly. 

"I didn’t want to feel depleted day after day. I didn’t like offering that version of myself to my son or to my husband—and I didn’t like that version of myself for me either."

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Sweet mamas, I hope you’re showered with love today and every day. For Mother’s Day this year, my wish to myself and all of you, mamas, is that we all feel free to embrace the version of motherhood that works best for us, our families and our unique circumstances. Whether you are a mom that works outside of a home, a mom who paused her career to focus on raising her young family, or a mom somewhere in between, I hope you feel celebrated, respected and empowered. Raising the next generation is the most important job in the world, and it’s time the society saw it that way too. 

xox,

Magda