Motherhood! It isn’t easy to define this word. Many believe that it is a latent emotion, a part of being a woman, that blossoms when a female conceives. For most of the women around the globe, motherhood means love, bliss, an extension of their personality, and a commitment towards a life that is a part of their identity. However, more often than not, it also means a period to their professional ambitions.
How many times have you seen a young, ambitious, fiercely competitive woman give up all of it just so she can concentrate on her little bundle of joy? Truth is that this has become so common that its often taken as the most natural way to move forward for women and dubbed as an unwritten social norm.
But there are a few things above social norms like change and a woman’s will power. So, with time, women themselves have changed, and delicately balancing their personal and professional life, they are changing the social norms. And if you are wondering where do they draw this strength to transform into super-women, the answer lies in them being a mother.
Writers, philosophers, even religious scriptures speak about the strength and capacity of a mother – how they discover their hidden virtues while making a human being that will contribute to society in years to come. These qualities are akin to entrepreneurs who seek to add value to society through a new idea, service, or product. It took time, but women have finally realized that they are not just sitting at home during maternity break and raising a child, but also nurturing their inner entrepreneur. And when the time is ripe, they emerge out of their break as Mompreneurs.
Understanding a Mom and An Entrepreneur
Starting a family is one of the biggest decisions one can take and so is starting a business venture on their own. Both the decisions require one to be ready for the unknown that lies ahead. Yes, many self-help books tell you what pregnancy, parenthood, and entrepreneurship are like. But the best way to understand them is to be one and experience it yourself. For, nothing can beat the joy of listening to your own child’s cry or laugh or watching your business grow.
The Mirrored Feelings
Be it motherhood or entrepreneurship, it all starts with an idea. In the first case, the idea is to procreate a life and in the other, the idea is to bring to life a service or product – something they can call their own.
Once the idea or child is conceived, it is followed by a period of anxiety, and a whole lot of preparation. In both cases, you first have to ready yourself mentally and physically. There will be endless sleepless nights, feeling of I can’t do this, advice from all corners, a juggling of your daily routine, and your new-found object of concentration, with each day, springing a new surprise.
As you progress further in pregnancy and entrepreneurship, there settles an ease with your new status. You are now more comfortable in your skin of being pregnant with a child or an idea. You now feel more in control of your thought process and things around you. You are now sure about the people that are going to be with you on the journey ahead. You now have a plan on how to bring the child or the idea to life.
Then arrives the day when the preparation transforms into fruition. You now lay your hands on the life or product you have created. And then starts a new kind of struggle altogether. Now starts the phase when your child or business must be taken care of, at all moments, for it to flourish. Welcome to Motherhood!
Mom-Skills That Will See You Through Entrepreneurship
By now you know how closely knit motherhood and entrepreneurship are. Now when you enter the next phase, you need some basic skills that will help you keep going towards the end goal. You must have read in several books and heard from many successful entrepreneurs about key attributes or skills that an entrepreneur must possess to be called a successful one. Being a mother naturally enhances those skills in you and that’s how you emerge as a mompreneur.
Here are the skills that will help to see you through:
Patience – A lot of patience! Raising a kid or company requires patience. They don’t grow to their potential in a day, it takes years. And those years are filled with days of joy, sorrow, rewards, guilts and almost every other emotion one can think of. Patience is what sees us through in all those days.
Multitasking – As a mother or the head of the company you have to wear multiple hats. A mother also plays the role of a teacher, chef, doctor, friend, etc. all embodied into one human. The same is with a business owner. You start your company as a one-woman army, slowly bringing in people on board as you delegate the jobs you were handling all alone. Even when there are enough people to run the company, you still need to be there for the company and everyone else, because after all, it’s your baby and no one can take care of it better than you do.
People Management – Have you ever tried arguing with a toddler? If yes, you know what I mean by people management. If no, well, it’s time you took up the challenge! Managing a child’s mood swings, and demands fuelled by friends and the internet, and their daily needs keep parents on their toes at all the time. At work too, an entrepreneur has to deal with different kinds of people all the time. The workforce comprises of people who are at different levels of people spectrum and you, as their leader, have to make sure that they work together smoothly, for the company’s greater goals.
Time Management – Time here is money in true sense. Mothers prefer being an entrepreneur rather than an employee because they can work in tandem with their child’s routine. As an entrepreneur, one knows how crucial it is to deliver the promises to the clients and so is with motherhood. Every deliverable needs to be on time whether that be a parent-teacher meet or signing off a deal with a client.
Several other skills like finance management, efficient communication, balancing change, etc. are all a part of the journey for both, a mother and an entrepreneur.
Embracing the Maternity Break
The past decade has seen a surge in the number of Entrepreneurs. Women today are uncompromising when it comes to their personal(maternal) as well as professional life. They know they can do what they have set their heart on. All they need is an opportunity and a positive outlook. So, the next time you hear someone going on a maternity break, chances are it won’t be just a baby they are making!
