Ending the Supermom Era

How mompreneurs can lead the business world to better balance  

Before sitting down to write this article to support moms who are business owners, or “mompreneurs” as they say, I was running through a list of helpful tips and strategies in my mind, only to shoot them all down for bordering on the side of not addressing the real challenges mompreneurs face.

Ideas like:

“Delegate small tasks.” “Enlist your partner to help with childcare.” “Make sure you take time for your own hobbies and self-care.”

Are they good tips? Yes. But to be honest, none of them felt entirely genuine because the first thing that came to my mind for advice to give to support moms going into business for themselves was this:

Don’t.

Being a mom and having a business of your own is hard. It’s almost so hard that I almost don’t recommend doing it.

What typically comes up when I have a mompreneur client is that she has a plethora of goals, expectations, responsibilities, and frustrations, leading to feelings of burnout. She’s trying to do it all and still be the woman and mom she wants to be.

The reality is that as mompreneurs, we cannot work ourselves to the same expectations and goals as most business strategy and advice would advise.

So to you strong, smart, brilliant, multitasking supermammas, a small part of me does want to say, “Maybe don’t do it right now.” Running a business with little kiddos on the scene is going to be too much and you will be spread too thin, and nobody (least of all you) will get all of their needs met.

Do I believe you can do it all, Mamma? Hell, yeah, I know you can.

But do I believe it’s healthy to push the supermom narrative and hustle culture goals onto entrepreneurs with beautiful ideas for their work in the world, when I know that nine times out of ten approaching it the traditional way will lead to burnout and business failure? No, that is not the narrative I’m here for. But neither am I here to tell you to say no to your dreams. That would make for a pretty uninspiring piece of writing. And since we’re here because we are already in business, it’s time to talk about what we can do.

Because below the truth is a much more impactful message.

The status quo for how to run a business and succeed is still driven by self-sacrifice, hustle, and stress. This bromide is not just for moms, but it’s a throughline in almost every business I’ve worked in, from international corporations to spiritual health-focused startups.

You know what they say, that when you want something to change, you have to do it yourself? Well, Mamma, who is better at leading the way than us?

So the message that feels most important to share is not that we should quit because we can’t maintain the status quo, but that we need moms to be saying yes to their dreams, now more than ever. We need to model a new, healthier way of working and living. The world is shaking and waking up. The old ways that perpetuated burnout and stress are washing away, and there is a big appetite now for bringing new work/life balance strategies to life. By saying yes and doing it your way, you are directly contributing to solutions that the world needs now.

So here you are. You started your business for a reason, and the way to reach your next level in your work and life is to embrace your lifestyle as a mom and an entrepreneur, not fall into the trap of trying to be the perfect supermom and the omnipresent entrepreneur at the same time.

What we need is honesty and compassion about the needs of our lives outside of work and to let go of the narrative that the only way to success is #nodaysoff, and if you don’t think big enough, you might as well close up shop.

Forget ‘Supermom.’

Supermom culture is everywhere. It's that silent (and sometimes not-so-silent) pressure to be the perfect mother, successful businesswoman, loving partner, and all-around superhero. But honestly, most of what we see of other people’s lives is the highlight reel and the image that we are comparing ourselves to — be it the supermom or the seven-figure entrepreneur on Instagram — is only the tip of the iceberg.

What we don’t see are the trust funds some people have to fall back on, or the family they have close by who can step in, or the spouse with a salary who takes the pressure off their business success.

What we don’t see are the first eight years in someone’s business where they had three jobs and 75 failed offers before their first success. What we don’t see are their support groups or the team behind them and the mentorship they received to keep them going through setback after setback.

Takeaway Number 1: Stop comparing your business to everyone else because you have no idea what is behind the picture. The best thing about your business is that it is yours — so go ahead and give yourself permission to do it your own way while giving yourself time to figure it out.

Remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Instead of working to create a business that matches what you see other people doing, work to create a business that makes sense given your bandwidth in this season of your life. Set yourself up for success by building your business one layer at a time. Life with kids and running a business can be complicated, but don’t let that leak into your work. What you offer is enough, and sometimes (most of the time) keeping it simple is the more effective strategy. We just get so used to having 27 layers of things going on at once that we can unconsciously start making our business harder than it needs to be.

You have to say no to say yes.

There are as many different ways to grow and promote your business as there are businesses in the world.

One of the biggest mistakes I see new entrepreneurs make is spending time promoting and growing their business before they have a solid offer that works.

Figure out the offer in your business that gets results, analyze which channel gives you the best success for your time, and double down in that arena instead of wasting precious time trying to be on all the platforms and in all the places at once.

You need to make sure that the time you spend working is going to move the needle, so don’t skip these foundational steps — and that might mean pressing pause on your next product or launch or saying no to a popular marketing platform. But in doing so, you will free up energy to have more impact in areas of your business that are working for you.

It's easy to overcommit, especially when you're passionate, but saying no can be incredibly empowering, and I promise you will feel like a whole new person when you finally give yourself a realistic to-do list instead of one a mile long that you have no hope of completing.

Takeaway Number 2: You won’t ever ‘arrive’ at a place where you feel comfortable saying no and protecting your peace and sanity if you don’t start practicing it now. The muscles we flex are the ones that get the strongest. Be wary of shiny object syndrome as an entrepreneur and protect your peace now if you want to have peace down the road.

The self-care secret I wish more entrepreneurs knew:

Solutions, insights, confidence, and energy are all elevated when you make time for self-care in the form of doing things that bring you joy and allow you to tap into flow and creativity.

What is that thing you keep wanting to do or try that lives on the backburner for “when the business is doing better and the kids need me less”? Find a way to do it now. On deep levels, this helps us rewire the programming that we have to be productive and efficient every moment of the day. It helps us gain confidence by providing opportunities to explore our ideas and express a different side of ourselves. It’s also logical that if we want our brains to work for us, we have to give them a break and shake things up. Plus, some of the best ideas can come when you aren’t looking for them.

Takeaway Number 3: Life is scheduled enough — give yourself permission to throw that out the window now and again and fuel up on just some good ‘ol Life. Our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls need for us to not be available to the outside world 24/7. This is your permission slip to set those boundaries in your life and on your team and with your clients to help usher in a healthier pace and balance for life.

The world (and the burned-out but passionate mompreneurs) need us to create a new way to do business and life. One last empowering thought to leave you with: Look at what you have believed you have to do to find success, and then write yourself a new story of what could be possible.

I want to hear from you! My inbox is an open door, and if you are looking for one-to-one or group coaching support, please reach out to me at emma@emmarosetait.com to inquire about the next openings.

AUTHOR | Emma Tait

Emma Tait is a writer, coach, and business strategist based in Procter, BC. Her work has taken her from corporate communications to marketing for online wellness brands that reach millions of lives daily. Now, as a mom of two and entrepreneur in her own business, Emma is driven to heal the narrative that wellness is sacrificed for success and work with clients to bring balance and joy back into the work-life conversation. Connect with Emma online at www.emmarosetait.com or on Instagram @emmarosetait.