From Mom with a Job to Mom with a Company

So, you’re a new mom dreaming of ditching the 9-to-5 grind and diving into the world of freelancing or entrepreneurship? First of all, welcome to the club! Mamas often reach out to me looking for advice on making the shift from full time employee to free lancing or entrepreneurship. As we head into the fall, I thought it might be a good moment to share a few tips.

1. Start with a Solid Plan

Before you channel your inner boss and quit your job, let’s get a plan in place. Maybe you've sorted out the business plan, but have you sorted our how that will work with your current life set up. How will you take time off if the daycare is shut? Do you have enough money saved if your business has a rough month (all businesses do!). These questions are pretty daunting, but answering them now will save your heartache and stress later on. While you're making your plan, consider starting your side hustle while still hanging on to that steady paycheck. Think of it as the business world’s version of dipping a toe in the kiddie pool. This way, you’ll build a client base, save some extra cash, and ease into your new life without immediately panicking about where your next diaper fund is coming from.

2. Set Boundaries and Prioritize Time Management

When you’re freelancing or running a business, the line between “I’m at work” and “I’m at home” gets pretty blurry. This is where boundaries come in. Create a workspace that’s yours and only yours. Maybe it’s a corner of the living room or a desk in the bedroom, but it’s got to be a place where you can say, “I’m working,” even if that means ignoring the baby monitor for a hot second (I see you, napping child!). Time management will become your new best friend—sorry, Netflix, it’s been real. Consider using time-blocking techniques or project management apps that let you organize your tasks, so you’re not stuck deciding between answering client emails and Googling “Why does my baby’s poop look like that?” When I started The Labour Dept. I would layout my entire week hour by hour every Sunday night. It definitely didn't always go as planned, but it helped to see the entire thing from above.

3. Find your Cheerleaders

Here’s the thing: entrepreneurship can be lonely and hard and scary. Surround yourself with people who really believe in you, they don't have to get it- but they have to love you and want you to succeed. There are so many moments on this road where we feel like absoute crap about the decisions we have made, and it can be an absolute game changer to have someone there to hype you up along the way. I have been lucky enough to have some amazing people in my corner, and I'm grateful to them every day.

Shifting from full-time employee to freelancing or entrepreneurship as a new mom isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It’s more like a hike up a mountain while pushing a stroller filled with business plans, diapers, and a lot of coffee. But you can absolutely make it work! And who knows? You might just find that the mompreneur life is the perfect fit—spit-up stains and all.