Pursuing Big Plans in the Middle of Motherhood

This has been a busy week for me with preparing for our latest Bloom book club shoot (today!) and my final book edits being due – YEOW! So excited to get The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You in your hands.

Anyway, because of the craziness, I was delighted when my friend Hayley offered to do a guest post here on The Mom Creative. You regulars know that I don’t do a lot of guest posts, but when I do they are from people I love and trust. Hayley is one of those people.

We met at Blissdom a few years ago and instantly hit it off. She is a mama of four boys and an inspiring entrepreneur. Currently she and her husband are launching an ethical clothing company for kids. (So cool, right?) I think you are going to love her words today.

Thank you, Hayley for being here!

I know, if you have little kids, the time you have for yourself is limited. It’s probably so limited it hardly feels like you can get dressed in peace or put on makeup without small fingers grabbing at your pots of eyeshadow and lipgloss.

It’s most likely because of our already busy life that people sometimes look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them about our family’s new business. Who starts a new business immediately following 7 years of stairstep babies? Well, for me, it was the best option and I promise I don’t just seek out crazy.

My life is very much steeped in motherhood. I wake, eat, sleep, and breathe being a mom. It’s my most favorite job and I love it so much more than I ever expected to. I think that’s why it’s so much fun to be growing Wildly Co. right alongside my boys. It feels natural to me to be running a family business when I’m already so immersed in family life.

I think when you’re already creating and growing your family is the perfect time to take a risk and follow your biggest, scary hopes. Here’s why:

1. You’re already used to the cycle of growth. You are used to late nights and early mornings. You’re used to having demands made on your time. You’re used to being weary and stretched thin. But, you’re also very used to the daily joy of seeing something you’ve made (kids!) grow and change. The paralells between the early years of parenting and the early years of a business are crazy! Oftentimes, I joke that our new businesses are like big babies. They need tons of attention at first!
2. You have so much else going on that you aren’t as married to every single idea. You are forced to sort through your hopes and dreams and prioritize those that are most important to you and also most viable. Sometimes, the hardest part of starting is knowing which idea to run with, but when your time is already very full suddenly you don’t want to mess with the piddly stuff. You only have margin for the best, most life-giving ideas.
3. Your kids can be involved! Our boys have been involved in every step of getting Wildly Co. up and running. They are as invested in the business as we are, and they feel a lot of ownership in it. They help us stuff boxes with lollipops. They help us write copy for videos. We feel like it’s a whole different kind of education than they are getting at school. What kid doesn’t benefit from watching their parents go after the things they’re gifted to do? We get to run our business in front of our boys, every day.

I know what it’s like to be surrounded by small people every day. To feel creatively backed-up because most of your time is spent on tedious, labor-heavy tasks. I know what it’s like to be exhausted at the end of the day, but realize you haven’t spoken to a human over the age of 4.

I’d encourage you, if you have a dream rolling around in your heart or your head, maybe it’s time to give it a go. Sometimes, the only way to quiet your mind is to get your ideas out into the world.

Starting something new in the midst of young motherhood can be wild, but it’s a great time to do so! It’s life-giving, stretching, and fulfilling in all the best ways. You can choose how much time it takes, you can choose how risky your idea is. That’s the beauty of this all, no one is bossing you around. You can grow and build the life you want at the same time you are growing your sweet family.

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Hayley Morgan is a writer at The Tiny Twig and co-founded The Influence Network. She recently started an ethically produced kids’ clothing company called Wildly Co. with her husband Mike. Wildly Co. has the best of the basics, ethically made. The pieces are well-designed, well-made, and well-priced to make shopping ethically an easy choice. Hayley and Mike have long wanted to run a family business and now is the time! They are running a Kickstarter to fund the startup production costs and have some amazing rewards for backers.