I just finished reading The Entrepreneurial Mom: Managing for Success in Your Home and Your Business
Mary Davis, author of The Entrepreneurial Mom
Go Go Mama Go: What were you doing before you wrote The Entrepreneurial Mom?
Mary Davis: At the time I started writing my book, I’d been in business for 14 years and had two children, ages 12 and 10. During a two-week RV trip through Alaska, I began writing in a spiral notebook. I believe authors “should write what they know,” and if there’s one thing I know well, it’s the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneurial mom!
GGMG: Why did you become an entrepreneur?
MD: My husband and I wanted to start a family and I knew that working for someone else would mean that I’d have to fit into an employer’s schedule. I wanted the flexibility to control my own time; prioritize my life; and be responsible for my own destiny. I’d always wanted to see if I could meet the challenge of starting and growing a business on my own, and the timing just seemed right!
GGMG: What inspired you to write The Entrepreneurial Mom?
MD: In 1992, when I was considering starting a business and also starting a family, I searched for a book that could tell me how to do both successfully. At that time, no such book existed! I vowed that if I was ever successful in both arenas, that I’d write that very book to help other women!
The Entrepreneurial Mom
GGMG: I really enjoyed reading your book, particularly the chapter about getting organized. I loved your advice about just accepting that your kids would just need to come to your office from time-to-time and to make sure that they had toys and other activities to keep them occupied. Really great tip.
MD: Because I had already been down the road, learning by trial and error, I thought I could save other women some of the time and stress that I had encountered over the years, by committing to writing all that I had learned. It was my desire to create a sort of “road map” for women to follow when they consider starting a business while also raising a family. In days gone by, women felt they had to choose between motherhood and entrepreneurship. My book explains that, not only do women not have to choose, but that entrepreneurship actually works well for moms who want to be there for their kids!
GGMG: What were the obstacles you faced early in your business and how did you overcome them?
MD: For me, the challenges were many! I had chosen to start a flooring business, which is largely still regarded as a “man’s business,” so I faced some different obstacles. Not only was I new to entrepreneurship, but I was also new to the flooring industry, having to learn everything on my own! There were many late nights during which I’d find myself on an installation job, overseeing the installation crew, to ensure the job was completed on schedule. There were miserable times when my forklift had mechanical problems and I’d find myself manually unloading a pallet of heavy tile, box by box! And there were tense times, when my commercial clients fell behind on their accounts, leaving me no alternative but to file a lien against their property in order to collect the money they owed. And, when my children came along, I had to figure out how to balance my time and energy between motherhood, which was my first priority, and entrepreneurship, which allowed me to earn a living and also “be there” for my children.
GGMG: Figuring out how to balance business with family is a struggle for all mom entrepreneurs. How do you do it?
MD: It does take some juggling, but working for myself has allowed me to always be with my children. In the early days, I had help with the kids at home, and I’d come home several times a day, so I was never away for long stretches of time. And, as the kids got older, and started getting involved in things like play dates, swim lessons, art classes, or karate, I always structured my schedule so I could take them to their activities myself. Because I worked for myself, I never missed a school play, a field trip, a recital, or a ballgame; whereas, if I worked for someone else, I certainly couldn’t have asked for time off several times a week!
GGMG: I recently wrote that a husband’s support is so important when a woman ventures into entrepreneurship. How has yours been with your business?
MD: My husband has always been very supportive of me. He owns several businesses of his own, so he understands the commitment that’s needed to run a successful business.
GGMG: In the book, your son says that he wouldn’t know what life would be like without having a mom as an entrepreneur. I love that!
MD: My children are older now, ages 13 and nearly 16, so they’ve never known anything BUT an entrepreneurial mom. They realize that sometimes I must work late at night to catch-up on things if I’ve taken time during the day to attend their ballgames or chaperone an activity with them. It’s a trade-off, but it’s worth it, in the end!And, today, I’m absolutely certain that I wouldn’t have changed a thing in the way I raised my children, because they’re also goal-oriented, self-disciplined people who aren’t afraid to rise to a challenge. I think they’re comfortable with themselves and their abilities because of how they’ve been raised and I feel like they’ll have a solid foundation when they set-off on their own in a few years.
GGMG: What keeps you motivated?
MD: I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and it’s been such a positive experience for me to learn about myself and my own capabilities. Working for myself means that there is no one else to pat me on the back, but I find that I am driven by a personal need to succeed. It’s important to me to expand my horizons and try new things, so I set goals for myself. And, when I reach a goal, I set a new one! I enjoy the process of self-discovery!
GGMG: How do you stay sane?
MD: There are times when I’m teetering on the brink of insanity, believe me! But, I remind myself that ‘if it were easy, then everyone would do it!’ Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But, while there are sacrifices, there are so many advantages to working for oneself! And, in the end, the ‘pros’ really do outweigh the ‘cons!’
On occasion, when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I treat myself to a massage or I take an afternoon and go shopping by myself. Everyone needs to re-charge their batteries once in a while!
GGMG: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
MD: I know now that it’s okay to not take myself too seriously all the time; that a “problem” is really only a chance to learn something new; and that I can do anything I set my mind to! I wish I always had the self-confidence that I have today!
GGMG: Tell us about a time when you thought: “YES! I’m doing the right thing!”
A few years ago, one of my biggest competitors contacted me, offering to buy my business, and I realized that I had actually created “something of value that was being sought after” by someone whom I’d respected in the business community! Although I declined his offer, I thought, “WOW! I did this myself!”
Mary Davis is the author of The Entrepreneurial Mom: Managing for Success in Your Home and Your Business, an insightful and inspiring book that is a must-read for all women who want to find success at home and in business.
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I just read Mary’s book and thought it was fantastic! Agreed – absolutely a must-read for any working mom – not only entrepreneurs!