Starting your own business can be the most rewarding and nerve-racking experience of your life. It is a risk that can either pay off or give you experience in the long run. There will always be times when you suffer complications and difficulties, but true entrepreneurs never regret their decision to work as entrepreneurs.
The experience of being an entrepreneur can be compared to that of being a mom. You might face challenges while raising your kids, you might even have a few all-nighters, but at the end of the day, you know they’re your bundles of joy. Since there is such a significant overlap between these activities, does being a mom give you the bravery, strength, level-headedness, and vulnerability required for entrepreneurs to succeed? We believe it does.
Motherhood helps you develop character traits that eventually qualify you for more significant roles in life, including that of being an entrepreneur. In this article, we list down a few reasons moms make excellent entrepreneurs.
Maintained Composure
Moms are no strangers to unnecessary drama. The stress resulting from it – tantrums from children, injuries while playing, and other mom experiences prepare you to handle stress well eventually. Moms barely meltdown; they know how to stay cool, calm, and collected through their ups and downs.
Running a business also presents its fair share of stress and drama. There are times you need to manage slacking employees, deal with angry customers, and breeze through financial setbacks. Through all of this, the composure and level-headedness of entrepreneurs are what allows them to succeed. Moms bring this experience with them, having raised kids of their own and having gone through the impossible stress and drama that comes with looking after children.
Strong and Resilient
Women truly do not realize just how strong they are until they become mothers. There will be times when you astound yourself with your strength and composure as a mother. The most important thing is that since motherhood is a constant no-relief experience, the power and resilience gained through it eventually runs in your blood.
It is when you’re juggling job responsibilities, looking after your kids, and being present for them when it matters without breaking a sweat that you realize just how strong and resilient you’ve become. As an entrepreneur, you have to be strong every day and come out at your very best without sick days – something moms know all about.
Skilled Negotiators
Having negotiated their way through difficult 5-year-olds, moms are extremely good at the art of negotiating. This is one reason moms make excellent bargainers. They realize what a good deal is and know how to find their way through negotiation.
Entrepreneur and mom Yael Kochman perfectly summed up the negotiating skills of moms in her article for Fast Company:
“You think it’s hard selling your solution to a possible client or sealing a deal? Try selling clothes to a stubborn five-year-old! Believe me; if you have kids, you are already great at bargaining. Closing transactions is a piece of cake for you.”
Excellent Time Management
Time management is no mean feat – ask people who still have trouble finishing work at five after working their lives in the 9 to 5 routine. Moms struggle with time management since they’re juggling through so many responsibilities, but they eventually become masters at it.
Through their journey of motherhood, every mom realizes that certain things can be done in a better and faster manner. These experiences and hacks help them speed up time and manage their routine more efficiently.
Honed Leadership Skills
Women with natural leadership skills hone them through their experiences as a mom. Moms make superior leaders. After all, they’ve had extensive knowledge of being in charge for extended periods and guiding their children through complicated issues in life. Not only are moms known to be resourceful, but they can also juggle multiple responsibilities at one time.
They are no strangers to leading from the front and know the right time to take charge and maintain control. Moms also understand how to dumb their leadership technique down for different individuals. Not everyone has the same mental capability as you – case in point, children – hence, there are times when you have to make them understand your perspective by going down to their level.
They Wear Multiple Hats
This, we believe, is a significant overlap between the concerns of entrepreneurs and moms. Entrepreneurs wear multiple hats. They need to be accountants, sales professionals, managers, and marketers, among many other things. However, successful entrepreneurs also realize when it is time to call someone in for help.
Moms also wear multiple hats. They’re constantly teaching, cooking, chauffeuring, and taking care of their children. Also, they realize they need help when it is required and outsource a babysitter.
Calculated Empathy within Boundaries
Being an entrepreneur is all about showing calculated empathy within the boundaries you’ve set. Moms need to be understanding and empathetic toward their kids. At the same time, they try to be firm with the limitations they’ve developed. Children need to be disciplined from time to time by being reminded of their boundaries, and no one knows that better than moms.
As entrepreneurs, moms know how to empathize with suppliers, employees, clients, and other stakeholders. However, they also know how to set boundaries and expectations for their stakeholders. Entrepreneurs need empathy in calculated amounts, and moms have been hardwired to develop it.
Being a mom is a life-changing experience that prepares you for the good things in life. You might not notice it yet, but your experience with motherhood not only makes you a better human being but a better leader and a more successful entrepreneur whenever you decide to wear that hat.
