The truth about business after becoming a mom

Are you worried about what will happen to your business if and when you become a mom? 

There's a lot of talk on social media about just how hard motherhood is and how it changes you, kills your ambition, and makes you want to shut down your business. 

Now that I'm 6 months postpartum after the birth of my second child, I'm sharing the differences in both of my postpartum experiences and how each impacted my business... including some valuable lessons learned! 

Becoming a mom can make you a more confident, resilient, powerful, and ambitious business owner and a more unapologetic YOU! 

Transcript

0:58

Welcome back to Mommy Knows Business, the podcast where motherhood and business mix. I'm your host, Meg, and I am really excited about today's conversation because if you are hoping to be a mom one day are about to be a mom or a new mom, And you have an online business or a business of any kind, you may be worried about what the impact is going to be on your business. Let's face it, in today's day and age, most social media content we consume about motherhood is usually talking about the hard part. And on one hand I think that's beautiful. It's beautiful for us to be honest about it, to connect with other women going through the same thing, to to know that we're not alone in those struggles is beautiful, and I'm so grateful for that. But I think it can often mean those who want to become a mom or about to be a mom can have an additional level of anxiety or worry or hesitation about if they want to go through this, if they want to become a mom and what they can expect after they become a mom. So I'm not here to pretend everything is rainbows and sunshine when you become a mom. Absolutely. Being a parent is challenging. It's the most challenging thing I've ever done. It is simultaneously the most rewarding and fun and amazing thing I've ever done. But I do wanna highlight what this can do for your business, because you may see this trend of people becoming moms, becoming parents, and shutting their business down. You may have heard them say their priorities change once you become a mom. Your ambition doesn't matter. Your business doesn't matter. Your priorities shift. And that can be really confusing to hear when you're not a mom or you're about to be a mom and you don't understand like how that can be. So I'm gonna share my experience because I have had two postpartum experiences now. I do feel that both were very, very different and I think it's important to share. What this journey can look like because I am on the other side of my second postpartum. I'm six months postpartum, and I feel amazing. I feel powerful. I feel potent. I feel like my vision and my mindset for business is bigger and bolder and more exciting than it's ever been, and I totally believe that's because I'm a mom. So let's, let's back up and I'll share with you my postpartum experience with my daughter and how it's different from now, and what caused that difference. When I had my daughter Kelly, I was at a point in business where things were full steam ahead. I had full-time employees. I had an active group coaching program where I was enrolling people all the time, and I had just wrapped up a big launch. So it really surprised me when I was postpartum just a couple of weeks that I didn't want to go back to my business. I distinctly remember being about eight weeks postpartum, sitting at my desk for the very first time and trying to do a little bit of work just to use my brain because I wanted to, and feeling really disconnected, feeling unsure that I wanted to. Sit back and get into this work. I, at that time was helping online business owners grow their team, hire employees, systemize their operations, things I'm very, very good at, but things that also are really, really important and have a high risk associated with them. And I just felt like I couldn't come back to that. I felt like I didn't have the mental capacity to hold space for all of the new. Information and mental load of becoming a mom and the mental load of being a business owner, and I'm not here to judge my past actions. I made decisions at that time that felt like they were the best decision for me and my family, but I do feel like when I look back at that time, I think I made some rash decisions. I decided when Kelly was like two or three months old, That I was gonna shut down my business and start working, uh, part-time for a friend and prior client of mine. Now, I absolutely loved taking that job. It was, I think, exactly what I needed at that time, it served me and my family really, really well. I do kind of feel like I made some rash decisions, though. I feel like I made that decision. Maybe a little prematurely. Now that I've had two kids, I see a little bit better the full journey of the postpartum experience. And of course it's different for everyone, but that felt really early in my postpartum journey to just decide to shut everything down. So again, we're not here to judge our past actions. I love Megan and what past Megan did for herself and her family at that time felt right. But I do think that. If you're a new mom or about to be a new mom, it's worth hearing that how you feel at the beginning of postpartum will not necessarily be how you feel weeks, months, or years later. So if you had asked me at that time in April or May of 2020, One had to think there for a second. I would've said I was totally lost and had no ambition and my priorities were completely changed. But I can also look back and say I was in the thick of it. That is like deep, early postpartum, right? Like your kid's, like a couple weeks old, a couple of months old. Like of course as a first time mom, you're going through this huge transformation. So know that everyone's postpartum experience is different, but also don't assume how you feel at the beginning is necessarily a reflection of how you will feel months down the line. Now I'm here six months postpartum after my second child, and things couldn't be different. Of course, the first three to four months I was deep in postpartum. I was trying to figure out if my child needed to switch formula and how bad the reflux was and try to get them to sleep through the night. And there's so much that happens in those first three to four months in particular that I knew it was temporary. So I just let things kind of unfold without putting pressure on myself to make decisions during that time period. Because there were definitely weeks in that time period where I wanted to never work again. And then there were other weeks where I couldn't wait to start working and I wanted to do my business. And there were other times where I wanted to have a job. And it's very natural to rediscover or have a deeper relationship and understanding of who you are through that process. But I think it also changes a lot in those early months. So now that I'm six months down the line, I feel like. Very aware that I'm still in postpartum, right? But my child is sleeping through the night for the most part. He is about to start eating real food. Like we're in a completely different phase of the first year of a child's life, and I have a two and a half year old to compare this to. Like I know how things move and what to expect, and I'm giving myself a lot more grace and understanding and appreciation during this time period. But I want you to know that motherhood can make you feel more powerful and more excited and more ambitious and more motivated than before you were a mom, because that is where I'm at now. I have a bigger vision for my business and my brand. Than ever before. I have a better mindset about what's possible. I have so much more confidence, more resilience, more determination, and even though I have significantly less time than I've ever had before to sit at my desk and work. I feel like the work I am doing is 10 times, a hundred times more impactful, more important, more significant than it ever has been. So please know that becoming a mom can make you. More excited about business. It may take a couple weeks or a couple months. Everyone's journey is different, but this is possible. It is possible to be a better business owner on the other side of motherhood. It's possible to be more excited, to be more focused, because when you become a mom, one of the greatest transformations that happened for me was this absolute undeniable. Confidence in who I am. I'm unapologetic about who I am. This is me. Take it or leave it. I'm not here to people, please. To make everyone like me, and I can absolutely say before I became a mom, that's how I approached life. I wanted to not offend anyone. I wanted to appeal to everyone. I wanted to fit into this perfect little box. And the journey of becoming a mom has absolutely changed that for me. I am. Me, I'm going to embrace who I am and I'm gonna show up in business that way. And that confidence and acceptance is so powerful. I see business through an entirely different lens. Now, this isn't just about playing the game and making money for fun. This is about making money for a specific purpose. For my family, it's wanting to show my daughter what this can look like. For her, it's wanting to show my kids what a happy it fulfilled and engaged mother can look like. In the past, I built a business based on what I thought I was supposed to be doing, trying to fit myself into this box of a course creator, passive income. I do webinars and, and those things are amazing and so, so powerful. But what I'm finally accepting is I am not a course creator. I am a coach. That is my zone of genius. I absolutely am on fire when I'm working in a very high touch, personalized container, answering your questions, giving you feedback, pushing you beyond your limits, helping you move quickly.'cause you're moving through your own blocks like I am good coach and I am no longer trying to fit myself into another business model or another person's strategy when I know. That's not my zone of genius. For example, I'm not a writer. I have been trying to create like really cool written carousel posts on Instagram and well thought out newsletters, and those things are amazing and I love when people can do that. But it's just not me. That's not how I communicate right now. That's not how I can show up best. So I'm just gonna leave that. I'm just not gonna worry about that, and I'm just gonna start showing up how I can. And I'm choosing things. For me, becoming a mom has made me unapologetic about who I am. It has made me ruthless in choosing what actually matters and where I wanna spend my time, and it's allowed me to have the self-confidence to do what's right for me, even if it doesn't make the most sense or fit into what's trending. And I know without a doubt that my business is going to be far more impactful and enjoyable and successful because I'm a mom. Because before I was a mom, I was doing this, trying to be like everyone else, and now I ha I know you, you. If you're a mom out there, you get it. Like this is who you are. There's a strength and a determination and a resilience, and it's fun. And being ambitious in my business feels vigorating. It feels empowering, and that doesn't mean you have to have the same goals as me. Ambition can look very, very different to everyone. But I'm here to tell you, you can be ambitious after motherhood. You can be excited about business after motherhood. You may make changes or you may not. You may feel great about the business model you have. I think it's all possible, but please know you can be a badass business owner. And a present and engaged and fulfilled and loving. Mom, you can be both. You have the capacity to be both, and becoming a mom will not take that away from you. So if you are hoping to be a mom or about to be a mom, please know you've got this. If you wanna come back to business, it's there. Your ambition is there. Give yourself the. Time and grace to go through postpartum to recover, to be with your little one and just know you will feel like yourself again, and you will probably feel like a better, more powerful version of yourself on the other side. And if you're already a mom in the postpartum phase or on the other side of motherhood and you are unsure of how to tap back into yourself, the best advice I can give you is to prioritize you. I'm not saying this is easy and everyone has all of the resources in the world, but what is one way you can create some you time? Whether it's going on a walk or getting in the car and going to Starbucks, or whatever it is, how can you prioritize you? How can you have some time to yourself, even if it's just a couple of minutes a day? How can you prioritize you? Because I firmly believe that if you wanna start feeling more like yourself, tap back into this resilience and excitement and enthusiasm and vigor for life you are gonna need some time to yourself and you're gonna need to prioritize your own wellbeing, but you can do this. It really helps being in community with people. It absolutely helps having these conversations, being surrounded by other moms who are on the same journey as you, who are at different points, who wanna cheer you on and support you and help you. And that's exactly why I'm launching a membership because I want moms of all statuses, all stages, aspiring moms, hopeful. Moms soon to be established moms, all of it. If you are a mom and an entrepreneur and a business owner, I wanna create a community where you can share what's going on and get that support team with you cheering you on to move forward, who can share what's working for them and some lessons that we've all learned, and also get some strategy to grow your business, to make some money, to get the ball rolling and get the momentum and the clarity that you need. So if you wanna learn more about the membership, go ahead and go to, hey meg king.com/membership, or click the link, any of this podcast to learn how to get on the wait list or join, depending on when you're listening to this. But I just want you to know you can do this. You can. Feel like yourself. You can feel like a better version of yourself eventually, and you can do this. And I am so excited for you and excited to cheer you on on this journey of integrating motherhood and business in your life. And just know whether it takes a new form or shape than you expect. You can find this sweet spot of knowing yourself. Owning your zone of genius, making sure your business supports that, and moving forward with more momentum and excitement and clarity than you've ever had. I hope to see you in the membership so I can cheer you on as well and support you on your journey. If not, let's be sure to connect on Instagram at, Hey Meg King. Send me a DMM if you liked this, or share it on Instagram stories and tag me. And know that I am just here cheering you on every step of the way. I'll see you in the next episode. Bye.