being a mom and entrepreneur
When I was in New York recently for PhotoPlus Expo, the situation back home suddenly turned dire. My husband left our boys with my parents and then joined me. Two days into the four-day conference, my mother called to say my youngest, August, had been to the doctor and had an ear infection, fever and strep throat.
It seems every time I go out of town, the kids get sick. This time it was worse: spiking a high fever, developing the croup and struggling to breathe. Mom called a second time in the middle of the night saying she didn’t think August was breathing and that she was rushing him to the hospital. It’s rare to hear Mom panic, so naturally I went straight into panic mode. So at 4 in the morning, with every ounce of my being, I was searching for any flight to get me home ASAP. I got the first flight home and was back in Atlanta by eight in the morning. August ended up needing some steroids and stronger antibiotics to help him bounce back.
This is exactly what happens when you are an entrepreneur and a mom. Not working means you’re not producing. When life or the kids pull your attention away from work, what is the opportunity cost for your business? When you find out you are pregnant and you take three months off your schedule, who will pay maternity leave, who will answer the emails, who will report quarterly taxes? When there is homework to do, dinner to cook and the phone is ringing, who will take that call without the client hearing all sorts of noise in the background? Is being an entrepreneur and a mom good for anyone?
