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I think most moms occasionally have those moments where we think, “Why on earth did I sign up for this?”  And most momtrepreneurs have moments of wanting to trade our crazy juggling acts for regular, normal jobs.  This week I had a day that combined the worst of both – I had a day of nonstop appointments and needed to get my paperwork together, but right before school started, I had to take my younger son to an emergency orthodontist appointment to have his spring re-attached – for the 27th time, I believe.  Since I’d thought it would be fairly quick, I hadn’t brought work to do, so I ended up having 45 minutes to thumb through outdated issues of People.  (And while I appreciate knowing why Jon & Kate split up, I still had other things I needed to do!)  I was already crabby as I drove Ben back to school, so it didn’t help when he announced, “Oh, Mom, you
need to bring my dress clothes to school, it’s final rehearsal for the drama team play.”  As we waited in the office to sign him back in,  I envisioned frantically hunting through Ben’s room, having to reach behind the rat cage for his crumpled white shirt, and meanwhile my son stood as far away from me as humanly possible, since of course 8th graders would rather die than publicly acknowledge the existence of parental units.

We walked out at the same time, with me prepared to make an anonymous exit, and suddenly Ben came up to me and said, “Mom, sorry about that, but there were some cool kids in the office and it’s sort of embarrassing to have your mother at school.”  I said I understood, turned to leave (of course, without doing anything really embarrassing like waving or kissing him), and then Ben called out, quite audibly, “Bye, Mom, I love you!”

Needless to say, I barely made it to the car before I burst into tears.  That one, unexpected gift made up for the 45 minutes at the orthodontist’s–in fact, it made up for the $400 band trip fee, the nights I sat up with him when he had the stomach flu, and even the 12 hours of labor.   What a great reminder of why I made the choices I’ve made – if I had a ‘regular’ job and a nanny to handle all my tedious tasks, I would have missed a wonderful moment.  (On the other hand, I wouldn’t have minded letting a nanny look for the dress shirt and clean up around the rat cage . . . oh well.)  And if I’d never had kids, I wouldn’t know how it feels to cry with joy because a 13-year-old said something to me that didn’t begin with “Mom, I need . . . . . “

Sometimes being a momtrepreneur really is the best job in the world!

-Lauren Mayer, The Psycho SuperMomtrepreneur

I haven’t had a normal job (with a boss, regular paycheck and benefits) since I graduated from college, more years ago than I want to admit.  Freelancing and self-employment can be challenging, but since everyone always says ‘make a list of the good & bad’ when you’re facing a decision, here are a few pros and cons for aspiring momtrepreneurs to consider.

Disadvantages To Being Your Own Boss.

-Staff meetings are weird unless you enjoy talking to yourself.
-You’ll know you’re lying if you call in sick on the day the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale starts.
-You don’t get to have office parties, or celebrate co-workers’ birthdays, or compare notes on who should have been kicked off of last night’s “So You Think You Can Dance”).
-There’s no easy answer to ‘What do you do?’ (In my case it’s “I’m a writer/comedian/humorist/blogger/singer/music teacher/sleep-deprived mom” – and that’s the short answer.)

Advantages To Running Your Own Business.

-The commute is really short.
-You can work in pajamas or sweats with no makeup on (just avoid videoconferencing.)
-Insomnia becomes a good thing (it’s amazing what you can accomplish in a quiet house at 3 a.m.)
-You get to give yourself an occasional day/afternoon/hour off (I take a mid-day dance class 2-3 times a week, figuring I make up for it when I have those bouts of insomnia.)
-There are no Gen Y young staffers around complaining about your taste in music.
-You can catch up on “So You Think You Can Dance”, “The Daily Show” or “Desparate Housewives” while you collate, file, or do other mindless work.
-No matter how odd, unusual, or weirdly creative your business is, you know there’s a momtrepreneur out there doing something even more unusual – and you get to be part of a terrific, creative group of odd, unusual, weirdly creative, sleep-deprived moms who work in their pjs, love what they do, and demonstrate the amazing power of women!

-Lauren Mayer, The Psycho SuperMomtrepreneur

Being a ‘momtrepreneur’ requires major juggling skills – managing your business, your clients, your marketing, your home, your kids, and your kids’ activities, much less keeping up with volunteer work, friends, spouses, exercise, and sleep.  We all like to think we can do it all – but let’s be honest, a few of those balls get dropped now and then, and trying to be a SuperMomtrepreneur is going to drive you a bit psycho.  When things go awry, maintaining a sense of humor can be a big help.  For example, when my kids were babies, I went to a networking event and met a potential client.  In my sleep-deprived haze, I reached into my bag for a business card and pulled out . . . a pacifier.  After an awkward pause, I recovered with, “What can I say, these events stress me out.”   (I don’t know if the client was amused, but at least I was able to laugh about it later . . . )

So when those little things go wrong, you miss a deadline, you forget to charge your cell phone, or you didn’t have enough shoeboxes for your kid’s diorama of Prehistoric Mammals, try to find the humor in the situation – or check out funny videos on YouTube, your favorite humor writers, or the latest episode of The Simpsons.  We can all use a good laugh now and then!

-Lauren Mayer, The Psycho SuperMomtrepreneur

As I prowled the aisles of Target the other day, I saw the ultimate symbol of Back To School: the bed-in-a-bag.  Those of you who experienced the joys of dorm room living will remember the bed-in-a-bag as a nifty bedding solution. You got your sheets, comforter, pillowcases, maybe even a dust ruffle, all in one handy package.

I’ve been a little obsessed with the in-a-bag concept ever since I visited kitcheninabag.com.  On this site you can select the look of a kitchen you’d like to create, and designer Rebekah Zaveloff will send you samples of all the materials you need to achieve a fabulous, coordinated look. You get your countertop, cabinet, backsplash and paint selected by someone who knows what she’s doing.  And you get nifty little samples delivered to you.  In a bag.

I love the idea of a service business that sells something tangible; in fact, I’ve started brainstorming my own ideas with the “in-a-bag” concept. So, as a way to keep the creative juices flowing, let me leave you with some fantasy products I wish I could buy:

1. Organized-office-in-a-bag

2. Grocery-shopping-in-a-bag

3. Tax-preparation-in-a-bag

4. Playdate-mediation-in-a-bag

And of course, Sleep-in-a-bag.

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur

Screeeeeeeech!  That’s the sound of me putting the brakes on my business idea.

It reminds me of the time my husband and I tried to buy a house that had some major roof problems.  We tried to negotiate with the sellers, but the deal just wouldn’t go through.  I was convinced that we lost the perfect house.  But lo and behold, the truly perfect house came on the market two months later.  I’m sitting in it right now.

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur