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Miscellaneous Momtrepreneur Moments.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:16:57 +0000

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I’d thought it would be fairly quick, I hadn’t brought work to do, so I ended up having 45 minutes to thumb through outdated issues of People.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

The Pros & Cons of Momtrepreneurship.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:41:35 +0000

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

Introducing…The Psycho SuperMomtrepreneur.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:03:43 +0000

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

It’s In The Bag.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:57:20 +0000

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

In Praise of False Starts.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:11:53 +0000

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

I’d been working on it for several weeks, pulling together a preliminary business plan, mulling over the details as I lay awake in the wee hours. But I eventually realized that while the idea was good, it just wasn’t workable for me at this point in my life.

They say you can have it all, just not all at once. As I developed the model for Service Business X, I saw that I would have to be too available to clients and too flexible in my work hours to ever turn a profit. Meanwhile, there are two sweet children in my house who have come to expect meals and clean laundry. Of course, the kids remain my first priority.

I’ve been in a funk since I put my business on hold – enough so that my husband is a little worried about me. I think I’m sad about losing a sense of purpose above and beyond my hausfrau duties. It was really exciting to have my own project in the works, one that put me in touch with the business gal I once was and the entrepreneur I hope to be.

The good news is that this false start has shown me that I really do want to start my own business, and I now have a better sense of the kind of business that will fit into my life.

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

Here I Go, Part 2.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:38:38 +0000

When last we met, I realized I had a Big Idea on my hands. How? The wise Momtrepreneur Maven expertly guided me to that conclusion, focusing on a concept that was commercially viable and within my skill set. She really got me pumped up.

What did I end up with? For now, let’s call it Service Business X. I know, I know, you want details. But every Momtrepreneur needs to keep things under wraps for a while. I’ll fill you in if this thing gets off the ground.

Next up is an exploratory stage. Jill recommended I take 2-4 weeks to research what it would take to launch and sustain this business. She told me to *get off the internet* (okay, okay) and talk to real people about my idea. So I’m going to bounce my idea off trusted friends to get their reactions and suggestions. I’m also going to talk to professionals in this field to see how my business might fit in (I’ll have to be a bit cagey in these discussions – I don’t want to give away my trade secrets!).

So here I go, folks, out of the starting gate and down the track. Did you all place your bets?

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur

Here I Go, Part 1.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:07:01 +0000

Faithful Reluctant Momtrepreneur readers know I have struggled to settle on one business. I always have a dozen ideas bouncing around my brain and can’t decide which one is worth going for.

Luckily, a conversation with our own Momtrepreneur Maven, Jill Salzman, helped me narrow things down.

Jill asked me to describe all my business ideas and we talked about their viability for a while. This one would be fairly straightforward, that one might have steep start-up costs, etc. There were so many things I hadn’t considered about each business, and I was grateful Jill helped me identify businesses that weren’t a good match for my situation.

But then things got interesting. Jill told me she’d been watching carefully while I pitched my ideas, and there were a few that made me light up. She noticed that one concept in particular seemed to float my boat. With this idea, I spoke rapidly and the details flowed, my eyes glistened and my hands gestured wildly (it’s an Italian thing I can’t control). Clearly, this was an idea to explore further.

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur

An Informal Poll.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:12:18 +0000

I’ve decided to harness the collective genius of our readers and ask for your thoughts. After all, what is the internet, if not interactive?

Anyway, I’ve been mulling over the following: am I more likely to succeed with a business in my former field or in something completely new? On the one hand, using my past experience would help me avoid a steep learning curve. On the other hand, venturing into a whole new area is pretty darn exciting and would keep my interest.

If you have any thoughts or experiences to share on this question, please drop me a line at reluctantmomtrepreneur@jillsalzman.com. I’ll be sure to share what I learn in a future post.

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur

The Senior Dadvisor Tries On A New Role.

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:03:52 +0000

We all know why the senior Dadvisor is such a valuable team member for any Momtrepreneur. The errands. The dishes. The moral support. All the little and not so little things that provide the Momtrepreneurs in our life with the support system they need to do what they do.

But what happens when the senior Dadvisor gets infected himself with the entrepreneurial bug? As our better halves have taught us, there’s nothing to do but follow the dream.

It turns out that your very own senior Dadvisor has been bitten. No matter that he has a full-time job already, as well as full-time Daddy duty. The seed of an idea has taken hold of his brain and simply will not let go.

Fortunately, I live with a rather saavy momtrepreneur who has been advising me on how to turn this idea into a reality. What is this idea, you say? For that, dear reader, you will have to stay tuned . . . .

-The Senior Dadvisor

So, What Do You Do?

The Momtrepreneur Maven — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:59:12 +0000

I have trouble answering a very simple question: What do you do?

As a new parent, I would answer, “I’m a stay at home mom,” while exuding a matronly glow. A couple years later I’d say, “I stay home with my daughter, but I also do a little consulting” (which was true enough at the time).

These days I ramble, “I’m home with my kids, which is great, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, but what I’d like to do is start my own business, maybe next year, but maybe not until the year after, when my son is in school full time…”

Is it just me, or does this scream woman-in-conflict?

One of the great blessings of parenthood has been learning to live in the moment. But now I’m letting myself look into the future, and I’m getting a little confused. Clearly I don’t know how this is all going to play out.

So do me a favor. If you meet me on the playground or at a soccer game, please don’t ask me what I do.

-Michele Golden, The Reluctant Momtrepreneur