I went into college knowing that I had a love for language – the boring grammar stuff, phonetics, literature, creative writing– I was fascinated with all of it! Like many college students under pressure to settle on a career in a matter of months, I had no idea what to do with my interests or where I should sharpen my focus. I studied everything from 17th century literature to psycholinguistics. But by the time I walked across the stage to receive my diploma, I was still feeling a little lost. I never figured out my so-called calling.
So, as I moved to a new city with my new husband, I decided to go into teaching. Although it wasn’t something I wanted to do forever, it was a career choice I will never regret. My high school students taught me so much about life and myself. They also taught me that if I want something, I should go get it. They thought of me as a capable, confident young woman and believed in me more than I believed in myself at the time. I just hope I gave that special group of students as much as they gave me.
After my two crazy kiddos were born, I longed to have another outlet to enjoy in between the diaper changes and finger painting. Making money would just be a bonus. I knew that I wanted my children to grow up watching their mom pursue a passion – without taking extra time away from them.
But how could I work & stay home?
Once you become a mom, somehow the “Mom Media” finds you. Everywhere you turn you see articles and memes and products about momming. I guess the bots find you as you search for “miracle diaper cream” at 3:00 am on Amazon, but somehow the entire internet quickly makes note that you’re a mom (i.e. a sucker for products that supposedly make life easier). I started seeing advertisements for custom diaper bags, coffee that is not coffee (for nursing moms), feeding & sleeping planners, hormone-balancing gummies, baby food delivery subscriptions, and more!
My curiosity won out for some of the products – I just had to “Click to Learn More!” And I began noticing that many of the more legitimate products were thought up by other mamas like me! Moms who recognized a way to make life easier and worked to make it happen. I’m talking about the ones engineered by real parents that aren’t just cheaply-made, mass-produced plastic. Their products were carefully researched, designed, and planned for a purpose.
I was amazed that these mompreneurs– while balancing motherhood and home life – were also putting together brilliant ideas and finding skilled teams to help carry them out. Because they are flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants mamas, too, they know what other parents are looking for when it comes to caring for their families. And they’ve gone to great lengths make high-quality products that work and last. You don’t see much about them in Forbes, but they are changing the lives of people in their sphere of influence nonetheless. And making quite a bit doing it!
What does that have to do with me? I don’t have a grand idea (not yet anyway), and I don’t have a product to sell. But I DO want to support small businesses like these who see a need, have a passion, and follow through with integrity. I want to promote not just mompreneurs, but all hardworking small business owners. I want to help add to their success because we need more people like them!
I would rather support the family down the street or my local nonprofit than an overseas company I know nothing about.
And I can do that through my writing. I can help promote their expertise, products, and skills by writing blogs, articles, social media posts, newsletters, and more. In an online world, a brand must consistently post good content to keep up. When I minimize that load, they’re free to pursue their priorities and passions.
As someone who loves people and loves to hear their stories, this makes me happy.
Pursuing your own business adventure? I'd love to hear about it! Drop a line below or connect with me at Elises.Edits@gmail.com