We’re thrilled to chat with Erin Baebler, the co-author of Moms Mean Business: A Guide to Creating a Successful Company and Happy Life as a Mom Entrepreneur on writing a book (with a co-author) and some of the key takeaways from their book.
Q.
After years of working with mom entrepreneurs what made you decide to write a book?
It’s funny because my ultimate dream was always to write a book. Scratch that. My ultimate dream continues to be writing books. I guess I figured that the most logical place to start was writing a book that incorporated the work I had been doing.
My co-author Lara and I have both coached quite a few women business owners. We compared notes and confirmed that most of our clients ran into the same issues—time management, productivity, self-doubt. In fact, these are the same things that we deal with so we thought writing about those things made the most sense.
We also know that not everyone can afford (in time and/or money) to hire a coach. So, we set out to create a coaching book that would help as many women as possible.
Q.
How was it writing Moms Mean Business with someone else? What was that experience like?
In short, it was pretty dreamy. I think I got very lucky when Lara agreed to work with me. Our skills complement each other’s. Our personalities are similar enough to click and different enough to keep each other on our toes. I’m in Seattle and Lara is in the Detroit suburbs so we wrote over the phone using Google Docs. It was hilarious at times (watching the cursor wars we sometimes had) and it worked.
I always try to follow what I call the breadcrumb trail—I do the next logical step and avoid struggles as much as possible. When I notice something is becoming difficult, I reassess and decide if I need to make a change.
With Lara, writing, finding an agent, and getting published happened fairly easily. I don’t expect that we had the “normal” experience but I’m very happy that it went the way it did.
Q.
You shared the sociological concept of “contaminated time” in the book. Can you share what this is and how, as mom entrepreneurs, we need to be mindful of this trap?
Contaminated time is what sociologists are calling so-called leisure time that involves non-leisure activities like laundry and dishes. Our take is that human beings need (not just want) down time. We need to have time that is purely for pleasure. So often, though, moms intend to take some time for themselves but then notice that the dishwasher needs to be unloaded or the trash needs to go out. If we take our leisure time to do chores, it can easily lead to resentment. Plus, if you don’t take some time to recharge, you will eventually burn out. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
Q.
I loved how you highlighted 4 specific traits that the successful mom entrepreneur possesses: grit, courage, confidence and patience. I was really surprised to see patience on that list. Can you expand on how patience leads to success?
Let’s face it. Not everything happens as soon as we’d like it to. And, living in this instant world of ours where we can order a car and driver to pick us up within 5 minutes from wherever we happen to be and we can deposit checks while we sit in the carpool lane, doesn’t help when you are a business owner because it sets up false, and overly ambitious, expectations for how quickly we will get “there”. Building a successful business takes time. Drawing on patience and being willing to let things unfold as they do helps to stave off the frustration when things don’t progress as quickly as we’d like them to.
Q.
In the book you compare the stages of business to the stages of pregnancy. So many entrepreneurs say their business is “their baby” but you paint an even clearer picture of this. Can you briefly walk us through the stages and why knowing where you are in the life cycle is critical for success?
Just as the stages of human development occur in a certain order, new businesses go through defined stages of growth. Business owners gain valuable perspective and can set better goals when their expectations match their business stage. You wouldn’t expect a toddler to sit quietly during a two hour college lecture, and you can’t expect a six-month-old business to be making a profit. Yet many entrepreneurs get frustrated and scared their business won’t make it because they’re not making money right from the start. Making money is an expectation for a more mature business—not one in its infancy. As a business matures, it makes sense to expect more of it and to set goals according to its new competencies, just as we expect our maturing children to accept more responsibility as they grow up. The better we are at setting realistic but powerful goals, the more likely we will feel successful and happy.
Q.
We all know the challenges that come with trying to juggle parenthood and business, but what advantage do mom entrepreneurs have compared to entrepreneurs without children? Tell us there is a silver lining.
I’m not sure I can say this is true for all mom business owners but there are definitely motivators that we can tap into if we choose. For one thing, time is such a limited resource that we tend to use it wisely—we have no choice. When you have kids, you have a bit of a built in schedule based on the schedule of your kids.
And, because we do have other responsibilities, we have a built-in chance at that elusive concept of balance even though that seems like it would be more difficult to acquire with so many competing roles. After all, we often can’t work 80 hour weeks—who would drive carpool if we did? So, while we may have a very full schedule, it likely won’t be as lopsided as those entrepreneurs that can put just about every waking hour into their business.
Another silver lining is that when you are the owner, you have the opportunity for more flexibility in your work day. For instance, because I decide when I’m going to work, I can take time out of my day to volunteer at my daughter’s school without having to feel guilty that I’m missing work.
Q.
While researching and interviewing for the book, what one thing really surprised you?
I think what surprised me most was just how similar we all are. We interviewed women who had new businesses, small businesses, giant businesses and those who had very successful businesses. All of them had the same concerns: Am I doing the best I can do at being a mom and a business owner? Am I making the right choices for my business and my family? Am I using my time efficiently? Am I doing enough?
Our hope is that Moms Mean Business will help quiet some of that noise for our readers and jump start them toward their own version of success and happiness.
Erin Baebler is the co-author of Moms Mean Business: A Guide to Creating a Successful Company and Happy Life as a Mom Entrepreneur. She has spent the past 10 years coaching women in transition through her company, Magnolia Workshop. Erin has written for Fast Company and Parent Map, has been featured on numerous sites and blogs, had an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: New Moms, and was a contributor to Five Must Know Secrets for Today’s College Girl. She and her husband have two children and live in Seattle.
Mom Means Business Site
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