An Entrepreneur’s Journey into Motherhood: 3 Tips To Prepare for Maternity Leave
In this month’s journal entry I am called to write about my experience being pregnant as a business owner and all the steps I have taken to ensure that both my businesses are prepared for my absence. I am expecting in November 2022 and am grateful to say that I (and baby) have been blessed with good health. In hopes of supporting other entrepreneurs on similar journeys into and through motherhood, I am happy to share my experience here with my top 3 tips for moms-to-be with businesses to run.
Privileges and Barriers
My pregnancy journey as a heart centered entrepreneur is a unique one; I recognize that being an entrepreneur with privilege has provided me with many opportunities that not all may experience. I also know that getting ready for the arrival of a baby for an entrepreneur means not only preparing myself and my home, but also preparing my business for a period of prioritizing my home life.
Self employed individuals may face challenges accessing adequate financial support for parental leave. This may create barriers including the inability to take extended time off, changes to household structure and relationship dynamics, and internal conflict between cultural narratives of being a “good business owner” and a “good parent” simultaneously.
Top 3 Tips for entrepreneur mothers-to-be preparing their businesses for baby time
During these past months of preparation for maternity leave, I have been focused on planning, pausing to listen, and honouring my heart. Here are my top 3 tips for all the beautiful business owners stepping into motherhood.
Tip #1: Start your planning and preparation early.
As entrepreneurs are well aware there are many logistics and hats that we wear to operate a business. It can certainly be overwhelming to consider all these pieces and the reality of taking time off when the baby arrives. It’s never too early to start thinking about it. I would recommend starting as soon as you find out you are pregnant or if you are hoping to become pregnant. Here are some of the main areas of business preparation that I focused on during this time:
When possible, start making contributions to create a nest egg that you can access during the months that you might not be generating as much business income. Having this reserve set aside will support you with maintaining financial wellness through the transition of this life event.
Connect with your financial advisor. If you don’t have one on your team you are invited to connect with us - Jacquie: Costron + Co Financials Specialist, to support integrating parental leave into your business financial plan.
Consider passive income streams with your business that could generate revenue while you are on maternity leave. They could include recorded online courses and workshops, owner’s draws from employee/subcontractor business structures, or products with automated sales platforms.
Carve out space to create your social media and newsletter content in advance.
Consider scaling back or even pausing your marketing activities, but not without considering the penalty to your page’s algorhythmics as well as your community seeking support from these online spaces.
Consider planning all marketing content in advance and using scheduling software or hiring someone to publish everything for you during your leave.
Costron + Co. has the privilege of working with a collaborator, Taylor Rae who provides support for our social media, newsletter, and marketing campaigns. If you are looking for this kind of support you are invited to to connect with her for a consultation
Look at who’s on your team and assess what’s working with the business responsibilities they are supporting for your business.
Take stock of what responsibilities are on your plate as the business owner.
Delegate, delegate, delegate! Everything you do on a daily basis could be delegated to someone brilliant who is already on your team or hiring someone in fee-for-service. This part can be scary. But I believe with strong organization practices, well thought out systems, open communication, and deep trust—that magic will naturally unfold.
Tip #2: Practice pausing and listening.
If you feel any sense of guilt or fear around taking a break, you are not alone! When we live amidst dominant colonial narratives of productivity that prioritize and glorify hard work, it’s no wonder our thoughts go here. Our shadow parts are in connection with these cultural messages, as well as in connection to our childhood perceptions and experiences. Under these challenging thoughts do you hear any other voices trying to tell you something? They may be quieter than fear or guilt but when we pause to listen we can practice new ways of being to connect with Loving Kindness, Compassion, and Radiance.
You may find that pausing to listen brings new insight, wisdom, or clarity. It has guided me to make business decisions of creating space and resting when the world outside is telling me to push work and productivity. A couple areas of business that I have decided to pause in preparation for mat leave include journal writing with Costron + Co, and decreasing the production of email newsletters for my other business, Find Your Voice Music Therapy.
Tip #3: Honour your heart.
Perhaps the most important tip of all. Honour your heart by acknowledging, validating, and giving loving responses to the uncomfortable emotions and challenging moments you experience. The rite of passage into motherhood is a big chapter that deserves intentional space;
Space to allow and surrender into moments of being, rather than doing.
Space to receive the wisdom you need at this particular time in your journey.
Space to trust that divine guidance is naturally unfolding as it’s meant to.
We invite you to explore this topic further through past Costron + Co Journal entries: Drop the Hustle and Lessons in Creating Space.
Integration
Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s journal entry! Currently I am in the final month of my pregnancy where I’ve created margin for integration. To focus on flowing between spaces of creativity, productivity and rest, in both personal and professional areas, as inspiration calls. See you all March 2023! If you need anything while I am away please connect with the Costron + Co team for support.
