More and more women are stepping into entrepreneurship—and for many, motherhood is part of the story. In fact, mom-founded businesses are on the rise, with Shopify reporting a 51% increase in stores created by self-identified moms between 2020 and 2022. Moms are building businesses not in spite of family responsibilities, but often because of them—seeking flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to design a life that works for both their personal and professional goals.
This trend mirrors broader data: the 2024 Wells Fargo report shows women-owned businesses outpacing those owned by men in both growth and revenue.
At Xcelerate, we see it every day: mothers building businesses while raising families. In this post, we’re sharing conversations with four women from our 2024 Impact Report who opened up about what it really looks like to navigate entrepreneurship and motherhood—the challenges, the wins, and everything in between.
How has your journey as a mother shaped the way you run your business—and how has your business journey shaped your experience as a mom?
Being a mother has taught me to lead with love, hope, and a lot of patience. It’s the kind of patience I find in the quiet and sweet chaos of raising two children, as they explore the world and discover who they are. That same patience is what I lean on as I nurture a small business still finding its footing.
Motherhood grounded me in the long game—how to show up consistently, even when there’s no guarantee your hope will ever be realized. It’s shaped how I lead, how I listen, and how I pour into something with trust and heart.
On the flip side, building this business has made me a more present, purposeful mom. My kids are watching me build something out of nothing. They’re learning that big dreams take big heart—and a whole lot of persistence.
What does balance look like for you these days (if it even exists)? Are there any non-negotiables or rituals that help you stay grounded in both roles?
Balance is subjective—and I think that’s the part often left out of the work-life balance conversation. For me, balance isn’t a fixed formula; it’s something that keeps evolving with each season of life and business.
In the early days of building my business, working 70 hours a week was my balance. It wasn’t ideal, but it was necessary for the dream I was nurturing. These days, having most Sundays off feels like a major milestone—one I deeply cherish.
My non-negotiables are small but sacred: our nighttime conversations, eating takeout together while watching TV, or simply putting down my phone when they want to talk. These little acts keep me grounded—and give me the clarity to keep showing up in both roles with intention
What’s one piece of real, honest advice you’d share with other moms building a business and raising a family at the same time?
Give yourself permission to grow slow—on your terms, with intention.
There will be days or seasons when business needs more of you, and seasons when your family does. You won’t always feel in balance—and that’s okay.
The goal isn’t perfect balance. The goal is to keep going with love, clarity, and enough grace to forgive yourself on the hard days.
I hope you’ll always keep your why close to your heart.
It’s what will anchor you in the chaos, the doubt, and the nuanced beauty of building something that truly matters to you.
How has your journey as a mother shaped the way you run your business—and how has your business journey shaped your experience as a mom?
My journey as a mother has shaped my business and myself by constantly pushing me to understand and surrender to not being able to do everything.
At the end of the day letting the to do list fall and accepting what I was able to and not able to get done. Guilt has given me the ability to put the to do list down and give in to undivided attention to my son, while also giving me some freedom to take him to work with me, stay home while my son is sick and show up to school functions. Having the flexibility has always been important so that I can find a way to do what I can with the time I have. And then letting go that my to list will never be completed. Being okay with that.
What does balance look like for you these days (if it even exists)? Are there any non-negotiables or rituals that help you stay grounded in both roles?
Listening to my body's needs. And not resisting the need to rest, to move, to get out energy in whatever way. Just really being aware of whether meditation, a run, a dance party, a walk in nature, sitting in the sun is going to fill my cup a bit more and then making that happen as soon as I can. There is no complete balance, but when one part of me is depleted I and only I can fill it.
What’s one piece of real, honest advice you’d share with other moms building a business and raising a family at the same time?
When you can, try as best as possible to let go of getting everything done by you. It’s impossible, so outsource, rely on friends and family.
How has your journey as a mother shaped the way you run your business—and how has your business journey shaped your experience as a mom?
It's become more important for me to cultivate my kids' big, beautiful wings. I want to create an extremely healthy relationship to risk in them so they launch and do fulfilling things. Fulfillment is in doing aligned things not thinking or fretting about them. We gotta think and do and have the courage to know which one when and act. My kids will always be able to fly home... But we have to do a better job of making sure they want to adult and expand and go beyond, then return.
What does balance look like for you these days (if it even exists)? Are there any non-negotiables or rituals that help you stay grounded in both roles?
I take and pick my kids up from school everyday. I'll work before, after and through that if I need to, but if I can't be the buffer to their day, I may as well have a regular job. I want to be the one they see at those transitions and if a sitter helps right after, that's fine.
What’s one piece of real, honest advice you’d share with other moms building a business and raising a family at the same time?
If you're like most families today, "tag you're it," you're the village. You can't hold yourself to the standard of care and opportunity for your children that a village or community mindset could provide and grieving it won't produce it either. You can't close the gap and you can't mourn it back into motion for your kids sake and yours. If you don't account for the handicap and accept it, you'll die on the vine of trying to be and do everything and your kids will lose even the best you had to offer as you spill out in slow motion or all at once. You can't afford to erode trying to produce what only dozens of people could for your parenting ecosystem. Your family will feel the void - let it be, adjust for the handicap and do the best you can to shy of the elusive ideal.
How has your journey as a mother shaped the way you run your business—and how has your business journey shaped your experience as a mom?
For me, it's been a journey of profound personal growth and unexpected strengths. My children taught me to prioritize and adapt—skills that are invaluable in business. And my business journey has reinforced the importance of dedicated family time.
What’s one piece of real, honest advice you’d share with other moms building a business and raising a family at the same time?
Don't go it alone. Seek out a community of women who will lift you up and offer honest advice (like the amazing Xcelerate Women!). Explore tools like AI to maximize your time and energy. And most importantly, connect with people who share your fundamental beliefs – their support will be your bedrock.
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