Being An Entrepreneur From Home Is Possible
I quit my job in the city to be a stay-at-home mom. The mom part was great, but I had a lot of trouble with the stay-at-home part. If I didn’t like any other job, I would have found a new one, and I decided even if my job was taking care of my family, the bottom line was I lacked the inspiration to be June Cleaver. Dr. Phil says, “If the momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” I was determined to find my own happiness, and that meant a new job.
I approached the job search like any other by figuring out what I liked and disliked about being a stay-at-home mom. On the pros, I love taking care of the kids (most days), and cooking dinner (shocking considering I used to order-in coffee when I lived in Manhattan). For the cons, I hate to clean with a passion, and the monotony of doing the same thing every day was getting to me. I wanted more of the hectic pace and creativity I had when I worked in marketing. My solution: I started my own business doing something that I love. I still take care of the kids myself and cook dinner most nights, but I hired someone to clean the house.
Are you reading this and saying to yourself, I am not the type to have my own business? I never saw myself as an entrepreneur either.
I was always the creative one in my family growing up. I went into marketing because it was the most creative field I could think of where I could still pay my bills. I was terrified to start my business because I was smart enough to know that I didn’t know what I didn’t know about running a business.
I discovered being an entrepreneur is nothing like working in corporate America. Nobody gives me assignments, and there are no pats on the back for a job well done. You need to have the intrinsic motivation to stay on top of your work, no matter how beautiful the weather is outside. And you need to give yourself the pats on the back, a good life-skill regardless of your profession. (Note to self: Teach kids to validate their success rather than waiting for someone else to do it).
Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, works out of her home studio in Warwick. She paints one-of-a-kind home accessories, specializing in kids decor. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at info@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.
Logo from with love, ali B.
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