Edmonton Journal:
For many women who shift from professional life to maternity leave, starting a new business can be a natural fit — a way to put those multitasking skills to use while making money closer to home.
The trouble is, those former professionals often cultivated their business connections by shmoozing at lunches, business association events and chamber of commerce gatherings. After a year on maternity leave, networking has usually taken a back seat to diaper changing.
That’s why “mompreneur” Carol McBee is starting Bossy Mama, a mom-centred networking organization and website for Edmonton entrepreneurs.
“There really isn’t a proper network for professional moms who own their own businesses, so I envision it to be like the networking events that a lot of us were used to before. … A lot of us really miss those events, or at least I do, but they might not be the right platform for us to attend anymore,” McBee said in an interview.
When McBee gave birth to her daughter, Madelyn, in November 2008, she decided not to return to her full-time job as corporate programs manager for Cold FX. However, McBee continues to run her five-year-old Canadian Houses business, a virtual tour and photography company that shoots video and photos for real estate agents and builders.
She is also starting another business venture — a program designed for new moms and their babies, called Mommy Connections. The six-week program that starts Thursday will initially cater to south-side moms, giving them a chance to socialize while learning about a variety of topics, including post-natal fitness, baby nutrition, finding child care, baby mas sage and fun classes available for new moms.
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