3 Lessons I’ve learned about balancing corporate life, motherhood, and growing a business

Any opinions, views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Hiscox.

When I started my entrepreneurial journey four years ago, I had no idea just how much balancing corporate life, motherhood and family life, plus running a business would stretch me. Like many moms and spouses with a dream, I thought if I worked hard enough and stayed up late enough, somehow everything would eventually just “fall into place.”

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

The reality is, growing a business as a solo entrepreneur, while working a 9-5 and raising a family, requires more than passion. It requires strategy, support, and wisdom gained through the lessons learned along the way. As I now step into year five of business ownership, I want to share three of the biggest lessons that have helped me find balance— and that I wish I had known when I first started. I hope they inspire and guide another mom who’s ready to take the leap.

👫🏻Lesson 1: You can’t do it alone—build a solid team

In the beginning, I wore every hat. I was the communications department, social media manager, content creator, accountant, event planner—you name it, I did it. And while it taught me a lot about my business, it also left me burnt out, overwhelmed, and doubting whether entrepreneurship was even for me.

The truth is, you can’t grow what you refuse to delegate. As much as your business may feel like your baby, it needs a village, just like your real-life babies do. Building a solid team, even if it’s just a few contractors, freelancers, or trusted friends or family in your corner, will make all the difference.

Once I began delegating tasks I wasn’t skilled at (or simply didn’t have time for), my vision finally started to manifest in a way I had only dreamed of. Asking for help isn’t a weakness— it’s a power move. It creates room for you to focus on the work only you can do: dreaming, leading, and growing the mission behind your brand.

💰Lesson 2: It takes money to make money—but be smart about it

Another hard lesson I learned early on was about money. Yes, it takes money to grow a business, but that doesn’t mean you need to go into debt trying to make things happen.

When I first started, I thought I needed every fancy software, the best podcast equipment, the most polished website, and to join so many courses or mentorships that I honestly couldn’t afford, considering the business didn’t yet have a true revenue stream. The pressure to “look the part” made me feel like I was constantly behind if I didn’t invest big.

But over time, I learned that there are tons of free and low-cost resources out there designed to help small business owners succeed without breaking the bank. Platforms like Canva, free webinars, low-cost online courses, virtual assistants, and freelancers became my best friends.

I realized that smart, intentional investments are better than flashy spending. Growth should not come at the cost of your financial peace—especially when you’re juggling corporate life, family, and building a dream from the ground up.

📊Lesson 3: Know your numbers and build real processes

For the first few years, I honestly didn’t have a full grip on my business finances or internal processes. I knew the basics, but I wasn’t tracking my income and expenses the way I should until tax time came around. I didn’t have streamlined workflows or systems. Every task felt like reinventing the wheel.

It wasn’t until I committed to treating my business like a real business—regardless of the size—that I am now seeing real, sustainable growth.

Tracking your expenses, setting up basic accounting systems, creating repeatable processes for how you operate—these things matter. They don’t just make life easier; they make it possible for your business to scale beyond you.

Getting organized freed up my mental space and allowed me to see clearly where I was winning and where I needed to tighten up. It gave me the ability to plan instead of react, and that’s powerful when you’re balancing so many roles at once.

📢 Moral of the story…

If you’re a mom thinking about starting a business or already juggling one while working a full-time job, I want you to know this: you don’t have to have it all figured out today. I sure didn’t and sometimes still don’t. And truthfully, every level of growth will require you to learn new lessons.

But if there’s anything my journey has taught me, it’s that balance is possible with the right mindset, the right support, and the right systems in place.

As I step into year five, I’m more excited than ever—not because I have it all together, but because I finally have the foundation to build something lasting within the Bawse Mom Community. And you can too.

👉Start small. Start smart. And never be afraid to ask for help.

As a Bawse Mom, you're building something bigger than just a business—you’re building a legacy. And that, mama, is worth every lesson learned along the way!