We have recently witnessed moms entering the world of entrepreneurship, also known as mompreneurs. Women enter the space with babies, big ideas, and an even bigger work ethic.
It is no longer about one or the other – female entrepreneur or mom. We have entered an era where women want to be both and are doing both. Some of the most inspiring mompreneurs have managed to run businesses and raise families while acknowledging the ongoing struggles in both areas. Not only have these women built empires, raised families, and started purpose-driven brands, but they have actively pursued their personal goals of having a family. With their insights, you can find inspiration to do both well.
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11 Inspiring Mompreneurs
1. Sara Blakely
Sara Blakely, one of the youngest self-made female billionaires, founded Spanx. Spanx started creating undergarments for women and now offers a full range of products, from bras and leggings to active wear.
Her tip for success: Sara always had a strong calling to help women; she just didn’t realize it would be in such an intimate way – by creating underwear. Purpose has always been her biggest motivation, and she encourages us to dig deep to find ours and use it to define our mission.
Sara says, “My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Sarah is a working mum of four. Her Instagram grid is authentic, real, and even a little messy – we couldn’t think of a more accurate depiction of motherhood. She actively encourages mompreneurs and working moms to take time off alone. She reminds us that if a plane crashes, you put the oxygen mask on yourself first and then others. If mom isn’t okay then no one is, so find and schedule sacred alone time.
2. Delia Lachance
Delia Lachance founded Westwing, an e-commerce platform for home and living enthusiasts that made 522 million euros in revenue in 2021. She is also one of Germany’s top 50 women in tech.
Her tip for success: Delia Lachance previously worked for ELLE magazine, where she spotted an opportunity for an eCommerce platform that could offer inspiration and beautiful and affordable products. Delia Lachance is a true visionary who attributes her success to her exposure at Elle and, more importantly, to her bravery.
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In an interview with BAZAAR, She says, “Be brave enough to realize your ideas.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Lachance has a busy life with two kids. Balancing it all for her boils down to organization. By giving her all at work, she can come home with the right headspace and is free to present with her family.
3. Whitney Wolfe Herd
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and former CEO of Bumble, an online dating platform. Together, Bumble and Badoo operate in 150 countries and have 3.4 million paying users.
Her tip for success: When Herd founded Bumble, she saw a problem – women were waiting for men to make the first move. In the 21st century, this wouldn’t work, so she created a platform to empower women to make the first move. Herd believes we aren’t born entrepreneurs, but there are people who identify problems and, more importantly, are problem solvers.
Herd shares, “Look at what is broken in society, figure out how to make it better, and then, around that, formulate a business.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Herd’s biggest tip is to try to make your schedule work for you, and as an entrepreneur, you have the flexibility to do that. Try to balance your time. If you have to work in the evening, carve out time in the afternoon for your kids.
4. Ella Woodward
Ella Mills, now Ella Woodward, owns Deliciously Ella, a vegan-based brand. She also has published seven books. Deliciously Ella features an app with recipes and wellness tips and an exciting product range that has sold over 90 million products.
Her tip for success: From blogger to business owner, Ella has some great insights for women. Ella became vegan to cure a chronic disease, which started her blog. As her business has grown, she has adopted a patient mindset and an iterative approach, which has been instrumental to her success.
In an interview with Marie-Claire, Ella says, “There’s no such thing as overnight success – we’ve got to focus on brick-by-brick mentality.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Ella has two children. She realized there is a lot of talk about motherhood, and the reality is often different – at least it was for her. Initially, she was frustrated when she wasn’t meeting certain expectations. But now, she has shifted her mindset and let go of societal and her own expectations. She realizes she is always learning in both her business and motherhood. If you are hard on yourself, embrace this refreshing mindset.
5. Reshma Saujani
Reshma Saujani is the founder of the non-profit organization, Girls Who Code.
Not only has Reshma Saujani founded a company that now has more than 300,000 girls enrolled who are taught coding and computer science, but she also ran for congress. Shas also written a best-seller called Brave and given a TED talk with over 500 million views.
Her tip for success: Reshma Saujani’s journey started when she saw an unmet need in schools: a classroom gap between boys and girls in computer science. But her journey has been fuelled by patience, resilience, and persistence, and that is a lesson she wants to impart to all future female entrepreneurs.
Reshma Saujani says, “Everything I’ve Achieved Has Come From Perseverance.”
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Her tip for balancing business and family: In a talk with Oprah, Reshma Saujani says she realized that unpaid work in our modern and glamourized culture often isn’t respected. She urges us to stop mom-shaming and be proud of the value we create in our homes. If we want to change how we are perceived, let’s turn to societal expectations and workplaces and not on each other.
6. Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder of The Huffington Post, a liberal news and political blog, and the founder and CEO of Thrive Global. This company connects well-being with productivity. She is also the author of multiple best-selling books, including some of the most empowering self improvement books for women.
Her tip for success: Huffington has a long career and has gone through many stages – from burnout to being an advocate for well-being and the careful use of technology. Ultimately while building her brand, she emphasizes that you have to love what you do and positively impact others.
Huffington says: “The foundation of success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: In her book, Thrive, Huffington talks about one of her greatest struggles – balancing business and motherhood. She says that while our to-do is long, our gratitude list should be equally long. Take time to reflect on what you have achieved on your parenting journey, and realize it will never be perfect.
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7. Katrina Markoff
Katrina Markoff founded Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a chocolate empire that makes over $35 million a year. This chocolatier specializes in flavor-filled chocolate, from Mexican chilies and cinnamon to bacon. Markoff’s specialty is chocolate and her out-of-the-box thinking.
Her tip for success: Markoff is and always has been an avid traveler, it is where her inspiration to start a chocolatier stemmed from. She reminds us to stay open to new ideas.
“If I get into yoga, I’ll do a yoga chocolate collection,” Markoff says. “If I get into tarot cards, I’ll do a tarot collection. If I get into fermentation, I’ll do a whole study on fermentation.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Markhoff is a mom of two and gets inspiration from her upbringing. Much of Markhoff’s ambition and success comes from her mother, who transformed a family business into a successful enterprise. She says entrepreneurship was in her “blood.” If action inspires people, that would be a worthwhile gift for her children.
8. Julia Hartz
Julia Hartz is the co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite, a multi-million dollar business. It is an event management and ticketing website. She has become a renowned woman in tech and a leader, and there is a lot we can learn from her.
Her tip for success: In an interview with Forbes, she says one of her biggest tips for building and scaling a business is to find the right partner. For her, her partner complimented her skills – he was a leader while she was an operator. Now, she is working on her leadership skills. She also encourages women to find mentors and seek advice – it can be revolutionary for your business.
Julia Hartz says, “There is no finish line to leadership.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Her biggest tip for finding balance is to find or buy a village. As mompreneurs, we need support in all areas of our lives, so we must search for it and then cultivate it.
9. Rihanna
Rihanna is an iconic singer, songwriter and the owner of Fenty and its sub-brands; Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, and Fenty Skin. In 2022, she became the youngest female billionaire in the world and the richest female musician. Interestingly, these statuses only kicked in when she started her business.
Her tip for success: Perhaps the biggest lesson Rihanna can teach is never to define our identity or business idea and keep diversifying in the name of art and passion. It took courage for Rihanna to branch out of the fashion world and carefully but thoroughly build relationships and ideas.
Summing up her entrepreneurial and explorative spirit, Rhianna says: “When a door closes, you have two choices: Give up or keep going. Let them shut you down, or prove them wrong. We all start somewhere; it’s where you end up that counts.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Rihanna says that balance is not really possible in the true sense of the word. She recommends moms give up on people’s expectations and start living their own truth, which is probably why she hasn’t released new music in a while.
10. Holly Tucker
Holly Tucker is the co-founder of multi-million pound company and online marketplace, Not on The High Street. This platform sells unique finds or things you won’t find “on the high street.”
Her tip for success: Tucker was trying to build a business with dyslexia and raise two kids. At the time, there weren’t too many online marketplaces, only Amazon and eBay. Now, Tucker invests her energy in helping small creative businesses and urges everyone to listen to their instincts.
In The Guardian, Tucker explains, “If I had understood the importance of my gut,” she says, “I do think at some sliding door moments I would have taken a right not a left…“
Her tip for balancing business and family: For Tucker, it is a matter of perspective. When she started her business venture, her child was three months old, and she realizes now that working so hard hasn’t harmed him. At five years old, he asked his mom if he, too, would be allowed to run a business one day.
11. Reese Witherspoon
Reese is an acclaimed actress and founded the media company Hello Sunshine. In 2021, she sold most of the stake in her company for 900 million dollars. The legally blonde star has yet again surpassed our expectations and defied stereotypes.
Her tip for success: Hello Sunshine tells women-driven stories, making it unique. Reese always felt a lack of female leadership and leading roles in the film industry. Her journey from blonde actress to business novice was terrifying. The only thing that got her through was hard work – showing up, responding to emails, and putting thought and energy into everything.
Reese says, “I don’t believe in perfection. I don’t think there is such a thing. But the energy of wanting things to be great is a perfectionist energy.”
Her tip for balancing business and family: Reese is proud of her example for her three children, and her mom sets the same example for her. Simple moments at home, like having a family dinner or barbeque, give her strength to go out into the world, so they are non-negotiable to her, and everyone should plan them into their schedule.
Conclusions: All Mompreneurs Are Different, But We Can Learn From One Another
The question of whether women can have it all has become a bit redundant. Many women are building businesses and raising families. The question is how can female entrepreneurs show up in a meaningful and fulfilling way in business and at home? The most inspiring and successful mompreneurs may have the answers, from organization and compartmentalizing to changing their perspective and finding support. There are a lot of lessons to learn from today’s most inspiring mompreneurs. Ultimately, every mompreneur is different, but hopefully, you can find a method that works for you.
If you have your own story to share, we would love to hear from you. It also is an opportunity to get exposure to your story and brand.
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Visit our contact page to share your story now about being a mompreneur – let’s inspire others.
