Balancing business, babies & breakthroughs
SUMMER is often romanticised as the perfect season for relaxation, sunshine bliss and cool island breeze. However, for entrepreneurial mothers, especially those balancing solo parenting, summer is far from a break; it’s a season of strategising. It’s about stretching your time, energy, emotions and the big M — MONEY. It’s where you have a newfound appreciation for your children’s teacher, it’s where that beautiful laughter and those little footsteps are in your ear just as much as hearing how hungry they are throughout the day.
This is the untold story of the entrepreneur running a business with a child by her side, big dreams in her heart, and back to school on the list. It’s real, raw and it’s a season that demands resilience.
With children at home full-time, routines get tossed out the window. Entrepreneur mothers often have to pivot their business hours, re-evaluate their service offerings, or take the children into their work world.
How do you handle this hectic, yet demanding season? The key is flexibility, communication and grace. Some moms can lean into adjusting their work schedules, while others can lean on the trusted village for support, or create a structured system to get tasks done. The reality isn’t picture perfect; however, pivoting is the most powerful tool at play for the summer.
The thought of back-to-school looms…a new kind of pressure kicks in, back to school prep, uniforms, school supplies, tuition. The emotional load doesn’t ease up. For mompreneurs, this can often be an additional clash as this often collides with business planning for Q3 and Q4.
Feeling overwhelmed is real and validated, but so is the opportunity to reset, realign, and act in a timely manner. This transitional period is the ideal time to revisit business goals, set new boundaries for you and your children’s life, and create a schedule that supports being an actively involved parent, as well as making profits. It’s a season where some days are really about shutting out the world and the chaos and going to grab an ice-cream and explore the lovely island with your little one. Some days simply require laughing uncontrollably with your children, a form of self-care for you and them.
Here’s the truth most moms don’t say out loud: self-care feels like a luxury when survival is the priority.
But it’s not a luxury — it’s a necessity!
You can’t pour from an empty cup, and your business will suffer if you’re burnt out. Thriving in business and motherhood doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your well-being.
Self-care in this season doesn’t have to be spa days, though those help. This season you will need to be financially mindful. It’s as simple as taking a 15-minute breather to relax the mind. It’s journalling before bed to wind down. It’s saying NO to anyone and anything that tries to drain you, and yes to what makes life easier, safer and smoother. It’s acknowledging that you are not just a business owner or a mom, you are a woman, a human, that deserves to be valued and nurtured.
The balancing act isn’t about perfection. This season isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about learning to dance in the chaos, and still choosing to show up.
Some days will feel like wins. Others will feel like survival. But every step forward, no matter how small, is progress.
So, whether you’re managing a toddler while launching a new service, prepping back-to-school while finalising invoices, or carving out time to breathe before another week starts, know that you are not alone, you are not behind, and you are doing better than you think.
Reset, refocus, reclaim. This season is your reminder that you can build your business, raise your children, and still find moments of peace in between. Let this be the summer where you didn’t just survive — you adapted, you prepared, you prioritised you, and you enjoyed the giggles of your little one.
Tamiko Smith is an entrepreneur, spa therapist and self-care advocate.
