Inspiration for Working Mothers and Women Entrepreneurs

My mother and aunt weaved old fashion Italian career expectations of homemaker and mother to include entrepreneurs. The women’s liberation movement emerged in the late 1960s through the 1970’s in the United States. This was a time when women’s roles were changing as more women entered college, modern advances required more household income leading to two income households and equality was bubbling up in societal causes.

For the first time many more women had an opportunity to apply to college, graduate and enter the workforce. My mother was the first women in her family to do so when she left for SUNY Cortland in 1959 to become a Physical Education teacher and coach. She loved the liberty and opportunities that faced her although her traditional father did not agree with her choice. She graduated in 1963 the year before I was born and by late 1960s-early 70s owned two businesses with my father while teaching and coaching.

The next generations of women graduated with college degrees and had choices whether to stay home with their children, work full time, part time or become entrepreneurs. The choices were bountiful and diverse. I thought I would be one of those 1982 Wall Street career women after landing my first job in Philadelphia in an Investment Banking firm. I loved the idea of climbing the ladder to higher positions and salaries. Then one day I realized my future husband would never move to Philadelphia so I moved to Syracuse found another job in higher education and got married. I guess my Italian roots needed to take hold somewhere closer to home.

I honestly believed I would return to the job I loved at Le Moyne College until December 10, 1991 at 21:21 p.m. when I looked into the biggest brown eyes you can imagine and fell instantly in love with my first son. Climbing the ladder disappeared in an instant. I never guessed I could be so smitten by one human being but I was. I returned to work eight weeks later as a full time employee only to convince my boss one month later to split my job in half so I could work part time doing what I loved and being a mother at the same time. It was the perfect solution until my second son was born three years later and my heart almost burst open like the Grinch in the Grinch Who Stole Christmas movie. I soon realized I needed to become an entrepreneur so I could be a full time mother and professional career woman at the same time on my own terms.

As Mother’s Day approaches this weekend, I hope you stop and reminisce about the role your mother or female role models have played in your life. If you are a mother and running a business, think of all the blessings you have received by being and doing both. This Wednesday Wisdom wishes you the most glorious Mother’s Day with one hand on your business and your eyes on the children you love.