What I learned about business and motherhood the day I almost gave up

​Do you want to take a little trip down memory lane with me?

Let’s go back in time to my fourth month of running my design business full-time. From the outside, everything looked great. I had just surpassed my Q1 revenue goals. My inbox was full. My calendar was booked. I had clients I loved working with.

But on the inside, I was quietly spiraling.

I remember working in my bedroom one afternoon, staring at my laptop, trying to hold it all together. Lennon had just gone down for a nap, and instead of taking a moment to breathe or celebrate how far I’d come, I found myself questioning everything:

What if I can’t keep this up?
What if the clients stop coming?
What if I get too busy to be the mom I want to be?

There it was — this deep fear that maybe I had chosen wrong. That maybe building a business and being a present, connected, and joyful mom wasn’t going to be possible. 

Even though I knew it wasn’t productive, I started comparing myself to all the other female designers I followed online. The ones without kids. The ones whose feeds were perfectly curated and whose lives seemed… lighter. Was this life I was trying to build only meant for that kind of woman? Was it even possible for me to achieve the same things?

I had convinced myself that they had an advantage I never would. That my “mother” status automatically meant that I would grow slower, feel less creative, and be more unavailable. I couldn’t see a path to success as long as I was splitting myself between these two roles. 😔

So I did the one thing I knew I needed to do. I called my best friend, Margarita.

​I still remember how I launched into my monologue the second she picked up. I rattled off every fear, every insecurity, every ounce of guilt. I told her I didn’t think I could grow this business and still be the kind of mom Lennon deserved.

She listened. Then she said something that pulled me right out of my pity spiral:

“I hear you. But think about my sister, Adriana!”

Her sister, a single mom and a literal pilot, manages to find a way to thrive in her intense career while raising her son. She’s not always perfect, but she’s doing it. And somehow, that reminder was exactly what I needed to hear (thank goodness for besties, am I right?) 👯‍♀️

Of course, that 10-minute phone call didn’t magically solve all of my problems or put all of my worries to rest forever. But it reminded me of the core reasons I wanted to start my own brand identity design business in the first place:

✨ I wanted the flexibility to be involved in my son’s life.
✨ I wanted to show what it looks like to dream big and go after what you want.
✨ I wanted to provide for us in a way that felt creative and fulfilling.
✨ I wanted to do work that lit me up instead of drained me.

And now, a few years later, I can say with my whole heart that the terrifying, wobbly, early season was worth it. I don’t really like the word “balance” because to me, it feels more like a juggling act. 🤹🏻‍♀️ Sometimes it still feels like all of the balls are about to crash down, but most of the time, I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job. 

So with Mother’s Day right around the corner, I want to connect with the moms who are building a business, chasing a dream, or figuring out how to make space for everything. Maybe you’ve had your own spiral moment. Maybe you’ve questioned whether this is sustainable. Maybe you’ve compared your journey to someone else’s and told yourself you're falling behind.

But here’s what I want you to know:

You’re doing something brave. You’re building something that will give your family more possibilities, not less. It might not always be easy, but the example you’re setting is something your kids will never forget. 💗