essence
Today on stage at SOKO MRKT, three incredibly talented “mompreneurs” (mothers and entrepreneurs) shared their advice with an interested audience on how they balance the joys and sorrows of being business owners and mothers. The responsibilities of being a mother are already a heavy burden, but owning a business is even heavier.
Moderated by Ariel Brown of Bea’s Bayou, Thalia Hawkins Banda of Manifest Your Purpose, Lakeisha Turner of Keisha Elise Cosmetics, and Tameka Rochester of Harlem Cycle shared in-depth insights into what they’re doing to combat mom guilt, tips for overcoming obstacles, and time management.
Make it yourself
When asked about their business stories, the founders all had one thing in common: they saw a gap and decided to fill it. Hawkins Banda had never seen stationery that reflected all of her beauty and boldness as a Black woman. Turner wanted to bond with her daughter while she was shopping and didn’t see much of it. Meanwhile, Stirrup Cycling Studio is the first and only indoor cycling studio in Harlem. When nothing meets your need, sometimes you have to make it yourself, because there are probably others out there looking to fill the same need.
Don’t be afraid to fail
Hawkins Banda made an important point about the role of failure in her journey as a mother and entrepreneur. Her main advice was to not be afraid of failure on your path to business success. “The biggest lesson I wish I had learned earlier is that in order to be successful, you have to fail many times,” she explained. “I remember when I first started, there was so much I didn’t know. I just had a passion to create stationery for Black girls and Black women, and I needed to learn the hard lessons to make sure I never made the same mistakes again.”
Dream big!
Turner’s company recently won a $10,000 grant from the NAACP and L’Oreal’s Inclusive Beauty Program, and they are using Fun to set up an educational facility for mothers and entrepreneurs to complete their schooling. For Turner, who faced great challenges finishing school as a single mother, the accomplishment was extremely meaningful. The panel ended with an inspiring quote from Rochester: “Follow your dreams, guys. You’re not crazy. Be bold and do it all!”
Be tolerant of yourself
Rochester started her business as a single mother and overcame numerous obstacles to succeed in both her business and her family life. “Being patient with myself as a mother allows me to be patient with my business, my clients, my team, everyone else, but not with myself. And as a mother, I realized that there are days when it’s okay to have cereal for dinner or have pancakes,” Rochester said. “My baby is fine, and I’m not a failure as a mother because I did this. So I just have to be patient with myself and know that one day I’m going to be a great mother and another day I’m going to be a great businesswoman. A lot of times it doesn’t happen on the same day.”
