I see you.
When I first started my photography journey, I had a 2.5-year-old and a full time job in Marketing. I mentally struggled so hard - feeling like I wasn’t committed enough to my job because I needed to leave right at 5 pm, and feeling like I wasn’t a good enough mom because I only saw my daughter for 1-2 hours before she had to go to bed. When she slept I would spend hours into the night working on my photography business.
I felt so much guilt when I had to take a sick day because my daughter was sick...I felt like a bad employee when I had to turn down overtime because it meant I wouldn’t see her at all that day.
I’m a perfectionist and I’m good at my job. No matter what it was. CFA worker, marketing coordinator, business owner, mom.
And at my full time job - though my supervisors were so understanding, I personally knew I could offer more than I was offering if I wasn’t a mom. Now I’m NOT saying that I didn’t want to be a mom, I’m just saying that if I was a single woman like some of my coworkers that I would be able to give my job so much more. That was hard for me to accept.
When I got pregnant with my son and photography was getting steady, not only was I worried about letting my bosses down (by being late because of doctors appointments and having to take maternity leave,) but also my clients. I felt so insecure about telling my clients that I was pregnant because I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t going to give them my best. I felt like pregnancy was hindering my client’s opinion on the job I was going to do.
And then now that I’m pregnant with my 3rd child and running my business full time, I realized that all of my insecurities were just that- my own. Women are unstoppable. I am unstoppable as a mom AND a business owner.
Your mind is the only thing stopping you. It’s impossible to wear all of your hats at 100%. If you’re 100% at your job, chances are your kids are missing out on your full attention. If you’re 100% at being a mom, chances are your work is missing something. I’m here to tell you that IS OKAY!
I used to HATE hearing it because I was in denial that I could be dropping the ball on something. But over time, I’ve realized when my business is in busy season, my kids don’t get as much attention as they do when it’s slow season. And that’s okay.
To my working moms - I see you.
P.S. As I'm writing this, my son just stuck his hand in the toilet...see what I mean? LOL