If you don’t know by now, motherhood and entrepreneurship are both really important to me. Sometimes we may think that motherhood robs us of carrying out our business dreams, but that simply is not true. I talked with Vanessa Quigley, owner of Chatbooks, who is living proof of how being a mom makes you a better entrepreneur. Are you ready to know her tips and tricks? Let’s jump in. 

 

 

Just to give a little background, Vanessa and her husband, Nate, run their business, Chatbooks, together. Chatbooks is a company that turns your precious memories into photo books almost effortlessly. Its mission is to strengthen families through the photo books they help you create. You can check out their website here to learn more about Vanessa and Nate and their business.

I’m so happy I talked to Vanessa about her business because she is a mom of 7 kids and she comes from a family of 12 kids! Being a mom is Vanessa’s main role in life, but she’s learned it’s not her ONLY role in life. There’s so much we are meant to do in this life–or just want to try–and we can’t let fear or guilt keep us from trying. 

Vanessa and her husband’s business has been thriving for 8 years now and has taught them so much about team culture, leadership, and how to keep moving forward with the twists and turns that entrepreneurship brings. This blog post will focus on 3 tips Vanessa shares with us, but if you want more you can listen to my podcast episode here for the full interview. 

 

3 Tips on How Being a Mom Makes You a Better Entrepreneur 

As you all know, I’m a huge advocate for women standing up and speaking out. That’s another reason why I interviewed Vanessa because she said she’s so grateful for the business she’s created with her husband and how it is blessing so many people’s lives. 

That’s what I want for all of you. I want you to know of your potential and how your business can bless so many people’s lives. You and your business are here for a reason. If you want a bit more guidance on how you can make a difference through your business, you can join my Money Makers coaching group. I would LOVE to have you! (Click here to learn more about it.)

OK, let’s get into the 3 tips Vanessa shares on how being a mom makes you a better entrepreneur. And just to be clear, these aren’t tips on how to balance your motherhood with your business but rather tips on how to see your motherhood role strengthening your ability to carry out these three things as an entrepreneur. Here we go!

 

Tip #1: How to create the team culture you want when you’re just starting out.

Your team of employees is like your second family, especially when you’re just starting out. Just like you have to know your “why” to help run a successful business, you need to know why you have your team and why you want to nurture a working relationship with each of the members. Knowing this will help you create a quality and highly effective team. 

To go along with that, in order for you to carry out your vision for your business, you need to make sure your “why” is crystal clear to each team member, not just you. 

If you aren’t sure how to begin creating the team culture you want, think about your favorite people to work with among your employees. Write down characteristics they have that you value. Narrow down that list to 3-5 values and then use those to describe the team culture you want to have and cultivate. 

 

Tip #2: How to overcome feelings of insecurity that hold you back from being the entrepreneur you are meant to be. 

Vanessa said she still gets in these ruts every once in a while when comparing her business to others. Just at the start of the year she was on Instagram and saw all of these other small businesses campaigning and had things planned out, and she was feeling behind compared to them. And then she quickly snapped herself out of it by realizing that she can be happy for them without feeling worried or bad about herself. 

Sometimes we feel this competition among women, but if we can just stop feeling intimidated when someone else is doing something that we’re not, we can really grow and learn. 

Vanessa’s number one tip to help you overcome doubts and feelings of insecurity is to find a cheerleader. Find someone who knows you and gets you and will tell you the honest truth so you’re led in the right direction. This person can be your spouse, your best friend, a business coach (cough, cough), or anyone that will just be there for you in the way you need them to be.

 

Tip #3: How to pivot your career and/or your business when something unexpectedly forces it to change. 

Something Vanessa has learned time and time again is that any time you have things that don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to, you always come out bigger, better, and stronger on the other end. There have been so many times where Vanessa thought it was all over and was no way to get out of this, but she took things one step at a time and found herself on the other side.

For example, like many businesses, COVID caused a lot of financial stress on Chatbooks, but now it has grown into a better company than it was before. While Chatbooks is based out of Utah, Vanessa and her husband realized they are a remote-first company. Due to COVID, they were able to hire out employees from all over the country and it has dramatically increased the quality of work they can perform in their business. 

So, remember, when you think there’s no way to overcome it’s only a matter of time before you see yourself as a more capable entrepreneur than before!

 

How Being a Mom Makes You a Better Entrepreneur 

I hope you enjoyed this post on how being a mom makes you a better entrepreneur! Do you believe it now? We aren’t saying it’s not challenging, but we are saying the results make it worth it. Don’t forget to listen to the full podcast episode here for more insight on this topic. 

Motherhood is really important to me and to so many to all of you, and that’s why I interviewed Vanessa. She is an amazing example of how you can honor your role as a mother and entrepreneur. And not just be successful at both, but feeling at peace with doing both things. 

If you haven’t joined my text list yet, text “money maker” to 951-309-7885. That way you’ll be the first to know any of my biz tips and tricks! You can also follow me on Instagram @iammichellegifford. And don’t forget to follow Chatbooks as well @chatbooks. Thanks for being here!