Mom Boss

This month I celebrate 18 years of becoming a Mom Boss!

I can’t believe it has been 18 years since I first opened my eyes to something that was not for me on the outside, but in my search to find a way to make an income and have flexibility. I ended up here, in Direct Sales as a Mom Boss!

My Mom Boss Beginning

I will never forget signing on to start a business, I was scared. I was out of my comfort zone. I was skeptical. I was not in love with the industry. I loathed the idea of being salesy and doing business in a living room. It was a lot of emotions for this mom of three.  

Fortunately, those real feelings were met with curiosity, hope, and desperation to find a way to build an income on my own terms around my family.  I wanted it all. I wanted to be home with my kids, make a kick-ass income, and have something for me to feel passionate about.  I became a Mom Boss before I even knew what a Mom Boss was. I had so much resistance - so much fear, and in spite of that, I had God working in my life, bringing me down a path I never would have been brave enough to go.  

Choosing an Unknown Path

I am beyond grateful I took a chance, that I did the unpopular thing, that I did what most people would not do, and I swallowed my pride, my fear and my ego, and opened my mind and life up to so much more.  I am so grateful I did not listen to the naysayers who happened to be my good friends, my mother, my husband, my sisters, and my closest tribe. They meant well. They were concerned about me because they, too, had a negative impression of the industry and did not see this for me. Fortunately, they supported me when I decided to begin.  

I had just earned my Master’s Degree a few years before and had built a great corporate career in Leadership Development, and now this (insert: get over yourself Pam)?  At the time I was looking to start my business, my husband and I had met with a Financial Advisor. She said, "you should not do this, I don’t see this work for many people".  

Doubt, Fear, and Negative impressions surrounded me (and I had my own), but I could not help but think, “what if”. What if this does work? And odds and thoughts were stacked against me.  The fact that I was pregnant might have helped. I think I was nesting and had this strong desire to earn a part-time income from home or on my own terms.  That opportunity did not exist until I considered starting my own business, and hanging my shingle. I believed in better!  

My First Year as a Mom Boss

The first year I dove headfirst into being a mom boss. I was determined to create an income.  It was hard. I wanted to quit. I felt such a conflict between raising 3 little babies and building a business.  So when you see pics of Moms saying life is great, I’ve got this successful business, my kids are gorgeous and I don’t break a sweat, don’t believe it—they are selling a dream, not reality.  The truth is, being a Mom Boss will challenge you. You will feel like you don’t have enough time to work and/or enough time for your kids—that is when you are looking to build a significant income.  I stuck with it. I got good at not trying to do it all (it’s a myth). I let my kitchen be a mess. I let the laundry pile up. I told my husband to wear his underwear inside out day 2 (haha). I rushed lunch and storytime to get my kids to nap, and I had more sticky notes all over my office, sometimes with jelly on them from making sandwiches for my kids.  

I can remember vividly looking out my office window, seeing my mom friends in the cul-de-sac, and thinking, “I just want to not think about anything but hanging out and having coffee.” Those were the moments when I realized I had a lot on my plate. I also knew if I worked hard, I would get results. And that I did!  Within 3 years I promoted to the top of that company, and the following 5 years, I grinded and helped and coached so many others to achieve the same success I was experiencing.  

It became magical, I was growing and the whole Direct Sales thing truly became a platform for me to do what I love: speaking, training, inspiring, motivating, developing, coaching, mentoring, dreaming, casting vision, growing, and having fun!  I mastered leadership in this space and the culture was an incredible training ground to use my skills and transfer them to growing an organization.  

A Mom Boss Trying to Find Balance

The one thing missing was self-care, me time, and a lack of balance. At that point, I was in my 40’s, and I wanted more. I wanted to look and feel better. I wanted more balance and more time for me.  I was able to evaluate my life and my schedule and create more of the things I knew I needed in my life. Around that time, I walked into a Yoga studio, and everything changed.  

I decided to go after some personal goals: lose weight, write a book, renovate our home, etc. I did all of those things, and this time proved to be a time of evolution and personal transformation.  Business was not booming (hello 2008), but I was in balance and at a cadence that brought me more joy, and brought me more moments with my family, for myself, and for the first time, pulling me off the fast track—a track I had been on since college.  I felt freer, and all that work as a Mom Boss was pointing me in the direction of my purpose and passion. I started to write more around Living HIPP, and the importance of doing things that bring you joy and cultivating balance in a busy world.    

Helping the Next Mom Boss

Now, 18 years later, I find myself in the same space of the desire to help others, while having balance, freedom, and time to do the things I love: yoga, writing, teaching, inspiring and sharing my wisdom for the years of being a Mom Boss and small-town girl with a dream.  

I dove headfirst into my Beautycounter business, I had to hustle in a big way to work back to the income I left behind.  I was fueled with passion, but I knew my cadence was not sustainable—so once again, I had to go back to my values, my desires, and make this work in a way that feels aligned with my life.  I’ve realized in this next chapter that it is not about me, it is about the thousands of women that have since joined us, and that it is about them, providing an environment for them to thrive, and sharing this opportunity with so many more.  

There is nothing I love more than sitting down with a mom (or woman for that matter) and finding out what her vision is, what she is passionate about and helping her see what is possible and coming up with a plan to create it.  I knew this company could provide that opportunity, and we have built a team of women, some that earn a six-figure income, some that cover the mortgage, some that pay for tuition, some that are getting out of debt, some that are going on vacations, paying for the extras, and all of these stories fill my heart, because I know the difference it makes, and I know that they are being compensated for their work, both financially and personally.   Moreover, the intangibles are what really stirs my heart, seeing women build their confidence, get uncomfortable (hello growth), become team players and friends, empower and encourage each other, advocate and use their voices like never before, it is so inspiring to witness and be part of.  All because I took a chance once again.

You Can be a Mom Boss, Too

I truly can’t believe it has been almost 2 decades, and as I look back, this by far (aside from marrying my Charlie) was the best decision that I have ever made (okay, going to college too).   If you are reading this and you are a Mom Boss, I am cheering you on, remember, it is not easy, it is exciting and hard all at once, there are ups and downs, my advice is to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows, just stick with it, don’t quit, and believe in your dreams, they are there for a reason.   For the Moms that are not in business but have a desire for more, my advice is to go for it, be it Direct Sales, or starting your own business that you have dreamed about.  I think the greatest benefit is the flexibility, the empowerment, and the people you meet along the way.   Cheering you on, always!  XO