The Truth About Balance: What I’ve Learned as a Mom and a Small Business Owner

October is Women’s Small Business Month, a time to celebrate women who’ve built something from the ground up. But if I’m honest, celebration isn’t always what this month feels like. Some days it feels like survival.

Running a small business while raising a family is hard. Not “busy” hard. Not “stressful” hard. The kind of hard that lives in the quiet spaces between client calls and bedtime routines. The kind that keeps you awake at night, wondering if you gave enough—to your work, to your family, to yourself.

When I started Grounded Growth Studio, I wasn’t chasing freedom in the cliché sense. I wanted to build something sustainable that fit my life, not the other way around. I wanted to be present for my kids and create work that mattered. But I quickly learned that entrepreneurship doesn’t automatically equal flexibility. It can easily become the opposite if you don’t draw hard lines.

In the early days, I said yes to everything. Every new project felt like proof that I could make this work. I worked during naps, late at night, on weekends—telling myself it was temporary. But temporary turned into habit. And one day, I realized I was physically home with my family, but mentally somewhere else entirely.

That’s when I started setting guardrails. Real ones.

Guardrails, Not Guidelines

Now, I build my weeks with intention. I don’t take calls during certain windows. I don’t work weekends unless it’s absolutely necessary. I put my phone down when I walk into the kitchen after school pickup. It sounds simple, but those boundaries have become non-negotiable.

I’ve learned that balance doesn’t just happen, it’s something you fight for. And that fight often looks like saying no when you want to say yes, or saying “not this week” when you know you could technically squeeze it in.

The truth is, owning a business means there’s always something else you could be doing. There’s always one more email, one more draft, one more idea to chase. But motherhood has taught me that presence is the real measure of success. I don’t want my kids to grow up remembering me as the mom who was always busy building something—I want them to see a mom who built something and still showed up for them.

Redefining What “Having It All” Means

There’s this cultural idea that women can have it all if we just work hard enough. But I’ve learned that “having it all” doesn’t mean doing it all. It means designing a life that reflects your values, even when that means growing slower, earning less, or pausing when everyone else is sprinting.

For me, success looks like showing up fully for my clients and for my family—but not at the same time. It’s leaving space in my calendar for creativity, not just productivity. It’s understanding that saying no to something external is sometimes saying yes to something internal.

And if I’m being honest, this hasn’t been a one-time revelation—it’s something I have to remind myself of often. Because there’s guilt on both sides. When you’re with your kids, you think about work. When you’re working, you think about your kids. The mental load can feel endless. But over time, I’ve learned to stop striving for perfect balance and instead protect healthy boundaries.

Building Grounded Growth

The name of my business—Grounded Growth Studio—has taken on a deeper meaning as I’ve grown into it. “Grounded” isn’t about moving slowly; it’s about being rooted. It’s about growth that doesn’t come at the cost of your peace.

As a founder, I’ve had the privilege of working with other women who are walking this same tightrope, building teams, scaling ideas, and nurturing families all at once. We talk often about the invisible load, the constant recalibration, the quiet resilience that women entrepreneurs carry. We remind each other that it’s okay to rest. That “balance” is not a luxury, but a boundary we have to actively defend.

The women I’ve met along this journey have changed me. They’ve shown me that leadership doesn’t have to look loud or linear. That success can be flexible. That sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is protect your time.

What I Hope Other Women Know

If you’re a mom running a small business, I want you to hear this: you’re not behind. You’re not less ambitious because you leave the laptop closed at 5:00. You’re not failing if your to-do list is half-finished. You are building something meaningful in the middle of a very full life.

And that’s the part we don’t talk about enough. The middle. The space between the bold vision and the bedtime stories. The work that happens after everyone else is asleep. The quiet determination it takes to keep showing up when no one’s watching.

Some days, you’ll feel unstoppable. Other days, you’ll question everything. But both of those days count. Both are part of the story.

My Own Version of Balance

Today, my version of balance looks like protecting my mornings for creative work, taking afternoon walks with my kids, and being fully present at dinner. It’s blocking my calendar for school events, no matter what deadline I’m up against. It’s building systems and boundaries that make space for real life.

And yes, there are still days when everything falls apart. When the baby’s sick, or the Wi-Fi crashes mid-call, or the balance I’ve fought to protect feels impossible. But that’s the reality of being a mom and a small business owner—you learn to adapt. You learn that grace is part of growth.

Running a business isn’t easy. Being a mom isn’t easy. Doing both at once? It’s a kind of strength that doesn’t always get celebrated, but it deserves to be.

A Different Kind of Growth

This Women’s Small Business Month, I’m celebrating the women who are doing it their own way—the ones building quietly, growing steadily, and protecting what matters most. The ones who know that balance isn’t something you find, it’s something you create.

If that’s you: I see you. I know how much heart it takes to keep going. I know what it feels like to hit your goals and still feel the tug of guilt, the constant pull between purpose and presence. But I also know this—you’re doing enough.

The balance may not look perfect, but it’s yours. And that’s what makes it powerful.

Because the truth is, grounded growth doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing what matters—deeply, intentionally, and on your own terms.