Redefining Success After Motherhood: My Journey as a Startup Founder
Share
As a mother and female entrepreneur, I once thought I had a clear picture of what success looked like—achieving goals, hitting milestones, making things happen. For so long, my identity was wrapped up in those external markers. Then, everything shifted. Burnout, exhaustion, and a deep sense of failure took over, leaving me feeling like I had hit rock bottom. And in that moment, the idea of success had to change.
For over a year, I struggled. I questioned my vision, my purpose, and my ability to keep going. I wrestled with the fear that I had somehow failed—failed my family, my work, and myself. The pressure to be something or achieve something weighed heavily on me, but it was that very pressure that kept me stuck.
Then one morning, after yet another sleepless night, it hit me: I don’t have to be anything for anyone. I don’t have to prove anything. My worth was not tied to my achievements or how much I could produce. I existed, and that was enough. I was enough.
That was the moment things began to change.
Success is No Longer About Outcomes
Redefining success meant letting go of the need for external validation. It became as simple as this: having the strength to get up and try again, even when I didn’t feel like it. Success stopped being about outcomes and started being about doing. Just showing up—regardless of whether things worked out or not—became the victory.
It was about finding the courage to hope again, to dream again, and to believe that things could and would turn around, even if it took longer than expected.
Embracing Small Wins
It’s not always glamorous. It doesn’t feel victorious in the moment. But every single step forward, no matter how small, is a win when you’ve been knocked down. Some days, success is simply getting up and trying again, finding meaning in the effort rather than the results.
As a mother and business owner, this shift in mindset has been pivotal. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship often feels overwhelming, but my new definition of success has allowed me to keep going even on the hardest days.
Finding Strength in the Journey
To anyone who feels like they’re in the trenches, questioning what it all means and whether it’s worth continuing: don’t give up. Pivoting your career, especially after becoming a mother, can feel brutal, but there’s growth in sitting with that discomfort. There’s power in talking through it, in facing it, and in allowing yourself to feel what you need to feel.
Success, for me, is no longer about what I achieve. It’s about my ability to keep going, to keep showing up, and to find meaning in the journey itself.
A Note to Fellow Mothers and Entrepreneurs
I hope that in sharing my story, I can reach at least one person who feels like they’ve lost sight of their own definition of success. Motherhood changes you. Entrepreneurship challenges you. But both can teach you to redefine what it means to succeed.
Remember, your worth is not tied to what you achieve. You are enough, just as you are. And every day you show up, you’re succeeding—whether you realise it or not.
For over a year, I struggled. I questioned my vision, my purpose, and my ability to keep going. I wrestled with the fear that I had somehow failed—failed my family, my work, and myself. The pressure to be something or achieve something weighed heavily on me, but it was that very pressure that kept me stuck.
Then one morning, after yet another sleepless night, it hit me: I don’t have to be anything for anyone. I don’t have to prove anything. My worth was not tied to my achievements or how much I could produce. I existed, and that was enough. I was enough.
That was the moment things began to change.
Success is No Longer About Outcomes
Redefining success meant letting go of the need for external validation. It became as simple as this: having the strength to get up and try again, even when I didn’t feel like it. Success stopped being about outcomes and started being about doing. Just showing up—regardless of whether things worked out or not—became the victory.
It was about finding the courage to hope again, to dream again, and to believe that things could and would turn around, even if it took longer than expected.
Embracing Small Wins
It’s not always glamorous. It doesn’t feel victorious in the moment. But every single step forward, no matter how small, is a win when you’ve been knocked down. Some days, success is simply getting up and trying again, finding meaning in the effort rather than the results.
As a mother and business owner, this shift in mindset has been pivotal. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship often feels overwhelming, but my new definition of success has allowed me to keep going even on the hardest days.
Finding Strength in the Journey
To anyone who feels like they’re in the trenches, questioning what it all means and whether it’s worth continuing: don’t give up. Pivoting your career, especially after becoming a mother, can feel brutal, but there’s growth in sitting with that discomfort. There’s power in talking through it, in facing it, and in allowing yourself to feel what you need to feel.
Success, for me, is no longer about what I achieve. It’s about my ability to keep going, to keep showing up, and to find meaning in the journey itself.
A Note to Fellow Mothers and Entrepreneurs
I hope that in sharing my story, I can reach at least one person who feels like they’ve lost sight of their own definition of success. Motherhood changes you. Entrepreneurship challenges you. But both can teach you to redefine what it means to succeed.
Remember, your worth is not tied to what you achieve. You are enough, just as you are. And every day you show up, you’re succeeding—whether you realise it or not.
