Today, on the SOKO MRKT stage, three incredibly talented “mompreneurs” (mothers and entrepreneurs) spoke to an audience interested in the advice they had to offer on how they are balancing the highs and lows of being a business owner and mom. The responsibilities of motherhood are already a heavy load to carry, and so is owning a business.
Saria Hawkins-Banda of Manifest Your Purpose, a stationary brand for Black women; Lakeisha Turner of Keisha Elise Cosmetics, a mommy and me vegan cosmetics brand; and Tammeca Rochester of Harlem Cycle all gave detailed insight into what they are doing to combat mom guilt, their tips on overcoming obstacles, and managing time, moderated by Arielle Brown of Bea’s Bayou.
Make It Yourself
All the founders had one thing in common when asked about their business’s story—they saw a gap and decided to fill it. Hawkins-Banda didn’t see stationery that reflected all of her beauty and boldness as a Black woman. Turner wanted to bond with her daughter while shopping and didn’t see much of that. Meanwhile, Stirrup’s cycling studio is the first and only indoor cycling studio in Harlem. If nothing meets your needs, sometimes you have to create it yourself because there are probably other people looking to fulfill the same needs.
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
Hawkins-Banda made an important point about the role of failure in her journey as a mother and entrepreneur. Her main advice was that one should not fear failure on the path to achieving success in business. “The biggest lesson I wish I had learned earlier was that you have to fail multiple times in order to succeed,” she explained. “I remember starting out, there were just so many things I didn’t know. I just had a passion to make stationery for Black girls and Black women, and I needed to learn those hard lessons so I would never make those mistakes again.”
Dream Big!
Turner’s business recently won a $10,000 grant from the NAACP and L’Oreal inclusive beauty program. They are using funs to establish an education fun for mothers and entrepreneurs to complete their schooling. This achievement is extremely meaningful to Turner, as she faced significant challenges finishing school as a single mother. The panel concluded with inspiring remarks from Rochester: “Y’all, chase those dreams. You are not crazy. Go big, and do all of it!”
Give Yourself Grace
Rochester started her business as a single mother, overcoming numerous obstacles to ensure the success of both her business and home life. “Giving grace to myself as a mother, you find a business, you give grace to your customers, to your to your team, and everyone else, and you don’t give it to yourself. And as a mom, I’ve realized that there are days that we’re gonna have cereal for dinner, we’re gonna have pancakes for dinner, and it’s okay,” Rochester noted. “The baby’s going to be alright, and you’re not a failure as a mother because you did this. So, I just give myself that grace to know that some days you’re gonna be an excellent mom, some days you gonna be an excellent businesswoman. Many times, those won’t happen on the same day.”