Start Your Mompreneur Journey: Cultivating the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Let's begin the journey, shall we? If you're an aspiring mompreneur, you may be wondering, where do I start? To be candid, people are remarkably open to purchasing a wide array of goods. If you have a personal need, there is a good chance that many others have the same unmet desire. Your personal experience, career skills, and specialized training hold value, and you have something useful to offer the world. To put it simply, your starting point is your idea. With that said, what's the creation or contribution you're eager to bring forth?

Fantastic! You've got an idea.

Now, here's the pivotal next step, and it is essential to creating a business that generates income. While this concept might seem a bit ethereal initially, it's an absolute necessity. You must cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. This step is non-negotiable. According to the Cleveland Clinic, humans generate about 70,000 thoughts per day. As a mom juggling several responsibilities and a deep-thinking introvert, I'm sure you're on the high end of that range. Just think of the wealth of fresh ideas and potential businesses brewing within your 70,000 daily thoughts. We all possess the capacity to transform ideas into businesses. Yet, not everyone possesses the mindset necessary to convert these ideas into revenue.

Now, how do you create an entrepreneurial mindset, you may ask? I'll begin by mentioning that I typically lean towards practicality. I, personally, appreciate actionable insights. While discussing shifts in mindset and concepts might seem a bit esoteric at first glance, we will definitely get to the nitty gritty and the feasibility of it all. With that said, the very first step toward creating an entrepreneurial mindset for any aspiring mompreneur is to document the important stuff. If you're reading this with the aspiration of launching a new business, go out today and purchase a notebook. Opt for something compact, a size that conveniently fits in your purse or bag. This notebook will become your Personal Business and Life (PB&L) Blueprint.

OK, so… I can't lie. I'm a recovering planner addict. At one point in my entrepreneurial journey, I was using three planners simultaneously. I thought it would be best to separate my business projects from my home projects and general family appointment scheduler because, of course, as moms, we’re managing all of the things. Now, with experience, I would advise against using multiple planners. Why? Because you're a whole person, and there's no "business you" and "home you." You're the same person all the time. As a mompreneur, you're constantly navigating the delicate balance between work and home life. Using a single planner allows you to see the big picture and how all the pieces of your life fit together seamlessly.

For someone who values efficiency, let's say, when I was using three planners, I was off my game. I can now admit that three planners are overkill. Don't be like me as a new mompreneur; be better! To be honest, you don't need a fancy planner at all. A 5x7 notebook will prove highly effective if used diligently. I attribute much of my entrepreneurial success to my habit of grabbing this notebook and using it daily, as I outline below, during the initial stages of my business.

As previously mentioned, this notebook will be your Personal Business and Life Blueprint. Your PB&L is the secret to commencing each day as the empowered mompreneur that you are. From this point forward, you will begin your workday by opening a blank page in your PB&L and writing down your Daily Journal Entry (honestly let’s be real, not every single day, because we're moms, and we know better... but aspirationally every day). This foundation creates the basis for you as a business owner and helps you to begin building your entrepreneurial mindset muscle.

PB&L Dialy Journal Entry

1. What is your motivation/intention as an entrepreneur? Frame your response as if your intention is your current reality – some may call this "embodying your future self." This statement serves as an affirmation, intention, or goal that you are striving for. Regardless of its label, it fuels your drive. Write this EVERY DAY, a reminder of your trajectory as you embark on the journey of business ownership. At my business's inception, my affirmation/intention was:

   1. I am a prosperous and highly profitable entrepreneur, generating $20K+ per month. I manage a proficient and dependable team. Clients experience satisfaction and success due to my contributions.

2. Next, outline your quarterly goals. Identify the three to five tasks you should currently focus on to generate momentum in your business or life that will help you advance as an entrepreneur. These tasks should remain consistent throughout the quarter (three months). I use a method that I call Laddering Up to create quarterly goals. I’ll outline this method in an upcoming blog post, stay tuned!

3. After you've written your quarterly goals, you will write down 2-4 affirmations for your day. These could change daily, addressing your mental, physical, or spiritual needs at the moment. You are powerful, own it; and create affirmations that reinforce this idea.

4. Express gratitude by listing 3-5 things you're thankful for. Many scholarly and peer-reviewed papers highlight the benefits of practicing gratitude on mental, emotional, and physical health. By making this a part of your morning ritual, you are setting yourself up for a successful day!

5. Lastly, list ALL of your To-Dos, starting with your top three priorities for the day. Your priorities don't have to be work-related. They may be related to home projects, childcare, or other domestic tasks. After your top three, continue with all the remaining To Dos you can think of. As you grow in your entrepreneurial journey, you'll learn how to edit these, but to begin, write them all so that you don't miss anything. As moms, there is always so much on our plate. It's important to keep track of it all somewhere to maintain a sense of semi-control, which creates mental space and limits feelings of overwhelm.

Initiating this daily practice as you begin your new career as a mompreneur cultivates your business-oriented mindset. You must keep first things first, and ensure that your business stays top of mind as you begin creating momentum toward the achievement of your ultimate goals. When your business and business goals are at the forefront of your thoughts, you intuitively seek ways to realize those goals throughout your day. I can't overstate the significance of momentum during the business's early stages. When you move, the universe follows (I know I said I'm not "woo woo," but whatever... you know what I mean).

Sources:

1. https://healthybrains.org/brain-facts/#:~:text=BRAIN%20FACT%3A%20Every%20day%20your%20brain%20processes%20about%2070%2C000%20thoughts.