Becoming a Mompreneur
“Some days she has no idea how she’ll do it. But every single day, it still gets done.”
The past year has been a total whirlwind, so much in fact, that it only now dawned on me that it’s Falco Creative Media’s one-year anniversary! Yay!
When I launched my business in January 2017, it was the fruition of an idea that really only took root in October. That’s when I left my job and moved to a new state to finally live in the same state as my husband, after spending the past 7 years living mostly apart as we each pursued our careers. Leaving Kansas City was the push I needed to follow my dream of becoming an entrepreneur, just like my dad.
But, my timing wasn't as perfect as I had thought. Just two weeks before my “big launch” I found out that I was pregnant! So exciting, yet terrifying, and on a more accelerated timeline than I expected! I immediately thought, “oh crap, did I just kill my business before it even began?!”
The answer seemed like yes.
Being pregnant is hard. I had actually planned to launch my business at the 1st of the year. But morning sickness hit me hard. Very hard. It wasn’t so much morning sickness as it was late morning, noontime, afternoon, late afternoon, evening and night every day for 20 weeks. I had chronic nausea, severe exhaustion (oh, and the flu) which meant I had to adjust my workload and expectations. I had to schedule work around my pregnancy.
Having to tell my new and future clients about my pregnancy was a struggle. I didn't want them to think I wouldn’t be reliable or committed. Fortunately, I had the right mix of understanding clients who were so supportive as I navigated the new terrain!
Once I finally pushed through the sickness my entrepreneurial spirit thrived. Thanks to word of mouth, my business grew much faster than expected. In my first 7 months, I worked with 10 different clients!
And as the due date fast approached, I was confident I was going to be a badass mom with a flexible schedule: the perfect example of what a strong, working mom looks like.
It turns out, a baby’s early months are a bit more challenging than constant sickness. I had to up my multitasking game and tweak my expectations once again. I got my first project about 3 weeks after I gave birth —the client was perfect and no way I was going to turn down that job. I was extremely lucky to have a mom that dropped everything to fly out for a week to help me. The “fourth trimester” was a bit of a blur, but I managed to put my son first without letting my business suffer.
Now that James is (almost) 6-months, I finally feel like I have a semi-healthy routine, so much that I have been able to add 8 clients since his birth and am hoping to get back to some sports reporting in 2018! I have quickly learned the importance of prioritizing my time. I realize there will be situations where my business will have to be priority and other times when my family will… but it can totally be done with patience, and coffee.
“Don’t try to be superwoman. She is fiction. This is real life.”
Over the past year, the most helpful thing has been recognizing that I need help. Being a strong woman doesn't mean doing it alone. So without further ado, it is time to thank all of the amazing people in my life.
First and foremost, thank you to my very intelligent brother (and James’ godfather) Michael. He's been my go-to since the get-go. From helping me create my website to being my editor-in-chief on a monthly (sometimes weekly) basis, Michael has been my right-hand man and a big reason why my company has been a success. Couldn't have created this business without him.
And thank you to all of my family. In case you haven't heard, after my water broke, my parents and siblings hopped in a car at 3AM and drove 7 hours to be here for the birth of my first child – it was seriously the biggest and best surprise of my entire life (I guess besides getting pregnant in the first place). Little did we know at the time, once they got here, they would still have to wait another 30+ hours to meet him. After some complications during the delivery, I can't imagine not having my family here. Sibs, you have all been my biggest fans, and I am yours.
And my parents? They are 500 miles away, but have still managed to show up every single time we have needed it the most.
To my in-laws, you have made moving to Minnesota incredibly easy. I couldn't have married into a better family. I appreciate you more than you know.
Thank you to everyone who helped us move into our house when I was 9 months pregnant and still working. A special thanks to my 91-years-YOUNG grandma, Nane, who flew out to Minnesota to make sure all of our boxes were unpacked before the arrival of James. Did I mention she is 91? Yeah, she is a rockstar.
As you can see, I am truly blessed with an amazing, loving and caring family.
Obsessed with my logo? Me too! Shout out to my dear friend Brianna George with designbgeorge for designing my logo. Deciding to go with her for my branding was one of the easiest decisions. I gave her a few ideas of what I had in mind and she ran with it, exceeding my expectations. She is so very talented and easy to work with. Not to mention, I seriously get so many compliments on my logo and business cards. Be sure to check her out designbgeorge.com
Thank you to all of my friends. Your advice and encouragement has meant everything.
Thanks to everyone who has come to visit! You don't know how much it means to me to have you here.
It’s safe to say that I am pretty darn good at picking friends.
Of course, thanks to all of my clients. Thank you for your patience, understanding and loyalty. This first year couldn’t have happened without you. Thank you for the positive feedback and continued support. I look forward to working with you in 2018.
A special thanks to Allee Creative’s CEO Melissa Harrison and the entire Allee Creative team. This partnership has been so much fun and I am looking forward to all of our upcoming projects this year. Clients like you is what keeps me going. I couldn't have picked a better agency to partner with!
Last but certainly not least, thank you to my husband Matthew. You have always been my No. 1 supporter. Thank you for believing in me and my dream and for walking (waddling?) with me through this pregnancy, parenthood and business journey. I don’t know how I would get by without you! James, Falco Creative Media, and I are so lucky to have you on our team.
Before I go, here is some advice to entrepreneur mamas-to-be:
- Be Flexible
- Bet on Yourself
- Lean on Others
- Take naps. Lots of naps.
- Once the baby comes… coffee, lots and lots of coffee. And wine.
Cheers to the first year and motherhood (which is simply the best)!