Hey, all you moms out there! Did you enjoy Mother’s Day this weekend? I hope so. Let’s face it, Moms work their asses off 365 days a year. We get one day to be celebrated. Make the most of it.
And if you are also an entrepreneur, congratulations! You have a whole new word created just for you.
Mompreneurs.
I’m not sure how I feel about this word. I’m a mom, and I’m an entrepreneur. But do I need to have a title that lets the world know I’m both? Do dads get a title? Have you ever heard of a guy called a Dadpreneur?
I haven’t until now. There’s actually a ‘dadpreneur’ movement out there….not sure if it will take off.
Because let’s face it: most people don’t wonder if a male entrepreneur is a dad. He doesn’t get asked if he has kids, how he juggles work and parenting, and where he finds the time to build a business and raise children. He doesn’t get a special title.
Dads work hard too. And some don’t. Some moms work hard, and some don’t.
Labeling moms has been a politically correct thing to do.
Stay at home, Mom. Mompreneur. Working Mom.
Society seems to have a need to label us so that they know where to place us.
So they can fit us into the right box, and categorize us neatly. Then people can form an opinion about us without really having to get to know us.
If you’re a mom and an entrepreneur, and you want to be called a Mompreneur, or a Mom-anything, knock yourself out. Wear that shit like a hat and own it.
If you prefer to be called a Ms, or Mrs, or just Boss Lady, do it.
The point is, don’t just go along blindly with labels that people want to place on you.
Consider what your truth is. What matters to you, and why? Or does it matter at all? It’s your responsibility to teach people how to treat you, and if you don’t make it known who you are and what you require, nobody will know.
I recently got engaged, and I have been thinking a lot about this. When I first got married, I changed my last name to my husband’s. When I got divorced, I changed back to my maiden name. It was important to me to establish my own identity and claim my birthright.
Now that I’m engaged, I am constantly asked if I’m going to take my new husband’s name, or if will I stay with my own.
It seems to really matter to people. They need to know what to call me, and how to categorize me.
Zoe Saldana’s husband took her last name. She feared he would be emasculated because of it, but it seems like he really doesn’t give a shit.
My guy won’t be doing that, because he’s Scottish and his last name holds great meaning for him. (He even has it tattooed on his arm, so, like, yeah.)
So, I encourage you to take a moment and give yourself a gift. Think about the labels you are called. Do you identify with them? Do they work for you? Are you okay with it?
If so, awesome! Own it!
If not, consider what you want. How are you putting yourself out there? How do you want to be addressed, and why? What is the statement you are making, and is it congruent with your truth?
It may seem like a small thing, but I believe it’s actually huge. You make an impact on your world. You matter. And aligning yourself with a label that doesn’t represent your truth is disingenuous.
Be bold, be YOU, and claim your identity!
I’ll close with a short little video for you. Enjoy!
Valerie Jones is a Life & Transition Coach. She is passionate about helping women create the lives they’ve always wanted – not the lives they think they ‘should’ be living, but a genuine, authentic life that is a full expression of their birthright. She brings humor, compassion and wisdom to her coaching and to her writing, and creates a safe space for others to express their truth. She is also a corporate coach, working with the United Nations and eBay. She lives in British Columbia, Canada, and has three amazing children who are bridging into adulthood, which is a whole new ball game as a parent. Valerie loves good red wine and traveling whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.
