Every few months this conversation gets going on Twitter and EVERYONE has something to say about it.
You know the one.
Goes something like this.
A MOM-preneur and a MOMMY blogger walk into a bar….. (’cause we are allowed to go out you know!!)
…cute guy hits on said MOM-preneur and asks what she does for a living.
What do you think she says?
I am pretty darn sure that nowhere in that conversation is she going to mention the word MOMpreneur to said cute guy. I can guarantee that it would be more along the lines of, “I run my own e-commerce site, I am a professional writer, I am a jewelery/fashion designer. I am an ENTREPRENEUR!”
I admit that this whole “mompreneur” topic is a total hot button for me and this morning I crashed a twitter convo that @MOMMagRocks, @Chris_Eh_Young and @Modern_Mama where having about it. I personally do not like the terminology and the MOM-ifying of everything related to women in business who also happen to be moms and said as much. To which Connie replied:
And she is not wrong.
I come from a corporate sales and marketing background and have worked in retail and pharmaceutical sales for most of my adult life. I admit that I never had any aspirations to become an entrepreneur before I had my children. Having them and then being at home with them became a priority for our family, one that we did not quite anticipate. So yes, I left a very lucrative position, a nice salary, a company car and multiple other career perks for life as a stay-at-home mom. (And just so you know, I would do it again in a heartbeat!)
But I soon realized that part of me was not being fulfilled. Part of me needed to take what I was doing and what mattered most to me (being a Mama), combine it with what I was VERY good at (sales and marketing) and come up with a fabulous business idea.
I would like to tell you that it was as easy as that and POOF! my business came to be and was an instant success. But that is not quite the true nature of entrepreneurialism (sheesh, try to say that 5 times fast)! And it is simply not true.
The Webster’s Dictionary definition of an entrepreneur is this:
: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise(and FYI–the word mompreneur is NOT in the Webster’s dictionary)
Well, this enterprise that I organize and manage has been one heck of an adventure let me tell you! There have been plenty of risks. Some have been so worth it, others have cost me a lot of time and money and heartache. I have learned lessons the hard way and found incredible mentors along the way too. My business has grown and evolved tremendously in the three and a half years since it was founded. As have I, both as an entrepreneur and as a mom.
My point about the whole terminology is this. I truly feel that melding the two together demeans both roles. Perhaps not in the eyes of the #proudmompreneurs out there, and trust me, there are quite a few of them on Twitter tonight, but in the eye of the general public, the mainstream media, and the people who are not in the inner circles of the “mompreneur” world. And I think we have to remember that these people are often our target audience or potential customers and in business, perception is very much reality!
I was reminded on two separate occasions this week about something that I think is very important. At least it is for me at this very moment. Often in our lives, whether it is personal or professional, we can get caught up in our own drama, our own little worlds and our own social or professional circles. And in doing so I believe that we limit our potential. Our potential for growth, our potential for success and our potential for new and even bigger opportunities.
This is what I believe the term “mompreneur”, and even to a degree “mommy blogger”, does to us. It limits us! We get pigeonholed into this neat little category that actually fails to represent the complexities of who and what we truly are!
And I know A LOT of amazing women who are incredible entrepreneurs, and also quite amazing moms to boot! The last thing I would want to see is these women not realizing their full and true potential because of a couple of silly words!
I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on this recurring topic, whether or not you are an entrepreneur or a mom!
Cheers all,
Natasha~
P.S. And yes, I fully see the irony of this post here on MOM Nation!
Also check out these other posts from some smart ladies on this topic:
There is no MOM is WOMAN… By Dee Brun, AKA @CocktailDeeva
Watch your Language, Ladies. By @Kiri_W at Bloggin and Tonic
Reflections of a “Mompreneur”. By @zita_dulock of Ignite Strategic Solutions
I feel that that any term with the word “mom” in front of it is demeaning. Why qualify your status with the “mom” title in the first place? As a SAHD and an entrepreneur myself I would never pigeon hole myself with such a belittling title. Look parenthood is difficult enough without turning it into a soundbite or some sort of “badge” that I must where to define myself. I think it’s one more way that women in business are being marginalized in the marketplace. My wife is also an entrepreneur and a successful one, I would never even dream of casting the that epithet at her. For me it borders on sexist pandering and almost seems like a dig to those of us who have opted out of the corporate jungle to pursue opportunities closer to home.
As a father of 4 who works from home, I could be referred to as a Dad-preneur. I don’t consider myself that. I am a father and an entrepreneur. They are separate entities. I would never call someone a dad-ployee, unless they were working for their Dad maybe.
I agree with your thoughts here. The only time I find it acceptable to promote yourself as a mompreneur is if that is your business angle. If you are marketing strictly to other moms that ay work. However, if you’re marketing to anyone else in the general public, they will question the seriousness of your business. I’m not saying that mompreneurs aren’t serious about their businesses. Heck, most are more serious. What i’m saying is that many will wonder when you’ll get around to their work if the kids get sick. What if the kids act up? Will that hold up delivery of my job.
It’s unfortunate as i know how difficult it is to be a parent and an entrepreneur at the same time. let’s give them both the credit they deserve.
It’s a touchy subject! And I couldn’t agree with you more, both deserve their own credit. While we may be accomplishing one while doing the other, it does not have to be the automatic assumption by all! Thanks for your comments Chris.
As with most labels, it’s a two-edged sword. On one hand, it helps you to quickly identify that person. However, if you dig too deep with it, you’ll find it doesn’t say enough. It can also be used attempt to limit, marginalize, or demean you.
It’s an okay thing, in my opinion, because there are a community of self-styled mom-preneurs out there, and they use it as a way to identify with each other. However, in my own usage, I try to avoid overt labels like this, for the reasons I stated above.
I’ve been trying for a couple of months to write something meaningful about labels and the good/bad they can do, but it’s a difficult one to get out.
I agree that labels are that double-edged sword and I did write a post about them a few months back right here on MomNation and that one must love and accept them in order to move on. This one irks me though….and I am not sure if I have figured out completely why just yet….there may be more to come…
I’ve read both viewpoints on this, and while I can see where both sides are coming from I can’t deny that I flinch inwardly at the term mompreneur. Whatever slight or compliment people mean when they use it, my reaction is that I feel slightly belittled.
I was an entrepreneur before I was a mom. I switched focus from the horse health world to the human one because it fits better with my mom lifestyle, and also because it’s where my passion took me. I do state that I’m a mom of three in my description of who I am as a business person, but it’s because it gives context to the work I do. I’m Kim the holistic health practitioner who is a mom, not the mom holistic health practitioner.
I’m with you in the aspect that I’m pursuing my business venture as a means of fulfillment. Motherhood is central to my satisfaction in life, but my work gives me the space to be more
fully me than parenthood does.
I try to meet people where they’re coming from and I think this is just another place for that. If someone wants to call me a mompreneur and they mean it as a compliment I’ll happily accept it as one.
But would you still flinch? And again, if it is a compliment then why? This is what I am trying to figure out.
I think it is important to note that there actually is a pretty-universally accepted definition to “Mom-preneurs”. It isn’t enough to be a mom and own a business. The business must actually be one that geared towards moms and in which being a mom is considered an inherent qualification.
So, despite being a business owner and a mom, I am not a mompreneur by definition. Nor is my mom. Mompreneurism refers to a branding method that is being utilized by a very specific industry and professional. The fact that it is being inappropriate used too often isn’t the fault of the label, it is the fault of the labellers.
So, in that context, Kim, you would not actually qualify as a “mompreneur” in the traditional sense. You do not market yourself as a mom, you do not brand yourself as being “mommy” focused, you do not have “mom” in your business, professional title or job description. These are the traits that mompreneurs tend to share…
I think part of my issue with this discussion stems from the fact that I think that there is an inherent hypocrisy in the rejection of the term. It is fine to use the term “mom” and to run off the popularity of the movement, but as soon as someone applies that label to you without your consent, it is seen as belittling. When did we start to accept that being “moms” makes us somehow inferior?
Natasha, I have absolutely nothing but respect for you and for your viewpoints and see no irony in posting this on Momnation, a forum for mother’s to share views on everything, including business.
That said, I DO see the irony of your official business card/ personal bio calling you the “Chief Executive Mama”.
Touche my friend
I don’t believe I have ever called myself a ‘mompreneur’, yet others surely have. Yes, I AM the Chief Executive Mama at Natural Urban MAMAS and yes, my clientele is primarily mothers, whom I am helping with the benefit of my role and experience as a mother backing me up. BUT, when it comes to my business, my lawyer, my insurance agency, my accountant, my banker, my investors, my web designers, my vendors and all the others that are involved in my business, I am Natasha Chiam, President, CEO, Founder and the ENTREPRENEUR who started the whole thing and none of that has absolutely anything to do with me being a mom. I don’t think of my rejection of the term hypocritical, I MARKET my brand to my customers, my ‘Mamas’ so to speak, and that is just being a smart business woman and salesperson, not a mom. (Although one could argue that those skills are useful in motherhood too!)
I never,ever said that being a MOM was inferior, I said that putting the two terms/roles together diminishes the importance of BOTH of them and they both so richly deserve their own credit and props!