Wife. Mom. Boss.
Some call me a Wifepreneur, others call me a Mompreneaur; I describe myself as a creative woman who bravely manages her household, who stays on top of her wife game while simultaneously building a brand and being the boss!
Sounds fabulous, glamorous and powerful, right! Well sometimes it is and a whole lot of times it’s not!
Our family dynamics do not follow a traditional model. I’m 23 years into an amazing marriage to my BFF. Not only are we married to each other, we are also married to our business. Together we manage the day to day operations of Results Care Physical Therapy, Pain and Wellness Center. Alongside that, I’m also the mother of three wonderful children; a 15 year old young man and two ladies ages 13 and 10.
I have been a hustling wife/mompreneur from the time that my oldest was a toddler. Out of necessity, I became the primary breadwinner for a season. However after burnout and God’s grace, my husband and me took an “all or nothing” approach where I cut ties with corporate America, took all of our savings plus a loan for $5,000 and launched our physical therapy business.
Throughout this journey, whether it was the time when I was the sole provider with a toddler on my hip or during the time when I was building our business, I’ve often been asked, “How does being an entrepreneur interfere with your responsibilities of being a wife and mother?” Even though this question occasionally comes with a bit of a sting insinuating that you can’t possibly be great at all three; I’ve learned to answer it with grace and authenticity.
There are many challenges to juggling a business and family life. My heartfelt desire is to be an attentive wife, mom and a successful business owner. It took a lot of tears, hard conversations, trial and error to figure out a schedule that allows me to do all three. Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur is hard and when you weave in being a wife and mom, there will be times when you feel stretched super thin and just want to pull out all your hair! Especially when life happens and you can’t separate family from work and you’re left with no other choice but to gather up the crew and take them to work with you.
Overcoming mom guilt was probably the most challenging. Being away from my children for 12, 14, 16 hours a day while leveling up our brand, meant that someone else other than myself was experiencing those first words, first steps, first everything! Even though the reason I was doing this was so that I could eventually spend more time with them, didn’t mean that I didn’t feel guilty for doing it. However, I came to realize that a lot of the mom guilt I was experiencing was coming from what I thought other people were thinking or saying about my role as a mom. Fortunately after this revelation set in, I accepted that what other people were thinking and saying about how I showed up as a mom had no effect on me unless I let it. So I let it go! I’ve completely embraced that I’m perfectly, imperfect.
Another challenge as an entrepreneur, was learning to be okay with dirty dishes, piles of dirty laundry, toys on the floor, visible gray roots and realizing that I couldn’t possibly do it all! I had to have a real conversation with myself and with my husband. We had to discuss the unrealistic expectations that I was putting on myself and understand that they were causing unnecessary stress and robbing me of my joy. My husband and me agreed that because we were partners in life, in marriage, in parenting and in business, then it only makes sense that he too could help around the house; so we divided up our household responsibilities and accomplished our mission! Now that my children are old enough, they participate in chores as well.
Overcoming stress is also a challenge. The introvert side of me requires that I regain my energy from being alone, which can be difficult with three children and a husband. I need at least an hour of silence. It’s non-negotiable. Sometimes that means I get up before everyone else. Sometimes that means I go to bed after everyone else. But this is the time that I’m alone with my thoughts and with God. It’s the time when I’m still enough to hear The Holy Spirit give me clear instruction on what to do about our business, about my vision, about my husband and children. Without this time, I’d be a disaster waiting to happen!
I also try to exercise every day. I enjoy being outside walking our five acre property with my fur child, Thor, while listening to a sermon. These two self care strategies allow me to cope with everything that gets darted my way.
I’ll share a few final thoughts that have helped me along my way. Above anything else ladies, we as women need to stop putting limitations on ourselves. It IS possible for us to be supportive wives to our husbands, attentive and nurturing mothers to our children and at the same time, be successful Boss Babes. There’s nothing that can stop us from spending quality time with our families while we level up and build our businesses. The only thing stopping you is YOU!
I strongly believe that if God felt that giving me a husband and three children would interfere with my ability to obey Him in the areas of ministry and business, then he wouldn’t have given me this calling and family at the same time! I believe this for you too! I encourage you to get into the right mindset and join the marathon!
~Dr. Patricia Schwarz, DPT