Local Author Shares Advice on Becoming a Mom Entrepreneur
Photo via Moms Mean Business Facebook page
Green Lake’s Mockingbird Books recently hosted Erin Baebler, a local co-author of a newly released book, Moms Mean Business: A Guide to Creating a Successful Company and Happy Life as a Mom Entrepreneur. Erin said she had many conversations about the book that go back several years and occurred while walking around Green Lake with friends. So we decided to ask her some questions to find out more:
What inspired you to write the book?
Once I had kids and a small business, I discovered how difficult it was to do both and I felt like I wasn’t doing anything very well. I went looking for a book on how to be both a mom and a business owner but I couldn’t find one that was helpful enough for my specific situation. That’s why a coaching book seemed the way to go. It lets readers design their life based on what they want and need.
Who do you admire in business?
I admire people who create successful businesses that really reflect who they are.
What companies/mom entrepreneurs have been successful models for this?
Right now, Robin Martin of Hello Robin up on Capitol Hill comes to mind. When you walk in to her bakery, you get a sense of who she is and you want to be a part of that. Sharelle Klaus is another local entrepreneur who has followed her instincts and created a very successful company with Dry Soda. And Susan Slater Cotter at STRENGTH Studio in Portage Bay has created a business with a very loyal following.
What’s the biggest mistake moms make when entering into entrepreneurship?
This one is different for everyone but in researching the book, we did hear from a lot of women who wish they would have trusted themselves more. Sometimes the next right step for your business is not what you’d expect and you have to listen to your intuition. Another biggie is trying to be all things to all people. We’ve found when you spend your time and energy on your priorities, you’ll travel a smoother road.
Did you make any interesting discoveries in the process of writing your book?
What we’ve found as people are reading the book is that it speaks not only to moms and not only to business owners. Much of the content is about creating a life that works well for you and we both believe that message is a powerful one that the world needs to hear more about.
Thanks Erin!
You can purchase Mom’s Mean Business at Mockingbird Books and Moms Mean Business.
