The Working Mom Hustle

First of all - I firmly believe that EVERY MOM is a working mom . . . running a household and raising a family is WORK - you will never get an argument from me about that. But I want to take a look at those of us that are moms AND have a "side hustle".

Besides being a mom, maybe we do freelance writing, or we walk dogs, or we're a lawyer or doctor. I want to explore how we are making that work for us. Maybe it isn't working for us, and that's where this loose series comes into play. I want to share inspiration and ideas for making your side hustle work for you.

I'll share ideas and inspiration on Periscope, Twitter, Facebook and here on the blog too. And I would LOVE your input. What is or isn't working for you? Where do you need help? What are you rocking?



I have been a working mom since my oldest was born nearly 15 years ago. At that time, I had a full-time job as an Auditor. I had my own office and traveled 1-2 weeks per month. Then I got pregnant, and that all became a lot less appealing. Not that I didn't enjoy the work and the company I was working for. I just needed to figure out to fit this whole "I'm a mother" into it. It was awkward to say the least.

I did my research, and presented a part-time arrangement to my boss. I was very fortunate and he was on-board. I worked very hard to make it work. And it did for a while. It took a bit of a personal toll, I never felt as if I was giving either role 100% and that was hard. Eventually, my job wanted me to come back full-time. I didn't want to. My very first crossroads.

I chose to move on, and from there did some consulting which allowed me more flexibility. I found working three days a week, was a good arrangement. At that time, working remotely was still viewed as pretty "out there", especially in the finance field. How would they know you were working if they couldn't see you?

This went on through the birth of my second child six years later. As bosses demanded I return to more days and more hours, and I refused, I had to move on. At the time, I felt like a failure - like I was incapable of making it work. What I didn't realize until just recently is that it wasn't me - it was them. Each job made me wiser, more creative and a better person. In the end, it was all worth it.

Finally in 2010, I gave up. The economy was crap and no one wanted to hire someone in the auditing field that worked part-time and didn't want to travel (a bit of a luxury, as I am fortunate to have a spouse that has a wonderful and successful career).  Being a mom always came first. Once I saw that baby, all career aspirations took a back seat to raising that little human. As I was updating my LinkedIn profile, looking for a job and writing on my blog, I discovered the world of online influencers. Hey, I can do this - on my own terms. So I did and I still am. The money isn't as good (YET!), but I'm a much happier person - and that goes a long way.

So there you have it - nearly 15 years of working the side hustle, while running my household and raising my family. I wish I could say I have it down to a science, but it's constantly changing and moving and that's why this series excites me. Let's help each other be better and achieve more.

Are you ready to do the hustle?

catch you soon -