Conclusion

If you’ve used this book to help you determine what you want and what’s most important to you, if you’ve gleaned tidbits from successful business owners and acknowledged your strengths, and if you’ve gotten a better handle on how best to spend your time and now have a plan for how to move forward—congratulations! You’re well on your way to creating a successful company and a happy life.

By completing the exercises in this book, you are doing the necessary inner work and matching it to business planning and strategy work to create a life that fulfills you. Rather than following someone else’s path, you are creating your own. This path might seem more difficult at first, but by truing up at each step along the way, the business you create will be well integrated with your life. You won’t have to worry about them being at odds with each other because you will have created a business and a life that fit together like the puzzle pieces they are.

We’ll leave you with one other thing to remember—but at least this one should come naturally to you. Being authentically you in business is definitely the way to go. A huge part of your potential success as a mom entrepreneur has to do with being true to yourself. Sure, people suggest that you should “fake it until you make it,” and there is sometimes value in putting on an air of confidence in business dealings. However, if you’ve never seen Simon Sinek’s TEDTalk, go watch it now. It’s about how great leaders inspire action, but all of what he says is relevant to you as a business owner. Being genuine helps you attract the right clients and customers. It helps you move toward a success that reflects you, and it keeps you on the right track as you navigate everything that owning a business can throw your way. It’s also your best bet for living a life that feels happy.

Starting something is usually the hardest part, and guess what? By using this book, you’ve already gotten started in a powerful way. Doing the exercises throughout this book put you well ahead of many other entrepreneurs. And, because you’ve created the foundation and started building a lifestyle that honors your priorities and has you doing work that fulfills you, you’re going to create a path that will work well for you. Yay, you! You are taking the time now to put the odds in your favor by purposefully choosing what works for you—and what doesn’t.

One last thought: We highly recommend scheduling check-ins with yourself every three to six months. Just as your family and business continue to grow and evolve, so will your plans. Look back over your priorities. Review your values. Adjust your schedule as needed. None of these things are set in stone, so feel free to make changes and then double-check that what you are doing—both in business and in life—still matches up with what’s most important to you. Revisiting the exercises and information in this book will provide insight for years to come, so go ahead and put this book on your bookshelf once you’ve completed it—but we’d highly recommend choosing a shelf that’s easy to access.

You’ll know that you are on the right track if you feel confident and empowered and excited and capable. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the results of your hard work, so get to it.