Wells Fargo Shares 5 Life-Balancing Tips From Mom Entrepreneurs

Wells Fargo ranked No. 32 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list in 2023.

At the Milestone Circles event presented by Wells Fargo, entrepreneurs who are mothers shared tips on how to balance career success with personal lives.

Milestone Circles help women entrepreneurs revitalize their vision for their business, set a critical business milestone and build a network of support. The event brought both new and experienced business owners together at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco. Their advice included:

1. Prioritize: “The biggest challenges I face as an entrepreneur and a mom is trying to find that balance,” said Tre’elle Tolbert, owner of Tag It Brand It, a digital branding company. “Entrepreneurship can demand a lot of your time, but you cannot forget your priorities. Especially having young children, it is very important for me to be in their life, to be able to teach and lay the foundations.”
2. Shift your mindset: “As women, we diminish ourselves. We feel like we have to be perfect,” said Kathleen Hustad, owner of Bloom 44, a consultancy that works with human-centric healthcare companies.  “When I started my business, I really focused on shifting my mindset and surrounding myself with women who uplift me.”
3. Understand that it takes a village:  “In the corporate world, we’re taught to build a team based on your organization needs, your financial needs, your resources,” said Saundra Gilliard, a grandmother who traded her corporate career to focus on family and now runs Femininely Free. “But when you are involved [in your own business], that team becomes ‘Who can step in and cook dinner when you can’t? Who can pick kids up from daycare? Who can take them on trips?’”
4. Build your professional network: “I seek out advice from like-minded peers, particularly mentors and coaches who have been in my shoes. And to tell the truth, it is hard to find those people. That’s why programs such as Milestone Circles are a great asset, because you can find those experts who also look and sound like you,” said Simal Ozen Irmak, a neuroscientist and public health professional who co-founded Tibi Health, an early-stage health technology company.
5. Plan ahead: Create a business plan and frequently revisit it to ensure you are staying ahead. Having a plan to guide you will help establish goals and objectives, as well as stay focused.

Read more at stories.wf.com.