Building a Successful Business While Also Being a Mother to 3 Boys...

This last year, my business has had a lot of success.

And what success looks like for us is that our staff has doubled in size, which has greatly increased the number of families we’ve been able to serve. At the same time, our outcomes continue to be measurably high. We track things like how many families complete the services they started with us, and we send satisfaction surveys at the end of services to gauge how supported and cared for people felt throughout the process.

What is so shocking to me is that I’ve managed to continue to grow my business, while still being home when my kids are, which was my number one goal for sustainability as a working mom.

When I first opened my business, I knew that if I wanted to be successful — not just as a business owner, but as a mother — I needed to create a framework that allowed me to have that flexibility.

Because my number one priority is being a mom.

I wanted to be able to show up for my kids. I wanted flexibility in my schedule. I wanted space for the things that actually matter to me both personally and professionally. And over time, that became part of the culture of my business too.

I want the people who work with me to have that same freedom.

I want them to prioritize their families, their wellbeing, the things in life that keep them grounded and whole, while also having fulfilling and accomplished careers. I care deeply about creating work-life balance not just for myself, but for the people around me too.

And honestly, when people ask me what I attribute our success to, I would say one of the biggest things is exactly that: balance.

Because I know myself well enough to know that when I don’t have balance, things start to fall apart.

I forget things. I overcommit. I’m not able to follow through the way I want to. I lose clarity.

I’m not someone who can just endlessly push beyond capacity and somehow still function at my best. And over the years, I’ve become very aware of what my actual capacity is.

I also know that I’m going to fail. All the time.

I’m someone who strives for excellence in every area of my life (which is different from perfectionist, I am a far cry from that). I care deeply about the people I serve, my employees, my relationships, my business, my children — everything I do, I do wholeheartedly.

And because my standards are high, but I also refuse to sacrifice my life and my family in order to maintain some impossible level of perfection, there are times when things slip through the cracks.

If one of my kids needs me, something else may have to wait.

If I need a couple days to go camping in the mountains and reconnect with myself so I can find balance again, then something may need to be rescheduled.

And while our culture often glorifies constantly being on the go and working all the time, I’ve learned that for me personally, that way of living is not sustainable.  I WILL fail if I try to push through when I am beyond capacity.

But what I don’t do is let go of the vision.

I don’t stop striving. I don’t lower the standard. I don’t stop caring deeply.

I stop. I reflect on what do I need in this moment. I recalibrate. And then take action based on that moment, rather than what I may have planned a month or week ago.

I believe success does not have to come at the cost of showing up fully for my family and myself.

And I believe it’s possible to build something beautiful while still protecting the things that matter most along the way.

I invite mothers to pause, and reflect on what they may need to do to recalibrate to allow space to come back to themselves if the balance is feeling off. What shift do you need to make to come back home to yourself? So that you can show up in a way that is in alignment with your greatest good. 

Much love,

Camille Hereth