05/11/2026
On Mother’s Day 28 years ago, I celebrated with my young family with an underlying sense of both fear and pride. I had just quit a dream job: VP of Marketing for a small hotel chain.
I quit because the travel and the “face time” required in the office (there was no possibility of remote work back then!) simply did not align with my new role as a mother. I chose entrepreneurship because I figured being self-employed as a hotel marketing consultant would give me more flexibility in the type of work I could do.
I was proud because I found the courage to ditch a system that wasn’t working for me. And of course, I was fearful that I had completely sabotaged my career.
Almost 30 years later, I am thankful my entrepreneurial endeavors paid off, and that I am now in a position to give back.
But I look around and see that little has changed for women. Sure, remote work is now commonplace, but paternalistic corporate culture is pushing for a return to the office, potentially erasing much of the progress.
I can’t say that conditions for entrepreneurship have improved much either. There may be a higher percentage of women choosing self-employment or business ownership as a way to create more flexibility for their families, at least in principle. But I also know how elusive that flexibility can be.
So to all the mothers who are entrepreneurs, business owners, or stay-at-home parents with a side hustle, my , my heartfelt wishes to you this Mother’s Day. May your chosen professional path work for you. May you find whatever balance is possible, with hopefully some peace along the way.
