Mothers mean business. Not just about the crucial issues, like whether or not you should cut your hair (I’m sure it will look great either way), but also about actual business.
With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, every mother deserves a huge round of applause for doing the most important job of all, raising a child.
But we want to give an extra special shout-out to the Mompreneurs out there.
No matter what your feelings are about the practice of smooshing two words together to make a new, semi-nonsensical word, Mompreneurs deserve a ton of respect.
Just like a child, a business needs to be nurtured and cared for if it is going to grow up to be big and strong.
All Mompreneurs manage to balance motherhood with starting a business, but many of them are also running businesses that make the world a better place for others.
Here are four Mompreneurs that are changing the world for the better:
Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company
As if being a stunningly beautiful movie star isn’t enough, Jessica Alba is also a savvy businesswoman and devoted mom.
Her love for her children was the inspiration behind starting The Honest Company, a company that sells eco-friendly baby products, beauty products and non-toxic cleaning supplies.
Alba and her business partner were frustrated with the lack of safe and effective products for their children and their homes, so they decided to create their own.
“I created The Honest Company to help moms and to give all children a better, safer start,” Alba said on the company’s website.
Sheila Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com
All parents need help sometimes. Between work schedules and trying to fit in doctor’s appointments or the occasional date night, childcare is an essential part of a parent’s arsenal.
Unfortunately, not all parents are lucky enough to have family nearby to pitch in when needed. Sheila Marcelo realized when she became a mother that it was difficult to find trustworthy childcare, especially at the last-minute.
Using her love for technology and business skills from getting her MBA from Harvard Business School, Marcelo launched Care.com, a website that helps families find qualified childcare, in 2006. The site now also offers senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more.
Her hard work has paid off, as Care.com helps families every day. Marcelo has also won many awards, including the Alumni Achievement Award from Harvard Business School.
She even got a chance to speak along with President Barack Obama at the White House Summit on Working Families in 2014.
Lisa Druxman, Founder of FIT4MOM
After becoming a mother, Lisa Druxman wanted to figure out a way to exercise while taking care of her little one.
“I decided to create a workout that I could do with my baby,” Druxman said on the company’s website “I didn’t want to miss a moment of his new life but also knew that I needed to take care of myself.”
That was the start of FIT4MOM, a company that gives women “the strength for motherhood” through prenatal and postnatal fitness.
FIT4MOM has been featured on programs like Access Hollywood and NBC’s Today Show. Druxman has also won many awards, including Business Owner Of The Year from the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Jill Salzman, Founder of The Founding Moms
If there was a patron saint of Mompreneurs, it might just be Jill Salzman.
After running two successful businesses, Salzman started The Founding Moms to help give other mothers the tools they need to start a business.
The Founding Moms offers online resources and in-person meetups for mom entrepreneurs, starting with only a handful of women and growing to a group of over 5,000.
Salzman even gave a TED Talk called “Why Moms Make the Best Entrepreneurs.”
To every mother out there, have a happy Mother’s Day!
Erin Palmer is a writer and editor with a ton of respect for all mothers. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including The Chicago Tribune and The Huffington Post.
