The essays in The Motherhood Business examine how consumer culture both constrains and empowers contemporary motherhood. The collection demonstrates that the logic of consumerism and entrepreneurship has redefined both the experience of mothering and the marketplace.

The work-family conflict that mothers experience today is a national crisis. Women struggle to balance breadwinning with the bulk of parenting, and social policies aren't helping. Of all Western industrialized countries, the United States ranks dead last for supportive work-family policies. Can American women look to Europe for solutions? Making Motherhood Work draws on interviews that Caitlyn Collins conducted over five years with 135 middle-class working mothers in Sweden, Germany, Italy, and the United States. She explores how women navigate work and family given the different policy supports available in each country. Taking readers into women's homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces, Collins shows that mothers' expectations depend on context and that policies alone cannot solve women's struggles. With women held to unrealistic standards, the best solutions demand that we redefine motherhood, work, and family.

With a new baby, little money, but lots of determination and drive, Rebecca Matthias started a business from scratch out of her home some eighteen years ago. Today her company, Mothers Work--which includes the retail outlets Mimi Maternity, Motherhood, and A Pea in the Pod--has grown to become a multimillion-dollar maternity clothing empire. Written with a refreshingly candid, can-do attitude, MothersWork describes how Matthias got her company off the ground--offering specific lessons for other entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs on the nuts and bolts of building and growing your dream. The first step, of course, is fastening on what it is you plan to sell. As Matthias searched for an idea for a new company--around the time of her first pregnancy--she was discovering how impossible it was to find maternity clothes suitable for the office. Realizing that other professional women were in the same boat, Matthias launched a mail-order business selling maternity clothes. The initial response was staggering, and Matthias's company was on its way. What they discovered was that, unlike new mothers of a generation earlier, women were staying in the workforce throughout their pregnancies. The shift was a revolution in the workplace, with Mothers Work supplying the uniforms. Over the next few years, despite a series of setbacks as Matthias and her husband grappled with managing accounting, sales, inventory, and financing, the company gradually took off. In the course of describing how she built her business, Matthias reveals hard-won lessons she learned about how to research an idea, test it in the market, raise money, deal with employees, taxes, bankers, cash flow, marketing, franchising, and more. Both motivational and deeply personal, MothersWork offers a three-dimensional blueprint for every woman--and man--who dreams of successfully starting a company.

Calling all mothers! Navigate the journey of starting a business and pursuing your passions while raising a beautiful family Motherhood is not the end of your dreams, it is the beginning of the next chapter! Mothers are often told to choose between their desires and becoming a mother. Sacrificing one or the other isn't necessary! You can be a dedicated mother while building your business. Searching for financial abundance and striving to be an amazing mom is overwhelming. Take solace in the notion that it is possible to succeed in both. Blossom in the business world while caring for your family! All mothers want freedom for themselves and their families, and this book features women from across the world who inspire others to say YES to themselves and their wildest dreams. Pursue your passion and show your children the possibilities of the world that will one day be theirs!

The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak. They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right . Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.

There are 9 million women-owned businesses in the United States; they account for $1.3 trillion in revenue. American women are starting businesses at a rate twice that of men. Most of these women are also moms. What does it take to be successful as both a mom and as an entrepreneur? Moms Mean Business gives existing and potential mom business owners the encouragement, advice, and healthy dose of “how-to” they need. In this helpful guide, you will create a customized strategy that includes: A personal definition of success in both life and business—and the way to achieve it The tools needed to manage time and productivity when your priorities as a mom and business owner conflict A mom-friendly business plan to get you focused An approach to self-care that allows you to handle all that’s thrown your way Tips, checklists, and guidance to quickly solve the problems mom entrepreneurs encounter Behind-the-scenes stories and advice from well-known mom entrepreneurs make Moms Mean Business fun to read and full of that all-important “me, too!” factor. It is inspiring, motivating, and, above all, practical.

When it comes to being a good leader, we've read the sports analogies, we've read the war analogies. But how about hitting a little closer to home? As a mother, the following rules and tactics probably sound familiar to you: - Never Underestimate the Power of Kiss-It-Make-It-Better - Hold the Line on Tantrums - Remember the Magic Word Count to Three Before Giving a Time-Out These are good, solid rules for how to raise children. But can these same rules make you a better boss? Absolutely. In her impressive first book, Shari Storm takes the lessons attributed to parenting and shows how they can be directly applied in the workplace, making you a more effective manager and giving you the confidence to lead and shape your staff into the employees you want them to be. Shari gathers a wonderful collection of funny and inspirational stories from a wide range of executive mothers---TV producers, firefighters, accountants, teachers, baristas, corporate leaders, pilots---for an engaging, easy-to-absorb read. These pages will provide both laughs and enlightenment. For the woman who wants to excel in her business, this goes beyond your average management book.