momstown's National Fall Conference - Connecting Canadian Moms and Entrepeneurs

Last May I attended my first momstown Conference and getting ready for that I had no idea what to expect. I was new to being a business owner, new to momstown and I was about to meet the other 20+ people in the company who are all stakeholders in this business.  To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

That weekend was a great experience,  full of business development, networking and inspiration. Now as I am preparing for the momstown Fall Conference this time at the Fern Resort,  I have been reflecting on my journey over the last 8 months.

Here are my top three learnings:

Running your own Business is hard work! Yes I knew this before, however I had no idea how much work is involved nor did I realise that when you work for yourself it is hard to work set hours. I find myself enjoying what I do so much, I am wishing there were more hours in the day so I could keep going.  I get working and all of a sudden realise that 6 hours have passed.

Working for yourself takes self confidence. This too may sound obvious but this has been a big learning curve for me. You have to just go for it and take risks believing in yourself.  I have developed skills and gained knowledge from starting up the Mississauga Chapter of momstown in online marketing, social media, event coordination and blogging. Now I am writing daily, working on business planning, financials, pitching business, organizing events, creating crafts and networking with other moms, fellow entrepreneurs and community partners. I love each one of those aspects of this business (except maybe the accounting).

My last key learning is that it takes discipline to make and stick to a schedule. Knowing what you need to do as a work at home business owner & parent and actually accomplishing everything you need to are two very different things. Time needs to be dedicated for every task when there is a seemingly endless list of to-dos from household work,  business demands and personal relationships.  I have had to schedule time to talk to my partner, schedule in time to focus fully on interacting with my kids, time to keep our family eating and our lives functioning as well as my demanding business schedule.

The last 8 months have been a big adjustment. I am so excited for this weekend to re-connect with my fellow business owners from across our national momstown team to learn, network and be inspired. I will be bringing back new ideas and revitalized energy from this weekend. Get ready momstown Mississauga mamas!

May 2012 momstown National Team Photo