How Becoming a Mum Made Me a Better Business Owner
Hi!
I’m Cherish—co-owner of The Social Duo (with my husband), owner of a brand-new soft play business, Little Linnie's, and, most importantly, mum to the most incredible IVF miracle, our baby girl, Lindy.
When I fell pregnant, I was bombarded with so many opinions about being a mum and a business owner. I heard it all:
"Give up your business—you won’t have time."
"Once you’re a mum, you won’t want to work."
"People won’t want to work with a mum."
NGL, it stressed me out. I’d lay awake at night thinking I was about to lose everything I had built. And guess what happened? I actually flourished. Not only did my business survive, but I opened a second one—our soft play rental biz!
Now, let’s be real. The first year of motherhood and postpartum was tough. My little girl is now 15 months old, and we’re in full swing juggling it all. Yes, it’s a juggle, but it’s also magical.
A Perspective Shift That Changed Everything
I recently saw a clip from Shonda Rhimes (the powerhouse behind Bridgerton and Grey’s Anatomy), where she talked about the myth of "having it all." She explained that if she was killing it in business, she was probably missing her daughter’s sports day. If she was at her daughter’s ballet show, her work was piling up. But here’s the key: being a business owner made her a better mum, and being a mum made her a better business owner.
And I completely resonated with that.
just a mum and dad smashing goals
Both of my businesses are thriving, and I truly believe it’s because motherhood has shifted my entire world view. Since both of my businesses revolve around creating magic for little ones, becoming a mum has made my work even more impactful.
How Motherhood Has Transformed My Business Mindset
Take The Social Duo, for example. When I design websites, I first approach it as a website expert—but then, I look at it as a mum. The target audience I design for is me! And let’s be honest, we mums have very simple needs:
✔️ Make life stress-free.
✔️ Save us time.
✔️ Make our child happy.
If a website ticks those boxes? We book.
I’ve applied the same mindset to my soft play business. I only really started "going for it" at the beginning of this year, and now? We’re booking up fast, fully booked on some weekends, and already bringing in a livable wage—all from a brand-new business!
Confidence, Competition & Community
It’s not just my work that has benefitted from motherhood—it’s me as a business owner.
I now have a whole new level of confidence in my businesses. I know I’m an expert. I know exactly what value I bring to my clients. I no longer doubt myself or shrink back—I own my skills and step fully into them.
And as for competition? I don’t stress about it anymore.
1️⃣ First of all, I’m a mum—I literally don’t have time to worry.
2️⃣ The soft play industry is incredible—85% of us are mums, and we genuinely support each other. Even my nearest competitors? We cheer each other on. There’s plenty of work for all of us, so we just focus on enjoying our businesses.
3️⃣ With The Social Duo, we’re so niche that we don’t really have competitors. We’ve been running for years, have built an amazing reputation, and continue to thrive.
So, To Any Mum Navigating Business…
If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or a mum trying to juggle business life, don’t panic—you can do this.
Yes, I’m currently writing this while boiling pasta and wearing my husband’s joggers (because multi-tasking), but I’ve also just:
💰 Smashed our financial records this month.
📅 Booked in £10K worth of work in the last 30 days.
👩👧 Created magical memories with my daughter.
Motherhood hasn’t held me back—it’s made me better.
You’ve got this. Now go shine. ✨