Why Being An Entrepreneur Can Help You 'Lean In'

I think by now most people have heard of Sheryl Sandberg's new book called 'Lean In'.  In a recent interview with the author, the book was hailed as the new manifesto for all women and the new voice of feminism.  The overall ideas expressed in the book are that woman can and should do more to advance their careers but in order to achieve this ideal, society also has to change to create more equality.  And not just in the workplace but everywhere.

While I don't intend for this post to be a book review or a debate about the principles expressed, I can speak to the fact that I believe that entrepreneurship can be a key factor to having more women 'lean in' to the workforce.

For me one of the biggest barriers to sticking with a corporate career environment is the lack of flexibility.  I actually had an employer that offered me tons of flexibility, they were great about it, but it still wasn't enough. A company can only bend so much before it effects the company culture, the way the entire company does business and the inefficiencies of trying to use a 'one size, fits all' model.  I think that that is the hardest part. How can corporate companies accommodate hundreds of people so that they can try and be effective in their home life and their work life?  They can't.  And woman want that ability.  Enter the option to be an entrepreneur.

In a recent Globe and Mail article, this quote really struck a chord with me: "In fact, companies owned by women are the fastest-growing segment of the Canadian business sector, according to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. The number of female entrepreneurs in Canada increased 208 per cent between 1981 and 2001, compared with an increase of 38 per cent for men."

I think woman are using entrepreneurship to redefine how we are leaning into our careers.  Sheryl Sandberg is right, society is not ready for woman to be more equal at every level and so  in the mean time we've come up with another way to continue to advance our career, but on our own terms.  I realize that being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, but for me it has enabled greater career and personal successes and at the same time provide the higher level of flexibility.  I don't think I could ever get such pliability from a traditional corporate role.

Have you ever though of being an entrepreneur?  Joining the momstown team has been a positive career move for me.  Interested in learning more?  Click here.

Passion, Purpose and Power

In a few weeks I will attend my second momstown National conference since I've become the owner of momstown Oakville.  There will be almost 30 team members heading to Fern Resort for three days of business planning, brainstorming, team building and professional development.  It's an amazing opportunity to learn from other chapter owners, get re-energized as we hear about all the outstanding things happening across Canada and celebrate our success from 2012.  I am so looking forward to it!

Brainstorming at our May 2012 Conference

When I think about what it means to me to be a momstown owner and entrepreneur, three words come to mind.  Passion.  Purpose.  Power.

Passion. Making sure moms in our respective communities feel support, connect with each other, know about the resources available to them and thrive in motherhood is a passion for all of us at momstown.  Yes, we worry about profit and loss statements and grumble about doing mundane tasks like data entry or marketing analytics, but at the core of all the work we do is passion.  You can feel it when we get together, you can hear it when we talk to a mom who doesn't know about momstown or to another local business who doesn't know what we are about.  When I first started exploring the option to become an owner, my friends and family would hear me out as I explained the opportunity and then state "well, you are obviously going to go for it, you are so passionate about it!"  We love our work.

Purpose.  We love a good craft as much as the next mom and we completely understand how a rough night's sleep or a sick kid can derail the days plans.  Our families still comes first, but we do this business with purpose.  We are so much more than an organized moms group.  We are a marketing force across the country.  We are a dedicated group of women that execute programs and events with a high level of detail and professionalism.  We have monthly targets, we set quarterly and yearly goals.  We take our passion and give it purpose and are achieving incredible milestones and continual growth.  We are business women.

Power.  To be in a room full of women who sometimes seem to make the impossible happen is a powerful place to be.  All of the momstown owners and the women that work for our head office have incredibly different backgrounds.  Everyone brings something unique to the table and as a group we are really powerful!  Personally, I draw a lot of power from my team as they inspire, impress and motivate me each and every day.  I take that power and channel it into my business and into making momstown Oakville an invaluable resource to the moms in my community.

Admittedly, our conference will not be all work and no play!  I am looking forward to a spa treatment at Michelle's Elegance & Day Spa located within Fern Resort and we'll also have some team social time which can get a bit rowdy (you know who you are ladies)!  Overall I know that I will come back revitalized and full of creative ways to make momstown Oakville even better.  I love the work that I do and I feel lucky to be a part of the momstown team.

11 more sleeps and counting - Fern Resort, here we come!

Welcome Kelly as our newest momstown mama!

There's a NEW mama in town! We're pleased to announce a big change for momstown Oakville. As many of you know, our chapter has quietly been for sale for awhile and in the meantime, our incredible Community Manager, Sarah McLaughlin, has been running momstown Oakville since spring 2011.

A new licensee owner has come on board to manage momstown Oakville which will be very positive for membership, for growth and for making even better developments to the chapter. Sarah will be staying on as Community Manager as well, which means Oakville will have a superstar tag team to rely on, support and engage with.

Introducing, Kelly Goring Hodgson, you will know as KellyH on the message board, as our newest momstown mama!!



Hi! My name is Kelly Hodgson and I am the new owner of momstown Oakville. I have a three year old son and an 11 month old daughter. I moved to Oakville four years ago and when I had my son I knew I needed to get out and connect with other moms in the community. I have been a member for two and a half years and recently decided to follow my gut and become the owner of momstown Oakville. Whew! I've been dying to let that news out for a couple of weeks!

I grew up in a city in northern Ontario very similar to Oakville. Some of my best friends are those that I’ve had since my toddler days and it’s because of the relationships that my parents built with others in our community and in our neighborhood. I grew up feeling like I had not only my family, but several others that were there to help and support me.


I was drawn to momstown for the reasons mentioned above and because I know how much I value and count on the support I receive as a Mom. I really couldn’t do it without other Moms to connect with. I want to make sure that every Mom in Oakville feels like they also have support whether it’s through attending events, the message board or just reading the blogs to know that she’s not alone.

I’ll be upfront in saying that my maternity leave ends in March and that I am going back to work. But I am so thankful that Sarah McLaughlin, the Community Manager will be staying on and will continue doing all the great stuff she does for momstown Oakville. The benefit now though, is that you will have two of us to help ensure that you have lots to keep you and your little ones busy and even more ways to connect with the community. I am, of course, open to feedback and really hope to meet those I haven’t met before very soon. Please feel free to contact me and let me know what you’d like to see more of (or less of) for 2012.

I think that’s all the serious business out of the way for now. I am really excited to be a part of the momstown team and cannot wait to get started! There will be some changes coming, but they will help to make 2012 the best year yet for momstown Oakville!