Ep 79: Defining and Achieving Success as a Mompreneur with Laura Sinclair

Mar 10

How to Build a Thriving Business as a Mom Without Burnout

Being a mom and a business owner is a balancing act that often feels impossible. Between school drop-offs, nap schedules, snack breaks, and never-ending to-do lists, it’s easy to wonder: Can I really build a successful business while raising kids?

The short answer? Yes. But it may not look the way traditional business advice suggests.

In a recent episode of Mompreneur Mastery, I had the pleasure of talking to Laura Sinclair, a strategic business mentor and founder of This Mother Means Business. She’s dedicated to helping mom entrepreneurs grow profitable businesses without sacrificing their personal lives. We talked about breaking free from unrealistic business expectations, defining success on your own terms, and the importance of community in entrepreneurship.

Here’s what we uncovered about building a sustainable, fulfilling business as a mom.

Why Traditional Business Advice Doesn’t Work for Moms

If you’ve spent any time in the online business world, you’ve probably come across advice like:

Wake up at 5 AM to get your work done before the kids are up.
Stay up late—everyone has the same 24 hours in a day!
Take multiple mindset walks a day, journal, meditate, and then hustle hard.

For moms, this advice can feel completely out of touch. It assumes full control over your time, which, if you’re raising kids, you know is rarely the case.

Laura shared her own frustrations with the one-size-fits-all business mindset. As a mom of two, she found herself sitting in high-level masterminds wondering, Who are these people taking seven mindset walks a day? Do they even have kids?

The truth is, mom entrepreneurship looks different. Our work hours might be fragmented. We may not be able to pull all-nighters or attend endless networking events. And that’s okay.

Rather than following business advice that doesn’t fit, it’s about adapting strategies to your reality—whether that means working in focused 90-minute chunks or building a business that grows at a slower, more sustainable pace.

Redefining Success as a Mom Entrepreneur

One of the biggest struggles for moms in business is comparison. It’s easy to scroll through Instagram and see business owners celebrating six-figure launches and rapid growth, making us wonder, Why isn’t my business scaling that fast?

The answer often lies in our unique responsibilities. Many of these success stories come from people with full-time childcare, more flexible schedules, or fewer home responsibilities.

Laura emphasized how important it is to define success on your own terms.

For some, success might mean hitting a certain revenue goal. For others, it’s the ability to pick their kids up from school every day, take Fridays off, or work only during nap times.

For Laura, success wasn’t just about financial freedom—it was about the ability to live life on her own terms. She shared how her proudest moments as a mom entrepreneur had nothing to do with money. Instead, it was seeing her daughter bring home a school project where she wrote, "When I grow up, I want to work for myself, just like my mom."

That’s the kind of impact we often overlook when defining success.

If you ever find yourself comparing your growth to someone else’s, take a step back and ask:
"What does success look like for me and my family?"

Letting Go of Mom Guilt and Embracing Boundaries

Another common challenge for mom entrepreneurs is guilt—guilt for working on your business, for missing a school event, for not being able to “do it all.”

But as Laura pointed out, guilt is often an external story we’ve absorbed, rather than a true reflection of our choices.

She shared how she’s learned to let go of guilt by reminding herself that taking time for her business actually makes her a better mom. When she’s fulfilled in her work, she’s more present, more patient, and more engaged with her kids.

Setting boundaries is a big part of that.

Instead of trying to juggle work and parenting at the same time—answering emails while making lunch, for example—Laura strives to be fully present in whatever she’s doing. If it’s time for work, she’s all in. If it’s time for family, she’s focused on them.

That doesn’t mean she never makes mistakes. She laughed about the time she forgot to send her daughter to school in a costume for theme day. But rather than dwelling on it, she accepted it as part of the reality of being a working mom.

The key takeaway? Guilt doesn’t serve you. It’s okay to prioritize both your business and your family—without apologizing for it.

The Power of Community: Why You Shouldn’t Build a Business Alone

Entrepreneurship can feel isolating, especially when no one in your immediate circle understands what you’re going through. But you don’t have to do it alone.

Laura emphasized the importance of finding a supportive community, whether that’s a mastermind, a networking group, or a virtual community of like-minded moms.

That’s why she created This Mother Means Business—a space where mom entrepreneurs can connect, collaborate, and support each other. She also hosts free bi-weekly Community Connection Calls, where moms can come together, share their experiences, and grow together.

If you’ve ever felt alone in your business, joining a group of like-minded, ambitious moms can make all the difference.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Do It All, But You Can Have It All

The biggest takeaway from my conversation with Laura? Mom entrepreneurship is possible—it just looks different.

You don’t have to wake up at 5 AM. You don’t have to scale your business at lightning speed. You don’t have to feel guilty for taking time for yourself.

Instead, you get to:

✔️ Define success on your own terms
✔️ Work in a way that fits your life, not someone else’s
✔️ Let go of comparison and mom guilt
✔️ Find a community that supports you

If you’re looking for a place to connect with other mom entrepreneurs, I highly recommend checking out Laura’s Community Connection Calls.