My two babies!

Someone in this world calls me Mummy (well not quite yet, she's 8 months old). It is the most wonderful and most important role of my life, and the toughest. I also have a business, a new business. People refer to it as my other baby, and they're right.

Becoming a mother and starting a business are similar experiences. 

1. Sleepless nights : It is a given that when you become a mother that you are never going to ever sleep ever again, never ever. Well the same thing happens when you start a business. They both need your attention, time, and patience and of course you worry about them at all times. People will ask me if I sleep when she sleeps, I don't. When she lays asleep, I go back to my desk and work.  I will sleep when Rosie is an adult and when Writing for Tiny is where it needs to be. Slumber is over rated anyway isn't it?!
2. If I don't do it, who will? I am still breastfeeding, so Rosie is glued to me at all times. She is a mummy's girl and although she has an amazing Dad, and we have supportive families, sometimes she just wants me and no one else will do. Writing for Tiny is the same,it needs me. Delegating is tough when you have nobody to delegate to! If I am not working, Writing for Tiny is not working. It is typical  to be stretched in the early days of a new business and it is sometimes easier to just do it yourself rather than explain it to somebody else. Prioritization is the key! My daily to do list is my best friend.
3.Social life: the lack of it I mean of course. Well I wouldn't say that I have no social life, I would say that it is a whole new social life. Two new worlds of socialising have opened up for me, with Rosie I see my friends much more now for day dates, which is lovely. Since starting Writing for Tiny I have been exposed to a huge secret start up world and culture. My big nights out and 'fly by the seat of my pants' days may be over, but these new social lives aren't too bad either.
4. The future: The worry! I worry about her all day.Most of the time it is sweating the small stuff, her next bath, what I have in the fridge to puree, is she getting a varied diet, will she be OK for my mum when I go the meeting. On top of that I worry about the world. I am not just worried about my little bubble, but the WHOLE world. I feel so vulnerable in it. I want the world to be a better place for Rosie. I worry about pollution, waste, war, child and animal rights much more now than I did before. The future needs to be carefully planned when you have a child, Mick and I must select schools, save up, look ahead. That is similar to the worry and the planning in a business. I worry about Writing for Tiny every second, again most of the time it is the small stuff, but I worry nonetheless. The future is a little hazy in the start up world, I plan as much as I can, but every day there is a new opportunity , or a new disaster to fix , so my plan is to plan as much as I can!
5. Love: Love love love! As the Beatles said "All you need is love". This song also has some other inspirational messages, they could be words of encouragement to new mums or to new businesses: 
"There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game 
It's easy.
Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to be you in time 
It's easy."

BUT

It isn't easy, and you need a lot more than love, but it is a good place to start. I LOVE being a mum. I could not love my daughter more. She fills me and all of those around her with so much love . You also need to love your start up, and I do. It is a childhood dream to do this, to write children's books. Like a baby it can be challenging, tiring, all consuming. Nevertheless you need to be passionate about it and to believe in it. If you don't believe in it , who will? Without love, you cannot survive in this start up world or in the parent world. No it is not easy, but nothing worthwhile is.