No Exclusion

Guest Contributor: Kelly Smith
Kelly's Posts - Kelly's Blog


Okay, so I am going to put my true thoughts out there and hope I don't offend anyone one. As a woman and a mom it can often be challenging to be taken seriously in the business world, especially since many areas of the business world are dominated by men.That's it, I said it. I can't count how many times I have made cold sales calls when a business man answered and just dominated the conversation and didn't take anything I said seriously because I am a work-at-home mom(wahm). I find people often have this archaic notion that moms we are sitting home having a grand old time watching Oprah and having leisurely lunches with their girl friends.

Quite the contrary. We juggle not only a home based business, but schedules for our children including doctor appointments, school trips, play dates, soccer and hockey games, dance, horseback riding, homework, uh, need I go on?

Needless to say, it would often take the wind out of my sails and often leave me lacking in confidence as a successful business woman. I found it difficult to establish myself and attempting to make it to a Chamber of Commerce function wearing other than T-shirt and jeans was too much of a challenge with two babies in tow. I literally felt lost as to where my place was in the business world.

When I joined my first mastermind group it changed the way others perceived me and how I actually perceived myself. I found that because we met on conference calls and over the Internet people were listening to me as a person and not seeing my baby formula-stained shirts and rugged old sneakers. (It's much more practical to chase after a 3 year old in sneakers than in heels.) ;)

I was suddenly on an equal level with everyone else, men and women alike in a mastermind group, which in turn helped boost my confidence and discover potential within myself that I didn't even know I had! How is that for a benefit?

There are some mastermind groups that are even geared specifically towards women and for wahm's specific needs because let's face it, a lot of women tend to be juggling and wearing many hats during the day. Being a mom first on a daily basis, I also have to be a teacher, nurse, organizer, coach and mediator to my children. And that is all before I am a business owner running a dayhome and an Internet business. Phew! It can be both rewarding and exhausting. And the only other people who would truly be able to understand the pressures and expectations on a daily basis would be another wahm right?