When we place our motherhood in the hands of our Lord, He gives us the abilities we need to manage the household, care for the children, and be a companion to our husbands. On any given day, we research, organize, multi-task, think creatively, and step outside of our comfort zone so that we can be the best mom for our family and the best person for ourselves.
The traits we draw upon to address all the needs of our home and family are the same ones that entrepreneurs rely on. If you have been thinking about starting your own business, be assured that you already possess the qualities you need to be self-employed.
Statistically, women entrepreneurs succeed because we do not make decisions recklessly. We consider our options, think of the best strategy, and then we act with confidence. It’s much like what we do when we run a household.
For a Catholic mom, we have the added blessing of prayer: for discernment, direction, strength, inspiration.
Over four years ago, I was working part-time as a visiting nurse in the community. Because of increasing demands on the RN staff, my workload grew until I was often working seven days a week. When my employer wouldn’t cut back my hours, I quit.
For many reasons, I wanted to keep working but not at the expense of family and personal time. I spent much time in prayer
and on day 28 of a 30 day novena to St. Joseph, I received an inspiration in my heart.
It was crazy because it called for me to become a registered nurse in independent practice. In order to confirm that I wasn’t out of my mind, I turned to the two people whose perspective I value the most: my husband and my spiritual director. They were both very supportive and my spiritual director gave me his blessing as he invoked a special prayer for the success of my endeavours.
Even though I was nervous and scared that I wouldn’t succeed, I forged ahead. I took some required courses, sought out a business mentor, learned all about marketing, researched the professional guidelines for nurses in independent practice, and jumped in. And I prayed. I turned to St. Camillus de Lellis, one of the patron saints for nurses, and entrusted my business to his intercession.
If entrepreneurship is something that appeals to you, give it some serious thought. There are some important steps to consider when you are starting out:
· Pray about it. Seek out the advice and perspective of people you trust the most.
· Take inventory of your knowledge and interests when deciding what you want to do. Don’t underestimate your abilities.
· Do your due diligence. Are there professional requirements, certifications, and other stipulations that need to be met?
· Setbacks will happen. Learn from them and don’t let them stop you from moving ahead.
· Be patient. Be diligent. Work hard.
In the more than three years that I have been an entrepreneur, I have learned to place my business plans, worries, and successes at the feet of our Lord. I know that St. Camillus de Lellis has my back and I try to take St. Augustine’s advice: Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It has its challenges, but the advantages and rewards of running your own business (especially having the flexibility needed in family life) far outweigh them. A nursing instructor once told me that eventually, you just have to trust. That’s great advice. If you have been thinking about it, perhaps now is the time to take that leap of faith.
*****Note from Editor: If you enjoyed this article, you will love the book “If You Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything: Leadership Begins at Home” by Ann Crittenden
Terry McDermott is the mom of eight children, six young men and two young women, most of whom are old enough to vote. She is a registered nurse and the owner of a nursing – related small business. On Saturday mornings, she can be found teaching Catechism Class to her parish’s First Communion candidates. Terry writes and blogs for Catholic Insight Magazine, is a columnist at CatholicMom.com and writes on her own blog, 8kidsandabusiness.com.
Terry McDermott is the mom of eight children, most of whom are old enough to vote. She is a registered nurse and the owner of a nursing – related small business. She teaches Catechism Class to her parish’s First Communion candidates. Terry writes for Catholic Insight Magazine, is a columnist at CatholicMom.com. Visit her blog, 8kidsandabusiness.com
