Parenthood and Entrepreneurship

How many working parents can relate to this? 

I settled into my desk the other day. I finally had a two-hour empty stretch ahead of me, and I was ready to tackle the list that had been staring at me for weeks. 

Then, my phone rang. It was my 17-year-old son who was twenty minutes away, cleaning a customer's car for his mobile detailing business. He told me that his vacuum cleaner had broken, and asked if I could please bring him a backup. I did what any parent would have done — I closed my computer, loaded up our ShopVac, and headed to town. After exchanging vacuums with my grateful son and stopping at the hardware store for the replacement part, I arrived back at my desk right at the end of my two-hour work window. 

Being a parent and an entrepreneur means juggling two big, important things. It is a delicate balance. But, it’s not lost on me that if I hadn’t taken the leap to start my own business, then I never would have been able to show up and help my son that day. It might mean a choppier schedule, but I am grateful for the flexibility that being an entrepreneur affords me.