Balancing Motherhood And Entrepreneurship: 4 Ways To Build A Brand With Purpose And Heart

Get clear on who you are in your business and what your work stands for

By Azhelle Wade

When I found out that I was pregnant, I cried. The tears that flowed from my eyes down my cheeks carried relief, fear, and a quiet mourning for my business. I was all but certain that this pregnancy would be the end of The Toy Coach.

Four months postpartum I realized something no one told me: motherhood does not erase who you are. It amplifies it. Having a child will make you more you.

Instead of worrying about opportunities you may miss out on, get clear on who you are in your business and what your work stands for. Why do people love working with you, and why do you love working with them? What sends you into a negative spiral and what breaks you out of it? ALL of that, will be amplified by your new arrival, and bring you the most elating and most deflating of times.

If you are a future mama, an expectant mama, new mama, or mama again, here are 4 ways that I have grown with purpose and heart while building a sustainable brand.

Toss the rulebook and design what you need

During pregnancy, everyone told me what my postpartum would be. Then I landed in the ER at 33 weeks with severe preeclampsia and delivered a strong preemie. No one’s script applied anymore. So I made my own.

My maternity leave became a season to nurture my baby, my body, and my business. My husband and I stayed home together for the first 10 weeks of my baby’s life and we cared for him together during the day while taking separate shifts at night. When my husband was on newborn duty, I used small pockets of quiet to care for the foundations of my company. I rewrote my email onboarding for The Play Pattern newsletter and gamified it so each subscriber received a personalized path.

For the first time in years I had the freedom to approach my business with gentle care and love. To this day, when I look back on the emails I wrote during my mat leave, I smile at the love and honesty that poured through them. That magic could’ve only been captured then.

I encourage you to do pregnancy, maternity leave, and motherhood in your own way. Your mind may crave stimulation or rest. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to listen to it.

Time block without flexibility.

Even before kids, I was an avid timeblocker, and post-kids it’s even more important. I keep a private Google calendar called “My Ideal Week.” It has two roles I honor, 1. founder and 2. mom. Mondays and Fridays are blocked for full-time mom duty. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., are my work windows. Client calls book only inside preset slots, which protects the energy my clients deserve and the presence my family needs.

Having boundaries did not reduce my ambition but it DID increase my efficiency. My team and clients know when they can count on me, when I will deliver, when I will respond, and I always know what kind of workday lies ahead.

Try building your very own Ideal Calendar. Start by taking note of your most frequently booked consultation call or meeting times, and build blocks that incorporate those times, since they work for your business. Then build in time for content creation, build in time for client work and another block for client delivery. Blocks should be 2-5 hours for best efficiency, because, most likely, you won’t be able to focus on one task or one category of task beyond those times. Timeblock your lunch and even the time you post content! Most of your timelocks will be set to “free,” so they don’t actually clog your calendar, but some things, like content creation or client work timeblocks, should be set to “busy” so you don’t find your time clogged with meetings or other commitments.

Add new offers slowly, remove old offers fast.

Before my son, I built a busy business with a complex mix of products and services. Now I add new offers slowly and remove old ones fast. New services always take more time than you expect to set up, and time is a precious resource for parents. I often ask myself, “If we cut this, would our customers be clearer on what we offer and our results better for them?” If the answer is yes, it goes. Simplicity creates focus and better outcomes for everyone.

Before you add an offer or service to your business, ask yourself if it aligns with your purpose, what it will cost you in resources (time counts), what it will cost to deliver to your customers, and what the ROI will be for both you and your customers. Start with an MVP or minimal viable product offer first. If it works, launch it. If it doesn’t, tweak and test again. When you drop an offer, don’t be afraid to offer refunds and a clear explanation as to why that service is no longer available. Your best customers will want you to stay in business, and will understand if you need to make changes to do just that.

Lead with tenderness

For me, nurturing a child is a daily reminder that every person I serve was once a child who wanted to be seen. My company has always encouraged new toy inventors, but motherhood deepened that instinct. I listen longer. I offer guidance, even when someone is not ready to buy. That generosity builds trust, referrals, and a community aligned with my mission to end gatekeeping in the industry. Leading with tenderness is not soft; it is operational. It is how we codify listening, access, and care in the way we work.

To do this, you can run a reputation audit. Write what you want your business to be known for in three words. Write what you think it is already known for, in three words. Then ask five former clients the same questions: How would they describe working with you? How would they describe your business in three words? Compare the answers. If you find a gap, choose two concrete changes to make this quarter, such as a response-time standard, clearer office hours, or a simple access policy that reduces gatekeeping. Revisit the audit every six months.

Conclusion

Building a sustainable brand requires complete harmony in what makes you happy emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. It does not ask you to choose between profit and purpose. But it does ask you to be clear, consistent, and courageous. Define your non-negotiables, track your profit, and build simple systems that promote your client’s success. When your daily choices match your mission, customers feel it, teams rally behind it, and your brand gains longevity.