Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jodi Runnels, Founder of Unmasking Motherhood Inc., located in Fort Saskatchewan, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I offer support and resources to new and modern mothers. Through my own chaotic experience, I realized that there is not a lot of honesty around motherhood as a whole, and I decided to help change that. I put a voice to the many hardships a mother can face and let other mothers know they are not alone and also know how to navigate through their hardships. My customers are mostly new moms, but my resources have been created for all mothers.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a 37-year-old mom to a four-year-old daughter who works full-time and is a solo parent often because my husband works out of town for the majority of the year. I am currently 14 weeks pregnant with our second child, and I also run this business on the side! So yes, it's safe to say I am busy! Haha, but I love it! I also am a certified Advanced Reiki Practitioner and Life Coach and will soon become a certified Parenting Coach, hopefully in the early new year.
I didn't have a smooth introduction to motherhood. I tend to joke that instead of walking through the front door, I slammed into the sign and skidded all the way down face first. I had a difficult pregnancy, labor, and delivery, issues healing from childbirth, experienced postpartum depression for the first year of my daughter's life, and had little to no help/support in it all. I also experienced two miscarriages and struggled to get pregnant with our second child. So I have firsthand experience with the many hardships a mother can face.
I got the idea of this business when I was talking to a friend of mine in 2020 about how hard motherhood was. I wished people had given me a heads-up about all these things and that there was a course you could go to and just learn about all of it. And in that very moment, I had an epiphany and set out to do just that. I started working on it right away, and it has grown into so much more than I imagined over the past 2.5 years.
I don't want mothers to have to experience motherhood the way I did. No one should have to experience motherhood that way. Constantly struggling and feeling utterly alone in it all. I want a woman to go into motherhood with open eyes, knowledge, and realistic expectations and know exactly what it can be like so that if/when they experience it, they can get through those moments must easier.
There are enough hard things in the world... motherhood shouldn't be one of them. Through sharing my experience and providing resources for moms, I hope to help break the stigma that motherhood is all rainbows and butterflies and genuinely help a woman go into motherhood more confidently and prepared.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
That even helping just one mom has made me feel so successful in my mission. And the fact that I have done this all on my own with the lifestyle I live.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Learning how to run a business has been one of the hardest things. We are not taught how to be entrepreneurs, so it's been a big learning curve. From website design to taxes, to marketing, to business plans to basically everything you need to do in a business. Constantly learning new things. Oh, and scheduling in time can be hard when life gets super busy - but organization is key!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know your "why" and always remind yourself about it, especially on hard days.
- Business growth can take time, but that doesn't mean you aren't making progress.
- Be consistent and be yourself. People can spot fake easily nowadays, but honesty and being authentic will pay off more in the long run.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://unmaskingmotherhood.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unmaskingmotherhood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmasking_motherhood/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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