Mothers day was this weekend just gone and while my social media was full of beautiful flowers and brunches — which is lovely, genuinely — it also got me thinking about something a bit less card-worthy. About the women I know who spent part of their Sunday answering emails. Updating a website. Writing a caption. Building something.
Some because they had to. Some because they wanted to. Most because it was both — and that's exactly the point.
We've all seen the memes.
"The feminine urge to start a DIY project." "The feminine urge to redecorate the house at midnight."
But there's another one that rarely makes it into the feeds — the feminine urge to build something of your own.
It's real. And it's powerful.
For many women, especially after becoming mums, there's a quiet shift. A pull towards creating work that fits around life, rather than forcing life to bend around work. It's not about escaping motherhood — it's about redefining what work looks like when you're juggling school emails, family logistics, paid work, and a head full of ideas. It's the art of spinning plates — and learning which ones actually matter.
And here's the honest truth: the flexibility that modern families actually need still isn't where it should be. It's getting there — slowly — but for most women, the gap between what's needed and what's on offer remains frustratingly wide. The world has changed. A lot of workplaces haven't quite caught up. And if we're being really honest — they're not in a hurry to. Which means waiting around for the system to fix itself isn't a strategy. Building something of your own is.
And in a world where most businesses are discovered online first, learning how to show up confidently becomes part of that survival.
Why the “mumpreneur” label misses the point
I've never liked the word "mumpreneur". Not because motherhood isn't important — it is — but because it suggests that becoming a mother somehow defines, or explains, someone's ability to run a business.
Becoming a mum is an era of life. A significant one. But it doesn't suddenly create entrepreneurial skills or ideas that weren't there before. For many women, both the capability and the idea already existed — the curiosity, the creative itch, the sense that something else might be possible. Motherhood is often the moment those things are activated differently. A catalyst, not a cause.
We don't label fathers as "dadpreneurs". And yet women who start businesses during this stage of life are often defined by it, rather than by their capability.
That's not to say motherhood doesn't change you — it absolutely does. But it doesn't replace who you were before. In many ways, it sharpens you. You learn to juggle more, to see things more clearly, to prioritise what truly matters. Decisions are made with greater intention, because they have to be.
Women shaping the small-business world
Almost one in five UK companies are now led by women, and that number continues to rise. In 2023, women founded over 160,000 new businesses — more than double the number founded just five years earlier. If women received equal business investment to men, experts estimate it could add up to £250 billion to the UK economy.
These aren't side projects. They're serious contributions — built from kitchen tables, late nights, early mornings, and nap-time admin. Small businesses like these don't just support families; they support communities and local economies.
But building a business is only part of the challenge. Being visible enough for it to survive is the other.
Why so many people take the leap
I've worked in large corporate environments and small family-run businesses — and I was recently made redundant. So I'm not writing this from the outside looking in. I know what it feels like to be in that position: experienced, capable, and suddenly having to navigate a job market that still hasn't fully figured out how to work for people with real lives.
Finding genuinely flexible work is, frankly, like finding a needle in a haystack. Part-time roles that actually pay properly barely exist. And flexible working — including working from home, which gave so many people back their time and their sanity — has had its reputation knocked by a minority who misused it. The result is that something that worked well for a lot of people quietly got pulled back, and the people who suffered most were the ones who needed it most.
Then there's the returning-from-maternity-leave reality. Too often, women come back to find their role has shifted, their confidence has been quietly undermined, or the structure they relied on has simply disappeared. At exactly the moment stability matters most, it vanishes. Two parents working, one often having to step back — usually the woman, and usually with a pay cut that doesn't reflect what she's worth. Anna Whitehouse of Mother Pukka has been shining a light on exactly this for years — campaigning loudly and consistently for flexible working to be treated as a right, not a privilege. The fact that it still needs campaigning for in 2026 tells you everything.
The system isn't broken by accident. It just wasn't designed with this in mind. And the difficult truth is that nobody is rushing to redesign it. So the most practical, powerful thing many women are doing is stopping waiting — and building something that actually works instead. On their own terms, around their own lives, with flexibility that doesn't have to be negotiated or justified.
So people adapt. They build something of their own — with flexibility baked in from the start. But stepping outside traditional structures comes with its own challenge: visibility. When you're no longer part of a larger organisation, being seen becomes your responsibility.
A local story: Lake Street Coffee
One of my favourite projects this year was working with Lake Street Coffee in Milton Keynes, part of the Fourteen Lakes Ltd Group.
Rachel, the owner, has built a business rooted in community and flexibility. Her team includes parents who need working hours that fit around school runs and childcare — and her business model actively supports that.
Part of my work with Lake Street Coffee was helping the business show up online with the same confidence and warmth people feel when they walk through the door. Brand photography, a new website, a joined-up online presence. Not polished for the sake of it — but a true reflection of who they already are.
Because for most small businesses, the first interaction doesn't happen in person. It happens on a screen.
The feminine urge, redefined
That feminine urge isn’t about paint charts or Pinterest boards.
It’s about building something that lasts.
A business.
A sense of autonomy.
A life that fits.
So here’s to everyone who’s ever sent emails during nap time, juggled school runs with deadlines, or wondered whether they’re allowed to take up space with their ideas.
You are your brand.
And you deserve to be seen building it.
Your work is good. Your online presence should look like it.
Here's the thing I say to almost every client who comes to me: you've already done the hard part. You've built something real. You've shown up, taken the risk, put the work in. What you deserve now is an online presence that actually reflects that.
I know how it feels to hand something over that you've poured yourself into. Your business is your baby — and trusting someone else with it takes courage. But you don't have to keep doing everything alone. The right support doesn't dilute what you've built. It amplifies it.
Whether you're just starting out or a few years in and ready to properly invest in how you show up — I'd love to help. A brand shoot, a new website, or simply a conversation about where to start. Get in touch and let's talk about what your business actually needs.
Further reading & listening
If this has sparked something, here are a few books and podcasts I regularly recommend to clients and creatives who are starting or reshaping their own businesses. Confidence, clarity, mindset, and practical foundations — not hustle culture.
Books
- The Diary of a CEO — Steven Bartlett
- Do What You Love — Holly Tucker
- How to Own the Room — Viv Groskop
- Know Your Worth — Anna Mathur
Podcasts
- The Diary of a CEO — Steven Bartlett
- Conversations of Inspiration — Holly Tucker
- Dirty Mother Pukka — Anna Whitehouse
- HBR IdeaCast — Harvard Business Review
- The Mel Robbins Podcast — Mel Robbins
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