Motherhood versus Career? Did I Make the Wrong Choices?

I’ve asked myself this question more times than I can count.

I always knew I wanted children. Becoming a mother was never a question, it was always the plan. I now have two beautiful kids, Harper and Rocco, and they are truly the heart of everything I do. But I also always wanted more than just motherhood. I wanted a career. I wanted to show my daughter what it means to be a strong, independent woman, and still be present as a mother.

When I was pregnant, I was living in Italy. I didn’t have a job to return to, no maternity leave, and no built-in support system. In many ways, I made things harder for myself. But somehow, it still felt easy. I did want to work, but the cost of childcare was so high that working just to pay for someone else to look after my children didn’t make sense. We weren’t living near family, so I made the choice to work around my partner’s hours and do what I could to keep both parts of me alive.

It was never going to be easy.

I worked evenings. As the kids got older, I squeezed in classes wherever I could, slotting them between nursery pick-ups and drop-offs. I was constantly moving, always running, rarely able to tune in to anything fully.

And then, in the middle of the chaos, I decided to add more. I started exploring business ideas, hoping to find something that felt like me. I made a scrapboard of styling ideas and thought about becoming a stylist. I started creating dried flower arrangements, which I loved, but before long florists caught on and the space became crowded. Then came Mardy Bum Active Club.

This was different.

I wanted to build something I could believe in. A brand where I knew what was being made, who was making it, and exactly how much was being produced. I wanted to create with intention. This is where I finally felt at home.

In the beginning, I was naive. I believed that if I put something out into the world, people would just buy it. I quickly learned that having a small reach made it hard to grow. I had no real marketing experience, but I did have a strong background in product development. And maybe more importantly, I had determination. A lot of it.

I love working. I love working hard. But running your own business is a lot like raising a child. It needs constant attention. You have to nurture it with patience, guide it with vision, and think about it endlessly. Sometimes it keeps you up at night.

So I ask myself again. Would I have been better off working for someone else? Maybe I would have had a stable income, holiday pay, even a pension. But would I have had the time I’ve had with my children? Would I have had the freedom to shape my own days and chase my own ideas?

I’m still figuring things out. I’m still learning how to grow my brand and how to find my rhythm in it all. Maybe I need a business partner, someone who can help me take it to the next level.

Whatever path we choose as parents, it’s never easy. Whether we’re raising children or building businesses, it’s all consuming. But something keeps us going. It’s love. It’s passion. And it’s the belief that what we’re doing matters.