Mother Hood & Business...
by Carea Gunn
Eight years ago, I became a single mother of two beautiful
kids. While I could handle the emotional roller coaster
associated with divorce, the financial instability rocked me
most of all. My ex-husband’s employment was unstable so
financial support from him was inconsistent for years at a
time.
After growing tired of having to tell the kids that I couldn’t
afford to send them to special events and outings, I began
to think about becoming an entrepreneur. In 2011, I begin
to write my business plans and soon afterwards I opened
my first business. Prior to 2011, I was working in the field of
Social Services as a Case Manager. Being a Case Manager
was rewarding however it was very difficult to be an active
and involved parent.
My children watched as I worked toward opening my own
business and have jumped on the bandwagon.
On my daughters 9th Birthday we went shopping at Walmart
for a Tutu. All the tutus were made for petite girls and we
were unable to find anything that fit her. We went home and
googled how to make tutus. We made two and everyone
loved them at her birthday party. Last year she entered a Pitch
Contest called “The Ultimate Pitch” and won first place! She
was the youngest entrepreneur in the building. God has been
very good to us. Currently my son is working on his company,
AJ Customs, where he will be printing t-shirts for his peers.
We’ve come a long way since our days of financial struggle
and still finding balance is the most difficult thing for me to
do. My kids are busier than ever. In addition to their growing
businesses, my 12-year-old is an active football player. My
daughter has tutu orders coming in every day and both are
radio personalities on WOKB 1680.
Instead of being bound to the confines of a 9 to 5 job, I
control my schedule so that I can attend their activities. In
my opinion the most important thing to do is to be honest
with your family about your goals. My children are very
aware of the benefits of working hard and being disciplined.
Having conversations about our dreams and plans helps me
show them our end goal and gives us all a pathway to follow.