Kristy Miller CEO of The Scented Market and Family

The Secrets To Being A Mom Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur life.... I didn't choose it, it chose me.

It's not an easy path and adding kids to the mix definitely complicates things.

As a mom of three boys and a multiple business owner, I know first hand that this path is hard, but it’s definitely one worth taking.

I never know when I wake up in the morning what I’m going to be doing that day or where I am going to end up. I do have an idea, and a list of tasks to accomplish, but I must be able to pivot at any given point.

As always my kids come first; but they also know sacrifice. A clear example is the exact moment I am in right now - sitting in this freezing arena watching our middle child at hockey practice and looking at our youngest boy who doesn't appreciate being dragged out of bed at 4:30am. We are all reminded of the sacrifices we make for our family, including those that involve running a family business. 

What I know, is that the greatest lesson I can teach my kids is sacrifice.

Being a mom entrepreneur means I can be flexible for them. Stay home with them during snow days, volunteer on school field trips and snuggle in bed when they are sick.  It also means I have to work strange hours and not be around so much on the less important days. It is the theory of work hard, play hard. I teach them that if we get all of our work done first, then we can go and do something fun!

I believe in involving our kids in as many business tasks as possible. This makes them feel included and accomplished. Like they did a great job helping mommy that day (even if they actually made more work!) 

Here are three ways you can include your kids in your business:

Putting Orders Together

Our kids LOVE helping us sort through product and making the special packages that go out to all of our clients.

Unloading Product

We get trucks to our house full of supplies we need to create our product. We let our kids help us unload the trucks and organize the shop. They even love opening up the boxes and stocking the shelves with whatever we have received.

Special tasks

Sometimes we don’t have anything that the kids can dive into. But that just means I get to be creative and find something special for them to do. This could be as simple as reorganizing our shelves, putting on labels or even just keeping Mom company in the shop.


Looking back on the last four years and raising three boys while owning my own businesses, I can confidently say I wouldn't change a thing. They have a great attitude towards the businesses. They know they are deeply loved and appreciated. The secret to being a successful mom entrepreneur is learning to pivot at any given moment, learning to prioritize the day's tasks and incorporating our kids a much as you can.


Comment below how you get your kids involved in your business, especially now that they are home with us for a while due to Covid-19.

Stay safe & healthy!
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