About the founder
Veronica's Story
Written by Veronica Bélanger
Founder of The Mompreneur Network
When I started this business, I felt like I didn’t belong in the entrepreneurial world. Nothing seemed to speak to me about how to make it all work. The modern business world was established when women were expected to stay home raising a family. It was not created for women and certainly not for moms. So, I carved my own path and have empowered other women to do the same!
Navigating Pregnancy in the Workplace
From the second I got pregnant with my daughter in 2017, things started happening that were almost shocking to me! My job at the time did everything to get me to quit once I announced I was pregnant. From weekly meetings to point out and discuss any and every shortcoming of mine to unfair commission agreements. Shortly after returning to work from leave, I lost my job.
“I thought it was a bit presumptuous to be telling me what I could handle. But I was a new Mom and starting a new business, so I let it go.”
Naturally, with a 6-month-old at home, the obvious thing to do is start my own business! At this time, I was also the vice president of a networking group. After my leave, I was told that the person stepping in for me would be taking my place because “I have a lot on my plate as a new Mom.” I thought it was a bit presumptuous to be telling me what I could handle. But I was a new Mom and starting a new business, so I let it go.
Challenging the Status Quo
18 months later, I’m pregnant with my second. My networking group immediately started looking for my position “replacement” again but this time I spoke up.
I had my son during the pandemic quarantine. People were uncomfortable that I would have to attend to the kids in the middle of meetings in any way, nurse below camera view (that hand always pops up) or hear them play/scream in the background. I struggled to gain new clients and lost many of my existing ones. Add to it all, in this post-pandemic world, finding someone to watch the kids on a very part-time basis became impossible and unreliable.
Navigating the Juggling Act
Beyond my personal experiences, listening to entrepreneurial podcasts and reading books even seemed to exclude me. The questions like “what gets you out of bed” were hilarious to me! “A screaming child is what gets me out of bed…several times a night” so that whole idea of a good night’s sleep to set you up for success was almost an insulting joke.
The concept that you must work 60-80 hours a week to get a business up and successful always made me tune everything else out. From my perspective, they clearly didn’t have kids and if they did, they weren’t taking care of them, or their kids were at a more self-sufficient age.
“It felt like the world was making it clear where they felt my place in this world was, but what about where I wanted my place in this world to be?”
It felt like the world was making it clear where they felt my place in this world was, but what about where I wanted my place in this world to be? Why is it considered unprofessional for a woman to have children and raise them while grooming a business? Why can’t I bring my kids to a meeting because my babysitter canceled on me at the last second? I talked to a lot of other mom friends, and it seemed like I wasn’t alone in these feelings.
Empowering Mompreneurs: The Rise of a Supportive Network
Finally, I launched The Mompreneur Network in October 2021 to give myself and other Moms and caregivers a place in the entrepreneurial world. What happened next, I never anticipated.
Sure, we all join networking functions/groups to gain business and increase our ROI. However, when my husband became critically ill almost simultaneously with the network’s launch, the next dimension to what sets The Mompreneur Network apart showed through. That was the community and overwhelming support most professional networking memberships can’t offer.
The family-first mentality gives permission to show up in a human way which it was once seen as unprofessional. It encourages growth and positivity at critical life moments where it was once seen as unstable and unreliable. You won’t find this in other professional networking memberships.
Being a mom and entrepreneur are not two separate jobs, it’s a lifestyle.
Community
Growing a business takes a network. Growing yourself in the Mompreneur lifestyle takes a community.
Growth
Putting education into action is a large focal point of our network. If you’re committed to obtaining your goals, we can help you achieve them.
Opportunity
You'll give and receive referrals, attend workshops designed to improve your business skills, and build connections with like-minded professionals.
