Managing motherhood, marriage and entrepreneurship

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Business and finance journalist and content creator, Kalilah Reynolds is among those boss babes, who are successfully managing motherhood, marriage and entrepreneurship.

The wife and mother of three has had to create her own blueprint, through trial and error, on how to juggle motherhood, marriage and entrepreneurship. For many, modern-day motherhood is often described as challenging but a truly rewarding experience. Coupled with marriage and running a business, the journey can allow women to tap into their ability to be amazingly multifaceted but balance remains the key to everything.

At the recently held ‘ROI (Return on Investment): The Millionaire’s Summit’ in Puerto Rico, where Reynolds was invited to speak, she captivated the audience of CEOs and entrepreneurs from around the world with her opening remark: “I took my laptop to the hospital when I was giving birth to my son.”

Being more open about her private life than she ever has on stage, she detailed her initial difficulties in entrepreneurship with deciding which aspect of her life should take precedence when and how she learned to maintain a fair balance.

No giving up

Reynolds shared that many entrepreneurs–women especially–feel forced to give up their dreams because of similar life-altering events. She argued that no one should be judged, whether they chose to put their aspirations on pause to better manage their circumstances or to pursue their dreams, challenging the uphill battle ahead.

“I launched my show knowing fully well that in three months, another tiny human being would be fully dependent on me,” Reynolds shared, adding that she was six months pregnant when it was officially launched on YouTube. In February 2020, around the time Reynolds was due to give birth, the government launched the TransJamaican Highway Initial Public Offer (IPO), which brought massive attention to the local stock market.

Many turned to Reynolds to explain what this meant and to help them decide whether they should invest. According to her, “I felt like I couldn’t let them down. The only problem was the IPO was opening the very week I was due. I remember hoping my son would wait until I could interview the Minister of Finance before he decided to be born. I also didn’t want to pass up the biggest opportunity for my brand new business. So, I took my laptop to the hospital and got it done!”

The business grew and developed into Kalilah Reynolds Media (KRM), there were more instances that caused her to seriously contemplate how one could balance motherhood and marriage with the passion for their work.

Balancing with motherhood

“I was doing all this work and I felt this obligation to my audience but then, eventually, that crept into my relationship whereby my husband pointed out that I was not spending enough time with the kids, who needed my attention. That was the point that I realised that I needed to start hiring people for the business because I couldn’t do everything alone,” she reflected.

Though her experiences will differ from others, Reynolds advised entrepreneurs and others in the world of work that to find balance, they must be willing to make firm decisions and commit to following through. For example, setting aside designated family time, being willing to trust other professionals to assist in their business, prioritising self-care and self-appreciation and practising accountability and learning from mistakes.

She said: “The truth is, life won’t always be perfectly balanced. There will be days and weeks and sometimes months when either work or life will take priority, and that’s okay because balance can be achieved over time. If you show up at the important moments, for your family, yourself, your career and your clients, that’s what really matters.”

Today, Reynolds is on an upward trajectory towards her biggest accomplishments yet. She lives with gratitude for the daily opportunities to enjoy and advance her core values while recognising the importance of balance.