I couldn’t find my village when I became a working mom—so I created it

As a wife, mother, and a proud black woman in my early 30s, I must say that I’m truly grateful for where I am in life. I am an educator by trade and have been for the past 15 years. From being a classroom teacher to a college professor and now a school principal, I have worn quite a few hats. One of my identities—parent—led to the creation of Boss Mom Crew. Boss Mom Crew is a community for working moms seeking sisterhood, resources and empowerment with the goal of reimagining how career-driven women thrive in motherhood.

My wonderful husband of 10 years and I entered into parenthood in a non-traditional way: we are foster parents, and have been since 2016. We are also adoptive parents to my sweet daughter, Kennedy. Even this non-traditional parenting journey required a huge lifestyle change. I honestly didn’t know how much of myself, my time, and my energy I had to give as a mother, and we learned that very quickly.

As a working mother trying to balance it all, I began to feel overwhelmed and helpless. I saw my circle of friends become a bit smaller because they weren’t in the same phase of life. I began to feel lonely, and at times—empty.

I realized I was missing something important in my life, and I am not alone—over 56% of mothers report that they lack a non-family village, according to Motherly’s 2021 State of Motherhood survey. I was missing connection and community. I needed to fill that void with people who could understand me and my journey as a mother and a working mom.

So I began on my quest for something authentic. I wanted something that embodied working moms from different walks of life. I wanted to learn from others, build with them, and be each other’s backbone and cheerleader. I wanted a platform that focused on the mother—nothing against my husband and children—but I wanted something just for me.

In my search, I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. I didn’t see a community that I felt I could genuinely connect with, where I could indeed be my authentic self without the fear of judgment. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to find such a community. Then it hit me: If I am not finding what I am looking for, then I needed to create it. I took that and ran with it. What started in February 2020 as a mission to solve a deep personal need to feel connected to the working mom community propelled me to create Boss Mom Crew. We are a diverse community of like-minded women who are goal-getters—showcasing and supporting our hard-work and talents while fulfilling our purpose and passion in work and life. It is a space for women who are ready to say, “I can be a mom, and I can chase my dreams.”

There were five C’s that assisted in the creation of Boss Mom Crew: Community, Culture, Cheerleading, Commitment, Cultivation.

The first C, Community, is what BMC is all about. From the school teacher to the CNN reporter, to the small business owner—Boss Mom Crew embodies all types of working moms looking for a place to call their own. In one year, we have connected over 8,000 women from across the globe. This brings us to our second C, which is Culture.

With everything that is going on within the world right now—from the global pandemic, political divides, and racial issues—the world needs community and unity more than ever. I can proudly say that Boss Mom Crew is doing our part in breaking down racial barriers. We are a community filled with amazing women from all different races, backgrounds, and walks of life. We are all different, but the one thing that we have in common is being a working mom seeking connection, understanding and sisterhood. A place where our third C comes to play. A place where we are each others’ Cheerleaders.

As women, we often want to hide our greatest strengths and accomplishments. With BMC, we are changing that culture. We make sure to provide a space to support moms on their motherhood journey and career and shine a light on their accomplishments. We are the type of community that believes when one wins, we all win. We are women who embody the next C: Commitment.

We are committed to self-development, growing, and learning. We understand that to get to the next level, we need to surround ourselves with the opportunity to grow, and BMC provides just that. With our virtual events, we produce compelling programming to accompany each woman’s growth and development in our community. These events range from panel discussions to one-on-one with extraordinary women who speak on motherhood, business, self-development, career, and entrepreneurship.

With the pandemic, many of our small businesses have taken a hard hit; this is especially true for mom-owned businesses. It’s estimated that 1 in 3 women-owned businesses is owned by a mom—which is pretty jaw-dropping. Seeing this is what propelled us to create the last C, which embodies Cultivation through the Shop Mom Members Club. As our first official membership inside BMC, I started this to focus on the “mompreneur”. With the provision of monthly tools, Masterclasses by leading experts, resources, and networking opportunities. Our goal is to fight this pandemic and help each member grow and develop their business.

We all know that where we spend our money makes a significant impact on small businesses—especially in these trying times. So, to support our mompreneurs in the Shop Mom Members Club, we have compiled a business directory showcasing their businesses in one place—making it easier for the BMC community to shop and support these businesses.

I have provided daily inspiration for self-worth and self-care. I’ve featured working mothers and celebrated their successes. This community has allowed me and the brand to be featured on television, stages and panels to share my journey.

But you know what has been the most powerful to me? What has kept me going on this journey? It has been the messages that I’ve received from women all over the world—messages from women in India, Canada, Germany, Britain, and all over the US. It’s women reaching out to say, “Thank you for creating this! I didn’t realize how much I needed this space!”

Something I thought was a small “thing” on social media has grown into a movement. A real community where women can come and show up as their authentic selves. To learn from experts, grow on their journey of motherhood, be inspired, push, and chase their dreams, but most importantly, realize that they’re not doing it alone.

Want to learn more about the BMC community? Visit bossmomcrew.com or our Instagram @bossmomcrew.

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