Congrats to Janet Weldon from Urban Wellness Studio for winning our Most Inspiring Mompreneur Contest.
And a round of applause to our runners up: Alex Yates from Alex Yates Travel, Karyn Climans from Tail Wags, Clare Kumar from Streamlife, Sarah Cohen from Fertility Law Canada, and Melissa Vroon from Family Fun Canada.
When we started Admiral Road Designs more than a decade ago, what stood out was how little we knew about starting a business, despite our recently acquired MBAs. What’s more, we didn’t have the foggiest about how we were going to add motherhood to the mix. Since then, like mompreneurs everywhere, we’ve been on a steep learning curve.
And while we’ve definitely learned a lot along the way, we are delighted to still be learning all of the time. Our peers are often our best teachers – we are constantly amazed by the creative and smart ways the mompreneurs we meet get things done. In fact, we wrote Mom Inc. as a way to collect the vast knowledge and inspiration of the current class of mompreneurs so that the incoming cohort will have it just a bit easier. That’s why it’s been amazing to be part of the YMC-UPS Canada’s Most Inspiring Mompreneur contest: It has given us the chance to peek into the lives of some of Canada’s amazing mompreneurs.
The stories of the entrants were wonderful—each unique and inspiring. We read about moms across the country doing all kinds of interesting things professionally, all while holding down the home front. When we read Janet Weldon’s entry we could relate to just how she felt. Working for others, Janet felt like a “square peg in a round hole.” Plus, motherhood changed her. While these are experiences many of us can understand, what she did with those feelings is where it gets interesting: She courageously stepped off the corporate path, took a massive leap of faith, and opened the
Urban Wellness Studio in Kitchener. In a short time she’s formed partnerships, created jobs and changed lives. Janet reminds us to dream big and take a chance.
Life as a mompreneur is often hard. Entrepreneurship can be as trying as it is thrilling—and juggling family on top of it can make for a heck of ride. As women who have been on the mompreneur circuit for a while now, surely one of the greatest joys of being self-employed has been the opportunity to meet other like-minded women. What a thrill it’s been to watch all of these smart, creative women carving out their own paths and pursuing their dreams.
So, thank you to UPS for taking the time to recognize mompreneurs of Canada. And thank you to all of the amazing entrants for inspiring us in so many ways.
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