Crayons & Careers

There’s a tired old myth that floats around workplaces and boardrooms (and sometimes even inside our own heads):

💭 “When women become mothers, they lose their ambition.”

Like motherhood somehow flips a switch that makes us less driven, less hungry, less capable of big dreams.

But here’s what I’ve seen in myself, in my co-workers, clients, and in countless women building careers and businesses alongside raising little humans:

Motherhood doesn’t kill ambition. It makes you laser focused.

Before kids, maybe your ambitions were sprawling. You’d take on extra projects, say yes to late nights, climb ladders just because they were there. You had the time for networking on Friday, Happy Hour and business trips had less pressure to rush home.

Motherhood changes that. Not because you care less but because now you care more about where you spend your time.

Your time is precious. Your energy is sacred. Your priorities are crystal clear.

So instead of chasing every shiny opportunity, you start asking:
✅ Does this align with my values?
✅ Does this serve my family and my bigger vision?
✅ Is this worth my time away from my kids?

And that is power.

💡 Ambition, evolved

When you become a mother, your ambition doesn’t fade, despite what you may hear. So many times, we hear, she left the workforce to be at home. There is nothing wrong with that, the problem is it leaves out another part of the story as so many want to be in the corporate workforce, they want to be an entrepreneur and balance business and kids or maybe they don’t want to be there but they have to be or they have to be home based on where they are. For many mothers the story that is told is not based around ambition and this is something I want to see change! Mothers are ambitious and we can’t forget that just because the way they desire to work has changed.  

🌸 The super skill of laser focus

If anything, motherhood gives you a competitive edge.

Because you’ve learned to:
✨ Get more done in less time (nap hustle, anyone?)
✨ Prioritize ruthlessly
✨ Show up with heart and resilience, even on two hours of sleep
✨ Work smarter, not longer, because you simply don’t have the luxury of endless hours

✨You’re no longer driven by ego or by proving yourself to everyone else.

✨You’re driven by building something meaningful, sustainable, and aligned with the life you want for your family.

✨You’re ambitious on purpose.

That’s not a liability. That’s next-level leadership.

💪 Let’s start celebrating it

So what if instead of assuming moms “dial it back,” we start seeing their ambition for what it truly is?

• Sharper.
• More intentional.
• Grounded in legacy and impact.

Imagine workplaces, clients, and industries valuing moms not despite their motherhood, but because of it. Let’s look at our friends, our fellow entrepreneurs, stay at home mom’s as the super humans they are because motherhood bring a level of clarity, compassion, and efficiency that’s hard to teach.

So here’s your gentle permission slip (not that you ever needed it):

👉 It’s okay for motherhood to deepen your ambition — to make it more selective, more values-driven, more aligned with what actually matters.

👉 It’s okay to dream big and want to be there for pick-ups and bedtimes.

👉 It’s okay to build your business or career around your life, not the other way around.

🌷 Keep going, mama

Motherhood didn’t make you less. It made you more.
More focused. More intentional. More powerful than ever.

And that’s something worth promoting, in boardrooms, businesses, our homes and our own hearts.

Do you feel like motherhood made you more ambitious or simply more clear about where to pour your ambition?
Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear your story.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest