Every working mother feels the crushing weight of juggling professional obligations with the demands of raising a family. American corporate culture has long been defined by its inflexibility and lack of acknowledgment of workers’ responsibilities outside the workplace. This leaves many of the 85 million mothers in the United States in a difficult position. As more women reevaluate their career choices, the logical answer for some has been to start their own businesses. But where to start? Enter MOTHER / FOUNDER: 68 Women on the Trials and Triumphs of Starting a Business and Raising a Family (Artisan Books; October 22, 2024; $35) by self-employed moms Amanda Jane Jones--co-creator and founding designer of Kinfolk--and former magazine and digital editor Jennifer Fernandez. An empowering celebration of women who are dedicated mothers and successful entrepreneurs, it reveals how each woman pursued their entrepreneurial dreams, overcame obstacles, and found professional contentment, all while providing for their families and parenting their children. The book’s variety is powerful: it features farmers, lawyers, midwives, pastry chefs, authors, multihyphenate brand-builders (like Jungalow’s Justina Blakeney)—and more. Some readers will enjoy MOTHER / FOUNDER as a daily burst of inspiration; others, curious about what it would take to make the leap, can use it as a practical roadmap for considering their next steps. It’s a gift of encouragement both for women at the beginning of their careers and for those feeling stale, stuck, and ready for something new.Jones and Fernandez are refreshingly open about their own struggles and triumphs with balancing motherhood and creative ambition. To quote Brené Brown, who is featured in the book’s introduction, “It is a terrible myth to believe that once we have children, our journey ends and theirs begins. For many of us, the most interesting and productive times in our lives come after we have children.” MOTHER / FOUNDER aims to help mothers feel seen and to give them advice that sparks their imagination and helps them take ownership of their dreams.
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