This Mother’s Day we’re celebrating some local mamas around the Bay who are offering up inspiring insights into the delicate balance of work/family life and sharing with us what it takes to run a business (on top of it all). It’s important to note, these companies were launched with the help of little muses—nothing like a child to bring out one’s entrepreneurial side. From seasoned to soon-to-launch, read on for some sweet success stories on businesses you’ll want to bookmark for future visits.

Jewelry With a Purpose: DragonflyDesigns

Stacee Gillelen’s Dragonfly Designs offers custom jewelry-making classes, parties, day and summer camps, and private events to the Bay Area. When it first launched in 2005, the company sold retail and wholesale jewelry while hosting birthday parties and has since evolved to encompass Gillelen’s passion for education, social justice, and art. The company sets out to provide a sense of accomplishment, consciousness, and individuality that empowers children to effect positive change within themselves and their communities through art-based education. That’s a mission we can get behind.

What's the biggest challenge of starting your own business with a young family?
The biggest challenge is that a small business is all consuming—it’s seven days a week, 365 days a year—even when I'm not in my office or on “vacation"  I’m still working by answering emails, texts, calls, managing my staff and daily business from afar.

How about the biggest reward?
In addition to working alongside my children to this day, there are many rewards such as being able to have flexibility in my schedule and work remotely—this has allowed me to spend time in the summer living in places like Cusco, Peru with my children during the summer—they attended school locally and we all volunteered at various nonprofits that support women and children.

Know a local company inspired after the birth of a child? Tell us in the comments below! 

—Sommer Naffz

All images courtesy of the companies unless noted.

 

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