Contributor Jenna Sherman has done it again! Thank you for helping Professional Mom offer insights and good solid advice for moms in their business adventure.

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As a stay-at-home mom, your schedule is probably packed. Busy schedules often stop mothers from considering life as small business owners. However, if you’ve dreamt of becoming a “mompreneur,” this dream can come true.

You have the skills and the education necessary to make a difference in your field. Follow these three tips from Professional Mom to establish a business while juggling your home life.

1. Build a Strong Foundation

One of your first steps is to form your business. Choose between a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation and a cooperative. For the first four options, you need to register with your state. Different states have different filing fees and requirements that you should familiarize yourself with in advance.

Pick out and register a name that reflects your brand and aligns with your goods and services. According to the Small Business Administration, trademarking prevents other companies in the U.S. from using your business’s name.

In turn, trademark infringement can occur if you choose a business name too similar to a competitor’s name. To avoid unfair competition, do an internet search for your preferred company name. If you find no results, check the list of the fictitious or assumed business names at your county clerk’s office. For the names of existing corporations, contact the state filing office to find out how to search their database.

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By Jenna Sherman

Nearly every new or expecting mom grapples with trying to choose between being home with their little one and furthering their career. This is a highly personal choice, and though there are no wrong answers, it can feel pretty challenging to figure out what the right move is for you and your family. After all, there’s a lot to consider, from time commitment to the cost of childcare to long-term goals for both your family and professional lives.

Here at Professional Mom, we’re dedicated to helping families find the absolute best solution for their situation. It may surprise you to learn that running your own business from home could be the answer you’re looking for. This road allows you to have plenty of one-on-one time with your little one, as well as continue to contribute to both your household budget and career aspirations. However, it’s far from simple, and it isn’t a good fit for everyone. Here’s a look at what you need to know to figure out if this is the right path for you:

What Are Your Goals?

The first step is taking some time to honestly assess what your goals are. This should include goals for every aspect of your life related to this choice, from how much time you want to be able to spend with your little one, to where you want your career to be in ten years, to how much downtime you need to rest, recharge, and take good care of yourself. Some goals may contradict one another. This allows you to assess what can – and can’t – be compromised on.

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1.       Pray for him daily.

2.       Love him unconditionally.

3.       Appreciate him.

4.       Thank him verbally.

5.       Respect him.

6.       Speak the truth in love.

7.       Never go to bed angry.

8.       No disrespect allowed, verbal, cussing, hitting.

9.       Let him help you in his way.

10.   Be the woman God wants you to be.

1.       Pray for him daily. The Bible says, “The effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man (woman, implied) availeth much.” Take it to the Lord in prayer, He will hear and answer. You will see subtle changes in your man, this will not happen quickly. My husband was not close to the Lord when we married, but he did become the father and husband I knew he could be and he’s now a missionary. We have been married many years. Have faith, he will become the man you need him to be.

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I ask my mom this question every year. But I know the answer. “Nothing.” So, as a mom myself, I know what she means. “Something.” By something, I mean, remember me, call me, send a card, send flowers, come for a visit, take me out to eat, write me a note, draw a picture, just something as a reminder of me being your mom.

If that wasn’t clear enough, allow me to elaborate. If you are blessed to have a mother on this earth, there is nothing she would like better than a call from you this Mother’s Day. FaceTime is even better. And a visit, well, that’s the coolest! We all get busy and the days blast by, however, Mom is special, and she deserves your undivided attention for at least a little while on this special day.

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Here is the latest Joe McDonald Ministry newsletter. You can see it here: “The Evangelism Trail” for November.

Also, if you want to order the “Sunsets on Mobile Bay” 10th addition with photos by award winning photographer Tommie Peterson, you can go

to professionalmom.com to order yours and one for your sunset lovers.

Praying you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!

Reverend Joe McDonald  Isaiah 6:8
sharing “the message of grace”
Joe McDonald Ministry Inc.
a 501(c)(3) donation supported ministry
http://JoeMcDonaldMinistry.org
http://MinisteriodeJoeMcDonald.org
http://TheEvangelismTrail.org

Also, if you want to order the “Sunsets on Mobile Bay” 10th addition with photos by award winning photographer Tommie Peterson, you can go

to professionalmom.com to order yours and one for your sunset lovers.

Praying you and your family have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!

Reverend Joe McDonald  Isaiah 6:8
sharing “the message of grace”
Joe McDonald Ministry Inc.
a 501(c)(3) donation supported ministry
http://JoeMcDonaldMinistry.org
http://MinisteriodeJoeMcDonald.org
http://TheEvangelismTrail.org

Breastfeeding is a beautiful way to feed your child. It’s also super hard, and breastfeeding moms are rarely given credit for what they go through to keep breastfeeding going. Many people who breastfeed successfully often have to put in hours and hours of sometimes painful work to make it work. It’s a challenge, and moms deserve props.

They also deserve to indulge in self-care. In the spirit of helping moms stay healthy and happy while breastfeeding, Professional Mom has gathered some self-care tips to help out. Here are some ideas to inspire you to thank yourself for your hard work:

Focus on Comfort

In a perfect world, breastfeeding would never be painful. However, sometimes latching issues, tongue ties, and dry or sensitive skin can make it a shockingly uncomfortable process, especially early on. You should always bring up such issues with a lactation consultant who can help you get things back in order. However, you should also take steps to control comfort wherever you can in the meantime.

For example, focus on comfortable nursing wear. Stock up on tops and bras with removable cups or straps so you can breastfeed without getting undressed. You should also invest in comfy pajamas and loungewear. Prioritize options with loose and comfortable elastic waistbands. You won’t want anything pressing into your tummy for a while after birth, especially if you’ve had a C-section.

You should also remember to have good posture when you breastfeed. Many moms fall into a bad habit of breastfeeding hunched over. This is bound to cause back problems. Instead, prop yourself (and baby) up on pillows so that your little one is comfortably at breast level. Keep your shoulders up and avoid leaning over to check their latch as much as possible. This is hardest early on, but once you get the hang of breastfeeding you’ll have an easier time feeling the difference between a good and bad latch.

Carve Out Downtime

Often, one of the most challenging parts of parenthood is discovering that you’ve taken on a whole new identity. Being a parent is beautiful and fulfilling, but it’s also hard and exhausting. It can start to feel like you’re losing yourself in the task of motherhood. Not only does this cause stress and anxiety, it can start to make you feel resentful about the role you’ve taken on. This is normal, but it’s still challenging and – most importantly – manageable.

This is why downtime is so incredibly important for new parents, especially breastfeeding moms. Carve out a specific time that you get for yourself. For example, you could make a deal with your partner that they handle bath time so you have a chance to unwind.

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Periodically most mommies get overwhelmed. I say most because you may be one of those special people who are so organized, have perfect children, have a nannie, or just don’t let things bother you. But if you do get overwhelmed from time to time, you are not alone.

I have a bit of experience in the area. I have 6 children. They are all in the 40’s now so I can positively say that we survived, however, there were a few times in their upbringing that I lost it. These days with the added elements of electronics and now with the current pandemic, to be a mom you really have to put your armor on every single day.

When I say put your armor on, I mean to be able to take the slings and arrows that hit moms every day. But, even with said armor, you can still get overwhelmed.

So, lets define overwhelmed. This state may be different for different moms and situations. After, of course, the normal stresses of having twins, my first children, it didn’t take long for my house to get into a yearlong mess. I am not naturally a meticulous housekeeper and have even tagged myself as lazy, however, with the care and feeding of these two very demanding children, I admit that I got overwhelmed on several occasions. Overwhelmed for me at that time was the anxiety of a messy house.

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It seems that we are all afraid of something. I will share some of my fears and I would like you, as you read this, to contemplate yours. Fears take on different aspects, they could be inward or outward, but this is not about the fears themselves, but what we do with them.

I’ll start with one of the fears I have identified in myself. That is, fear of success. By that I mean, some of the opportunities I have been faced with over my life, may have produced good results, however, I got in my head and declined to proceed or went a little way and then gave up. One way these fears have manifested is my confidence in writing. Although I have had a blog for twenty years now, and have even self-published a children’s book, “The Gospel Parade,” I have failed to put 100% into the process, some because of limited funds, but also because I have a habit of saying to myself, “Who would read this? Would ‘they’ be interested? Who really cares what I have to say?”

I am currently working on a book, “Why Do You Want to Go to Hell?” and have gone through most of the negative head-speak through the process. Except for prayer and patience through writer’s block, I would have given up on this, now, yearlong project. But in an effort to press on, I am still working on it and should have it ready by years end.

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By Patti McDonald, Professional Mom

We are human, that’s a fact. We ask WHY. Another fact. Have you ever wondered why something happened, or why it happened in the way it did? I have.

For example, why did the log pop out of the ocean, just as the little boy was walking on the beach. And kill him! Why did the car swerve just in time to miss the oncoming traffic? Why did it hit?

Some of the WHY questions for all of us are: Why am I sick? Why did my husband die? Why did I miscarry? Why did my child die? Why did I wreck my car? Why did my house burn down? Why did the flood come here? There are as many WHYs as there are people. Why did my wife get cancer? Why did the tornado hit my house and not my neighbor’s? Or vice versa.

These and many, many more WHY questions are sent to a Holy, loving God every single second. So, how does he answer our WHY?

Sometimes the WHY is far off. Sometimes it is immediate. There is only one answer. The answer is to trust God. We don’t see with “God eyes.” His power and omnipotence are not in our realm, these qualities are higher and more intense than human hearts can understand. In our weakest moments, He is strong.

Still, there is sadness, mourning, anger, and grief in our suffering, whatever the reason. I have gone through seasons of WHY. If yours includes the finality of death, to me, it is much harder to understand the WHY and for some and some situations, we will not understand fully until we see Jesus, however, there is a glimmer of understanding in God’s Word.

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