For this Mother's Day, we asked all the moms at our company to reflect on motherhood. Here's what they said.
CEO Kelly
"I love being a small business owner, but that role comes second to my role as a mother. In fact, let me let you in on a little secret: My husband and I decided to start a business together because we wanted to have kids and be able to spend a lot of time with them as they grew up.
Both kids are with us all the time, and while this certainly comes with its own challenges as we juggle being small business owners (turns out it’s not a good idea to have babies crawling around while we’re operating a canning line…), I wouldn’t trade this arrangement for the world.
We had our second child a year ago, and while that has made my job of corralling children while simultaneously running a company a bit more challenging in some ways, I get to watch his older sister learn to play with him and watch out for him, and I get to see how he looks up to her and loves her like he loves nobody else.
And the other wonderful thing about being a parent and a business owner is that my kids get to interact with our staff. It’s like having a bunch of aunts and uncles around all the time. The first person our daughter let braid her hair was one of the people on our staff, and I can’t count the number of times people on our team have come up with creative ways to keep the kids entertained while we tried to get through a meeting without too many interruptions.
Marketing Director Jess
"Jess here, Groennfell & Havoc's Director of Marketing & eCommerce. I'm also a mom, and am extremely lucky to have a (really fun) job that allows me to be close to my family.
As a remote worker who spends most days far away from the meadery, I do find it challenging to be away from where everything is happening on the ground. But my love of travel has helped soften the blow - I first discovered Groennfell (at the old Colchester's Mead Hall location) while looking for meaderies to visit, and now when I do manage to make the trip in for some in-person work, I love the drive and the chance to explore Vermont.
Label Artist Autumn
"Being a mom is an amazing experience in so many ways, both ups and downs, and hard to sum up in a concise way. While incomparably rewarding in so many regards, it can also be beyond exhausting and crazy-making too.
Being sleep-deprived to the point of delirium while caring for a newborn, your toddler having a meltdown because they wanted the blue cup (immediately after you gave them their blue cup), saying the same thing for the umpteenth time to a teenager, and being told, "I never heard you say that." Or the sudden realization that you will never truly be just you again, but are forever now the entity known as "_______'s mom."
Your child didn't come with a manual.
And even if they did, you'd have no time or brain space to read it, because you're also trying to navigate the overwhelming maelstrom of conflicting advice and opinions heaped at you about how to parent.
And all the while, you're trying to balance being a parent with finding time to still pursue your own needs and goals and what fills your cup outside of that role.
And as a parent, you're a guide, too.
When your offspring has you at your wit's end, instead of sending them to speak with the dead (as much as they might occasionally tempt you), the better option is to commune with your ancestors, yourself, and remember that they all survived parenthood long enough for you to come to this place, and you can do this, too.
So have a sip! You earned it.
(And if you really want to reward yourself, throw a scoop of ice cream in there for a mead float, because no one ever outgrows appreciating a special treat!)"
