Balancing work and motherhood remains a challenge for many women. It’s a demanding double shift that often seems impossible to balance. The challenge is even greater for those who are entrepreneurs, as business care becomes symbolically maternal and rest time becomes even scarcer. Those living in this reality recognize that it’s impossible to get it right all the time, yet normalizing failures remains a dilemma.
This is because self-imposed pressure and societal expectations about motherhood remain intense. There’s a cultural expectation that women should naturally be multitaskers, always available and emotionally stable, even in the face of extreme fatigue and daily dilemmas. This constant pressure contributes to anxiety, guilt, and physical and mental exhaustion. For many, the feeling is one of guilt: ‘When I was working, I felt guilty for not being a mother, and when I was practicing motherhood, I felt guilty for not working,’ shares the businesswoman and co-founder of Capital Concreto, Mariana Menezes.
Mother of Lara, aged 4, Mariana reflects on balancing her occupations. ‘It’s a process of self-discovery. You need patience, organization, and flexibility to meet all demands and understand that despite all efforts, failures will happen at times. And that these failures don’t define us either as professionals or as mothers.’ At the helm of one of the leading developers in the real estate and financial market, the businesswoman also states that while she values work, her daughter always comes first.
She recalls that when Lara was born, the company was undergoing significant expansion, requiring her full-time presence. ‘Capital Concreto was in a growth phase, and Lara was less than a year old. At many times, I truly felt and believed it was a limitation. This remains true even today—sometimes I really can’t be present because she needs me. This has led me to have a much lighter relationship today, not that it’s easy. What I’ve learned as a businesswoman and mother is that today I know my priority, I know where others can do what I do, and where they can’t.’
The life of a mother and the journey of a businesswoman intersect especially when it comes to responsibility, leadership, and resilience. In both spheres, important decisions must be made daily, unforeseen events handled, others’ development nurtured, and emotional presence maintained, even in the face of exhaustion. In many ways, being a mother is like entrepreneurship—investing time, love, and energy in a project you want to see grow with security and autonomy.
Similarly, leading a business requires dedication, planning, and constant adaptation—values also fundamental to motherhood. This role overlap shows that despite the challenges, there’s a unique strength in women who take on both functions, building bridges between affection and strategy, between care and management.
Service: https://www.instagram.com/eumarimenezes?igsh=MWNiYTE2MXc3eDNjdQ==
