So, you want to be an entrepreneur...

You can cultivate a thriving business while nurturing a fulfilling home life.

Given the demanding landscape of entrepreneurship, this may initially appear impossible. Betsy Blunt Brown , Founder and CEO of Pendleton Square Trust Company , knows the feeling. However, after more than 8 years in business, Betsy has proven that doing both well is possible. A mother’s nurturing instincts combined with business or technical expertise in a certain field is a powerful combination.

Check out her insights for moms contemplating embarking on their entrepreneurial journey or currently navigating its challenge:

"Encouragement for Mom Entrepreneurs

My 3 children were 9, 7 and 4 when we started dreaming and drafting out our version of an independent trust company serving families as a trustee and executor. I have observed that great moms are often master jugglers. Motherhood has helped them become great problem solvers, quick to make decisions and resourceful. While I am far from being a perfect juggler, there were three important contributors to my journey:

Community

I was surrounded by a bold group of women who took risks and executed on ideas. In 2013 I joined with a group of women to start The JumpFund, an angel investment fund focused on investing in women entrepreneurs throughout the Southeast. This community gave me the courage and encouragement to transition from a safe position in a growing company into the unknown world of building a financial services company.

Angels

Looking back, I truly had angels in my life during the start-up phase. My family members, loving caretakers, and teachers were really an important part of the journey. They nurtured and loved our children. We moved home to Tennessee in 2008. I do not think my husband and I could have started on this path without the close family network present in my children’s lives. ?Three different schools along with activities and events proved to be a challenge, but our amazing family filled in the gaps.

Lego Sets

I wanted to be with my children and present in their lives, so they would often come to the office with me in the afternoons or on weekends. Lego sets, dry erase boards and snacks became the best tools to keep them entertained. I remember they loved going on the elevator in our building to visit the vending machines. After getting a snack, they would be engaged for hours building Lego sets on our conference room table. I still keep a Lego set in my office as a tribute to that era."

Betsy's eldest daughter, Lizzie Brown, who is set to graduate high school this year, shares her perspective on her mother's entrepreneurial journey, “When I was 9, my Mom helped to start Pendleton Square. While many moms would become distracted and absent while launching a new business, my Mom was just as present as she had been before- planning school parties, helping me sell Girl Scout cookies and making every holiday special. Most importantly she always did her best to make sure my brothers and I were shown love. Now that I am getting ready to graduate from high school, I am so incredibly grateful I have a Mom like her as a role model.”

Betsy wholeheartedly embraces both her career and her family life. By prioritizing both, she has shown what is possible and gives hope to any of you moms looking to start the entrepreneur journey. Below, you'll find a picture of Lizzie on Wall Street during one of Betsy's business trips to New York in 2017.

Betsy reminisces, "I took her with me to multiple meetings during that trip. The receptionists were so welcoming - and she would quietly play on her iPad before our next adventure."

To all the mom entrepreneurs out there: it is hard, but it is good. Learn more about Pendleton Square Trust Company and connect with Betsy Blunt Brown for ongoing inspiration.

Thank you, Betsy, for sharing your encouragement with us today!