Chasing big dreams and growing our families

Reflections on motherhood, ambition, and letting go

After dropping my kids off at school following winter break, I shared a few thoughts about how bittersweet it felt to send them back and return to routines after such a special time at home. I never expected it to resonate the way it did, but the replies started flooding in.

Moms opened up about their own mixed feelings on drop-offs, their love for the slower holiday pace, and even the fear of starting families while chasing their own big dreams. Some messages hit me deeply — one mom said she felt terrified at the thought of starting a family, while another shared her biggest fear about launching her own business. It made me realize just how connected these two things really are: motherhood and ambition.

The truth is, I get it. I’ve been in both of those places — scared to grow a family and scared to grow a business — and at times, I felt completely overwhelmed by both.

I’m now 10 years into the cosmetic dermatology industry and 8 years into leading Skin Pharm, and I’ve learned so much along the way. But let me be really honest: there were years when I felt like I was drowning.

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Just Surviving

When I first started Skin Pharm, I had two very young kids. I had my first baby in 2016, started the company in 2017, and had my second baby later that year. They were 16 months apart. At the time, it was me and one administrative person running everything. My husband, Brad, was still working at his startup job, so he wasn’t involved in the day-to-day operations yet.

But behind the scenes, he was helping me with accounting. He’d wake up early — from 4 to 7 am — to do Skin Pharm’s books before heading off to his full-time job. He was burning the candle at both ends, just like I was.

Getting our kids into childcare was competitive, and we had to place them in two different locations, which meant dividing and conquering for drop-offs and pick-ups. I vividly remember times when they stayed at daycare for the full extension of hours, and I’d feel guilty.

At the same time, I said yes to everything. I said yes to after-hours appointments, weekend visits, and even holiday work. I said yes to every PR opportunity and interview. I was practicing as a nurse practitioner, seeing patients, building the website, and managing our social media — all at once. I wore every hat.

Looking back, I realize I was in survival mode. It felt like I was a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. There were times I wondered if I could keep going, or if it was all too much.

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The Shift

A lot has changed since those early years. It’s taken time, a lot of hard work, and plenty of learning along the way. There were long nights, countless decisions, and moments of doubt, but through it all, we’ve built an incredible team which has given me the space to re-embrace my role as a founder again — focusing more on vision, culture, and brand.

It feels like I’ve come full circle. I went from being a nurse practitioner to a founder wearing all the hats, to a founder-CEO. Now, with more executive support, I’m able to step back into my founder role with even more clarity and purpose. While I’m still the CEO, the additional leadership at the executive level has given me the space to focus on the bigger picture — vision, culture, and brand. My job has evolved so much over time, and though I’m naturally adaptable, I’ve learned that constant evolution can be exhausting without the right support and passion to keep me going.

Thankfully, I am incredibly passionate about what we do. Our work, our clients, and our team keep my heart in the game. For a while, I removed the word "balance" from my vocabulary because it felt impossible. But over time, I redefined what balance means to me.

For me, it’s about quality. Quality time at work and quality time at home. And while I don’t get it right all the time, it’s something I focus on every day. I’ve found that having people I trust — both at work and at home — makes a world of difference. I wouldn’t be where I am today without lots of support.

What parenthood has taught me about leadership

There’s something about parenthood that teaches you to manage chaos, hold space for others, and navigate emotions with empathy. As a mom to three kids, it’s taught me so much about leadership. The life lessons flow both ways — from work to home and home to work.

A couple of weeks ago, Brad and I had one of those "maybe we should have another baby" conversations. Looking back, I realize that desire came from a place of love for our existing children and a feeling that this phase of life was slipping away. But we’ve done the hard work of growing our family, and now we get to savor it.

"Savor" is a word I keep coming back to. It’s easy to fall into the trap of always looking for the next thing to nurture — the next baby, the next project, the next goal. But sometimes, the work is in cherishing what you’ve already built.

We’ve complicated things before by adding layers when life felt a little too easy. Now, we’re choosing to cherish what we have and be present.

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If you’re feeling unsure…

To anyone reading this who feels scared — whether it’s about starting a family or launching your own business — I just want to say: I see you. It’s totally normal to feel that way.

The truth is, there will never be a “perfect” time to chase your dreams or grow your family. There will always be unknowns and hard seasons. But if you feel called to do both, you can.

You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep going. The hard moments will come, but so will the beautiful ones — and I promise, those make it all worth it.