I met Manouchka in Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast Insiders Facebook group. She had posted a response to someone's questions, and I just loved the way that she supported another woman in the group.
I swear I have met some of the most incredible women in that Facebook group (including my business bestie).
Something that I am so grateful for is that the experience of being a mom and an entrepreneur is universal.
How amazing is it that two women, from across the world, can sit down to a conversation and so deeply understand each other's experience, drive and passion for life as a mom and as an entrepreneur.
Manouchka has built a beautiful platform for mom entrepreneurs. She runs the Hey Boss Mama podcast, hosts masterminds and offers coaching for women worldwide. Bringing over 15 years of marketing experience, she helps mom entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses without sacrificing their families or burning out.
This is Manouchka’s story.
Women Who Inspire Me: Manouchka Elefant
Katie Eberman: Can you share a bit about your journey, the path that led you to where you are today, and the moment that really changed things for you?
Manouchka Elefant: My journey in entrepreneurship started when I wanted to start a handbag business. I used to love sewing and using different fabrics. I had decided to start making a ton of them (because that was the fun part) and start selling them.
That was my first attempt at entrepreneurship, but there were a lot of things about it that I didn't enjoy.
Very quickly, I realized that turning a hobby into a side gig was not a good idea for me because spending a weekend in front of the sewing machine was not as fun as it was for a hobby anyway.
I came back to Switzerland because of COVID in 2020. I was living in Singapore at the time, and I thought I would come to Switzerland for a month to wait for things to calm down back in Asia.
We all know it caught up with the rest of the world, and I quickly realized I actually wanted to stay here and not go back.
That meant doing things a lot differently because I love being in the mountains and enjoying that kind of freedom.
So I started a marketing agency where I was working with clients around the world.
I even got to work with very big accounts like Amazon Fashion Europe, and public figures.
I did that for about three years, and during that time, I reconnected with my middle school crush. Fast forward to today, and we now have a two and a half year old son.
When I went on maternity leave, at first I thought, “Ok, I'm just going to take three months off (because that seems to be the norm), then I'll go back to work, and my clients will be waiting for me.”
But the thing is, three months later, my clients were waiting, but I wasn't ready. I told my partner that I wanted to take a full year.
We were in a position where I could stay at home for a full year, and I'm so glad I was able to have that time. At the same time, I was still thinking about business and what will happen in the future.
At the end of that one year, I started feeling ready. I was starting to get angsty. It was time for me to not only be a mom, but also be a woman and have my ambitions.
The Shift in Identity: Navigating Ambition After Becoming a Mom
I decided to speak with other mom entrepreneurs to learn how they're doing it. I thought, “Ok, might as well learn from people who are already in the trenches, juggling all the things.”
Those conversations gave me the idea for the Hey Boss Mama podcast.
At that point, I thought I would go back towards marketing, but also do coaching and consulting.
I found that having those conversations sparked a fire in me and let me know this is what I want to actually be doing. I wanted more of those conversations, and I wanted to support other mom entrepreneurs specifically.
Before I even hit publish on the podcast, I organized a mastermind for mom entrepreneurs. It was over three months, and I had a mix of people who were past clients and people that I approached to join.
It was amazing. And it confirmed everything that I was feeling: yes, this is what I want to do.
Things went from there. The first year, I did a lot of experimenting between the one-on-one coaching and the mastermind. I released twenty podcast episodes, and I also created a challenge that was over five days. A lot of different pieces were happening, and I was just going with my ideas. I even published a kids' activity book, which is something that I have to put on the side for now because I’ve got so many ideas and not as much time.
But now I'm at year two, and this year I'm taking all those experiments and basically creating a funnel that is really about confidence. Because I realized that that's one of the big blocks. It's not just about knowledge about marketing and execution. It all becomes dependent on whether or not we dare. And so it's become a topic that I love.
The Shift in Identity: Navigating Ambition After Becoming a Mom
Katie Eberman: I love how your journey progressed from running your marketing agency, then you deciding to stay home longer and then moving into podcasting and coaching. You followed what felt right for you.
For so many women, we feel the pressure after giving birth and becoming a mom to rush back to work. When we have the opportunity to spend the early years with our kids, and it’s something that we want, I feel it is so beneficial not just for the baby, but for mom as well.
I had a similar experience in the sense that I'm in Canada, and I am so grateful that we get a year of maternity leave, because I didn’t feel ready to go to work for quite a few years. I needed that time to adjust to being a mom before I had the confidence to run a successful business and be in front of more and more people.
There's a rise of women entrepreneurs and mom entrepreneurs, which is so beautiful. And I think for a lot of us, having the confidence to be seen is something that holds us back from building our businesses in a way that supports our lives.
I love that you are creating a safe space for women to come together and work through that. It’s important to do it in community as well, because otherwise we just feel very isolated in our experience.
Overcoming the Fear of Showing Up in Business
Manouchka Elefant: One of the things that I'm actually trying to pinpoint right now is that we're not all using the same words to describe something similar. And so is it confidence? Is it fear of failure? Is it not understanding my ambition? You know, because that can also come into play.
I find that interesting because the result is the same.
We don't show up for our business. We don't make it part of our priorities.
It's a lot harder also when we become moms, because suddenly it's not just about us anymore.
That was one of the things that I had to learn as well. Before becoming a mom, you used to be an individual who could do whatever you wanted, but now you have all those other constraints.
And I feel like it's the default for most women. It's so easy to put ourselves at the end of the pile, just waiting there for when I have time, when I have the energy. Which obviously can take quite a few years if we're waiting for them to go to school.
As you said, you've had several kids. I only had one. And I'm sure every time you have a kid, the puzzle is even more complex. Even if you had that experience before, it doesn't mean that makes it easier.
The Fast Track to Personal Development: Motherhood Meets Entrepreneurship
Katie Eberman: Completely, you said it so well. With each kid, my life evolved. My identity as mom shifted because, yes, I had taken care of a newborn and toddlers before, but now I had other kids to watch at the same time.
I started my business between my second and my third child. I remember thinking to myself, “Ok, I'll just start it. It'll just be simple. I'll just learn the skills, and then I'll go from there.”
I quickly learned that learning the skills wasn’t the hardest part. Learning to consistently show up in a way that attracts clients, or putting concentrated energy into the business so that it's growing, was the biggest lesson.
I'm still learning that now. It's been four years now, but you kind of evolve as your business evolves, which is cool.
With so many other women that I've been talking to in this series, we're all talking about what going into entrepreneurship feels like, the challenges that come up.
One of the main themes that keeps coming up is how entrepreneurship is the fastest track to personal development.
Manouchka Elefant: I've seen this, and I completely agree. Becoming a mom is already such a big learning curve. Everything from being able to keep your cool to finding that ground of what your priorities are and what really matters
To also create space for your child, but also for you.
It is so much learning. Suddenly you're not just a mom. You're also a psychologist. You're a house manager. All those things. And we're learning incredible amounts of information.
Katie Eberman: I completely agree. It’s a lot of learning all the time, and all at once.
In my experience, when it came to working and earning money, I felt like when I became a mom, there wasn’t a place for me anymore. When I was ready for more, and I wanted to start going after my ambitions, I didn't really fit back into that corporate role anymore.
I felt like I am the most talented that I've ever been in my entire life. I’m already naturally in this leadership role and leading my family.
A big step for me was acknowledging those skills and then bringing them into my business, and believing that anything was possible for me.
Manouchka Elefant: When looking at leadership, it’s not that we don't fit into a team anymore. Some women are very happy going back to corporate because it removes some of the pressure—some people just aren't built to be entrepreneurs. There are moms who go back to work feeling, 'Ok, someone will tell me what to do, and I don't need to worry about my income,' and that’s great.
But it comes down to personality. I didn't like having a boss or asking permission to take a holiday. When you're already in a leadership position at home, it can be hard to step into a position where someone else has the authority. You have to find that equilibrium.
Katie Eberman: I like how you brought in that idea of not everyone's meant to be an entrepreneur. Going back to corporate actually is a safety for them.
I love that there are so many different options for mom now, and they get to make the choice of what’s best for them and their family.
I felt very stressed in a traditional corporate role, because when my kids needed me, I felt like I was letting work down,
Having to send that message in the morning that the kids are sick, and I couldn’t come in. I felt like I couldn't balance both of them.
When I became an entrepreneur, it felt a lot easier because yes, they still get sick, but I can still work. I’m not sacrificing my family for a paycheck.
At first, I was worried about getting clients and looking professional. But then I started attracting other moms who are doing it, and women who also work remotely, and that’s not something that even crosses their minds.
I felt like, “Ok, there is a space for me.”
Practical Tools & Systems for the Busy Mom Entrepreneurs
Katie Eberman: What’s something you’ve learned along the way that you wish every woman knew, or a mindset, tool, or practice that’s helped you step into your full potential?
Manouchka Elefant: It's a journey in progress because as my business grows and evolves, I have more budget to invest in more tools.
I would say the first thing was using Proton Pass, which is a password manager, but you can use it on both your phone and your computer.
It's so practical.
When I launched my podcast, I developed my own spreadsheet system on Google Drive. Where, basically when I'm sending myself for a project, I think of it in terms of milestones.
Then I'd break that down into tasks. It's free because it's on Google. I know people will use things like Asana, Trello, or Notion, but this has no learning curve, so you can certainly start using it right away.
Overcoming Perfectionism and the Never-Ending To-Do List
Something that might be silly, but it's also a very good tool that helps me quite a bit, is a timer.
Say, I want to spend 30 minutes on this task. When the 30 minutes is over, either I decide I need a little bit more time, or I decide that it’s good enough, because it doesn’t need to be perfect, and then I spend time polishing it or send the email.
I think it’s so helpful because one of the issues that I have, and a lot of women have, is perfectionism.
Sometimes, perfectionism is used as an excuse to basically not get something finished or spend way too much time on a task. We're the only ones who are actually really going to pinpoint all the flaws.
It also helps with getting over that fear of failure. Because when you're constantly producing, you begin to see that it doesn't need to be perfect.
Katie Eberman: Oh, I love that. I like to use a timer, because I notice that, when I use it, I am way more productive, and I don’t have time for my overthinking brain to come online.
Manouchka Elefant: One of the biggest struggles I have found among mom entrepreneurs is that feeling of always being behind. That's something that's very common because we all work with to-do lists, and it feels like never ending. Most of the time, we plan too many things for one day, and when we don't manage to do it all, we feel bad about it. It's a never-ending cycle.
That's one of the things we're talking about in the Mastermind. What I ask them each week is: What are three things that are realistic for you to do?
The following week, we’ll do a check-in.
Most of the time, if they haven't planned for it in the week, even if it stays flexible and stuff, it won't happen.
What is most satisfying about the mastermind is that we're all working on very different businesses, but in the end, the same things keep showing up and blocking us.
When we come together and talk about our experience, we feel less alone because we're in the same boat. At the same time, we can learn from each other, start to recognize certain hindrances or hurdles and start to move through them.
Giving Yourself Permission to Dream Big as a Mom
Katie Eberman: When women read your story, what do you hope they walk away feeling or believing about themselves?
Manouchka Elefant: I want women to feel seen.
I want them to feel comfort knowing that they are not the only ones going through and experiencing these blocks and feelings. It is common, it is normal, and to give yourself permission to not feel bad about it.
Being an entrepreneur is a hard path. Being a mom is a common but not an easy path either.
It's normal that it's not always going to be perfect, but if we manage our expectations and we accept that there's going to be ups and downs, it's going to get a lot easier.
What I wish to help them achieve is to feel confident to speak up—whether it's what they wish to achieve with their companies, or if they have ambitions like, 'I want to be on a TED Talk.' It's okay to dream, and it's okay to do everything to make that happen.
There's always that idea that as a woman, you should be taking care of your kids and those dreams are not realistic.
Well, they're not going to happen if you don't start imagining them and seeing how you're going to get to that point. It might take a while, especially if you still have very young kids, but it's completely doable. Other people have done it, so there's no reason why you can't.
Here’s how you can connect with Manouchka:
