I have a confession.

 

I’m jealous of Hailey Bieber. And it’s not because she’s married to Justin.

 

I’m jealous that she has the economic independence to dedicate time and energy into her startup while pregnant and then having a baby, to land a massive makeup acquisition deal within her first year postpartum.

 

For many women and primary caregivers, childcare and/or eldercare can grind careers to a halt, or at least bring on a major slowdown. This is especially true for women who are faced with the impossible task of keeping up with the demands of their jobs with long, fixed hours while also caring for their loved ones at home. And it doesn’t help that women’s invisible labor goes largely unnoticed. Between the physical housework and the cognitive labor of managing a household, work doesn’t stop when she gets home… from work. 

 

Opportunity vs. Necessity Entrepreneurship

There is a large divide between the type of entrepreneur that a mom or caregiver can realistically expect to become, and the kind that is accessible to people with greater economic independence and higher social status. 

 

Researchers define two types of entrepreneurship: 

• Opportunity entrepreneurs create new ventures to pursue a business opportunity, even though they may have other options for work or continued learning.
• Necessity entrepreneurs start businesses out of necessity due to a lack of other options. 

Popular media promotes a mythological ideal of entrepreneurship, which celebrates the opportunity entrepreneur. They might be someone who can dedicate long hours, extreme hustle, and “make it big” by rapidly growing their enterprise or selling off their startup. But that ideal is entirely unrelatable for many women and caregivers. Entrepreneurship is not about exponential growth. Instead, it’s simply an attempt to make a living. 

 

Faced with the burnout of inflexible jobs that leave them falling behind at work while struggling to make time for their families, many women start to wonder if there’s another way. Some may find entrepreneurship to be an appealing alternative. This career path is a way for them to make a reasonable amount of money to keep their household afloat while still allowing flexibility to care for their loved ones. 

Economic Bill of Rights 

Over the last century, women have celebrated many political victories. However, economic liberation remains out of reach for many women due to the competing demands of their roles as working professionals and caregiving. 

 

In FDR’s 1944 State of the Union address, he declares a Second Bill of Rights for the United States, stating that, “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.”

 

Some of these rights are: 

• The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
• The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
• The right of every family to a decent home;
• The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
• The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
• The right to a good education.

Entrepreneurship is a way for women and caregivers to attempt securing these rights in a society that doesn’t otherwise guarantee them. Faced with burnout and job insecurity, this is one way women seek to earn enough for food, clothes, recreation, housing, medical care, and education. 

 

By being in community through hubs like The Sphere Northampton, we remind ourselves that it’s okay to define success on our own terms. Most of us are not striving to become the mythic hypergrowth entrepreneur. None of us can be Hailey Beiber. But we can try to make enough money to secure the rights of a free individual in our country through entrepreneurship, while making meaningful connections with others who are doing the same. 

 

Acknowledgements 

 

Thanks to … 

• Megan Allen & Christina Webster for building an inclusive community of local entrepreneurs at The Sphere Northampton.
• Kate Holly, life and business coach, for introducing me to the Economic Bill of Rights. 
• Hannah Rechtschaffen from Greenfield Business Association for an inspirational discussion on entrepreneurship, community building, and placemaking.
• Nicole Williams, writer/editor, for editorial review of this post. Check out her environmental journalism on Substack + Muck Rack.

 

About the author: 

Grace Kim is the creator and founder of discoversomewhere.com, a map directory that helps parents and caregivers find local attractions to visit with their loved ones.