Can You Be a Founder and a Mom? Here’s the Truth

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Hot Takes Big Stakes

Natalie Holloway and Lana Elie

18 episodes

6 days ago

The real-world highs and lows of building a business—from early ideas scribbled on napkins to multimillion-dollar raises and the pivotal moments in between. Hosted by serial founders Natalie Holloway (Bala) and Lana Elie (Floom). We explore the unfiltered truths most founders are too polished (or too cautious) to say out loud. No hype, no jargon—just honest conversations about what actually works, what doesn’t, and what it really takes to grow something from nothing. Each week, Natalie and Lana sit down founder-to-founder to share sharp insights, fresh perspectives, and the kind of candor you rarely hear in the boardroom. Build your dream. Burn the playbook.

Entrepreneurship

Business

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Entrepreneurship

Business

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Can You Be a Founder and a Mom? Here’s the Truth | #9

Hot Takes Big Stakes

26 minutes 35 seconds

2 months ago

Can You Be a Founder and a Mom? Here’s the Truth | #9

This episode is the honest look at building a business while breastfeeding, corralling toddlers, and cleaning up midnight messes, the kind of chaos that never makes the highlight reel. We talk about the Shark Tank bump, finding out we were pregnant, and how priorities shifted as the family grew.You will hear the rules that keep us sane, one night out per week and a no-meetings policy that protects deep work and bedtime.We cover real help, from full-time family support to outsourcing errands, flexible schedules for working parents, founder maternity leave during nap windows, and giving yourself permission to let a few things slip.More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Cold open, what real chaos looks like
00:48 Mom first, company second
02:00 Shark Tank growth and a surprise pregnancy
02:50 Rules and tools that keep motherhood first
04:45 The night from hell, still doable
06:10 Why help matters, full-time family support and outsourcing
08:00 Designing flexible schedules for working parents
10:10 Time-saving rules, one night out per week
11:20 The no-meetings policy that protects deep work
12:50 When meetings are necessary, compress to 30 minutes
14:20 Identity shifts and the rise of mom anxiety
17:30 How we handled maternity leave as founders
20:15 Give yourself grace, some things will slip
24:20 Postpartum must-haves and hydration habits
26:14 Wrap up and call to action