I started my first business when I was 17 years old.

I don’t think I did it consciously, but right then and there I somehow started separating my future goals into those of a prospective mom, and those of a successful business woman. It’s like I had 2 different fantasies. One was about having kids, and the other was about having my own studio. Later on, I started secretly yearning to have it all. In my new fantasy I’d have whatever super-power necessary to effortlessly glide through life, being the perfect mom, wife, and CEO. I’d have the studio, with built in childcare, and be the Powermom Extraordinaire. I would never break a sweat; never have to choose between board meetings and diaper changing. I would adhere to my baby’s on-demand nursing schedule and somehow still meet all my deadlines. I would wear my kid in the Baby Bjorn while I gave the ‘OK’ on proofs. I would somehow find and maintain the centroid of the triangle defined by business, love, and mommyhood, and relish it’s complex balance on the tip of my finger. Ha.

Since 17, my entrepreneurial edge has only grown. My latest corporate endeavor is Spin The Idea Ltd., a brand and design consultancy in Toronto. Spin isn’t my first design gig. I’ve been in the business for 11 years. When I incorporated this one, I had already met my husband, and we were already planning our family. I still harboured dreams of being Powermom, and my gleaming white studio with stroller parking, but like life’s best surprises, I had no idea what was in store for me.

On December 13th, 2009, I met Veronica Bailey. She was 7lbs 5oz, and she stole my heart and all my clients in one foul swoop. Since 4:07pm that Sunday, I have been mesmerized by her toothless smile, and lost in the eloquent squeaks she emits. My daughter has turned everything upside down in my well-organized life, but I have never been happier.

I have also never faced more challenges. I don’t know exactly how to run a business with my new little girl, but I’m trying. I am trying to master nursing while on a conference call, or emailing a few words between naps. I am also becoming quite adept at one-handed Blackberry manoeuvres. My house is being renovated, so my office is in the dining room, together with the dishwasher, and most of the time I’m in my housecoat.

I’m trying to find out how other moms manage too. How they manage to get dressed or get out of the house. How they manage to keep their clients, their sanity, their husbands, and most importantly how they keep their babies happy.

I love my career, and I love being a mom.

This blog is about discovering how to have the best of both worlds.

Wish me luck.

Kat