Following our last post, “10 Flexible Side Hustles for Moms – Make $500+ a Month from Home!,” this article continues the journey by sharing real-life success stories that prove what’s possible when passion meets perseverance.
The internet has opened countless doors for mompreneurs seeking to earn from home—not just for extra income, but for freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment.
From small beginnings like blogs and online stores to full-scale businesses, these stories are a testament to the incredible power of determination.
Here are some real-life mompreneurs who turned their dreams into reality—along with actionable steps to help you get started.
1️⃣ Chloe Walsh: The Beauty Brand Innovator
Chloe Walsh started her beauty brand Clomana with just £530 borrowed from her grandmother. Through social media marketing, she expanded her business and now has products stocked in major retailers like Sephora, Asos, and Boots.
Today, Clomana is valued at £1.5 million (The Sun).
🎯 How She Did It
- Started small, reinvesting her earnings.
- Used TikTok and Instagram to promote her products.
- Expanded into loungewear and nightwear to complement her beauty line.
- Secured retail partnerships with major brands.
💡 Takeaway
Social media is a powerful tool for marketing. Start small, stay consistent, and expand strategically.
2️⃣ Rachel Jones: The Etsy Printables Powerhouse
Rachel Jones, a mother of two, turned her creativity into a profitable venture by selling printables on Etsy. She designs and sells digital files like habit trackers, meal planners, and budget templates.
This approach allows her to earn passive income, with reported earnings of up to $10,000 a month (Side Hustle Nation).
🎯 How She Did It
- Identified a Niche Market: Created printable products that cater to organizational needs.
- Leveraged Digital Platforms: Utilized Etsy to reach a broad audience without the need for physical inventory.
- Focused on Passive Income: Designed products once and sold them multiple times, generating ongoing revenue
- Emphasized Quality and Design: Ensured her printables were both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
💡 Takeaway
Digital products like printables can be a lucrative source of passive income. Focus on creating high-quality, in-demand items and leverage established platforms to reach your target audience.
3️⃣ Hayley Hanigan: The Baby Equipment Rental Mogul
Faced with high childcare costs, Hayley Hanigan launched Tiny Explorers in January 2022 during her maternity leave. Her business rents out baby equipment for traveling families, and within its first year, it generated over £200,000 in revenue.
Hayley continues to work full-time in IT while managing her thriving side hustle, providing flexible employment opportunities for local moms (The Sun).
🎯 How She Did It
- Identified a market need: Affordable baby equipment rentals for traveling families.
- Leveraged her IT skills to build a user-friendly website.
- Promoted sustainability by encouraging rentals over purchases.
- Networked locally and employed other moms.
💡 Takeaway
Find a niche that solves a problem for families. Building a community around your business can boost success.
4️⃣ Sara Reyes: The Virtual Assistant Visionary
Sara Reyes, a mother from Buderim, faced an unexpected job loss at 28 weeks pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of succumbing to adversity, she leveraged her 14 years of corporate experience to launch Assist by Sara, a virtual personal assistant business.
Within four weeks, she was fully booked, and her clientele now includes multimillion-dollar businesses. Sara also empowers other mothers by offering coaching services and employment opportunities (The Australian Business Journal).
🎯 How She Did It
- Leveraged Existing Skills: Utilized her extensive corporate background to offer high-level support services.
- Tapped into Her Network: Reached out to former clients and contacts to build her initial client base.
- Offered Virtual Services: Adapted to the growing demand for remote work solutions during the pandemic.
- Empowered Other Mothers: Provided coaching and employment to fellow moms seeking flexible work opportunities.
💡 Takeaway
Transform challenges into opportunities by leveraging your existing skills and networks. Offering virtual services can meet market demands and provide flexibility for both you and your clients.
5️⃣ Kiki Ayers: From Homelessness to PR Powerhouse
In 2016, Kiki Ayers was homeless, but she used her background in entertainment reporting to start Ayers Publicity.
Initially charging $500 per client, she grew her business to generate nearly $3 million by 2024. Kiki remains frugal and invests wisely, proving that smart financial decisions fuel long-term success (Business Insider).
🎯 How She Did It
- Used her existing network to gain early clients.
- Increased prices as her expertise and demand grew.
- Expanded into business and tech sectors beyond entertainment.
- Practiced disciplined financial management.
💡 Takeaway
Your network is valuable—use it to build a business. Stay disciplined financially and scale strategically.
6️⃣ Julia Hartz: The Event Planning Pioneer
Julia Hartz, co-founder of Eventbrite, transformed the event industry by providing a platform for organizers to create and manage events. Balancing her role as a mother, she scaled the company into a global powerhouse that has processed billions in gross ticket sales (Invedus).
🎯 How She Did It
- Identified Industry Gaps: Recognized the need for a user-friendly event management platform.
- Built a Scalable Solution: Developed a platform that could accommodate events of all sizes globally.
- Focused on User Experience: Ensured the platform was intuitive for both organizers and attendees.
- Balanced Work and Family: Managed to grow a successful company while prioritizing her role as a mother.
💡 Takeaway
Innovating within an existing industry can lead to significant opportunities. Prioritizing user experience and scalability can set your business apart.
Your Turn: Start Your Online Success Story
These inspiring mompreneurs prove that success is possible. If they can do it, so can you! Identify your skills, pick a platform, and start small. Success often begins with the first step.
Actionable Steps to Get Started:
✅ Choose Your Hustle: Determine what interests you and aligns with your skills.
✅ Research and Learn: Take online courses, watch tutorials, and follow industry experts.
✅ Create a Plan: Set clear goals and break them down into achievable steps.
✅ Take Action: Start small, test your ideas, and improve as you go.
✅ Stay Consistent: Success doesn’t happen overnight—keep learning and adapting.
Which of these success stories inspires you the most? Let us know in the comments! 💬👇
These are some very inspiring stories.
It is very interesting and instructive to try to discern the common threads. Even though the summaries show how each achieved their success, I am sure in most if not all cases they didn’t get there by following a clear direct path.
I’m sure there were dead ends and blind alleys they tried and had to adapt and change course. That must be one of the key lessons here, in addition to passion and perseverance there needs to be a willingness to look at what isn’t working, understand what it is that is not working and look for an alternative that might work.
I’m sure also in most cases you’d have to be ready that your first change of course doesn’t work either, and you have to re-examine and change course again, and maybe again until it does work. These are very inspiring stories indeed.
Cheers,
Andy
Thank you, Andy!
I love the way you’ve highlighted the reality of the entrepreneurial journey—it’s rarely a straight path to success.
Adaptability is such an important trait, and these stories truly showcase how persistence, learning from setbacks, and making strategic pivots are key to making a side hustle work.
It’s inspiring to see how these mompreneurs embraced challenges and kept pushing forward, even when things didn’t go as planned.
Hopefully, their journeys encourage others to keep going and stay open to adjusting their approach when needed.
I appreciate your insightful comment!
Cheers!
This article is so motivating! I love how these mompreneurs turned challenges into opportunities. I’m especially inspired by Chloe Walsh’s use of social media to grow her beauty brand and Rachel Jones’ success with Etsy printables. It makes me wonder—how did you find the initial audience for your side hustle, and did you have any setbacks at first? I’ve been considering starting something creative myself but wonder if I could build an audience without a huge budget.
Hi Zachary,
I’m so glad you found this article motivating! Chloe and Rachel’s journeys are truly inspiring, and it’s amazing how they turned their passions into thriving businesses.
Finding an initial audience really depends on the type of business, but for many mompreneurs (including myself), it started with leveraging free platforms like social media, online communities, and word-of-mouth. Consistency and engaging with the right audience were key.
Setbacks? Absolutely! Growth rarely happens overnight, and there were times when things didn’t take off as quickly as I’d hoped.
The important thing is to keep refining your approach—whether that’s testing different content styles, networking in relevant groups, or experimenting with marketing strategies that don’t require a big budget.
If you’re thinking of starting something creative, you definitely can build an audience without spending a fortune! Focus on providing value, sharing your journey authentically, and tapping into existing online communities.
What kind of creative venture are you considering?
Looking forward to hearing more about it! 😊
It’s refreshing to see real-life stories that tackle the complexities of balancing entrepreneurship with family responsibilities. I’m intrigued by how some of these journeys highlight the creative strategies moms use to overcome obstacles in both business and home life.
Could you share more about which challenges appear most frequently and how these women tailor their approaches to overcome them? Also, what role do you think community support plays in sustaining their momentum? Personally, managing a side hustle while handling family duties has taught me that adaptability and strategic planning are crucial, and I’m curious if these themes recur across all the stories featured.
Thank you, Slavisa! I’m so glad you found the stories inspiring.
One of the most common challenges these mompreneurs face is time management—juggling business tasks alongside parenting and household responsibilities. Many of them combat this by setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and leveraging automation or outsourcing where possible. Another recurring obstacle is self-doubt, especially when stepping into entrepreneurship with little experience, but they push through by building confidence and seeking mentorship.
Community support plays a huge role in their success! Whether it’s through online groups, local networking, or accountability partners, having a support system provides encouragement, knowledge-sharing, and even practical help when challenges arise.
I completely agree—adaptability and strategic planning are key! Across all the stories, the ability to pivot when things don’t go as planned and to plan efficiently (even in small time blocks) is a common theme. Do you have any specific strategies that have worked well for you in balancing your side hustle with family life? I’d love to hear more about your experience!