#Work-Life Balance: Navigating the wild ride of motherhood, founderhood, and the pursuit of wellness.
I can’t believe I’m officially six months postpartum. It hasn’t been simple—or easy—but somehow, I feel more motivated than ever. I’m on this wild ride as a mom, a wife, and a founder. At 34, with two babies under two, a husband who keeps me grounded and fueled, and a media-tech company in the works, my plate is full. And now? I’m adding one more thing to it: launching this Substack (Subscribe).
For the first time, I want to let you in on the behind-the-scenes of my life—not just as a founder, mom, or wife, but as a whole human being navigating the work-life balance of it all.
Typing the words ‘work-life balance’ triggers the conversation that went viral, stemming from Emma Grede’s stance on work-life balance when she appeared on the’ Diary of a CEO’ podcast. She said it’s a “personal responsibility” to find a balance between work and home, and those who rise to the top of their companies rarely take a day without doing some type of work. “Work-life balance is your problem. It isn’t your employer’s responsibility,” Grede said on the podcast. Grede said that earning 10% more, receiving a bonus, and working in an “incredible environment” should take precedence over expecting the company to provide a work-life balance. In general, any ambitious person already lives like work-life balance is a myth. My take is that, because life is already hectic for either a career professional or a founder, there is even more reason to consider our wellness and think of how we achieve a lifestyle of wellbeing. As a founder, part of your employees’ wellness is on us for a healthy work culture, and as a professional, you shouldn’t negate your own wellness either.
Let’s aim for Work-life Balance: What You’ll Find on My Substack
Work-life balance can’t be achieved because there are times you grind hard, and some things are left on the sidelines. To this, I say, always aim for it so that even if you don’t have a complete balance, you’ll be as close! I could map out a neat content calendar for you, but my gut says this space should feel organic—less “strategy” and more soul. So instead of telling you exactly what to expect, I’ll tell you how I want you to feel: Like you’re sitting with me on a Saturday morning (regardless of which day you get my stack), coffee in hand, easing into the moment.
- Like you’ve found a breath of fresh air—a reminder to pause, ground yourself, and laugh a little at life’s chaos.
- Like you’re not alone in the juggling act of ambition, family, and selfhood.
Each week, you’ll get notes. Sometimes it’ll be personal stories, sometimes founder insights, sometimes an interview with a guest, wellness hacks, and more—but always with a dose of honesty and connection.
Dear Founders, Juggling It All
Motherhood has humbled me, especially as a founder. I’ve been lucky to have my mom with us for a few months after baby #2—her presence, her herbal teas (agbo), massages, and nourishing meals reminded me how deeply culture matters, and how much ancient practices hold us together. These traditions deserve to be preserved. I hope to pass them down to my own children one day.
On the founder side, I’m part of close-knit groups from accelerators and incubators. No founder should do this alone, so being part of these groups is helpful, but I’m also launching a podcast called Dear Founders on TANTV’s podcast network. I’ll be sharing resources and lessons in conversation with successful founders.
This time last year, we had just received an investment from Pharrell Williams through Black Ambition Prize. We were in NYC for Demo Week while I was pregnant with my second. It was one of the hardest things because I was trying so hard to keep up with fellow founders as we attended lab sessions with VISA and Louis Vuitton, along with a bunch of other activities in between. On one of the days, we visited the LV factory, and I was so exhausted, sleepy, but stayed engaged because I didn’t want to look like the weak link. Looking back now, I recognize how hard I pushed myself navigating founderhood and motherhood. This Dear Founders podcast is a love letter to founders who are making bold decisions—it’s taken grit to reach this stage, and we need more honesty in the space. I’ve cried in VC meetings from the sheer overwhelm of constantly having to prove myself as a female CEO. And yet, as we say in Naija: WE MOVE. I hope that sharing these experiences here gives you real peer learning and courage for your own journey.
Lifestyle Wellbeing: Postpartum & Wellness Experiments
“Oh, my back!” If there’s one thing baby #2 has taught me, it’s that healing is not linear. My back has been giving me issues, so I’ve been exploring different therapies and holistic practices. Think of me as your guinea pig: I’ll try them, then share what works (and what doesn’t). Through TANTV’s Lifestyle Wellbeing vertical, I’ll drop recommendations, hacks, and the messy in-betweens of living well—or, as Alex Cooper would say, living unwell.
Pikin Diaries & Happily Foods
In Nigerian pidgin, we call babies pikin, and I love it. On my ShopMy page, I’m curating pikin items I actually use. With my first baby, I was obsessed with making purées and experimenting with recipes—but I never documented them. This time, with Baby #2, I’m writing everything down: flavors, textures, wins, fails. I’ll be sharing those notes here, so other parents have a guide (and maybe some inspiration) for their baby’s nutrition journey.
Why This Matters
This Substack is my way of reconnecting—with myself, with you, and with a wider community of people juggling ambition and love, motherhood and founderhood. I’m not writing because I’ve figured it all out—I’m writing because I haven’t.
So welcome. Here’s to building out loud, nurturing our ambition, and finding space to breathe, even when life feels like a circus.
I’ll see you here every week.
With love,
Adedayo 💛
