3 Moms Share Their Bold Path to Entrepreneurship

What does it take to build a career while building a family all while living a life that’s authentic to you? For three women, the answer to that question is found in the passion they have for their careers, the balance they find in their lives, and the self-awareness to know they can do it all.

For Tara-Lyn Nunziata, owner of Tara-Lyn Pilates, The Studio, entrepreneurship was a way to find herself again as the demands of motherhood shifted and her kids grew into teenagers with busy lives. After devoting nearly two decades helping others build their Pilates-inspired dreams, Tara-Lyn realized it was time to build something of her own. “I needed something that meant something more to me. I wanted to create a studio with an inclusive community and welcoming atmosphere.”

Lindsay Cullinan Schambach, Executive Director of Imagine, found herself leading Imagine, a center for coping with loss, after the program that had supported her during her first year as a young widow with two young children lost its executive director in 2021. “At the time there were many aspects of the job description that I was unsure about and lacked experience in, particularly fundraising and board management. But I also knew that I was a good listener, a good leader, and a good learner and that given the right time and resources, I could learn how to do those things.”

And for Emilia Rizzuto, Founder of All Things Elderberry, entrepreneurship happened “by accident,” out of a need to keep herself and her family healthy. “I first made elderberry syrup for myself and was amazed at how it supported my immune system. I shared some with neighbors, and they encouraged me to sell it on Facebook. Pretty quickly, I was delivering hundreds of orders a week. Little by little, that small experiment grew into All Things Elderberry, a national brand.”

No Two Days Look the Same

Building a national brand means “no two days look the same,” says Rizzuto, who, reports that on some days she’s filming content for social media or making deliveries and other days she’s working all day at her desk. “Most days I’m wearing all the hats,” she says, an idea that all three women can relate to.

Schambach’s days often vary, sometimes starting early in the morning with breakfast meetings and frequently ending late at night after overseeing a night of support. But “each day, time is spent thinking about how to further our mission and supporting the brilliant people that work here.”

Finding the balance while wearing all the hats is key, says Nunziata. “I have finally realized that life can’t be all about work. It has to be about love and joy and peace, and there must be a balance between those things. If there’s no balance, you can easily become a shell of a human being.”

The Elusive Balance Between Career and Parenthood

“Balance is always a challenge,” confirms Rizzuto, who admits that she doesn’t always get it right or perfect, but perfect isn’t the benchmark. “Over the years, I’ve learned to give myself grace. I show up where it matters most, communicate openly with my kids about what I’m building, and try to involve them so they see the potential and excitement of the business.”

The idea of involving her kids hits home for Schambach, who is passionate about involving her children in her work, not just because all four of the children in her blended family benefited from the program. “I believe that more is caught, than taught,” she says. “Our kids don’t do what we tell them to do, they do what they see us do. If we want our kids to pursue their passions, then we need to do that,” and they need to see us do that.

Schambach also believes that part of finding balance means not trying to do everything on her own, using her resources, and being intentional about the time she spends with her kids. “I carve out time purposefully to build with my children,” she says, highlighting how she’ll happily step in to coach her children’s soccer teams, but will defer to another trusted adult when it comes to working on a personal statement for college. “I’d rather be his cheerleader during that time than his project manager.”

Though Nunziata’s kids are older now, the nights of staying up for all hours to finish business tasks so that she could be present during the day when her kids needed her isn’t far from memory. “I made a vow to myself that I would take a break from work when they needed me, and I made sure to keep open conversations with them so they knew they could talk to me if I seemed too busy or absent from things that were important to them.”

Conversation and showing up when it matters is a critical part of the equation for Rizzuto, too. “When big events come up, I explain how important they are and hope my kids feel proud and encouraged seeing their mom take on bigger things. When they have big things, I am always there for them.”

Pursuing Passion with Confidence

For each of these women, the path toward leadership was paved largely by passion—for wellness, for giving back, or for movement—and even still there were obstacles, doubts, and uncertainty.

“I am always fighting imposter syndrome,” admits Nunziata, who finds that tapping into her “why,” her reason for doing this in the first place helps her overcome feelings of inadequacy. Rizzuto expresses similar fears. “I have doubts every single day. I wonder if I’m doing enough, if the money will stretch, if things are moving fast enough.” But she too can quiet that voice in her mind by returning to her “why.” “The key for me is to acknowledge those feelings, then return to my bigger vision. I remind myself of my goals and my mission.”

Keeping her mission square in her vision has allowed Rizzuto to move forward, even when she’s had to redirect—either because she realized the farm she bought to grow elderberries was too big for her to manage or because the business partner she worked with turned out not to be a great fit. Rather than get discouraged or quit, she chose to see both redirections as lessons in resilience and clarity.

Resilience is a concept that Schambach is more than familiar with. After her husband’s death in 2018, Schambach found herself in a world that looked entirely unfamiliar and following a path she’d never planned. And yet given the choice to quit or rebuild, she chose rebuilding. “Rebuilding life after the death of my husband as a 35-year-old widow with two children ages four and four weeks was the biggest challenge. I knew I needed to figure out a way to carry on [after the death of my late husband] because I had a lot of my life ahead of me.” The lessons she learned and the ones she is still learning as a mother to a blended family with four children inspires her work. “I’m blessed that the work I do professionally and the work I do at home are so deeply aligned.”

Living Authentically

Living in alignment means living authentically—and all three women share a common belief in the power of living their lives authentically, both at home and at work.

For Rizzuto, living authentically “means showing up the best I can each day,” and “staying true to my values: protecting my health, teaching my kids about wellness, making the highest-quality products, and serving my community honestly. Some days I shine, other days I stumble, but authenticity is about trying again tomorrow.”

Nunziata is a firm believer in living her life authentically and does so by honoring the voice inside of her that makes choices that align with who she is and what she wants out of life. Sometimes that means letting going of things that don’t serve her, and sometimes it means making difficult decisions, as Nunziata did during her divorce. “Having the courage to change your life after 23 years of marriage, not knowing what’s on the other side of the fence but still knowing that you have to make the change for yourself is scary. Knowing when to make major changes in your life, changes that will alter the way things look day-to-day and month-to-month are the hardest.”

What’s Next?  

Despite all their achievements, Rizzuto, Schambach, and Nunziata all agree that they’re not done.

Rizzuto has big plans for All Things Elderberry and wants to expand to more retail locations and build the brand into a household name. “In three to five years, I want All Things Elderberry to be the first brand people think of when they hear the word ‘elderberry’.”

Schambach’s next chapter involves expansion as well, and she plans to bring Imagine to the communities where it’s most needed so that no one is more than thirty minutes from life-changing peer-to-peer grief support. “One out of 13 kids in the state of New Jersey will experience the death of a parent or a sibling before they turn 18. There just aren’t enough centers to support these children and their families. Our next chapter is figuring out which communities need us the most, and how we can ensure they have the support that they need.”

And for Nunziata, the idea of what’s next is simply exciting and expansion is just the beginning. She’s ready to bring her plans for mentorship programs and coaching programs for Pilates professionals from the back burner to the front. “One of my goals in the next five years is to be able to work from anywhere remotely and virtually. This is my second half of life and I’m taking it by the horns.”