Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Acosta.
Hi Melissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Back in 2017, as a middle-aged mama of one, with another on the way, I realized just how easy it is for mamas to lose sight of ourselves. Becoming a mother is undoubtedly life-changing, but more often than not, women lose themselves through that process. When we lose ourselves to motherhood, we unknowingly let go of our joys, passions, and interests. Ask any mama and many will tell you they haven’t done something they love for themselves in a long time. Simply put, it’s hard to prioritize ourselves when we’re taking care of these little humans we love with all of our hearts. Not to mention, all the other personal and professional responsibilities we have. I grew up as a latchkey kid in a single-parent home with a mama who worked two, sometimes three jobs to give us the most she could. She always did more for me than she did for herself. Unfortunately, she never met the man I would marry or her two grandsons. Now, as a mama myself, my wish for my mama would be for her to take better care of herself. For her to connect with her joys, passions, and interests, outside of any joy she may have felt from being my mama. Truly, I would have loved to see my mama shine.
Because of my personal experience as a child and as a mama of two boys, now almost-5 and 8, I am growing mama wears pants as a wellness community and social network for bold, yet busy mamas. We are here for the mamas, at any stage of motherhood, who have an interest in meaningful connections, deeper conversations, and personal growth. My mama and mothers like her are a big part of our mission and what I have set out to do over the first year since launching in October 2021.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
By no means has this been a smooth road, but I am proud of how I have addressed challenges. I truly feel we are capable of anything we want to do if we believe in ourselves and put in the effort. For starters, launching a business is hard in a number of ways. Especially when you’re juggling work, family, and life, it’s particularly hard as a new entrepreneur with limited time and resources. Time is the biggest constraint. Just like everyone else, I have 24 hours in a day. Not “only” 24 hours, but 24 hours. I have gotten better at prioritizing the things that are truly important, which sometimes means letting things go even when I don’t want to, rearranging schedules/ calendars, and saying “no”. Currently, I’m working on my personal boundaries with myself, which helps with time management and prioritization.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about mama wears pants?
mama wears pants is a growing wellness community and social network for bold, yet busy mamas here to support women in prioritizing themselves through motherhood. Through our programming, focused on family, wellness, and community, we provide opportunities for meaningful connections, deeper conversations, and personal growth. Within our first year, we have grown to nearly twenty Founding Members, several Community Contributors, and many MWP Supporters!
As I reflect on the past year (plus the effort put in before our official, yet soft launch in 2021), I am proud of all that I have created, much of it on my own. Everything you see from mama wears pants was created by me. It started with an idea, then an action, then a tweak here and there. None of it has been perfect, and I am learning every day, but I am proud of all that has been accomplished. Some of the highlights over the past year include: Friday Coffee Chats (9 am IG Live), MWP Podcast, The Mama Shop, sponsoring two community events (one non-profit), co-hosting two civic engagement events, and Mama’s Dance Parties, just to name a few. See all our events on our website and follow mama wears pants on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. We’re looking forward to the second year and would love to connect with you!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is living a life well-aligned with your values. This includes incorporating the things you love – your joys, interests, and passions, into your life regardless of whether or not you do them professionally. To be truly successful is to live your life on your terms, which is something I believe we must all fight for.
Pricing:
- Support MWP $10+
- Statement Tees $30
- Founding Membership $200 (2022)
- Busy Mama’s Book Club $100 (2023)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mamawearspants.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamawearspants/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamawearspants
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mamawearspants
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mamawearspants?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
- Other: https://anchor.fm/mamawearspants
