Working It At Mums@work

Balancing work and family as a mumpreuneur is not simple at all. We find out how Sher-li Torrey, founder of Mums@Work, manages.

- Sher-li Torrey

like most working mothers, Sher-li Torrey struggled with the mum-guilt of having to manage her time as both an employee and as a mother. Frustrated at the lack of meaningful flexi-work jobs here, the mother of two children—a nine-year-old daughter, and six-year-old son—decided to set up Mums@Work, catering to fellow like-minded mothers. The online portal has seen a considerable growth in the acceptance and opportunities for mothers since its foray into the market in 2010.

We spoke to the Mumpreneur as she dishes out what it’s really like hustling the day, running both her company and her family.

While you are busy advocating flexi-work arrangements for fellow mothers, has it inevitably cost you your own family time? How do you recalibrate to accommodate both?

Yes—during the peak season when we have career fairs and Mumpreneurs Bazaar, I tend to be more focused on work than family. There are also times when I have to work over the weekend. However, as my own boss, it’s very easy for me to recalibrate by working around my kids’ schedules.

Being a Mumpreneur also allows me to be honest with my clients—I can clearly and explicitly explain that my children are having their exams so I may not be as prompt with my replies as my working hours per day during that period is shorter.

When I look back, I feel that on a yearly basis, I have been more involved with my own family while running my own business than when I was working for others. I’m just lucky that my passion to run this business is related to my own actual circumstances. Because I’m championing work-family balance, flexible work arrangements, and WAHMs, I can openly state my need to not compromise on family time if I have to.

Compared to when you first launched Mums@Work, how has the market grown?