1. Tell us a little bit about yourself
Adebisi:
My name is Adebisi. I am a mum of two. I work remotely as a virtual assistant specializing in backend management and operational support for scaling founders, online business owners, and coaches.
At the moment, I’m working on several things. I’m guiding my 10-year-old son’s writing career, transitioning into becoming a medical virtual assistant while continuing to support founders as an operations virtual assistant, and exploring my passion for farming as a side hustle.
I’m someone who enjoys building and growing different things at the same time.
2. Before becoming a mum, what did you imagine motherhood would be like? How different has the reality been?
Adebisi:
Before becoming a mum, I thought motherhood would be easy. I imagined that you get pregnant, give birth, and everything just falls into place. The reality has been completely different. No one tells you that you may have to put your career on hold or slow down your ambitions.
No one prepares you for the emotional and physical demands of pregnancy or the responsibility of caring for a child who depends on you for almost everything during the early years.
In my case, my child developed complications related to birth that required ongoing care and physiotherapy. That experience completely changed my understanding of motherhood.
| When Motherhood Took an Unexpected Turn |
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| Nothing prepares you for discovering that something isn’t right with your child. For Adebisi, that moment came months after giving birth. Her son was around seven months old when she noticed he couldn’t properly use the left side of his body. Until then, she had no idea he had sustained a birth injury during delivery. That discovery marked the beginning of physiotherapy appointments, unanswered questions, and learning how to navigate a reality she never expected. Looking back, she says the strongest emotion she remembers wasn’t panic. It was confusion. “I wasn’t looking for a miracle,” she told us. “I was looking for realistic and sustainable solutions that would give him the best possible chance to thrive.” Rather than dwelling on what had happened, she and her husband chose to focus on what they could do next. They attended physiotherapy sessions together, kept learning, and continued searching for answers. Years later, they discovered that nutrition also played an important role in supporting his recovery, and they began to see lasting improvements. Today, she smiles when she talks about her son. Despite hearing challenges, he performs well in school, has learned to lip-read, and continues to prove that one diagnosis doesn’t define a child’s future. Looking back, Adebisi believes that season changed her too. It taught her resilience.It taught her patience. Most of all, it taught her to spend less time asking “Why did this happen?” and more time asking “What’s the next step?“ |
3. What does a typical day look like for you as someone building many things including your career as a mom?
Adebisi:
My days are busy but flexible. I usually wake around 3:00 a.m. to plan my day, work on client or personal tasks, then prepare my children for school. After they leave, I manage four clients using a planner with built-in buffer time between tasks.
When my children return home, I focus on them and family time. Most days end around 10:00 p.m. Planning, flexibility, and grace help me keep everything moving.
4. What has been the hardest part of pursuing your ambitions while also showing up as a mum?
Adebisi:
The hardest part has been guilt.
There have been seasons when I felt I wasn’t giving enough to my career and other seasons when I worried I wasn’t giving enough to my children. Trying to hold both responsibilities at the same time hasn’t always been easy.
If I’m being honest, the guilt is still there, but it’s much less than it used to be.
One of the biggest changes in my career has been transitioning into remote work. Having more flexibility means I can spend more time with my children while continuing to grow in my career. I no longer feel like I’m constantly choosing one over the other.
That doesn’t mean the guilt has disappeared completely. There are still moments, especially when it comes to my son, when I wish I could do more or be there in exactly the way I’d like. But I’ve learned not to let guilt make my decisions for me.
Motherhood has taught me that I can’t be everywhere at the same time, and that’s okay.
What matters most is showing up consistently, not perfectly.
If I could say one thing to another mum carrying that same guilt, it would be this:
Give yourself grace.
Your children don’t need a perfect mum. They need a loving mum who keeps showing up, one day at a time.
5. Have you ever felt torn between being a mom and your work?
Adebisi:
Yes, many times.
One season stands out more than any other.
I had decided to transition from teaching into remote work because I believed it would eventually give me more flexibility for my family. To make that happen, I enrolled in an intensive virtual assistant training programme while still working full-time, raising my children, and managing our home.
Looking back now, I honestly don’t think I took very good care of myself because every minute of my day had a purpose.
I woke up around 3:00 a.m. to study before getting ready for work. I studied whenever I found a spare moment during the school day and continued again after returning home in the evening. There wasn’t much room for social outings or rest because I knew the future I wanted for my family would require sacrifice in the present.
It was exhausting, and there were days I felt completely drained. But I never seriously considered giving up.
Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I reminded myself why I had started. I wasn’t only trying to change careers. I wanted to create more flexibility for my family, build a better financial future for my children, and break patterns that I didn’t want them to inherit.
Looking back now, I know those early mornings and long days became the foundation for the life I’m building today.
6. Have you ever experienced pressure to choose between motherhood and career?
Adebisi:
The pressure exists, but I wasn’t pressured by my partner because we communicated openly. I focused on what my family needed instead of society’s expectations. Working was necessary, and I chose partnership and practical reality over outside opinions.
7. What looks easy from the outside but isn’t?
Adebisi:
People think working remotely is easy, but they don’t see the long hours, different time zones, sleep deprivation, or the constant balancing of clients, children, and home. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
8. What has motherhood taught you?
Adebisi:
Motherhood has taught me resilience, a growth mindset, how to figure things out, and the importance of slowing down and paying attention to details. Those lessons have shaped both my life and my ambitions.
9. How are you managing everything today? What’s helping you juggle work, motherhood, and your personal goals?
Adebisi:
If I had to choose one thing that has helped me manage work, motherhood, and my personal goals, it would be discipline.
People often ask how I manage everything, but the truth is that I don’t try to do everything. I try to be intentional about what deserves my time.
During my transition into remote work, I became very protective of my time. If a conversation wasn’t productive or didn’t require my attention, I learned to end it.
I reduced unnecessary phone calls, said no to distractions, and stopped feeling like I had to be available to everyone all the time.
Planning also became one of my biggest tools. Every day, I planned my activities so I knew exactly what needed my attention instead of trying to remember everything in my head. My planner helped me organize work, family responsibilities, and study time, and it gave me a sense of direction even on busy days.
Even now that I work remotely and have more flexibility, I still rely on those same principles.
Time never really feels like enough. But I’ve learned that it’s not about being busy all the time. It’s about being intentional with the time I have.
10. Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Adebisi:
I wish I had transitioned from teaching to remote work earlier. I also wish there had been stronger communities where mothers and couples could honestly prepare for the realities of parenthood.
11. What would you tell a mum who feels motherhood is slowing down her dreams?
Adebisi:
Take a deep breath. Motherhood may slow your pace, but it doesn’t end your dreams. Your children will become more independent over time. Keep learning, make a plan, communicate with your partner, ask for help, and remember this season is shaping you into a stronger person.
12. Complete this sentence
Adebisi:
“One thing motherhood taught me that I will never forget is resilience.” It taught me to keep going even when I don’t know the outcome, and that strength now helps me in every area of my life.
13. Describe this season of your life in three words
Adebisi:
Discovery. Clarity. Growth. I have discovered myself, I know what I want, and I’m intentionally building the life and career I desire.
14. Anything else you’d like to share?
Adebisi:
To every woman or mother who feels lonely or pressured, slow down and discover who you are. Know your values and strengths. Don’t compare yourself with others or seek validation from anyone. Your journey is unique, and you deserve to live it with confidence.