Between The Hustle And The Heart

Running a business while raising a family lives in the margins.

It happens before the house wakes up, after bedtime stories are finished, and in the quiet stretches where you ask yourself whether the effort is worth the uncertainty. This is the reality of building Ardsley—a women’s sporting goods business rooted in community—while also being a present husband, a committed father, and someone who still shows up for a 9–5.

This post is for parents who are building something they believe in and wondering if anyone else feels this stretched.

The Daily Push and Pull of Building Ardsley

On any given day, I’m connecting with vendors about women’s performance gear, following up with local run clubs, youth soccer organizations, and fitness groups, and preparing for Ardsley pop-ups across Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. I’m also planning something bigger—a women’s and fitness expo designed to bring together brands, athletes, and community in a way that doesn’t always exist for women in sport.

Some days feel full of momentum. A vendor responds. A club says yes. A pop-up starts to feel real.

Other days are defined by silence.

No replies. No confirmations. Just the quiet question every entrepreneur-parent knows well: am I doing enough—or am I doing too much?

The Mental Load Parents Carry When Running a Business

Running Ardsley isn’t just a checklist of tasks. It’s a constant mental load. Wondering whether one more email will unlock progress or whether it’s better to step back and trust the foundation already built.

As a parent, that uncertainty is amplified. Time is finite. Every late-night planning session is time borrowed from rest. Every early-morning call competes with breakfast, drop-offs, and the routines that anchor family life.

And yet, this work matters.

Why Community-Focused Business Takes Time

One of the most important parts of building Ardsley has been developing relationships with local Boston- and Cambridge-based women’s and girls’ soccer clubs, run clubs, and fitness organizations. These aren’t transactional partnerships. They’re built on trust, consistency, and showing up even when there’s nothing immediate to gain.

Community-centered businesses don’t scale overnight. They grow slowly, through conversations, follow-ups, and a willingness to hear “not right now” without giving up.

As a parent, patience becomes part of the strategy.

Balancing a 9–5, a Startup, and Family Life

I still work a full-time job. It pays the bills and deserves my attention. That means Ardsley often gets built in the early mornings, late nights, and in between everything else.

The hardest part isn’t the workload—it’s the balance.

I want my daughters to see what it looks like to build something with intention. But I also want them to remember that I was there. At bedtime. On weekends. In the small moments that matter more than any business milestone.

There are days I feel like I’m falling short everywhere. And there are days—quiet, grounding days—where a small win aligns with family laughter and reminds me why this path matters.

What Ardsley Is Teaching Me About Building and Belonging

Building Ardsley—a women-owned sporting goods business serving Boston and Cambridge—has taught me that success isn’t just growth metrics or polished execution. It’s resilience. It’s continuing when progress feels invisible. It’s choosing purpose over speed.

For parents running a business, the journey is rarely linear. It’s messy, unfinished, and deeply human.

I don’t have a perfect conclusion—just a commitment. To keep building Ardsley. To keep showing up for the community it serves. And to keep holding my family close while doing it.

If you’re a parent entrepreneur navigating the same questions—balancing ambition, responsibility, and love—you’re not alone.

We’re all building between bedtime and belief.