By HTE Founder, Erin Hughes.
Until I started a family, I didn’t realise just how much purpose and direction shape who we are.
Before having kids, life felt relatively straightforward. Work, catching up with friends, spending time with your partner (if you have one), maybe some fitness, travel, or family time. You had the freedom to come and go as you pleased. Looking back, it was a carefree time – even though, at the time, you probably didn’t feel it. That realisation often only comes with hindsight.
For many women, when a baby arrives, everything changes. Some of us are on maternity leave from jobs we’ll eventually return to, some are self-employed, some have made the decision to step away from work altogether, and others aren’t quite sure what the plan is yet. There’s no single path, but one thing is almost universal: the question of purpose starts to creep in.
“As a mum, your immediate purpose becomes clear – loving, caring for, and raising your baby. It’s huge, all-encompassing, and undeniably important. But for me, I realised it wasn’t the only thing that defined me.”
I left my job just before having my first child, and initially, I felt fulfilled staying at home. But as the months went on, I started to notice a creeping sense of uncertainty. Something felt off. Deep down, I knew that while I loved my role as a mother, focusing solely on that wasn’t enough for me. The days felt long, and I found myself fixating on little things around the house – feeling lost and unmotivated in a way that started to take a toll.
When my eldest was 20 months old, I had my second child. Around that time, I decided to enrol my eldest in daycare to help with the adjustment of becoming a big sibling. It wasn’t the norm in our community (most families around us had a parent, and almost always the Mum, stay home), and I wrestled with that decision, but in my gut, I knew it was the right move for us.
In total, I spent 36 months as a stay-at-home mum. I remember hitting a point where I thought, ‘I love my kids endlessly, but it’s time to rediscover my own purpose’. I knew that finding something for me would benefit not just myself but my entire family.
I thrive on being busy, having a focus, and working under pressure – so I started looking for opportunities outside of family life that would give me that sense of purpose. On reflection, that period was a real fork in the road for me. Without the struggles, the questioning, and those tough moments, I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for entrepreneurship, connecting with people, and chasing success in a way that felt meaningful to me. These things have become my purpose and a source of fulfilment, no matter the challenges I have faced along the way.
I never take my healthy kids and beautiful family for granted. They are my greatest achievement, and for that, I am endlessly grateful. Being their mum is a privilege and a love like no other. But here’s the thing: that role doesn’t solely define me.
That’s what this platform is all about. Here, There & Everywhere is a community that celebrates you – the woman behind the mother. Because you’re so much more than one title, and it’s time we celebrated all the parts that make us who we are.
