Entrepreneurship Is a Mirror: What Building Bottimals™ Taught Me

When I started Bottimals™, I thought the biggest challenges would be product development, manufacturing logistics, or navigating safety compliance. And while those were certainly real hurdles, the most unexpected part of entrepreneurship was something far more personal:

It held up a mirror.

When you’re building a company as a solo founder, there’s nowhere to hide. There’s no job title to retreat into, no department to lean on, and no team to catch what you don’t want to face. Every part of the business becomes a reflection of you—your strengths, your blind spots, your confidence, and your fears.

You Learn Your Strengths Quickly… and Your Weaknesses Even Faster

Entrepreneurship forces clarity.

You learn what you’re naturally good at: creative thinking, finances, problem-solving, design—whatever your gifts are. But you also run straight into the areas you’ve avoided in the past. For me, it was everything from packaging decisions to pitching my idea publicly.

And that’s where the real growth happens.

The Choice Every Founder Faces

At every moment of discomfort, you get two options:

1. Run from it.
2. Push through it.

Running might feel easier in the moment, but that’s also where the business stops. Because when you’re the one building it, your momentum is the company’s momentum.

Pushing through feels uncomfortable—but it’s where confidence is built. It’s where vision becomes action. And most importantly, it’s where purpose becomes stronger than fear.

Growing Bottimals™ Meant Growing Myself

Every day that I showed up—imperfect but willing—Bottimals™ moved forward. The company has grown, yes, but so have I. Entrepreneurship doesn’t wait for you to be ready. It asks you to become ready through the work itself.

And that’s been one of the most unexpectedly rewarding parts of this journey: realizing that building a business isn’t just about creating a product.

It’s about becoming the person capable of carrying that mission forward.

At Bottimals™, our mission is to help babies feel comforted and connected during feeding transitions (learn more about the science behind mom's scent) —and every step of this entrepreneurial journey has deepened my belief in the power of growth, resilience, and showing up even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you’re on your own entrepreneurial path—or thinking about starting one—know this:

You don’t have to be fearless.
You just have to keep going.