Freelance to Family Business: How Charlotte Built Her Entrepreneurial Dream
Issue #14: Insights for mothers interested in entrepreneurship
Dear Mums,
One of the most inspiring journeys we often hear about is when a family comes together to build a business that thrives. Today’s guest, Charlotte Cantrell, embodies this beautifully. Not only is she the founder of Inspired Ads (a digital advertising agency that helps purpose-driven e-commerce brands grow) but she also managed to start this business while mothering three young children—including a newborn.
Fast forward four years, and Charlotte has grown her company to the point where her husband was able to leave his job and join her full-time, turning her freelance venture into a true family business.
In this interview, Charlotte shares the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial journey, from balancing motherhood with work to the strategies that helped her scale her business while keeping her family at the centre. Her story is an inspiring testament to what can be achieved with determination, vision, and a strong support system at home.
Charlotte’s journey reminds us that building a business while raising children is no easy feat, but with the right mindset and practical steps, it’s absolutely possible.
Enjoy!
Charlotte Cantrell is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Inspired Ads, a digital advertising agency that helps purpose-driven e-commerce brands scale through targeted Facebook campaigns, Google Ads and Email Marketing. Starting her business while mothering 3 young children—including a newborn—Charlotte has grown her company to the point where her husband was able to leave his job and join her full-time. Charlotte’s journey is an inspiring testament to balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship.
You can find out more about her work here:
How & Why Did Charlotte Get Started?
You launched Inspired Ads 4 years ago with three young children, including a newborn. What motivated you to start, and what were the key steps in those early days?
Back in 2019 we were really looking for ways to increase our income while not paying an arm and a leg for childcare or working for below minimum wage. I found a community and program that really helped me get on my feet with stage one of my business which was general virtual assisting work for a variety of clients. With only one child at home, I was able to managed 10-15 hours a week of work. As I grew and learned I started to utilise a gym daycare near our house a few days a week and eventually had 2 days of in home childcare for my two littles in 2020/ 2021!
My children have been my biggest motivation by far!
The key steps in the early days was just getting myself out there, networking and building my portfolio as an online service provider. Just getting started and getting experience was crucial to learning, pivoting and ultimately getting me here.
What was it about conventional employment that didn’t appeal to you? Was there a specific moment or realisation that made you commit to building your own business instead of pursuing a typical 9-to-5 job?
At the time, we only had one child but I knew that at this point, conventional employment just wouldn’t work long term. Knowing my husband and I wanted to have a large family, I wanted to invest in something that could see me through the throws of 1 child to 5 children and still make sense. With my husband still in the work force, we also had a stable income to rely on for me to go out and take some risks.
I have always been a problem solver and didn’t want a solution that ultimately wouldn’t work long term.
It was the harder path but I am beyond thankful I took the leap and trusted my gut on this one!
Words of Wisdom for Other Mums
Many mothers struggle with marketing and getting their first clients. How did you initially attract businesses to Inspired Ads, and what strategies helped you sustain consistent growth?
Getting clients is probably one of the toughest bits! I did alot of networking in other Facebook groups and leveraging the online community I was a part of to help me get started. I also found that my own personal network had a lot of openings so some were college friends who also started their own businesses. Looking back I wish I had talked about it more on my social feeds. I think just letting people know what you do, who you serve and your mission can go such a long way.
As a mother running a successful business, how do you manage homeschooling and the demands of entrepreneurship simultaneously? Please expand on any childcare provisions you may have in place.
Yes, homeschooling has been on our hearts for about 2 years. Our eldest just started Kindergarten and it would not be possible without my husband being home full time with me! My husband and I split the homeschooling and work demands. We work 40 hours between us. Our goal is to have a few afternoons where we are both working in 2025 but we are still building our team more!
Having a co-op in place has been huge, doing the bare minimum this year, focusing on our “big rocks” of reading, math, and the co-op curriculum have helped guide us as we started the journey this year. So far we are feeling confident and blessed! It’s been wonderful starting with Kindergarten and not jumping into 2 or 3 different grade levels all at once. We get to build as we go and that’s just the way we want it!
In your experience, what types of businesses or business models are most conducive to working mothers, especially those with young children?
Gosh, there can be so many nowadays that are super conducive for working young moms but maybe it would be helpful to say the jobs I would avoid? I think getting on or taking calls as a working mom can be difficult. This can really knock your confidence as a professional so I always leaned towards roles or businesses that required little to no video or on screen time. This is where the online teaching model NEVER appealed to me. It felt so unrealistic and self-defeating. Build yourself up and know your limits!
Starting an e-commerce business or drop shipping business
Virtual Assisting
OBM or Online business manager positions
Marketing and social media - so many people need help with this!
Email Marketing
These are a few I looked into and really leaned towards a few but after recognising my strengths (and weaknesses) I was able to see that analytics + creatives + sales was my forte. I went all in on ads in 2020 and never looked back.
Some mothers may feel like building a business while caring for children is impossible. How do you carve out time for your business in the margins of motherhood? Can you share specific tactics that help you stay productive?
I am forever thankful I started when I just had one child but even a mother with more than one can get started in small ways! I utilised nap time at the beginning and evenings when my husband worked.
Certain days I would go out and buy myself dinner, leave the babies with my husband and work for 3 or 4 hours from 5pm onward. I’d highly recommend a gym or membership that has childcare where you could utilised the help there (as long as it feels safe!).
Other than childcare, just writing down tasks and time blocking how long each task should take then making room for it on my calendar. If we prioritise the things we need to do, we can get it done. It may seem impossible but if you are driven, motivated and ready to work hard then you certainly, most definitely can work very part time while making the most of it!
Freelancing to Family Business
Your business began as a freelance venture, but you’ve since grown it to the point where your husband was able to leave his job and join you. For many, this is a dream case scenario. What led to this decision, and how has this shift impacted your family dynamic?
It really began as a conversation back in 2021 that led to many more years of discernment and trusting that God had a plan. In 2022 we knew that a shift needed to happen and we were just spread to thin as a family. Everything felt hard. We made a plan for me to expand my business from freelancer to agency in 2023 and a year and a half later brought my husband home to eliminate childcare/ preschool, start homeschooling and run the business together. My husband is doing most of our sales calls now and booking new leads. Our goal is to triple our 2024 and we are well on our way.
I think starting the conversation, allowing yourself to grow, and being VERY flexible is key. Things in business tend to take longer than we thing (especially with kids!) and so we give ourselves and our kids a lot of grace and it’s been a huge leap of faith but we honestly wouldn’t trade it for anything!
If you were advising a mother who is in the same position as you were when you started—with three young kids and a desire to start a business—what practical steps would you suggest she take?
I would say start small. Figure out what you can do - maybe its 5 or 10 hours a week at most. Communicate with your spouse and agree on times you can get away to work and contribute to the income of the family. Leverage your Facebook and Instagram to get in front of existing friends and business owners in your friend network to help get you started. If you could aim to bring on 2 clients at a very low amount what could that do for your family? These questions always motivated me and I am always pleasantly surprised at people’s ability to connect and share to help someone else. You can do this! You are more than qualified.
Is there anything else you'd like to share that you think would be particularly valuable to other entrepreneurial mothers?
Keep going! It can seem daunting and hard but you know better than anyone that going back to the 9-5 doesn’t actually solve your problems. You are capable, motivated, and you just need a little space to let yourself grow.
Business doesn’t have to be super complicated. You can start small. That’s what I did and finding people who believe in me and what I want to do was all part of the journey.
Charlotte is Making it Work for Her Family
Charlotte’s story is a powerful example of how motherhood and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand, even when the challenges seem overwhelming.
One of the biggest lessons from her journey is the importance of flexibility and perseverance. Charlotte shows us that building a business isn’t about having everything perfectly planned—it’s about adapting, learning, and growing alongside your family.
Her decision to take the leap, even with young children, and to transform a freelance hustle into a thriving family business is a reminder that, with the right mindset, anything is possible.
Stories like Charlotte’s remind us that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to balancing motherhood and business. We can all find our own way to make it work—on our own terms.
I hope you found as much inspiration in Charlotte’s journey as I did. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
As always, my DMs are open if you want to chat.
Tasha x