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Raymond V. Haysbert, Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship Client & 2016 NUL Small Business Matters Pitch Competition Participant is Making an Impact in her Hometown of Baltimore
What happens when a Millennial mom entrepreneur struggles to balance her business and her family? She builds a solution.
Just three years ago, Tammira Lucas, self-proclaimed MAE (pronounced Ma), Mom As Entrepreneur, found herself struggling to build her business-consulting firm while building her family. She started her companies, The Business Dr. and MAE (Moms As Entrepreneurs) from the (not so) comfort of her home. Juggling her businesses, her then 4-year-old daughter, Ryann, her husband, Robert, and household duties, Tammira quickly realized she was distracted and unable to give the things and people in her life the attention they deserved at the time they deserved it. On her best days, Tammira would be lugging Ryann to meetings at local coffee shops hoping that there would be ample Wifi and shows on YouTube to keep Ryann quiet long enough for her to get anything accomplished.
“There were many days I prayed and asked God for 2-3 hours to just check a few things off my to-do list. I was drowning in a sea of purpose and responsibility. The guilt of not giving my family enough for the sake of my business and not giving my business enough for the sake of my family weighed heavily on me. It all came to a head one day when I looked over at Ryann while sitting with me in a client meeting. I swallowed a fistful of what felt like failure as I realized my iPad was raising my daughter. I had no clue how I would establish a sustainable business and establish a sustainable family, but I knew something had to change,” cites Tammira.
In August 2016, Tammira, along with her sister, TeKesha Jamison, launched, The Cube Cowork, a membership based co-working space for moms to work and their children to play. Similar to popular gyms, The Cube provides a separate supervised recreation area for little ones to explore, do activities and socialize. Parents are able to check emails, make phone calls, host meetings and grow their businesses guilt-free. First of its kind in Maryland, The Cube’s nominal $75 membership includes a quiet space to work, pay as you go babysitting services, meeting space rental, business mailbox rental, access to business workshops and the unique opportunity to network with other like-minded moms.
As of today, The Cube has supported over 60 mom entrepreneurs through their membership and workshop programs. “The joy on our member’s faces is the most rewarding part of launching The Cube. We take the shame out of being a boss and being a mommy. The Cube is a safe space where it’s ok to do both. I’m devoted to spreading this message and building a supportive community of MAEs who are relentless in business and family,” expresses Tammira.
The Cube Cowork is revolutionizing the way moms start and grow their businesses while creating family legacies. According to statistics NAWBO, women-owned businesses are growing in number and revenue. However, while revenue is on the upswing, compared to their male entrepreneur counterparts, it’s still not comparable. Women are navigating through the challenge of growing a business and maintaining their family, which is an obstacle most men don’t face or even have to consider.
Tammira envisions The Cube to as the hub for moms to access the support, resources and time needed to start or grow their businesses. Eventually she would like to expand her brand beyond Baltimore, where she is from, to other cities that could benefit from this type of space. Her goal is to help other moms generate systems of wealth that will set up the future success of their families for generations to come. “I want to be an example for every mom that walks through our doors,” states Tammira.
An example she is. Tammira not only runs The Cube, but also, The Business Dr., her business consultancy firm, MAE, a non-profit organization designed to funnel resources and strategy to mom-owned business owners, and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University teaching Group Dynamics in the undergraduate and graduate programs. She’s also finishing her own Doctorate in Business Entrepreneurship. Tammira was awarded Top 40 under 40 by the Baltimore Business Journal in 2016 and, most recently, Small Business Innovator of the Year by the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce.
The Cube Cowork is located in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information visit thecubecowork.com or follow them on Instagram @thecubecowork. If you are a mom looking for resources and tips, follow @maeentrepreneur or sign up for one of the upcoming Mom As Entrepreneur Academy Cohorts by emailing maeentrepreneur@gmail.com. To keep up with Tammira follow her @thedrbusinessdr.
