After 17 years of being a mom, I am doing something very exciting for myself. I am launching a tech business. As a wife and mother with three girls, I have made my fair share of sacrifices. Even after obtaining three academic degrees, I decided to stay home to raise my children. My oldest daughter has a diagnosis of autism and deafness. Parenting a special needs child is challenging. As a writer and tech entrepreneur, I have decided to create a platform that helps families of children with special needs live their best life. Through uplifting content, resources, and an online community, Good Life will change lives.

With help from organizations like Founding Moms and Women Who Code, I gained practical resources and support for launching my business. I am also participating in a weeklong bootcamp for startups called Tech Wildcatters. Besides participating in these organizations, there are four things that I have worked gradually at for the past decade to help me launch my own business:

Research: Do research about the business you are planning to build. As parents, we often have a huge amount of responsibility, but we also are resourceful and able to complete various tasks within a short period. Listen to a podcast and search the web for reputable resources for the business you are interested in starting.

Build: Take small steps everyday toward your long-term goal. Document your progress. Even when it feels like you are not moving forward, forge ahead. Keep a log of wins, and celebrate even the smallest steps that you make towards your long-term goal.

Plan: There are very few things that can get done without first creating a solid plan. Though some opportunities and wins are gained through spontaneous levels of happenstance, most of the time, there was a plan set in place to get there.

Network: There is a strategy in the startup world called getting out of the building. Gone are the days when you can sit at a desk and create something that impacts the world. You are forced to get out of the building, and your comfort zone to make things happen. Meetup is a great source to find groups of likeminded and focused people to network with. If there is not a group that serves your needs, create one.

These are all necessary steps that I take daily to build my business while managing the many facets that go into maintaining my family structure. To learn more about Good Life, and how we are committed to changing the lives of parents of children with special needs, visit our website at: www.mygoodlifenow.org