This Doctor-Entrepreneur's Message to Busy Moms: Give Yourself Credit

Heal co-founder and chief medical officer Dr. Renee Dua juggles raising kids, seeing patients and running a startup. Here's why she says it's time to ditch the mom-guilt and quit beating yourself up.

learn more about Kim Lachance Shandrow

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Dr. Renee Dua and her tech entrepreneur husband, Nick Desai, created Heal on the heels of an awful, eight-hour night in the emergency room with their young son.

"By the time we actually saw a doctor, my son was already better," Dua tells Entrepreneur. "We thought that, between a doctor and an entrepreneur, there's got to be a way to solve this problem."

Heal is how the enterprising Los Angeles couple aims to do just that. They're parents of two boys -- a two year old and an 11 month old -- but their third baby, so to speak, is an on-demand app that dispatches a licensed physician to wherever you are, on your schedule. That is, if you live in one of the following areas of California: Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and the Peninsula down to San Jose. At least for now.

Related: I Tried Google Goals for a Week. The Result: I Meditated, Hydrated and Hibernated More Than I Ever Have Before.

"Because they're in your home, in your living room and away from the distractions of an office or hospital, our doctors give our patients their full attention," Dua says, "and they're absolutely listening to you, maintaining eye contact and know what your needs are. We're making it personal again."

Practically as personal as when a parent looks a child over for signs of sickness, she says. Providing that invaluable one-on-one attention -- minus the noise and distraction of running a new business and busy medical practice -- isn't just how she cares for her kids. It's also how she cares for herself.

"How I take time for me is by being with my family," she says. "That's when I rewind and recharge."

While the nursing mom finds comfort in focusing on her kids in her downtime, she also finds it challenging, particularly when squeezing quality moments with them into her packed schedule. "Striking a work-life balance is very difficult," she admits. "I'm very good at some things some days and not so great at those things other days. I don't like saying it out loud, but it's the truth."

Related: How Motherhood Prepares You for Entrepreneurship

Difficult days at the office or at home, Dua tries not to beat herself up when it comes to parenting. And in the interest of self-preservation and self-acceptance, she advises fellow harried moms not to either. Whether you're a mom who stays home with your children or clocks in at the office, cut yourself some slack already.

"The best piece of advice I can give a mom who's trying to do it all is, you're probably doing a great job," Dua says. "You just haven't given yourself any credit. To take one minute, step back and look at how much you've already done before 11 in the morning -- I bet it's nuts."

Oh, it sure is. (This swamped mama of three can attest to that.)

For more of Dua's unique take on juggling motherly and professional duties, take one relaxing minute to yourself and check out the video clip above.

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Celebrity Entrepreneurs

'I Dreaded Falling in Love.' Rupert Murdoch Is Getting Hitched for the Fifth Time.

The 92-year-old media tycoon announces he will wed former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Leadership

How Great Entrepreneurs Find Ways to Win During Economic Downturns

Recessions are an opportunity to recalibrate and make great strides in your business while others are unprepared to brave the challenges. Here's how great entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success despite economic uncertainty.

Productivity

Having Trouble Focusing? Here's How to Become Unstoppable in Your Performance

Here are a few tips on how to improve your focus, discipline and ability to complete projects.

Business News

'Invest In That Future Now Before It's Too Late': Bill Gates Calls For Global Pandemic Response Team In Op-Ed

In the same month that the World Health Organization called the coronavirus a pandemic three years ago, billionaire Bill Gates reiterated his call for a "fire department for pandemics."