Between Us: Shelby McFarland and Kayla Maguire on Leadership, Motherhood, and Finding Harmony

In the first episode of Between Us, Shelby McFarland and Kayla Maguire sit down for a candid conversation about what it really looks like to balance entrepreneurship, leadership, and motherhood.

Both women are business owners, leaders, and single mothers navigating the realities of building successful careers while raising daughters. Their conversation explores the challenges many female entrepreneurs and women in leadership face today, including time management, burnout, unrealistic expectations, and learning how to ask for support.

Rather than presenting a perfect image of “having it all together,” Shelby and Kayla focus on something more honest: building a life that works for you, even if it doesn’t look the way you originally imagined.

🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfFlzZU-FyQ

Balancing Business Ownership and Motherhood

For many women in business, the pressure to succeed professionally while also being fully present at home can feel overwhelming. Shelby, CEO of The Marketing Broker, shared how running a growing marketing agency while raising a young daughter requires constant prioritization.

Kayla, founder of her consulting firm and a wellness-focused platform for mothers returning to work, explained that the challenge isn’t just time management — it’s learning how to manage expectations.

Many women believe they must succeed in every role simultaneously:

• business owner

• mother

• partner

• leader

• friend

• caretaker

But trying to do everything at once often leads to burnout, stress, and unrealistic pressure.

Instead, both women emphasize learning how to adjust priorities depending on the season of life.

Why “Balance” Isn’t Always the Goal

One of the most powerful ideas discussed in the episode was the concept of harmony instead of balance.

Traditional work-life balance suggests that everything should be evenly distributed — 50% work and 50% life. But in reality, that rarely happens for entrepreneurs, especially women building businesses and raising families.

Shelby explained that harmony allows different priorities to take the lead at different times. Some days your business requires more attention. Other days your family, health, or personal life may need to come first.

Instead of striving for perfect balance, the goal becomes creating a life where the different parts work together.

Delegation and Building a Support System

Another key theme in the conversation was the importance of delegation and support systems for entrepreneurs and working mothers.

Both Shelby and Kayla shared how learning to trust others, whether in business or parenting, can make a huge difference in maintaining mental health and productivity.

Some of the most important support systems they discussed include:

• Delegating responsibilities within a growing business team

• Creating reliable childcare support

• Prioritizing mental health and self-care

• Asking for help instead of trying to do everything alone

For women building businesses, learning to delegate is often a turning point in scaling both business growth and personal sustainability.

Letting Go of Unrealistic Expectations

A major part of the conversation centered on the expectations women place on themselves, especially when it comes to parenting.

Many entrepreneurs imagine they must be the perfect parent while also building a successful business. But Shelby shared that reality often looks different than the picture people create in their minds.

Accepting that everyone has different strengths, personalities, and parenting styles can relieve a tremendous amount of pressure.

Instead of trying to replicate someone else’s version of motherhood or leadership, both women emphasized embracing authenticity and focusing on what works best for your life.

Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions and Goal Setting

As the discussion wrapped up, Shelby and Kayla addressed another common pressure point: New Year’s resolutions.

Rather than setting large, overwhelming goals at the start of the year, Kayla suggested a more flexible approach: regular personal check-ins.

Instead of asking:

• “What big goal should I accomplish this year?”

Ask:

• “How do I feel about where I am right now?”

• “What small changes would improve my life this week?”

• “Who do I want to become?”

This approach focuses less on strict outcomes and more on consistent personal growth, self-awareness, and intentional progress.

Supporting Women in Leadership

The Between Us series was created as a space for honest conversations about the real experiences women face while leading businesses, raising families, and building meaningful lives.

Shelby McFarland and Kayla Maguire hope these discussions help other female entrepreneurs, working mothers, and leaders feel supported and understood in their journeys.

By sharing lessons learned through business ownership, personal development, and motherhood, they aim to create a community where women can grow without the pressure of perfection.