Introduction

In this episode of Baby Bump & Business, host Bee sits down with Brittany Wages, a photographer, mom, and mom entrepreneur, to discuss the realities of balancing motherhood with a creative career. Brittany shares her journey from planning for parenthood to navigating maternity leave, adjusting to life with a newborn, and finding support through childcare solutions, offering practical insights for working moms and creative entrepreneurs.

They discuss:

• managing motherhood while building a creative business
• navigating maternity leave and postpartum adjustments
• the importance of childcare solutions and support systems for mom entrepreneurs
• setting boundaries and embracing flexibility in both work and family life
• giving yourself grace during the transformative journey of motherhood

This conversation highlights the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of mom entrepreneurs, providing guidance and inspiration for women balancing family, creativity, and career.

Subscribe to Baby Bump & Business for weekly conversations about pregnancy, motherhood, creative entrepreneurship, and building a business while raising a family.

Why Oz Almost Quit — The Business Lessons Behind Motherhood – Baby, Bump, & Business

Pregnancy can change your body, your business, and your sense of self all at once. Beauty expert Oz gets raw about building a career from the ground up, surviving a devastating pregnancy loss, and learning how motherhood forced her to redefine success on her own terms. Host Bee Trofort Wilson—photographer, educator, and first-time mom behind Baby Bump and Business—creates a deeply honest conversation for creative moms who are trying to keep their brand alive while their life is changing in real time. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep going when your hands, your heart, and your identity feel different, this episode will hit home. Oz shares how she went from Detroit to Atlanta with a suitcase and a dream, built Makeup by Oz through hustle and strategy, and turned early client work into a full beauty business with pricing, booking, deposits, and structure. She also breaks down the real work behind growing a teaching brand, including launching classes, building a curriculum, and learning why expertise matters more than hype. You’ll discover: – How Oz built her client base with $5 brow arches and a simple business card strategy – Why competitor analysis and online booking changed the way she ran her business – What it really takes to create and teach beauty education at scale – How she navigated a viral gender reveal, pregnancy loss, and the emotional toll of grief – Why pregnancy carpal tunnel and postpartum brain fog pushed her into a full identity shift This conversation also goes beyond entrepreneurship into the parts people don’t say out loud—the strain pregnancy can place on relationships, the pressure Black women carry to stay strong, and the permission it takes to slow down, rest, and be human. Oz speaks candidly about grief, healing, and what it means to rebuild after the version of you that once held everything together has to die. If you’re a creative mom, a beauty professional, or an entrepreneur trying to balance ambition with motherhood, this episode offers both wisdom and real comfort. It’s part business strategy, part healing conversation, and fully for anyone who needs to hear that grace is still a growth strategy. Guest credibility: Oz is one of Atlanta’s premier makeup artists, known for clean natural makeup, lash extensions, microblading, and beauty education. Her work has appeared on Lifetime, Bravo, OWN, BET, and VH1, and she has trained hundreds of students through her beauty classes.
  1. Why Oz Almost Quit — The Business Lessons Behind Motherhood
  2. It’s Okay to Not Feel Naturally Maternal: Motherhood, Burnout, and Building a Creative Business
  3. What Infertility, Miscarriage, and Burnout Taught Me About Slowing Down
  4. Survived Pregnancy Loss, Postpartum Depression & Built a Thriving Business
  5. The Hidden Cost of Business

Key Takeaways

  • Support systems are vital for new mothers.
  • Creativity can be found in everyday moments with children.
  • Birth plans may not go as expected; flexibility is key.
  • Preeclampsia and other complications can arise unexpectedly.
  • It’s okay to mourn the loss of your previous self.
  • Embracing the present moment is essential for new moms.

Guest Bio

Brittany Wages is an Atlanta-based photographer, artist, mother, gardener, and community organizer. Her commercial work focuses on food, lifestyle, and portraits, and her personal “work” is always centered on human connections.

Resources

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Whether you’re expecting, a new mom, or a seasoned entrepreneur, this podcast will leave you feeling seen, supported, and empowered to thrive in both motherhood and business.

Let’s connect

Why Oz Almost Quit — The Business Lessons Behind Motherhood – Baby, Bump, & Business

Pregnancy can change your body, your business, and your sense of self all at once. Beauty expert Oz gets raw about building a career from the ground up, surviving a devastating pregnancy loss, and learning how motherhood forced her to redefine success on her own terms. Host Bee Trofort Wilson—photographer, educator, and first-time mom behind Baby Bump and Business—creates a deeply honest conversation for creative moms who are trying to keep their brand alive while their life is changing in real time. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep going when your hands, your heart, and your identity feel different, this episode will hit home. Oz shares how she went from Detroit to Atlanta with a suitcase and a dream, built Makeup by Oz through hustle and strategy, and turned early client work into a full beauty business with pricing, booking, deposits, and structure. She also breaks down the real work behind growing a teaching brand, including launching classes, building a curriculum, and learning why expertise matters more than hype. You’ll discover: – How Oz built her client base with $5 brow arches and a simple business card strategy – Why competitor analysis and online booking changed the way she ran her business – What it really takes to create and teach beauty education at scale – How she navigated a viral gender reveal, pregnancy loss, and the emotional toll of grief – Why pregnancy carpal tunnel and postpartum brain fog pushed her into a full identity shift This conversation also goes beyond entrepreneurship into the parts people don’t say out loud—the strain pregnancy can place on relationships, the pressure Black women carry to stay strong, and the permission it takes to slow down, rest, and be human. Oz speaks candidly about grief, healing, and what it means to rebuild after the version of you that once held everything together has to die. If you’re a creative mom, a beauty professional, or an entrepreneur trying to balance ambition with motherhood, this episode offers both wisdom and real comfort. It’s part business strategy, part healing conversation, and fully for anyone who needs to hear that grace is still a growth strategy. Guest credibility: Oz is one of Atlanta’s premier makeup artists, known for clean natural makeup, lash extensions, microblading, and beauty education. Her work has appeared on Lifetime, Bravo, OWN, BET, and VH1, and she has trained hundreds of students through her beauty classes.
  1. Why Oz Almost Quit — The Business Lessons Behind Motherhood
  2. It’s Okay to Not Feel Naturally Maternal: Motherhood, Burnout, and Building a Creative Business
  3. What Infertility, Miscarriage, and Burnout Taught Me About Slowing Down
  4. Survived Pregnancy Loss, Postpartum Depression & Built a Thriving Business
  5. The Hidden Cost of Business