“When you have children, you have to be fiercely organized to get anything done. I learned that if I don’t put myself up on the priority list, somehow my kids will eventually get knocked down on that list.” – Michelle Obama
This quote stopped me in my tracks the first time I read it. Not because it was surprising, but because it rang so true. Every mother—and every woman who leads, mentors, manages, and nurtures others—knows the truth of those words. We are wired to give: to work, to lift, to nurture, to solve. And too often, we forget that giving starts with giving to ourselves.
At She Runs It, May is a particularly powerful month. It’s Mother’s Day, yes—but it’s also National Mental Health Awareness Month. The combination feels like no accident. We celebrate the moms we have, the moms we are, and the moms we know. But we also need to celebrate ourselves. Because the health of our minds and spirits is how we do everything we do.
I am always impressed by the members of our community because we are doers. Women who show up, roll up our sleeves, and deliver. We keep companies running, families thriving, brands on fire, and teams inspired. But what makes this community truly extraordinary is that we don’t just keep our heads down to do the work—we look up. We look around. We see those beside us who need a hand, a hug, a push, or a pause. We lift as we climb. We do, like a mother.
So this May, I invite you to pause and prioritize you. Put yourself at the top of the list—not out of guilt, but in honor. Whether you’re a mother, a caregiver, a leader, or a friend (or all of the above), you deserve to feel whole. Take the walk. Call the friend. Say no. Breathe. Make space for joy, rest, reflection.
Because when we do that, we’re not taking away from anyone we care about or for, we are actually allowing ourselves to give them our best.
Happy Mother’s Month. Happy You Month.
