Managing the ‘Mother Load’ While Building a Brand

Julie Cole calls herself a “recovered lawyer”. She’s the mom of six, and co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, the now award-winning, multimillion-dollar label company that started in a basement. Julie tells the real story behind growing a business while raising a big family, navigating an autism diagnosis, and learning that self-care sometimes looks less like spa days…and more like boundaries, help, and lowering your standards without shame.

This conversation is equal parts inspiring and practical—with plenty of takeaways for moms who are building dreams, raising kids, and trying to do it all without burning out.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

• How Julie Cole and her co-founders spotted a market gap that became Mabel’s Labels
• Why durability mattered so much…including the early dishwasher testing during R&D
• What it took to launch and grow a brand before social media
• The power of grassroots marketing: free press, word-of-mouth, early mom bloggers, and later social platforms
• The real-life cost of entrepreneurship for moms: late nights, sacrifices, and aligning co-founders
• What Julie’s “self-care season” really looked like while raising six kids

Learn more about Julie at https://mabelslabels.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome

02:03 Meet Julie Cole

07:14 From Basement R&D to Launch: Building an Early E‑Commerce Brand

13:31 Tips for Moms with a Business Idea

17:03 Self‑Care Reality Check

22:46 Raising Independent Kids: Chores, Responsibility & ‘Don’t Do It For Them’

30:35 The ‘Mother Load’: Invisible Labor, Decision Fatigue & Workplace Flexibility

36:51 What She’s Most Proud Of: Role Modeling, Culture & Building a Company Community

39:37 Advice for Moms: Find Your People, Curate Social Media & Take the Next Step

41:09 Closing Thoughts

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