The founder of Daybreak opens up about what it takes to launch and grow a business alongside family life. The key, she’s found, is not learning how to manage the mental load of parenting—it’s figuring out how to better distribute it.
By Eva, Daybreak founder
My biggest motherhood life hack is help. When my twins were born, I went from one child to three. An au pair was the most cost-effective childcare option available to my family, so I made room in my home for someone to live with us. Having another adult who knows my children and can help with bedtime—the hardest part of the day for me—has been incredibly valuable. I don't think I could do everything I'm doing right now without that support.
One benefit I hadn't expected was the flexibility it would give me in the evenings. I could get out to see friends without every social event requiring a major childcare negotiation. Sometimes that time is purely social, which matters in its own right. But those gatherings are also where I have some of my best conversations about Daybreak. I hear what women are curious about, what they're nervous about, and what they think of what I'm building.
Childcare is one part of that support. Another is making sure the information that keeps family life moving is easy for all of us to find.
Getting the Remembering Out of My Head
My husband, Drew, is incredibly savvy with AI and has built systems for our family calendar, email, finances, and planning. They keep the three adults in our household on the same page, so I'm not the only place that information lives.
A family operating system can do much more than send a reminder about an upcoming birthday. It turns scattered information into coordinated action: extracting dates from school newsletters, reminding us about permission slips and registrations, noticing conflicts in the family calendar, assigning tasks to the right person, and prompting us when something needs a decision rather than simply adding another alert. The goal isn't just to know that information exists; it's to make the invisible coordination work of family life visible, timely, and easier to share.
I look for almost any opportunity to systematize, automate, or hand off something that doesn't need to live in my brain. I don't want to become better at carrying the entire mental load. I want to carry less of it. Every little thing I can remove creates more capacity for my kids and family, my corporate job, and Daybreak.
Letting Help Work
Accepting help also means leaving room for an approach I wouldn't have chosen myself. If I need every detail done my way, I can end up taking the work right back. I've gotten very comfortable with 75 percent. The trick, I’ve discovered, is knowing which 25 percent I’m willing to let go.
When I was developing the little chocolate gems for Daybreak, the manufacturer initially only offered artificial dyes. Using natural dyes was something I wasn't willing to compromise on. After months of working together on natural dyes, the manufacturer and I found that purple worked better than the peachy-pink I'd pictured.
That's the distinction I come back to with help at home, too: being clear about what matters, then leaving room for a different way of getting there.
I don't even particularly like purple. But I could let go of the color I had imagined and keep the ingredient standard I cared about. Using natural dyes was a 100 percent issue for me. The exact shade of the candy shell was a 25 percent issue.
That's the distinction I come back to with help at home, too: being clear about what matters, then leaving room for a different way of getting there. A system can be useful without working exactly as I would have designed it.
Borrow a Shortcut
Your version of support will look different from mine. This week, let someone else's experience lighten one thing you've been trying to work out alone. Ask for the checklist, the template, or the approach they already use, and give it a try before improving it. Keep what matters. Let a few preferences go. That's part of how I make room for Daybreak—and for a life I want to be present for.
Daybreak began with conversations that helped me see what was missing. Building it has meant choosing what success looks like for me—and learning how much becomes possible when I let other people help. I hope sharing my story has made something you’re imagining feel a little more possible, too. Whatever your next chapter holds, I’m grateful you’ve been part of mine.
If you’re curious about what I’m building at Daybreak—or simply want to support our journey— you can enjoy free shipping for a limited time as a small thank you for being part of our story. Order here.
Thank you for reading along and of course a heartfelt thank you to Neha and her team for giving us the opportunity to share with you.