Rising from Loss: Building a Business and a Legacy as a Widowed Single Mom

When life changes in an instant, the road ahead can feel impossibly steep. For widowed single mothers, the weight of grief combines with the responsibility of raising children and finding a way to keep the family not only afloat, but thriving. Yet, time and again, women prove that loss does not define them—it refines them. It sharpens vision, strengthens resolve, and often sparks the creation of something extraordinary.

Widowhood forces a woman into roles she never expected to navigate alone—provider, nurturer, decision-maker. In those moments, entrepreneurship can become more than a career choice; it is survival with a purpose. Starting a business allows women to reclaim agency, channel creativity, and design a future that provides for their children while honoring the memory of their partner.

That is how Yes! Athletics was born. What started as a mother’s determination to support her daughter’s passion for wrestling grew into something bigger: a mission to solve a problem that had long been overlooked. Girls in wrestling were wearing boys’ shoes and uniforms, an afterthought in a sport they were working hard to prove they belonged in. I saw firsthand the gap—and more importantly, the need. By creating the first wrestling shoes explicitly designed for girls, Yes! Athletics became more than a company; it became a statement.

Balancing Business and Motherhood

Running a business while raising children solo demands flexibility and grit. There are board meetings scheduled around school pick-ups, product launches pushed through after bedtime stories, and long days filled with equal parts strategy and snack-making. The barriers are real—lack of time, limited capital, and moments of self-doubt—but they are not insurmountable.

Yes! Athletics started in my living room, but the vision was always bigger than the walls around me. I wanted my daughter to see that she could pursue her passion in a sport that often told girls “no.” I wanted her to see her mom build something out of nothing. And most of all, I wanted her to know that loss could not stop us from creating a future full of possibilities.

Building a Legacy

For me, Yes! Athletics is about more than shoes. It’s about showing my children—and every girl lacing up a pair—that they belong on the mat, in the arena, and in life. It’s about creating something that didn’t exist before and proving that women’s voices and visions matter.

The business is my livelihood, yes, but it’s also my legacy. My children witness firsthand what it looks like to rise from heartbreak and build something meaningful. They see that their mother chose courage over fear and purpose over despair. And I hope that one day, they will carry that same resilience into their own dreams.

A Message of Possibility

The story of Yes! Athletics is not one of tragedy—it is one of triumph. It is proof that from the deepest losses can come the greatest legacies. As a widowed single mom, I didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. I set out to solve a problem, support my daughter, and create a future. Along the way, I discovered that possibility lives even in the most unexpected places.

And that is what I want every woman to know: barriers are not walls, they are stepping stones. With courage, creativity, and determination, we can rise from loss, build businesses that matter, and leave legacies that inspire generations to come.