Kids Boutique Owner Talks About Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
For St Andrew-based entrepreneur, Georgian Eccleston, the demands of running a business while raising a family have tested her endurance, discipline and sense of purpose. Yet, for more than 12 years, she has quietly mastered that balance, growing a children’s clothing boutique while navigating motherhood as a single parent.
A mother of three, Ms Eccleston’s days rarely follow a fixed rhythm. Her typical day starts at 5:00 a.m., and even when she returns home around 8:00 p.m., responsibilities are still waiting. Between school runs, supporting her eldest daughter, who turns 13 in August, caring for her nine-year-old son and tending to her nine-month-old newborn, she also finds herself fulfilling orders, managing suppliers and keeping her boutique running in the heart of Half Way Tree. The demands are constant, but for her, it is about finding a way to get it all done.
“You have to separate them,” she emphasised. “Sometimes the responsibilities are combined but the mission is always about supporting my family and definitely taking care of my kids; giving them the life that I didn’t have,” she said while reflecting on her own upbringing – born in Montego Bay, St James, raised in Clarendon and later settling in the corporate area as an adult.
Her business, Gosh It’s Cute, itself was born out of observation and need.
The storefront of Georgian Eccleston’s Kids Boutique, Gosh It’s Cute, located in Half Way Tree, St Andrew.
“I felt like I didn’t see much fashion for kids,” she shared, noting that she took a leap of faith more than a decade ago to fill a gap in the market. What started as a small idea has grown into a sustained operation, shaped by persistence and, sometimes, long hours. Along the way, she also accessed financial support, including a JN Bank Small Business Loan, using it not only to support the growth of her business, but to also strengthen her financial foundation and creditworthiness.
“I was always weighing down myself doing everything on my own, but I was advised that I should build my credit,” she said referring to the concept of borrowing and paying the loan back on time to create a good financial reputation with lenders.
For Ms Eccleston, her children are her “biggest motivators”, anchoring every decision she makes and every sacrifice she endures. In their free time, they even take part in supporting the business in fun and age-appropriate ways, sometimes modelling outfits from the store and sharing in the creative side of the brand.
“Kids are a blessing. They are the ones driving me and I work really hard because of them,” she stressed. I do my own inventory, I do my own shopping for the business, I am my own content creator, and I do the marketing and social media for the business too,” she pointed out while adding that she manages three employees.
Still, the balancing act is far from easy, and “sometimes it gets really overwhelming,” but Ms Eccleston said she has learned to navigate her daily tasks and challenges with patience, purpose and a strong support system that includes her own mother.
“There’s always going to be financial pressure taking care of the kids and absorbing all the costs. You also have to manage your own time with getting up, sending them to school, making sure you’re at their different PTA meetings, helping with homework and that they’re well-kept.”
“Sometimes we lack empathy for ourselves and don’t show ourselves any grace, but people around me will say ‘listen, you’re doing very well, continue.’ Beyond that, when I look at how far I’ve come, I just remind myself there is still a lot more to do and I have to grow beyond just here,” she added.
Describing herself as “a creative mother,” she said, “I’m always getting new ideas,” noting that she has already expanded the original business into two additional brands, including skincare products as well as exotic snacks and treats.
“In the same building, there’s a mini deli where you can get light snacks, including wraps, sweet bowls, milkshakes and so on,” she shared.
As many countries prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day in May, her message to other mothers building businesses or business owners trying to balance motherhood, is to not go at it alone and to prioritise self-preservation.
“It’s not easy. It’s more challenging, especially without a support team,” she related.
“Entrepreneurship too is not a walk in the park especially if you’re trying to build your brand. You have to pour into yourself and it’s also important to take breaks. Having a good team is critical, which allows you to step back, rest and rejuvenate. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t give your best to the business,” she said.
