Two Alberta women have made the Top 5 in Total Mom Pitch, a national competition that helps support moms launching their own business.

The opportunity has opened the door to a whole community of women that offer support — not only in business — but also at home.

On March 15, the candidates will pitch their business to a panel of judges, who then decide on a winner.

Jenelle Peterson and Janna Hattingh both launched their businesses just as the world was sliding into a pandemic.

Both women faced a number of challenges while trying to balance being a boss and taking care of their young kids.

Wild | Life Adventures LTD.

Peterson, who started up Wild | Life Adventures LTD., said making the Top 5 and joining a community of businesswomen and moms has already made a big difference for her.

“I have always worked in big corporate settings so venturing out into an entrepreneurial endeavor, being on my own, was very different for me.”

Peterson launched Wild | Life Outdoor Adventures to help parents inspire their kids to get outside to learn, explore and have some fun.

While she had her own support group before the Total Mom Pitch, Peterson said she has found a group of women who have the same challenges and understand her hardships.

“I find that I had my mom friends and then I had my career friends and there was nobody in between that understood both of those worlds and the balance that you need to have every single day,” Peterson said.

Business is booming and Peterson said demand is there for the subscription boxes. However, what her company needs right now is mentorship, support and resources, and winning the Total Mom Pitch will fill those gaps.

“The whole prize pack would really allow us to kind of accelerate our growth, capitalize on economies of scale, lower our costs and ultimately, reach more Canadians,” Peterson added.