This as-told-to essay originates from a thoughtful conversation with Samantha Gold, the visionary founder and chief executive officer of the children’s pajama brand Motette. For readability, her account has been carefully adapted, with edits made for coherence and conciseness while preserving her voice and experiences.
In 2024, a significant shift in both my personal and professional life began when my husband was offered an exciting career opportunity in Sydney, Australia. At that time, our family was settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where I was fully immersed in my role as CEO of the women’s apparel label, Elizabeth James The Label. Despite how rewarding that position was, I had long been contemplating the idea of building something entirely my own. The impending international relocation felt like a natural turning point—an ideal window to finally pursue this entrepreneurial dream. With determination and a leap of faith, I resigned from my established position. Together, my husband and I chose to invest the profits from the sale of our home directly into launching a new venture. After months of research, planning, and preparation—an often exhaustive but exhilarating process—I officially introduced Motette, my children’s pajama brand, in March 2025. At the outset, I believed that managing a U.S.-focused business while residing abroad in Australia would be demanding yet still entirely achievable.
However, reality soon challenged those assumptions. For the past year, I have adhered to a grueling schedule, beginning work around three o’clock in the morning and continuing until nearly four in the afternoon. Although the business has exceeded expectations and grown steadily, the lifestyle has proven to be unsustainable. Acknowledging that, my family and I have made the decision to relocate back to the United States in the coming months. This move will not only make it possible for me to maintain a healthier work-life balance but also ensure that the company continues to thrive without the constant strain on my physical and emotional wellbeing.
The essence of Motette lies in both design and material. Our pajamas are crafted from bamboo, a fabric known not only for its silky comfort but also for its UV resistance and renewable qualities, making it an environmentally sustainable choice. The prints themselves are deeply influenced by something quite personal to me—my passion for interior design. I have an enduring love for spaces that radiate elegance and sophistication, and I weave that same aesthetic into the patterns we produce. Many admirers of the brand have remarked that our prints are so refined, they resemble designs one might expect to see adorning luxury wallpaper, which has been a point of pride and validation for me. The company was born from a very personal frustration: as a mother of two young children, ages two and three, I struggled to find pajamas that reflected my own sense of style. I wanted simplicity, beauty, and cohesion—garments free of garish slogans, flashy sequins, or overly bold colors that clashed with the serene aesthetic I preferred. The brand, therefore, sprung directly from those personal needs and became a creative outlet that combined parenting, design, and entrepreneurship.
Because Motette is entirely self-funded, resourcefulness has been an absolute necessity. With no full-time employees, I have instead built a reliable support network by collaborating with eight hardworking women based in the Philippines, each of whom plays an essential role in sustaining day-to-day operations. Their contributions cannot be overstated. One member of the team handles community engagement and manages social media—an area fundamental to our marketing strategy. She reaches out via Instagram each day, introducing our brand to potential customers and fostering authentic connections, an effort that has consistently driven tangible results. Others assist with crucial tasks such as orchestrating email campaigns, contacting boutiques for wholesale placement, and managing digital advertising. By outsourcing these operational components, I have been able to stretch our resources further while focusing my own energy on higher-level strategy and creative vision.
Still, managing the significant time-zone disparity between Sydney and the U.S. East Coast has dictated my unconventional work hours. For context, when it is mid-afternoon in New York, the clock is striking dawn in Sydney. To achieve even two or three productive overlap hours with American buyers, partners, or customers, I must wake and begin working before sunrise, often at 3 a.m. Typically, my morning opens with a crowded inbox demanding attention. Once I catch up on emails and complete necessary meetings during that early American business window, I shift into the more creative and design-oriented aspects of my role once their day winds down. There are, admittedly, subtle benefits to this arrangement: much of the administrative burden is finished early, leaving hours of quieter creative time. Yet, the toll is undeniable. By the late afternoon in Sydney—when my children return from daycare—I am drained and depleted, often unable to give them the playful, attentive energy they deserve from their mother.
Despite these difficulties, the brand’s progress makes me deeply proud. In only four months, Motette has not only earned consistent sales and unwaveringly positive customer feedback, but we have also achieved coveted partnerships, including collaborations with Maisonette and Bloomingdale’s Online. Such rapid milestones reflect both the strength of the concept and the effort invested. Still, maintaining this punishing routine has come at a personal cost. If circumstances were different—if I were single or did not have children—I might have been able to tolerate such a nocturnal lifestyle indefinitely. However, my reality as a mother makes it untenable. Physically, my health has borne the consequences: I experience heightened stress, my skin has suffered painful breakouts, and regular exhaustion clouds my days. Attempts at healing, such as giving up coffee entirely and seeking guidance from a naturopath to regulate my nervous system, have not produced the desired relief. Emotionally, I am weighed down by the awareness that I cannot be fully present with my children as often as I long to be.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of my husband, who has selflessly shouldered an unbalanced share of our family responsibilities this past year. From waking with our children at night while I am working, to taking charge of daycare drop-offs each morning, he has consistently stepped into the gaps where I could not. When we discussed moving back to the United States, he wholeheartedly agreed it was the best choice for our family. With his career in tech sales, we are optimistic about ample opportunities in Austin, Texas, where we plan to resettle. Though I genuinely love living in Sydney—the lifestyle, the beauty, the opportunities for adventure—I recognize that prioritizing balance is critical. Ultimately, returning to the U.S. will allow me to reclaim a healthier rhythm, one that will make me not only a more capable business leader but also a more present mother and a better version of myself overall.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/working-early-hours-running-kids-clothing-brand-australia-us-2025-8
