Mother’s Day cards usually feature some variation of a flowers-and-hearts motif. But a group of Toronto moms is looking to offer an alternative this Mother’s Day with cards that speak to the reality of the working mom: Fierce Mama Cards. Designed for power moms, these cards celebrate mom’s ambition, success and general bad-assery.

We chatted with Fierce Mama Cards founder, Kammy Ahuja, who works as the Design Director at The&Partnership.

SDTC: Why is this project important to you?

KA: This project is important to me because I love my child but also love to work, and a lot of other moms feel the same way. I want my colleagues who are fellow working moms to feel the camaraderie of our shared experiences, to know that their work does set a good example, and to chase their dreams because it inspires children to chase theirs. The process of creating these cards with a group of mamas was an experience unlike anything I’ve had before. It was such a true collaboration that celebrated everyone’s talents and skills. Our team consisted of myself, Alexis Bronstorph, Alicia den Ouden, Lindsay Di Tolla, Rica Eckersley and Kimberley Pereira.

Card shots by Natasha Nicholson

With these cards, how do you hope to change the conversation about motherhood?

I hope to shine a light on the fact that working moms are teaching their kids valuable things that aren’t typically celebrated, and that motherhood comes in all different shapes and sizes. It’s important for children, both male and female, to see women achieve success. And we should recognize ambition as a positive attribute in women.

Fave card from the series?

Asking if I have a favourite card is like asking a parent who’s their favourite child! They are all special to me in different ways. I will say the card that the team and I all rallied around as a starting point was “You don’t have to put me to bed to shape my dreams.” It was the first line that made us all stand up and say, “Yes, this is so true.” Perhaps it’s because our children are collectively quite young and bedtime is a precious thing in the early years. There is a lot of guilt felt when a parent can’t make it home. What this card addresses is that by following your own dreams, you are helping shape theirs, and there is so much beauty and strength in that sentiment. After we created this one, the rest of our cards found their voices.

How did your own mom inspire you to become the person you are today?

My mom has always been such an incredibly hard worker. At 44, while being a mother of four girls, my mom decided to go back to school to make a career change. She worked during the day, took care of the family, and went to school at night. My mom has always been a hustler and never believed in being complacent. Watching her take the initiative to make herself happier had such a lasting impression on me. Once she made the career switch, she always applied for promotions and positions that interested her. She never shied away from putting herself out there and always valued herself and what she brought to the table. This Mother’s Day, I’m going to give my mom the card that says: “Thanks for teaching me the ABCs. Ambition, Boss lady, and C-suite.”