Reese Witherspoon is reflecting on the moments in her life when she recognized she had to "make decisions" on her own—both as a mother and a businessperson.

The 48-year-old actress joined her colleagues Laura Dern and Octavia Spencer at the Shine Away event hosted by her production company, Hello Sunshine. During the panel, Witherspoon reflected on making tough decisions in both her personal life and career.

When she was asked if there was an "a-ha" moment in her life where she "found" her voice, Witherspoon shared that she has experienced 'so many' moments of realization. She said she finds motivation in Hello Sunshine's mission, saying, “We look for stories where women saved themselves.” She believes every woman has faced situations where they've had to rely on their own strength, whether it's a financial challenge, educational pursuit, or a troubled relationship. As she noted, “There's a moment in all of our lives when you realize no one's coming to help, no one's coming to make that decision.” Witherspoon added, "For me, I have to make that decision. I've had a lot of those. Being a single mom when I was in my late twenties, I had to make a lot of decisions for my two kids and a lot of financial decisions, too."

She gave birth to her first child, Ava, at 23, with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe. The couple, who married before Ava's birth in 1999, welcomed their second child, Deacon, in 2003. Their marriage ended in 2008 after Witherspoon filed for divorce in 2006. She later married Jim Toth in 2011 and had a son, Tennessee, in 2012. After 11 years, Witherspoon and Toth announced their decision to divorce.

In her professional life, Witherspoon recalled struggling with Hello Sunshine's finances despite critical acclaim for her work on Big Little Lies. “I had four employees and couldn't keep the lights on. I thought, 'I'm doing something wrong.” This realization led her to seek assistance and create a solid business plan, acknowledging, “It's also good to know what you're not good at.”

Witherspoon is rumored to be dating financier Oliver Haarmann. The pair have been spotted out together several times, with sources confirming to People that they are "casually" dating.

"She enjoys it but doesn't want it to be a big focus. She's busy with work and her son," the source noted. "These are her biggest priorities."