Industry - Leadership Development & Coaching

A Little Bit About Our Family

Our family is an active and very tight-knit one - our 5 young children keep my husband and I very busy and the past few years definitely haven't lacked excitement either.  We had our 5th baby on 3/1/2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic, so what I thought was going to be a very quiet maternity leave (until school let out, of course) turned out to be just the opposite.  We came home from the hospital, the 4 older kids started Spring Break and never returned to school.  So, my reaction...BUCKLE UP...here we go!  My husband is a Partner at his Law Firm, so while he worked from home for a brief time at the beginning, he was back in the office fairly quickly and tied up most of the day.  However, as I look back on that time one word comes to mind...grateful.  I am grateful that time slowed down a bit.  I am grateful that my kids found friendships with one another again.  I am grateful we were able to find joy in the little things - like walks, sidewalk chalk, board games, and hikes - lots and lots of hikes. I am grateful that we maximized our time together as a family and experienced new things...things we never would have done had the world not stopped for a brief moment in time. 

A Lot Can Change Over Time

I worked for large corporations and a small business the last 15 years, with my most recent role in a large manufacturing company in the Twin Cities for almost a decade.  I enjoyed every role I had and met some incredible people because of the opportunities that were presented to me.  I was lucky to work for some amazing women and men.  These individuals understood the responsibilities that came with being a working mom of a lot of young children and yet gave me unwavering support.  I was one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately, as we have seen with many working mothers, even that isn't enough.  Flexible working arrangements aren't enough.  Extended parental leave isn't enough.  A few extra days of PTO isn't enough. Telling me to read a work-life balance book isn't enough.

While I was on maternity leave, I had some time to reflect a bit.  As I was preparing to go back to work, I felt like I wanted more.  I wanted to make a difference.  I wanted to help others.  There are so many women that aren't as lucky as I was and, unfortunately, they have to make a choice.  A choice between their family and their career.  I founded Mom Mastermind to help these women and to give businesses options to support these women - how to support women that are struggling with how to have both a career and be present at home, and support them to succeed in both, because that really is the key.  To find joy and fulfillment with your family and still perform your very best at work.  So, here I am.  I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be an entrepreneur, but I also now know what it means to find purpose in what you are doing.

Balancing Career and Motherhood

I don't know if there is such a thing as 'balance' when it comes to being a working mother - it's about CHOICES.  As I went through my time in the few companies I worked for, I was always very clear on my priorities.  When that promotion or new job opportunity was presented to me, I made sure my schedule was known and what they could expect from me.  I let my work speak for itself.  If that wasn't going to fit into their organization, then it wasn't the right fit for me.  When I was at work, I was AT work.  When I was at home, I was AT home.  When I say AT, I mean PRESENT. So, when I was at work, I maximized my time and output while I was there.  Sometimes that meant I didn't go down for coffee with everyone or skipped a Friday lunch with friends so I could get home earlier and start the weekend with my family, and I was perfectly fine with that.  I wasn't going to miss a gymnastics competition, a dance recital, a softball game, football practice or baseball game.  I wanted to go down to the playground with my kids on the weekend, not spend it on a computer putting a presentation together.  I want to soak in and cherish every second with my kiddos before I'm not 'cool' to hang out with anymore - even though I hope that day never comes, I know it will. 

Final Thoughts

I challenged myself to take a risk and make an impact.  I wake up every morning looking forward to helping one more working mom.  I am so thankful and blessed to have an amazing support system made up of an incredible husband, incredible kiddos, an amazing family and awesome friends.  I am surrounded by inspiring women that I have met throughout the years and I have learned many things from each of them.  I know I am lucky and each day I am grateful for the blessings and opportunities I have had.

Each day is changing and with change comes excitement!  Each day I remind my kids to always be kind and smile more. You never know whose day you could be making and whose life you are impacting. Ultimately, that is what I want to do - make a positive impact on a group of women I know and understand.