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Just Be a Mom

Here is to the moms. The expecting moms, the new moms, the first-time moms, the experienced moms, the corporate moms, the struggling moms, the exhausted moms, the multi-tasking moms…. All of these “moms” describe me at some point in my life.

THE STRENGTH IS IN THE STRUGGLE

The hallway of Saint Paul Academy was cold, the carpeted floor was dirty from a day of 5th and 6th grader foot traffic. It was 1986, I sat outside of my 5th grade classroom waiting for my parents to wrap up their parent teacher conference with Mr. Brown and Mrs. Frost. The team teachers had a combined classroom of 5th and 6th graders, that is how Saint Paul Academy liked to run their educational program.

KNOW YOUR MOST VALUABLE TOOL

I was sitting in Panera carefully reviewing the plan for the day as my frustration continued to build. On this day, I was scheduled to work with a graduate from our companies Graduate Program. He was beginning a two-week cycle with the Commercial team and shadowing me for the day followed by shadowing my sales team members the rest of the week. Our scheduled meeting time had come and gone, and he had yet to arrive, text or call.

IT IS ALL IN THE DELIVERY

A good friend recently told me a story she heard in one of her leadership coaching sessions. The man leading the session had gone to dinner the previous evening with his family. His teenage daughter was in a horrible mood. When he inquired on what she was upset about, she reported that her soccer coach had called her out of practice and critiqued her playing. She felt like she was failing and was so upset by the feedback. The wife at the table instantly went into defense mode, promising her daughter that she was going to contact the coach and get this resolved since obviously he was being a “real jerk”. The father in this conversation could not keep a straight face as he witnessed this back and forth. Once the daughter and mother finished, the wife inquired “what are you smiling about”? He stated simply, you are both upset because the coach was coaching.

MEET HER IN THE MIDDLE

Four weeks before my first son was born in 2004, I was promoted to a Regional Managers position; I began reporting to a man that had little patience for the idea that I was going to have my first child in a few weeks.

THIS PLAYING FIELD IS NOT EVEN

What if every corporation was required to have equal representation on their executive team within the next 10 years? Equal number of men to women and diversity representation. If this was a requirement and every corporation had to meet the requirement, just like they are required to provide a safe working environment for all employees.

DETERMINE THEIR WHY AND CONNECT WITH YOUR HEART

Middle managers get the pleasure and sometimes the struggle of working with a revolving door of employees that will come and go too quickly and sometimes not fast enough.

UNCONSCIOUS ACTIONS ARE ROCKING YOUR REALITY

When I first started my career and began writing emails for the purpose of primary communication, I would often use the word “think”.

YOU WILL TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO TREAT YOU

I feel like this subject could be a book in and of itself. I speak often with colleagues that express a complete exhaustion in a non-stop workday. The constant barrage of emails, texts and sometimes even phone calls into the late night or early morning. International responsibilities and COVID only compounding this unrelenting stress. There becomes no true start to their day and no true end.

THE MIDDLE IS MESSY

I was nearly 9 months pregnant with my second son and a National Sales Manager with a corner office. I was ready to go into labor at any moment. As my secretary put the caller on hold, she said “This man is really mad and I am not really sure why?”