How to "mom" from the C-suite

0:00 (bright instrumental music) 0:18 - You know as a mom it's really tempting sometimes 0:22 to lose your identity, to taking care of kids. 0:25 I have teenagers at four cares in total, 0:27 and as they've become all independent, 0:29 all driving themselves, taking themselves to practices, 0:33 I sort of feel like part of my role 0:34 got relegated to making lunch in the morning. 0:37 And so I realized how little they really need me 0:39 at this point on the physical side, 0:41 emotionally support-wise they need me. 0:44 But therefore it's really important for a mom 0:46 to retain their own sense of identity. 0:49 Which then makes you a more interesting parent. 0:52 - Before I became a mom 0:54 I didn't have a working mom or (indistinct). 0:56 And I think I bought into a lot of the stereotypes 0:59 about working moms, 1:01 being frazzled and not doing anything well, 1:04 because they were trying to do all of the things. 1:07 But I have found that being a mom has enhanced my career. 1:11 I think I'm more grounded. 1:14 I think I'm more empathetic of other colleagues 1:19 and coworkers who may have a lot going on in their lives. 1:22 And I think a lot of the skills that I used as a mom, 1:26 I also use with my own team team. 1:28 - Tip for moms to be successful 1:30 and true for anybody to be successful is be flexible. 1:33 A lot of us like to be in our comfort zone. 1:35 We like to do the same job we've done for years, 1:37 but there is no reward for being safe. 1:40 So go out and look for a change. 1:42 Don't be afraid of that new job 1:44 with a new project that's coming up. 1:46 Everybody understands at the start that you're learning. 1:49 They, you know, if you ask for help, 1:51 they'll give you the help 1:52 and you'll be surprised at how much you're gonna grow 1:55 by seeking that change. 1:56 - I would say you definitely have to consider 1:58 what path you wanna take in terms of a family 2:01 for me personally. 2:02 Once I had chosen what industry 2:04 I wanna be in, 2:05 I tried a few different jobs 2:07 to figure out how I would combine 2:09 my professional aspirations with my family aspirations. 2:13 And this is before I was even married or had children. 2:15 But I would definitely recommend that 2:17 and take a look at the senior ladies around the office 2:20 and how they're able to balance both their career 2:22 and family life. 2:23 And then determine if that's something that you can do 2:26 or can't do. 2:26 - Well having a family drastically changes your life, 2:29 whether you think it does or not. 2:31 So just not be too hard on yourself 2:34 when something has to shift a little 2:36 or your focus has to shift, 2:38 or you're not able to give specific time 2:40 or attention to something as much as you had before. 2:43 I think that's really important. 2:45 The other thing is to set clear expectations 2:48 of the people around you, 2:50 whether it's in your house 2:51 or in the people that you work for, 2:53 it's a partnership. 2:54 And even if you have older children in the home, 2:56 everybody has to step up and have some responsibility. 3:00 - I think, you know, raising a family for me has, 3:02 you know, changed my priorities over the years. 3:04 For me, my kids have always been my motivator. 3:06 They, you know, been the reason why I do this 3:09 I'm a better mom because I work and because I'm fulfilled, 3:12 they've always been, you know, 3:13 their driving force behind it. 3:15 I became more ambitious because they were wanting me. 3:17 (bright instrumental music)