by Solange Lopes | Apr 26, 2017 | Start Your Business, Working Mom & Woman Tips
This post is part of a Working Mom series run by The Corporate Sister in honor of Mother’ Day.
So you thought this entrepreneur thing would be all glitz and glam? That you’d finally get a full 8 hours of sleep while running your empire and keeping up with your weekly facials? The life of a successful, thriving mompreneur sporting slick hair, an impeccable manicure and the latest Louboutins…
Fast-forward into the (real) entrepreneurial world, and here you are, broken nails, hanging over the dinner casserole as you’re about to drop your cell phone in the pan while yelling at your nightmarish customer… Did you just get that mental picture? Yes, it’s that of a successful mompreneur juggling kids, dinnertime, broken nails, and a hopefully growing empire…
Truth is, I no longer want to hear about entrepreneurship as this safe haven for all our childhood dreams…Especially as a tired mom who can’t seem to convince my youngest to abide to daily showering for cleanliness’s sake, or get my primer to actually keep the doggone makeup on for more than a couple hours…
The reality is that for most mompreneurs out there, glitz and glam are as elusive as shaving every week (especially in the winter). Unless you’ve reached mogul status, in which case you still have to bribe your kids not to pull your fancy earrings or drop tapioca pudding in your Victoria’s Secret fine bra, you’re struggling…
You’re struggling to get everybody in and out of the shower with clean teeth and semi-clean bodies (trust me, there is no foolproof way of checking every one of the little body crevices). You’re struggling to type the next blog post while dear daughter is painting your toe nails with kiddie nail polish. And you’re struggling to finish that client project when everyone else in the house is snoring, and your eyes are arguing with you to shut down once and for all (and you know the suckers will win)…
Nothing against “dad-preneurs”, or “male-preneurs” everywhere, but there’s something about putting together two life missions like motherhood and entrepreneurship/following your calling/heeding the call that makes it a unique and oh so demanding combination…It’s not like you can clock out at 5pm, shut off that”work” compartment and go have “family time”…
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re breathing entrepreneurship. And if you’re a mom, you’re breathing motherhood…If you’re both, you’re constantly catching your breath as you’re running from one demand to the other…No bathroom breaks here…
What I’ve learnt about being an air-deprived mompreneur with toes painted with kiddie nail polish can be summarized in three easy bullet points (because there’s no time for more, really):
Let’s start with a quick reality check…There’s something about entrepreneurship that has this “never finished” quality. Which means the whole glamorous side of it, including sitting at a well-organized desk, surrounded by positive affirmations and healthy lemon water? Not so much. It’s the stuff of well-lit Instagram posts that aim to convince you that being a mompreneur is so seductive…
Instead, what you really may deal with may range from not having time to shower, and taking client calls while holding the baby in one arm and stirring the dinner pot with the other. Because entrepreneurship is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle, unlike traditional 9-to-5 that can be left behind after hours. And for moms, it happens to add onto an already packed schedule.
After the glum first reality check, let’s add that it does get easier. The biggest hurdle as to being a mompreneur is setting a more or less flexible schedule to adhere to on a daily basis. And that requires time to fine-tune all your obligations, appointments and to-do’s into a somewhat harmonized day, all the while managing to get decent sleep and comb your hair every now and again…
The part when it gets easier is when you get better at planning your days, making room for the unexpected, and making peace with not hitting all your goals all the time. Oh, and rewarding yourself too for all those times you make it to the finish line with the same shoes on each foot…
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You get better all around!
Did I mention being a mompreneur is a lifestyle all in itself? Which also means it requires you to integrate all the different parts of your life into a coherent whole, while making sure everyone’s fed, bathed, dressed and not left behind…
The great thing about going through the hardships of being a mompreneur is that these teach you invaluable tools to manage chaos. This means you get mentally tougher, you execute better, and you learn to discern the priorities from the not-so-important stuff.
Does it all come at once? Certainly not. It’s going to be a long-term trial-and-error type of thing. But in the end, or as you joyfully spring somewhere towards the light at the end of the tunnel, it all becomes clearer. What matters, what does not, and what really needs to go…And that’s the gift!
What has been your reality as a mompreneur?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Apr 25, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
When the “Take Your Daughter to Work” Day (celebrated on the fourth Thursday of April) was founded back in 1993, the point of it all was to promote gender equality. While it expanded to include sons 10 years later, there’s something about the very fact that we can show our daughters what it means to be a working woman that shouldn’t be overlooked. Or treated lightly…
I mean, it’s one thing saying to dear daughter that she can become anything she puts her mind to. It’s another to actually show her. And not just in terms of what Mommy or Daddy does, but in terms of what it possible, beyond Mom’s Feng shui cubicle or Dad’s dusty desk…
If you’re getting ready to dust off your desk and make your cubicle/office baby-daughter-ready, then here are 5 lessons you may want to consider sharing with baby girl on ‘Take Your Daughter to Work” Day:
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Girls (and women) can do all kinds of work
I have to say, my first impulse to take Dear Daughter to work can be summed up in two words: Girl Power! I do want her to see that girls, and women, are represented in workplaces. Not just through the glorious (and slightly disorganized) examples of her own mom and dad, but by observing other women at work as well.
This means not just taking Dear Daughter around you own department or group, but also giving her a tour of the company, especially around female leadership. It’s important for our daughters to see that women can fill many positions and roles at work, from CEO to janitor, and to let them form their own images of what the working world looks like…
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There’s no such a thing as perfect balance
After all the initial Girl Power moments, comes the much-needed reality check lesson. I have to admit, one of my big first reality checks coming into adulthood “working mode” was that there isn’t any balance whatsoever as a working woman. Not just because we have kids or significant others or a social life, but because having a career is an automatic one-way into no-balance land. Between being our best selves at work, slaying our life goals, returning calls and paying the mortgage on time, working life is a juggling act.
So one of the most important lessons I’ve always wanted to pass on to Dear Daughter is to not expect the whole work thing to be nice and neat and organized. Which means teaching our daughters that the chaos of early mornings, unexpected traffic jams, and dealing with crisis at work is normal. And can actually be fun if we take it all as a challenge, as opposed to insurmountable obstacles…
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Work can look like a lot of different things
This is the part that I’d call “job diversity”. Ok, maybe this is not the optimal term, but it works for now…And it consists in carefully imprinting in Baby Daughter the idea that work is not just what Mommy (or Daddy) does. It’s not just what the well-dressed CEO sitting at the clean desk overlooking the Bay area does either.
It’s also what the lady janitor does so well when she cleans the toilets. Or what the lady at the building entrance does when registering guests inside the offices…
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Work can change
One of the most frequent misconceptions we may unwillingly transmit to our children is that work is static. That Mommy or Daddy goes to the same job every day, gets money for it that they can in turn use to buy them toys or pay for the tokens at Chuck-e Cheese. Pretty basic, right?
Except what this does is stick our kids into the idea that work is this humongous prison all adults go lock themselves in every day. Wrong! Instead, why not use Take Your Daughter to Work day as an incentive to realize that work does change. This can be done by having them talk to other women (and men) at work who had different careers and positions throughout their careers.
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You have to find the work that makes you happy!
Last but not least, work is what should give you the same feeling as when you complete a difficult puzzle, or help a friend in need, or run through that obstacle course you never thought you could even begin. Work is fulfilling, satisfying, challenging. Work makes you happy, and on edge, and full, whatever that looks like…
What lessons would you teach your daughter on Take Your Daughter to Work Day?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Apr 11, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
You know the drill…Spring break’s knocking on your working parent’s busy mind, and you start to (slightly) panic. Ok, maybe not you, the overachieving working mom over there who’s got your kids’ schedule down to the last second…But for the rest of us, aka me, myself and I, remembering that it’s violin day and which lunch bag goes into which backpack is stretching my overactive neurons enough. Never mind coming up with entertaining ideas for an entire week to keep two kids under 10 active making memories and hopefully having something, anything, to tell their class when they go back to school…
I mean, the Spring Break struggle is real! We’ve gone from the usual museum and park visits to literally being pressured to come up with innovative schemes to keep kids (and other fellow parents) on their toes. The whole thing has turned into a parental production, what with social media hyping up your fellow (and craftier) parents’ exploits at planning the perfect Spring break and all…
And here comes the less crafty, slightly planning-adverse, and thriftier mom…May we add she may not have had time to make reservations months in advance, or figured out what snacks are best to pack or what the weather will be in two weeks…
So for all the busy working parents out there who may not have their kids’ schedules pre-planned five weeks in advance, or who may just realizing Spring break is actually starting in a few days (it happens), here are some quick tips on pulling off a break to remember (in addition to scoring your kids’ gratitude forever, plus a few social media likes too):
Schedule It!
I know, I know, the whole point is not to add more to our to-do lists, right? Well, when it comes to kids being on break, being spontaneous and carefree is certainly great! Except when it takes the whole day to get out of the house, find the keys, you know, the regular stuff…But it pays to have somewhat of a routine in place, especially during breaks!
For us, it means scheduling the day ahead of time and making it fun by having the kids participate. While it makes them feel empowered and in charge (somewhat), it takes away the drudgery of planning, in addition to giving the parents a creativity break. You know…
We like to move it, move it!
The worst Spring break, or any break for that matter, sin is not to move. End result: kids going stir-crazy and driving you to open that bottle of rose earlier than expected! So think activities that make the little people move while learning something in the process! Apparently, activities that involve moving also help with retaining information and reading comprehension. Whether it’s outdoor gallery walks when the weather’s nice, or indoor kids’ museums for more weather-inclement days, pick activities that help everyone move!
When in doubt, spend time in the kitchen!
Listen, there are days when you just don’t know what other museum to visit, or arts and crafts to pull out your tired sleeve. And if there’s one activity that needs to get done, unless everyone’s trying to go on the no-food diet, it’s cooking!
For us, it means involving the kids with dinner. While it can be a process, and a hot mess to boot, it’s a great way to bond. Plus the perfect opportunity to have them brush up on their maths and reading skills, because you know, ain’t nobody ruining dinner because they can’t measure ingredients. ‘Nuff said…
Hello Memories!
Look, we do want some credit for letting the kids destroy the kitchen, and have us run through the Children’s Museum like we didn’t just let our gym membership slide for the past year…So catch a break by having the kids create their own memories of Spring Break. Whether it’s journaling, doing arts and crafts, or recording their favorite moments, allow them to use their creative juices to make mementos.
And for the non-crafty moms like myself, it’s a great opportunity to sit down somewhere and catch your breath…
The (relaxing) truth is in the dirt!
Here’s a revelation for all Type-A moms who have a personal issue with dirt. Make friends with it, fast! Some of the best Spring break activities and memories are build around…dirt and mess! Whether it’s finger painting, sand playing, or other dirt involving devices, one surefire way to keep the kids occupied (and happy) during breaks is to let them get their hands dirty..
Besides, sensory experiences are known to help correct right and left brain imbalances. So there, a scientific reason to let dirt prevail (somewhat)…
What other suggestions do you have to keep kids busy on Spring Break?
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Apr 3, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
So it happened! The cup tipped over, and the coffee spilled all over my ol’ faithful Mac. I mean, all over…Right in the middle of my article! I was having a good morning too…And right there, in front of my horrified eyes, the screen sputters, and goes black…Worst nightmare!
And of course, I wasn’t prepared… Who’s ever prepared anyways? It also seems to happen when none of your data is backed up, when you’ve forgotten about the cloud, and when you have that client thing due like…tomorrow!
And when you combine lack of preparedness with lack of tech savvy, plus a serious high level of impatience and having to pick up he kids in the next hour, the end result can spell disaster!
How after weathering the loss of my ok’ faithful and contemplating the possibily of losing every family pic and word from the last 5 years or so, here are a few lessons learned from the depths of No Tech Land:
Avoid tech disaster but be ready for it!
Ok I didn’t mean to sound that gloomy… but really! If you don’t have your stuff already backed up on a regular basis, start now! Find the cloud, or some memory device, and back up your data regularly!
Research what to do when disaster strikes!
“Did you flip the laptop when it all happened so the water would not seep into the circuit board?”
“I hope you didn’t keep turning it on after the laptop went off, it would create a short-circuit!”
Great, everyone was telling me what I should have done after I really needed the info. Of course, I didn’t flip the laptop upside down, or unplugged it and refrained from turning it on for some time. No, what I did was frantically turning it on while cleaning it with a towel (thus allowing all the coffee to seep deeper into it)…I mean, how was I supposed to know?
So long story short, take some time to read up on what you’re supposed to do (and not do) when tech disaster strikes! Or ask around, or at least attempt to know what not to do if you spill coffee on your laptop, or drop it from the kitchen table…
Breathe and stay calm!
If you only use your laptop to pay the bills or play around online, tech disaster may hurt but not as much as if you’re an entrepreneur and your whole life/income is saved on it! Truth be told, I failed miserably at this…Instead of remaining calm, cool and composed, of course, I freaked out, frantically hitting the start button on my laptop…
Lesson learned: instead of panicking, accept the situation for what it is. You can’t go back in time, so take a deep breath…
Contact higher-ups, clients and anyone else relying on your work
If anyone is relying on you to submit any work/documentation/files that require you to have use of your laptop, contact them first! As soon as you can text, call or contact supervisors, bosses, professors, clients, etc, please do so and inform them of the situation.
Providing an early heads up will help smooth things out, and buying the time you need to address the situation.
Find other alternatives!
Being out of a computer is no reason to slack off! Make use of other resources, such as asking for a loaner for instance. If you’re a freelancer or entrepreneur, find the closest library and use it for free! You can also opt to split your time between the library and your office, if you happen to be a corporatepreneur.
Accept the help of others as well! Your friends and family may offer to lend a hand. Your office may also offer you great alternatives. Graciously say yes!
Make this resolution: “I will always back up my files!”
Nothing like experiencing a situation like this to take your precautions! At least I’ve learnt my lesson…Which prompted me to invest in an external hard drive. Yes, we have the Cloud nowadays, but not all your files can be stored on it. If anything, consider investing in an external hard drive, and backup your files at least once a month.
I also use tools such as Google Docs and Dropbox, through which I can access my documents on the web at any time.
You turn: How have you survived a computer crash in your career or business?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Mar 12, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Sweepstakes – Duns Castle, Ireland
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has always been one of my favorite movies! As we get ready to celebrate the release of the Beauty and the Beast movie on March 17th, what better way to celebrate than with a stay at a gorgeous castle! For the occasion, Home Away is hosting a sweepstakes just in time for the movie’s release.
This sweepstake is giving you and 20 guests the chance to win a stay at Duns Castle in Ireland. If you’re really a fan of “The Beauty and The Beast”, the scenery won’t fail to charm and take you back!
See below a few pics of Duns Castle in Ireland, as well as a video showing the absolutely gorgeous grounds:
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Sweepstakes – Duns Castle, Ireland
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Sweepstakes – Duns Castle, Ireland
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” Sweepstakes – Duns Castle, Ireland
Want to join in the Beauty and the Beast fun? Click HERE to participate in the sweepstakes!
Good Luck!
The Corporate Sis.
PS: This is a sponsored post. Please note I get compensated when you choose to enter the sweepstakes.
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by Solange Lopes | Mar 5, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
So I went on a road trip with the kids during their last February vacation. Yes, me…the adventure/risk-adverse, long-distance-driving-adverse, patience-impaired, non-sneaker/practical-shoes-wearing, coffee-fueled mom took on the mission to drive my kids two states away to visit the BFF. Because I had dared myself, all atop my six-inch heels, to kick the fear and try something new…You know, those things you say after reading positive quotes in chain on Instagram and vowing to change your life…before you actually realize what kind of hot mess you’ve just volunteered for…
And when said hot mess involves two kids with (stubborn) minds of their own, the open highway, and unpredictable bladders, you know it’s a wrap…So for all the moms like myself who are not experts at packing ahead of time, not forgetting the toothbrushes, or taking enough underwear, here’s my own, no-shame-in-my-game version of the non-adventurous mom’s guide to survive road trips with kids. Because: no mom is perfect, that’s why they invented coffee and waterproof concealer…
Behold the packing list!
Who else is a pro at packing everything but the toothpaste and everyone’s underwear? Stop frontin’, you know you did…Let’s keep it real, unless you’ve got your life together (which who does really?), or you’re from my mother’s direct (and chronically late) lineage, you may be packing about an hour before leaving…
So to ward off the crazy prospects of looking for strawberry-flavored toothpaste somewhere between interstate highways, make a packing list. So no matter when you actually get around to packing throwing clothing and useful general hygiene objects into traveling bags, you don’t have to discriminate against your brain for premature ageism…
Just grab some fun list pads like these, write it all down, stick it on the fridge where you can find it, and give that mommy brain of yours a well-deserved break…Just sayin’…
Respect your bladders!
When you have to stop in the middle of the Connecticut suburbs and hide your kids squatting behind the car because they’re about to pee themselves, you start respecting the Queen Bladder. There are many things in nature you can remedy, but if you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go…
So don’t do like I did and try skipping in service areas so “we can get there faster”, only to have a general family peeing session by the roadside, with cars driving by…Instead, have a pee stop before leaving the house, and pretty much every time you see a rest area. Oh, and don’t trust those little humans to tell you they have to go ahead of time. The only signal you’ll get is something resembling a loud cry before the peeing waterfalls open for service…You get the drift…
And if you’re in the middle of potty training, drop everything and get yourself some Luvs. I’m telling you, it ain’t worth it…
Got Cleaning Supplies?
Speaking of bodily fluids and other food messes, unless you want to drive in a giant mobile trash, please pack along some cleaning supplies. After my initial road trip disasters, I always like to take some easy plastic bags (these scented ones are my faves), and some baby wipes like these generic Parent’s Choice ones. And because there are serious chances you will drop your coffee on top of the ill-packed snacks, some disinfecting wipes like these Clorox ones might help…
Snack smart!
Road trip snacking 101: if you want to stop at every service area for a general peeing session, pack loads of juices! And if you’ve not experienced the whole road trip pee situation yet, go back a few paragraphs up…
Prepare a cooler where you can toss a few types of food. Fruit, cheese sticks, bolachas (Cape-Verdean cookies), sandwiches, etc…Warning: anything with a sucky top, including yogurt tube, WILL explode all over your kid and the car, all over, every time…
Technology’s a savior!
I know what’s said about not allowing kids to have too much access to technology. Yet when it comes to road trips with kids, the right tech can save everyone’s sanity. So invest in quality kids’ earphones, like these Puro Headphones, awarded one of the best headphones for kids.
Oh, and don’t forget the tablets/DVD/iPad chargers. Not that I’d ever do that…
Make it a (fun) teaching experience!
No matter how many snacks you bring, or how many times the kids are allowed to watch “Frozen” on repeat, nothing beats enjoying the experience live! Get the kids to actually enjoy what’s going on outside their windows, by teaching them the various states you drive through and having fun quizzes around it…
Or have a sing-along competition, until they fall asleep from the dreadful voices…
Have a tantrum plan!
Tantrums/mood swings will happen, period! So you need a plan. And no, it doesn’t include turning up the music any louder, or threats to never ever give them chocolate ever again…
Whatever works best for you to calm the tension, whether it’s to recite mantras and call forth your inner peace, or use AM static (I’ve heard it’s quite effective), come up with your tantrum plan.
BONUS: CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW FOR YOUR “NON-ADVENTUROUS MOM’S GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPS WITH KIDS”
Now to you…what are your best tips to survive road trips with kids?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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by Solange Lopes | Feb 12, 2017 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
As I watched Beyonce glowing in all her expectant glory on the stage of the Grammys, I literally had a moment. As in all the goddesses of times past, present and future (plus those you occasionally call on to when you’ve had one too many coffees and still can’t tackle your to-do list) came down together on that Grammys stage all at once…I mean, there aren’t enough hashtags to picture the glorious career moment Queen Bey laid down for all of us to see (ahem…including the now silent and unidentified souls who claimed she used surrogates to have her babies, just sayin’…)
As a career gal, I was particularly mesmerized to watch an accomplished woman show up in her career, not in spite of being an expectant mother, but precisely because of it. How many moms-to-be, and moms in general, can proudly show off their belly on the job with as much pride as Bey did, and actually get a huge career boost for it? Granted, most of us don’t exactly grind the way the Queen Bey does, but still…
Most of us wait to find the right time to announce our pregnancies at work, and despite our genuine happiness at the prospect of carrying Life, silently make peace with the fact that our bulging bellies also mean we may not advance as far in our careers as we’d like during this time. And unlike Bey, many of us may not be particularly keen on displaying our growing baby bumps in the Board room for fear it may make us look slightly inadequate, or even worse, hormonal…
But it took just ONE performance by Beyonce to show that not only is it OK to rock your baby bump while on a major work event, it’s also just become highly advisable. Because: carrying double the bundle of joy while rendering a MAJOR performance, all the while lighting up the whole stage/world/universe, is something only women can do! And so is carrying through entire pregnancies while holding down a job, raising another one (or many) little humans, being a wife, and not giving up on dinner/laundry/contouring…
So next time the world tries to convince you that carrying babies may make you less competent/productive/extraordinary, just think about that time Beyonce lit a whole Grammys stage with her double baby bump, and got an award for Lemonade to boot…
And go on and proudly show how you can actually get that month-end presentation done, while positively slaying in that maternity suit and glowing from all that mommy-to-be-unstoppable-creature vibe…
via GIPHY
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
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This post is part of a Working Mom series run by The Corporate Sister in honor of Mother’ Day.
