The Care Gap

How To Know Where To Focus Your Time As A Mom w. Omonye Phillips

Today's episode started with talking about the difference between time and Nigerian time. As a mother its hard to get enough done during the day while wearing multiple hats. Omonye is a Pharmacist, Healthcare Leader, Entrepreneur and a mother of two. She is obsessed with time management, gratitude, morning routine and being a leader in her work and community. 
 
We discuss the importance of focusing our time and attention in areas where we need to grow and develop as ambitious women. We discuss batch working, planning tools, and more. Omonye is the Co-Founder of My Dream Big Club where she encourages and uplift others. 
 
Dive into today's podcast to hear more about Omonye's journey to leadership and fulfillment as a pharmacist, entrepreneur and mother. You can find Omonye at www.mydreambigclub.com and on instagram at www.instagram.com/omonista
 
Register for our upcoming Mother: The Summit this Fall on October 11, 2019 at The Garden Theater, Detroit. Extended Early Bird Tickets are available at www.motherhonestly.com/summit. Spaces are filling up fast, we hope to see you there!

Drowning Is The Leading Cause of Death In Toddlers, GoldFish Swim School Is Changing That.

Do you know that after birth defect, drowning is the leading cause of death for children between 1-4. Water safety is important for all ages, but especially for toddlers. Young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, and it can happen within seconds, and quietly too. Water safety impacts EVERY FAMILY. All kids need to have the skills to be safe around water. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised their drowning prevention guidelines and now recommend starting children in swim lessons earlier than previously suggested.
 
On this episode, I sat down with Katie Lee, the first franchise owner of Goldfish Swim School who now owns 9 locations across the United States. Goldfish Swim School started in Michigan and now operates in 90 locations across the United States and Canada. One of the many reasons we partnered with Goldfish Swim School this month was to bring awareness to water safety because as a mother, this is super important to me, and we approach the summer months and you are getting ready to take the kids to the pool, beach or any other water bodies, I want you to put the safety of your babies first and that starts by teaching them a lifelong skill that can preserve their lives and health for years to come.
 
 Katie and I not only talked about her past life working with IBM, marring Tommy Lee (not kidding), and how she gets so much done with help of course. Tune in to find out how and learn more about how water safety impacts EVERY FAMILY below.
 
W. "Wear a life jacket" -  Realize that floaties, noodles and plastic inner tubes do NOT protect against drowning. They are created as water toys, not life-saving devices. U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets can be worn while swimming or boating to keep you safe.
A. Act."Throw but don't go!" - If you see someone in trouble in the water, throw an item for them to grab onto but NEVER jump in yourself -- you could be putting both of you in danger!
T. Take Swim Lessons. "Swim lessons keep me safe" - Swim lessons are the best way to ensure you and your family stays safe and has the most fun while in the water.
E. Educate. "I’m up to speed on my swim skills" - Key to swim safety is knowing essential skills like treading water and rolling over to float and catch a breath. With education about swim safety, you’ll be prepared if something unexpected happens.
R. Follow the Rules. "I respect the rules!" - Pay attention to posted rules and signage -- listen to lifeguards, parents, coaches -- the rules, and adults in charge are there to keep everyone safe!  
 
Through the end of May, anyone who snaps a W.A.T.E.R. safety selfie and uses the hashtag #WaterSafetyGSS will be entered to win a year of complimentary swim lessons, courtesy of Goldfish. For a list of Goldfish locations near you, please visit: www.goldfishswimschool.com.

How To Return To Work With Confidence After Baby w. Lauren Brody of The Fifth Trimester

Women are going back to work at a much higher rate than they did a decade ago. After surveying 700 mothers who had returned back to work, Lauren Brody was able to identify common obstacles and successes to returning back to work with confidence and resilience. Lauren is the founder of The Fifth Trimester movement and the author of The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity, and Big Success After Baby (Doubleday), a simultaneous #1 best-seller in the Amazon categories of Motherhood, Women & Business, and Cultural Anthropology. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN.com, Forbes, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glamour, Refinery29, and dozens more outlets for business leaders and mothers. 
 
On this episode Blessing and Lauren discuss the top reasons why women drop out of the workforce after baby. And how women can come back into the workforce after baby feeling comfortable and capable. They also discuss the challenges women face in the workplace as moms when they return and how women and organizations can support each other without pointing fingers.
 
Dive in and learn more about parental leave, flexible work, work-life alignment and how to heal emotionally and mentally after baby.

Explore The World With Kids! How Moms Can Raise Global-Conscious Citizens

Have you ever wondered how mamas who take their children across oceans and continents do it with kids? Trish Dewald is an Executive Director at a marketing firm that specializes in nonprofit and a mother of two. She is also the mama behind Mindful Travel Fam where she shares details surrounding the adventures she takes with her children across national parks, big beaches, and quaint towns around the country as well as interesting destinations across Southeast Asia. She is definitely the family’s travel agent and adventure seeker. Born with an insatiable wanderlust that has taken her to 46 of our great 50 states and dozens of countries on 3 continents. Trish loves yoga, adventure, food and her family. 
 
In her own words, “we love our city, our home and the network we have built. But we appreciate the gift of travel, adventure and sharing the world with our kids. It's time to share our family's vacation journeys with others that love traveling and want to explore with us!” We are so glad this mama chose to share the tidbits of how she came into motherhood, the distinctive way she wants to raise her children as global citizens and how she intends to spend the next few summers with them before they reach adulthood.
 
In this episode, Trish and I dive deep into what it means to raise global-conscious citizens who are constantly aware of how their actions and decisions affect not only them but other children and families around the world. After visiting over 25+ countries myself, and over 15 with my 10-year old Camille, I chime in on how moms can make traveling work for their family including surviving a 28-hour journey from Detroit, MI to Sydney, Australia with a 13-month old.
 
We both share some fantastic free and low-budget resources that can help moms prioritize travel for their family including the free 4th-grader ranger benefits at the National Parks across the United States.
 
Interested in raising global citizens and don't know where to start? This article on Forbes shares tips on how to raise globally aware children and foster curiosity. 
 
Below are a few websites mentioned, these tips coupled with booking flights early, flying off-season and taking advantage of travel credit/debit cards that allow you to earn while you travel.
 
www.airfarewatchdog.com
www.google.com/flights
www.airbnb.com
www.kayak.com
www.thepointguy.com

How The Mom Project Connects Moms To Leading Employers and Why It Matters

Ever wondered what it’s like working for an employer that not only values working mothers but support and understand us? We caught up with Colleen, Head of Marketing and Community at The Mom Project as well as Chief Mom to two boys (ages 5 and 9 months). On this episode Colleen shared her career and motherhood journey that led her to The Mom Project, a family-friendly employer networking and resource site matching highly skilled women with leading employers who provide flexible and respectable work for women, moms returning into the workforce and even men. 
 
 
The Mom Project hired Colleen while she was 8 months pregnant and provided a full 3-month maternity leave after her daughter was born.  Determined to onboard thousands of women back into the work force in 2019, The Mom Project teams up with companies that are committed to providing opportunities and offering a bridge for ambitious mothers looking to make a return to the workforce.  Working with companies of all shapes, sizes and opportunities from flex, remote, part-time and full time jobs looking for talent, The Mom Project provides the support and resources today’s working mother need to thrive at work and at home.    
 
Visit www.themomproject.com to learn more about opportunities that exist for working women and don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to this podcast. 

How To Start And Grow Your Blog On The Side with Liz Braga of The Modern Mere

Working mom, and blogger the Modern Mere, Liz Braga sits down with Blessing and discuss how early on she knew she wanted to be in marketing.  Liz worked her way up starting at the very bottom, for various digital marketing companies. Since those early days in her career and living with her parents Liz now has her dream job, and a growing family of her own.  Her husband started getting into photography, and she found an opportunity to follow her own passions as well by starting her own blog while her husband built his portfolio.  Merging their hobbies and Liz's marketing skills, overnight they started earning exposure and earning a joint side income. Together they highlight their everyday life and style while also featuring their adorable little girls.  Blogger life isn't always easy and adding to her family a burn out was on the horizon, and Liz shares her very raw and vulnerable journey to pulling back on their side gig. Releasing the pressure, and finding a balance that worked for her by taking time to focus on what mattered most, her family.  Follow Liz @themodernmere and on her blog at www.themodernmere.com and enjoy this episode as Liz shares tips and advice for aspiring bloggers!

A Platform For Parents To Connect - An Interview with Hayley Nivelle, Founder of the Ellie App

Corporate Lawyer, Founder of Ellie, and mother of two Hayley Nivelle sits down with Blessing to discuss the power of "mom groups".  Passionate about what became her third baby the Ellie Parenting Group App, Hayley left her full-time career as as an attorney to pursue her passion of connecting parents in a meaningful way.  Knowing that not everyone has the luxury of quitting their career, Hayley discusses how her husband asked tough questions around the idea of taking a step back from her career to work on her side hustle, and what that meant for her as she takes on a more on the home front. The Ellie App was created to bring parents (both moms and dad) from all over the country together. Providing a non judgmental platform for users to ask questions with experts and other parents while discussing challenges and concerns. Self employment, growing a brand and working motherhood also comes with its own challenges and Hayley and Blessing are not shy on sharing the struggles of their entrepreneurial journey. The ellie app is available for download on iPhone and Android. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review this show and follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/motherhonestly.

Preparing For A Fit Pregnancy, Delivery and Recovery with Sammie Terbrack of CrossFit Reviver

Crossfit trainer and soon-to-be mama Sammie Terbrack sits down with the Mother Honestly podcast to discuss health, fitness, pregnancy and motherhood. Fitness and nutrition takes a prime role in Sammie and her husband, owner of Crossfit Reviver gym lives.  With a background in physical therapy, she wanted to get ahead of the injury and how to prevent them.  Seeing many mothers during the start of her training career suffering from tears and injuries related and caused by motherhood itself.  Sammie advocates for women to put their health and wellness at the forefront.  In order to be the best mom to our children it requires a healthy mother.  As a mother to be, exercise and mindful nutrition is a practice Sammie lives by to provide the optimal state to carry a child.  Working out during pregnancy isn't always the easiest and she teaches us that learning to listen to our bodies and leaning in to loving ourselves and our bodies provides preparation for delivery and recovery.   Tune in to learn more from Sammie and don't forget to subscribe to the Mother Honestly Podcast!  

Leaning Into Parenting While Nurturing Ambition At Home w. Neha Ruch, Founder of Mother Untitled

New Yorker and Stanford graduate Founder and CEO of Mother Untitled Neha Ruch a website and community built around ambitious women who are creating space for motherhood.  Taking a full pause for 6 months after the birth of her son, Neha faced much criticism and adversity by choosing to take the time at home to adjust to her new role as mother.  Noticing their was a ton of content behind the working mother, Neha recognized there was a lack of content and community behind those who chose to lean in to parenting. We take a moment to discuss the challenges women face while choosing to make parenting their full time responsibility and break down the stereotypes behind the dreaded term "Stay at home Mom".  Creating non traditional balance in the messy grey areas of motherhood; Neha provides both warning and advice behind taking a different approach to being ambitious non traditional working mother while choosing to take a pause.  Learn more about Neha's mission to provide resources to those creating space in motherhood that works for them at www.motheruntitled.com 

Protecting Kids In A Connected World with Comcast VP, Michelle Gilbert

This week who better to celebrate our "Women on the Rise" event in Tech Town Detroit last Saturday than Vice President of Public Relations for the Heartland Division of Comcast.  An expert in her field and mom of two daughters has over 30 years in the game.  Michelle walks us through how she kept her career afloat even while taking time to focus on family first while spending years in a dead end job, knowing the flexibility it provided was priceless.  She may not have been growing "title wise" in her career but it allowed her to keep a foot in the door of a field she enjoyed so much.  With daughters who are now pre-teens as a mom in the tech field we talk what parenting in todays world looks like with the ever evolving world of technology and the growing concerns of "screen time".  Offering all kinds of tips and tricks Michelle also reminds us that as a mother we are always juggling, and losing a few along the way is inevitable.  Its how we prioritize what balls are okay to lose and what balls the "mom ball" is number one. We're still elated over Michelle's incredible support last weekend at our "Women on the Rise".