Being a mum is magical. Being a mum challenges you. Being a parent transforms you...
I have just read this great post…”Parenting not just a job but an adventure“…and it has made me think about how views are changing for the better in regards to parenting and how blogging has given parents a platform to educate (without trying to) others about it’s real value.
Parent blogging is changing our world. Social networking is changing our world. Family orientated social sites are pinned to do the same and our kids are going to benefit from it in such a massive way, how much they will benefit by this is incomprehendable.
Parenting not just a job but an adventure made me think that parent blogging is like being an activist and another voice for parents…bringing up kids is an economy in itself.
I was interviewed today about being a professional entrepreneur, wife and mom and business…it was so great that the angle was more about how a crazy, intense business women who turned into soft jelly on becoming a mom, manages her life now. Gees, I remember (with a red face) how hardcore I could be, how impatient with delays I was and frustration of feeling like I was handling so many never-ending projects that had too many problems to fix (and that was only a small internet company, but I was handling things at various times as a Director, CEO, COO, CTO functions until I told my business partner and husband I had to reassess my stress levels and vision in life and I was only 27 years old!!!!) - how much I have grown having my little Codi.
How badly do I now want to share with the whole world my transformation, face to face with other young women out there thinking it’s all just career.
I must write another article in Minti on setting a vision for your life, not just your career. About a year ago I spoke to a group of 200 young profesisonal women, just on this very issue.
Setting yourself up early financially with the view of setting up a sensational family. Is my key message.
Career is not about you, it's about what you stand for and represent, the career or family is just the vehicle in which you express "who you are". If you feel a sense of "no purpose" yet you have achieved a high status reflecting job, then you have made the career about you and not the other way round. You are not using your career to express who you really are and this may make you feel empty.
I want women to know that YES, You can still evolve and express who you are by having children. What better still it may spur you on by taking on a new direction in your life, and you discover and express yourself at a much much higher level? What if having children made your career evolve? Now that would be a motivation to explore and think about this option?
It's funny, it is as if we as women need an element of all three to make us feel a sense of wholeness. I am sure it is attributed to us having a biological clock as well as a biological need to better the human race with our mothering skills!!!
I hope one day I can talk to more young women and provide more rounded information on the future decisions and goals in their life to make informed choices about all three, life, career and family.
I must admit people ask me a lot the two questions below…
1. How are you able to work with your business partner who is also your husband?
My answer: “Some people say, I couldn’t work with my other half…well I say, I couldn’t work without my other half!!!”
Now that family is just another vehicle, my husband and I run a much better family than we did our business and in turn our new business is run much better for having a family. We combined parenting with business to give us the quality of life we wanted.
It is worthy to note, finding a business partner is just as hard as finding your soulmate and husband, but that doesn't mean you won't. The key is you both work together on whatever projects or life phases come your way, because when you become an empty nester all you have is each other. And each other to explore more that life has to offer.
2. How do you juggle it all?
Learning more about yourself, and your partner, and your world helps you develop strategies to obtaining balance or ride the highs and lows.
By planning, visualizing the future and allow great people to transform you has helped me understand more about my sense of purpose.
Our now CEO, Jackie taught me how to actually implement a balanced scorecard system (not get other people to use it) but to implement one for your life and your business. We are playing the game of life, you need a scorecard right?
The scorecard helped me flesh out my aspirations, goals, and how to aim to achieve it in the short and long term.
Heather, our Organisational Coach taught me the inner workings of how people function, grow and develop as well as my own strengths, limitations and areas to improve. She taught me crucial lessons of having a clear objective with tactics to achieve that objective and gain the buy in of people around you.
Matt, a very seasoned M&A guru has re-shaped our view of business entirely and had added an amazing dimension to Clay and myself.
In a nutshell - surround yourself with masterful and like minded people, from all resources in life, whether it be books, movies, people you meet.
What made an impact on me and my thoughts come from…
*Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.
*13 Days (the movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis)
From whatever your background or profession is, draw from your strengths, but never stop teaching yourself to be open to learn. And never THINK that all you are is your career and it will all be wasted if I leave my career and go and have children!!!!
---------
Rachel Cook is a mum of two boys, a loving wife, tech entrepreneur, founder of Minti, co-founder of Vibe Capital, co-owner of ineedhits, and spends her time being a social networking advocate and a lover of all things to do with finding quality of life!!!
(May 6th) (
and I am so sad, I recently created a Gantt chart just to move house, I like the opportunity to utilise my 'work' tools! However, for me being a SAHM is a wonderful adventure and it has given me the most job satisfaction that I have ever had in my career.. The past 2 years with my son have gone by so quickly and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to witness every milestone as it happens.
