Two days before Christmas, my pre-teen stepson came to live with my husband and I, and two and a half weeks later, I gave birth. To say January was a whirlwind is an understatement. I became a full-time, first-time mom to a newborn and a 12-year-old overnight, and I had no idea what I was doing. Becoming a new parent to two drastically different children has rocked my life – in the best way possible. While I only have a miniscule amount of “motherhood” experience compared to most moms out there, I’m a quick study, have an incredible support system and was able to (thankfully) transfer a lot of skills from my job in PR to my job as a mother. Here’s the top four take-aways from my career that I applied to being a new mom:
- Multitasking. For those in the PR world, being a multitasker is absolutely necessary. You cannot succeed in this industry without an acute ability to juggle an immeasurable amount of stress on any given day – with a smile on your face. The same goes for being a mom. You need to be able to change a diaper while a bottle is warming and you’re quizzing your older child for a big science test – with a smile on your face.
- Patience. For all the moms out there, I’m sure I don’t need to explain how much patience a parent needs to have. In the PR world, we must be patient with clients and coworkers – no matter what frustrations we have brewing. The most successful campaigns take a lot of time to develop and implement.
- It takes a village. While I realize this old adage is extremely cliché when it comes to raising kids, it’s also spot on. My husband and I very quickly realized we could not do it all alone – and still keep our sanity. As it is in an agency, you must rely on every member of the team to do his or her job in order for a campaign to succeed.
- Organization is everything. Juggling two kid’s schedules with your own work and personal schedule can be extremely hectic. And what about that first outing with a newborn? You might as well be packing for a two-week trip to Europe. It gets easier, but being organized is key to succeeding as a mom. In a PR agency setting, we’re constantly juggling a handful of clients who all require our attention in different capacities. A carefully organized calendar and email inbox are my saving grace.
Check out part of the inspiration behind this topic below:
