Moms on the Move

We want to support and acknowledge moms. Each of you is making a difference whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, or volunteer mom. When you become a mom, it is often easy to forget the side of you that is also a woman who may have had a career, hobbies and education before you became a parent. As a mom we spend our days multi-tasking and juggling. We are now the CEO of our households. Our job description includes diapers, dishes, carpooling, and an endless amount of laundry. Below are great tips, information and links for moms in the workplace.

Local Business Events

April 23, 2008

Busy Working Women's Night Out

6-7:30pm

Cielo Spa Boutique

1725 State St.

An evening to pamper busy working women! Light hor'dourves and wine served. Free event to meet other working moms!

Websites & Resources

Websites:

Magazines:

Working Woman Magazine

Tips for the Working Mom

Parent to Parent Tips:

Balancing Family Life

Don't fight change, just plan on rearranging your sleeping and waking schedule to ensure that you get quality time for you (i.e. working out, reading, correspondence etc.)
Force yourself to get into the habit of cleaning up, moving/folding laundry, preparing lunches, and planning breakfast every night, before you go to bed.
Prepare extra food on Sundays to use during the week (i.e. chop veggies and large fruits and prepare storable meals).
Always have crackers or other snacks and water in the car.
Utilize some of your lunch breaks at work to run errands (grocery shopping and post office), but also reserve some of them to refresh yourself (take a walk or eat with a friend).
As a working mom, you need to be good at multitasking and staying organized.
Try to make lunches the night before.
Pick out kids outfits the night before and
Make sure to get kids to bed early enough that they get the sleep they need.
Work as a team with your spouse, Get yourselves ready first in the morning. Wake up kids so that they have enough time to eat, get ready and play a bit before you rush out the door to daycare and school.
Try to talk about something you will do together that night before you all go in different directions. That way, you start the day on a positive note and have something to look forward to at the end of the day.

Coaching & Your Business

Have you ever heard of a world-class athlete who didn't have a coach? Imagine Martina Navratilova without Billie Jean King or Nadia Comaneci without Bella Karolyi. Impossible! Even though it's obvious that athletes need a coach to help them achieve their peak performance, entrepreneurs often think that they don't need a coach - that no one could possibly know more about their business than they do, or offer an idea that they have not thought of.

More and more successful people, from CEOs to university president, are discovering the importance of a coach in helping them become more effective in their work. Learning how to be coached as well as how to become a good coach for someone else serves as an effective tool for many entrepreneurs. Why hire a business coach? "For you it might be the sheer reality of staying accountable to the plan --- this is often easier said than done," says Dr. Pam McLean, CEO of the Hudson Institute, "And let's face it, when you are launching a small business, the only one holding you accountable is you and that's not always easy. A business coach works to support you staying accountable to the plan you've built."

Once you've decided that you and your business can benefit from coaching, there is a range of support, from joining a peer coaching group to hiring a business coach. At this point, it's good to consider what's involved:

Characteristics of a Good Coach

Creates a safe place in which everything can be said
Listen generously, not judgmentally
Views the relationship as equal, filling the needs of both partners
Manages time and stays focused
Uses mirroring to clarify communication
Helps coachee identify solutions, rather than providing answers
Characteristics of a Good Coachee
Listens with an open mind
Is flexible
Is not threatened or defensive
Understands that the mirroring process will help her see new aspects of herself
Acknowledges and appreciates input

The role of the coach (whether peer or professional) is to provide encouragement, support and accountability, while asking leading questions and providing constructive feedback.

--Women's Economic Ventures

Tips for the Mompreneur

Don't Just Dream, Take Action

The idea of starting a business can be overwhelming. Find out about what kind of support is out there to help you decide if this is the right direction for you.

There are organizations like WEV (Women's Economic Venture in Santa Barbara) that have courses geared towards women that help them write a business plan, get funding, brainstorm and so much more.

Don't let fear get in the way of going after something you believe in.

Are you interested in becoming an Entrepreneur?

Do you have a skill that you don't get to use at your day job?
Are you passionate about something that you believe could generate income?
Do you have a business idea that you believe the world needs to know about?
Are you just plain tired of working for someone else?

Networking...

Use the time you spend dropping your children off at school, at the playground, beach etc. to work on brainstorming for your business by doing informal networking with people you happen to be sitting near who might be in your target market - you'll get some great ideas.
Treat yourself like a big business.
Rely on experts.
Don't be shy about getting compensated appropriately for what you do. Remember that people associate price with quality and you are (as a service business) a quality product
Don't apologize for that - no one wants the "cheapest" advice - they want the best advice.

Mom in the Spotlight

Evan McCabe

Profile: "Evan is a teacher at the RN program at SBCC. She has recently become a spokesperson for an organization called WomenHeart and she volunteers by sharing her story and educating women about heart disease. Her commitment to educate and support women in our community and beyond is inspiring." submitted by J. Sorenson

Volunteer Involvement: I am a woman with heart disease, and volunteer as a National Spokesperson for an organization called WomenHeart: A National Coalition of women with heart disease. I educate healthcare providers about the differences special to women about heart disease. I also present "Pinot and Prevention Parties" to educate all women in an informal way by having friends invite friends to learn about heart disease while sipping Pinot Noir. I also volunteer for events and presentations for the American Heart Association. I was recently on "General Hospital" to promote the "Go Red for Women" Campaign in February.
Profession: Associate Professor of Nursing, Santa Barbara City College RN, Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist
Education: Master in Nursing (MN) UCLA RN,BSN- Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles
Children: Jennifer,21, McGeorge Law School, University of the Pacific, Cal Poly '07 Katie, 18, Senior, DP

Fun Q & A with our Spotlight Mom:

Personal:

What phrase or motto do you live by? Live each day to the fullest!

Inspiration: My husband was my rock when I was diagnosed with heart disease, my girlfriends held me up, and encouraged me that something good was going to come out of my illness, and it did.

If you could teach your kids one thing and have it impact them, what would it be? I have encouraged my girls to be independent and purposeful thinkers, and I am incredibly proud of how they have both accomplished that as young women.

How do you measure success? Eternal happiness, and a sense of contentment

Greatest Accomplishment: Passing along my passion of heart disease to my nursing students

Proudest Moment: When both of my children were born, and seeing the proudness in my husbands eyes

Biggest Challenge: Sometimes I am a bit too idealistic, I think I can do anything

Wildest Dream: To be on Dr Phil

Sport/Exercise Program: Cathedral Oaks Gym or walking 7 miles with girlfriends during the weekend

What would people be surprised to learn about you? I can ride a unicycle!

Where did you grow up: San Pedro, California

How many siblings: One sister, Jane, San Pedro, Ca

First Job: Dietary Clerk, Torrance Memorial Hospital, age 17

Childhood Ambition: Dreamed to be a professional baseball player (Dodger to be exact)

Favorites:

Favorite Local Restaurant: Carlitos on State

Favorite Coffee Spot: Vices and Spices, of course

Favorite Soundtrack/song: "I feel like a Woman"

Favorite Movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind/ Star Wars

Favorite TV Show: Dr. Phil

Retreat: Sycamore Mineral Springs

Last Book You Read: Eat, Pray, Love

Indulgence: Pinot Noir

Tell us about a product or item that you can't live without as a parent: Blackberry- with older children, sometimes the only communication I can receive is through text messaging or email

Your Perfect Day: Great coffee at Vices, breakfast at Summerland Beach Cafe, wine tasting and a picnic in Santa Ynez with friends, and a good home-cooked meal with my family at home (I didn't cook it).

Other:

What inspires you to go to work every day? I am passionate about teaching my future RN students about heart disease. I know I can make a difference to their day.

[Teachers] Why did you go into education? I love to encourage students to think outside their comfort zone.

[Teachers] What is it that motivates you most each day working with students? I learn something from them every day, always a great life lesson.

[Teachers] What message is important to you to pass on to your students? Love what you are doing, or move on to something you love, life is too short.

Each month we feature a mom making a difference in our community. We want to acknowledge working moms and stay at home moms. Suggest a mom by emailing us at info@sbparent.com.

Past profiled mom...

About Our Sponsor

Women's Economic Ventures

This page is is sponsored by Women's Economic Ventures, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women across the globe. WEV offers a continuum of programs to help women succeed at every stage of the business lifecycle. Services include comprehensive self-employment training program, advanced training, business counseling, coaching, and networking opportunities to help individuals to startup, launch, grow, and sustain a business. WEV's service area has grown to include north and south Santa Barbara County and Ventura County with offices in Santa Barbara and Oxnard.