Confessions of a Working Mom

How to Negotiate as a Woman! Alright, ladies so when I talk about this, often people's minds go the movie Erin Brockovich done by Julia Roberts. I can't help but love and laugh about the outfits and her using her "womanly powers" to persuade men to do her bidding and her famous line  "What makes you think you can just walk in there and take what you want? They're called boobs Ed." So am I saying let's pull an Erin Brockovich, no not at all? (Ok I may have used my "womanly powers" on a rare occasion, haven't we all?). Do women need to negotiate differently than men to see success, Yes! Just remember any bad deal you have ever gotten was because you agreed to it.  As women, we already have some built-up stereotypes in us and in other people's minds, thanks to our fantastic societal culture. Studies show that the majority of the time women will not negotiate for themselves in just about any area. We have to first bre...

I grew up in a home with a very helpful father. When he came home from work, he didn't just get in his chair, put his feet up, and wait for dinner. My father helped with everything from dinner, to laundry, children, to whatever was needed to help my mom, and to add to that he was a gentleman as well — always opening doors, taking heavy items out of people's hands, and helping out. So when I grew up, I saw this nice balance of division of labor between my parents, and that is how I built my relationship with my husband. I told him we were a team, and that I needed him to help with dishes, cleaning, and laundry and watching children just as much as I was, why, because I was working full time just like him. So would it be fair for me to work all day, do all the cooking, all the laundry, all the cleaning? No! Or cancel my work cause he wouldn't watch kids or help, No, I would be wiped out and completely unbalanced. So we have always done it like this. In fact, if I am worki...

I am a business owner of three companies, a college professor, writer, coach, and public speaker. I am also married and have two beautiful children and an amazing husband. The one question I get all the time is "how do you do it?" How can you be a mom and do all of this? Which I bet you men rarely get the question of how do you work and be a dad. I have often as well been given the guilt talking to from women and men who say that I can't be a good mom and be great at the jobs that I have and I need to choose to do only one of them, which I find this to be totally ridiculous. Why do men get to go to work and be a dad but we (women) have to choose between the two? As a mom, I work to balance my jobs and my kids but sometimes I have to prioritize my job first. Why? Because this woman needs to make money to take care of all the needs of her children. I am a go-getter who believes in building a strong woman-owned business that gives me the financial freedom to do what ...