When my daughter was young, I managed media relations for a nonprofit organization at the forefront of suicide postvention for military families. We had just responded to breaking news about research showing escalating military suicide rates. I was concerned that our program head was quoted in an Associated Press story, but our organizational name and her title had been left out, making it impossible for newly-grieving families to reach out to us for support.
So I called the reporter and left a message, hoping they might update the story before it printed in thousands of newspapers the next day. After waiting a bit, I headed out to the grocery with my daughter to pick up a few things for dinner. While in the store, the reporter called. I pulled cupcake off a shelf and handed it to my two-year-old and she happily ate it in the shopping cart, while I pleaded our case.
The story was expanded thanks to that conversation, and that is just one of the many crazy working mom stories I have logged over the years. The challenges of being a working mom in public relations can be obvious – with moms juggling parenting duties while trying to make a living and build a career in an industry that is fast-paced and tied to a punishing news cycle. We often are forced to spin on a dime to respond to breaking news and manage client expectations.
I think what makes it all work is our commitment to doing the work and staying organized. I would rock my daughter as an infant and work on my phone or laptop late at night. When I was a foster parent, I attended social worker meetings for foster kids in between client calls. I use project management software to keep up with my voluminous to do lists and try to work ahead as much as I can – because I know that sometimes life is going to surface in a way that disrupts planning.
It also helps when the kids get to see some of the perks. Sometimes the kids got to do cool stuff because of my job. My daughter got to ice skate with the Washington Capitals on their practice arena for a media event, some of my stepkids were photographed for a curriculum I wrote, and one of them even worked on a project for one of my clients while home from college.
Having supportive colleagues is huge. At times, my Blue Wagon Group colleagues have covered events I could not attend because of parenting obligations. This week, I had to miss an important trade show for a client because I caught pneumonia from my daughter. While I was horrifically disappointed, good planning and a great team meant that the trade show appearance was still a success.
I also find I must keep other parts of my life well-organized, otherwise the day-to-day clutter distracts me from what’s important: my daughter and my work life. That means I use grocery delivery, we eat fast food probably more than we should, and I have a long-suffering housekeeper who keeps the dust bunnies at bay by swooping in when the house is “too much” and creates order. It’s hard for me to not sweat the small stuff – and I’ve learned I have to let some things go and I have to accept help – that means asking another mom from the cheer team to give my kid a lift sometimes, or hiring a little help to make sure those nagging home issues don’t become big problems. My goal is to live a life that is intentional and not panic-stricken – and it’s important for me to keep that goal present in how I approach life as a working mom.
Here’s to all the working moms out there! I see you and salute you. We’ve got this.