Mom Coach for Leaders

Elevate Your Career and Family Relationships

People often call me a mom coach or a parenting coach. My focus isn’t directly on parenting, but many of my clients have a significant improvement in the relationships with their family because I focus on a holistic approach to coaching. I coach high achieving women to elevate their career, business, and next chapter by looking at their whole life.

Many of my clients are moms who have teens or kids who have already left the house. By looking at the whole person I am able to help reduce guilt and help them show up as their best selves. And guess what? By showing up as their best, their relationship with their kids improves. So the growth I help women navigate touches all areas of their life.

Mom, Coach, and Cheerleader

You may remember back when there was a smoking section on an airplane. Even as a kid I thought that was ridiculous because it’s not like there were any walls. While you were only allowed to light up if you were sitting in a certain section of seats, the smoke permeated the entire plane. Similarly, trying to segment who you are by work and life doesn’t really work either. You want to look at the whole you. So I guess I am a mom coach, a leadership coach, and a life coach and every other role you play. Because each of them starts with you.

The challenge, is navigating all of those roles seamlessly and effectively so that you like who you are in each of them. So that each gets the attention they deserve. So that your relationships are supported by the best version of you rather than the leftover version of you. Today, let’s dig into strategies that will allow you to balance parenting and leadership so that you can show up as your best self.

Balancing Parenting and Leadership

First, I want to help you reduce some of the guilt as a high achieving mom. Research from Harvard Business School showed that daughters of employed moms are more likely to work, become supervisors, and earn higher wages compared to daughters of stay-at-home moms. Interestingly, sons of working moms tend to spend more time with their own families, suggesting that having a working mother positively influences gender roles in future generations​. Way to go, Mom! 

So let’s get into some of the strategies to enhance your ability to feel more balanced in all of the roles you play.

Set Clear Boundaries

Multi-tasking is not an effective strategy. The term actually came to be in the context of computing where a computer could complete more than one task at a time. We are not computers. Context switching, no matter how good you think you are at it, reduces your efficiency and the quality of what you produce. When you’re working, be with work. When you’re with family, be with family. I know it can be easier said than done, but it is worth it. You are better when you segment your time and be 100% present in whatever you are working on rather than trying to do it all at the same time.

When I was working in a corporate culture, I would jump whenever anyone needed my attention. That meant that I was always on. Eventually, I decided to set better boundaries. I started by turning off my email notifications and not responding to texts after hours, unless they truly were urgent. Not only was I more productive at work, but I was less exhausted at home.

Shortly thereafter, I was promoted twice in a short period of time because the quality of my work had improved. Additionally, connections with my family were enhanced because I wasn’t so cranky and I was fully present when I was with them. Setting clear boundaries ensures you can focus fully on who and what is in front of you, as the best version of you.

Delegate Effectively

As a leader, delegation not only enables you to reduce your own workload or work on new projects, but allows your team members to step into new responsibilities and grow. They may not get it right the first time, but that’s how we learn. Micromanagement doesn’t help. They need to figure out a way that works for them, so let them.

Similarly, your family needs to have the same experiences. I know that we want our kids that have a great childhood, but that doesn’t mean we do everything for them. They need to learn new skills so that they are a self-sufficient adult. A friend of mine’s son started a laundry business when he went to college. He collected clothes, ran them through the washer and dryer, and then handed them back crumpled in a laundry basket. He made a lot of money because these other kids had no idea how to operate a washer and a dryer! I taught my kids when they were about eight years old. Not only did it relieve me of that duty, but they learned a valuable skill.

Again, it’s important to allow your kids – and your partner – to make mistakes and do things their own way. Step back and embrace the additional time you gain. Instead of doing it all because you’re the mom, coach others to step up and contribute according to their abilities. Everyone will appreciate the calmer version of you.

Prioritize Yourself

I know there has been a big movement about self-care. We often think of massages, pedicures, and luxurious vacations. But what about day to day self-care? Start with getting enough sleep.  We often overlook this form of care. When you’re rested you show up better for everyone, most importantly for yourself. Self-care can take on many of forms. My favorite is allocating the first ten minutes of the day for you, before you do anything else. As high achievers, we often skip time for ourselves because we already feel guilty for the time we are away from our families. 

Taking care of yourself, whether through exercise, mindfulness, or hobbies, ensures you can show up as your best self both at work and at home. It doesn’t matter what it looks like. Just schedule it in knowing everyone will appreciate who you are because of it.

Conclusion

Whatever roles you play, play them at your best. It starts with making sure that you are getting what you need. As a mom coach :-), I’ve learned that by prioritizing yourself, those you lead at work and at home will be more receptive to what you have to share. You will be able to navigate challenging situations with more poise and grace, and offer up clearer solutions. No matter who you lead, it all starts with you. Put yourself first by treating yourself with love and respect. Those around you will notice.

Grab my free guide on The 7 Essential Traits of High Achieving Women for more insights.