The best advice someone gave me is: you can't please everyone. Even though I understand that concept, I have a hard time living it.
Name:
Mo Hawthorne
Current Occupation:
Senior Counsel, Airbnb
# of Children and their Ages:
2 kiddos, 8 yrs and 11 yrs
What do you love about being a working mom?
First, before I answer this question - can I address the potential elephant in the room? Aren't all moms "working moms?" I think what you're trying to ask is "what do you love about being a mom who is also a full-time/part-time paid participant in the corporate world?" Or something like that? I think I'm overthinking it, but then again - I am a lawyer.
(100% Mo, excellent point. I think we need a new term for moms in the corporate world. Corporate moms? Suggestions welcome. Email me at elle@motherbar.com)
So, what I love about it - I love my occupation and my job. I like that I can make money to support my family's financial needs.
What is the biggest challenge of being a working mom?
Worrying that I don't measure up as a mom and I use my occupation as an excuse for being a so-so mom. In the corporate world, there are performance evaluations. Someone is giving you feedback, telling you what you are good at and telling you what you need to work on.
As a mom, I don't get evaluations from my kiddos. Or, if I do get "evaluated," do I take feedback from them?
If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change about working mom life?
I feel tired most of the time. And, while I rarely tell my company I'm too tired to review something, I do often tell my kids, "Mama's too tired to read tonight."
If magic is involved, I'd probably like to always have the energy to say "yes" to my kids.
What tips do you have for other working moms?
In the words of a famous singer,
"Go e-e-e-eeeeeasy..." on yourself, baby.
Any relationship tips for working moms?
I am, by nature, a people pleaser. The best advice someone gave me is: you can't please everyone. Even though I understand that concept, I have a hard time living it. Therefore, my tip for other working moms is to adopt that mantra...
You can't please everyone, so move on.
What's the best piece of advice your own mother gave you?
Oh, that's hard. Not because my mom gave me a lot of advice, but because my mom and I have a hard relationship, so it's hard to hear "advice" from her. I'll tell you the worst advice she ever gave me: don't have children; they'll ruin your life. Turns out, she is wrong about that. I love my kids unconditionally, and I can't imagine my life otherwise.
What stresses you out?
HA! The world, people, racism, pollution, climate change, the use of plastic, data privacy...I'm not who you'd call "a chill person."
How do you mother yourself?
I mother myself by savoring a delicious meal by eating it slowly, tacking on an extra day when the vacation is so good, browsing a museum gift shop, to name a few.
I let myself linger in the moments that give me joy.
How and why do you take CBD?
I've always been open to herbal remedies. I think that modern western medicine sought advancement at the cost of ancestral knowledge of natural remedies. I take CBD because it helps me. And the Moment Mints - I like that they deliver CBD and the other flavors help me linger in the moment.
Please use MO20 at checkout for 20% off your order of Moment CBD mints made for busy, multi-tasking moms like Mo who believes in savoring the joyful moments and going e-e-e-eeeeeasy on yourself as you "do it all."
