How to be an Amazing Mom and Have a Successful Career? It Takes a Village!
Almost exactly 4 years ago when I was pregnant with my son, I made my departure from the corporate world. I was having a turbulent pregnancy and the agreement I was under as an independent contractor, fell apart for reasons beyond my control. At 6 months pregnant, with a very sick baby there was no way I was going back to work anytime soon. But everything happens for a reason. That empty space in my career was filled with motherhood and it led me to find one of my greatest passions so far, writing.
Now I offer free-lance content writing and editing services and work on my blog and other writing projects. But I still do feel nostalgic about what was once my “budding career.” Several months ago, at a friend’s birthday celebration, I met Carolina Millon. Of course, as mothers always do, we talked incessantly about the one thing we shouldn’t on a “mom’s night out,” our kids.
I was incredibly intrigued and impressed with how Carolina manages her role as mother and her career as a VP at a Fortune 500 company! I was already making mental notes of all the phenomenal moms I would be featuring in 2017 and I added her to that list.
Today that day has come, and I am very excited to feature Carolina Millon, career woman and Amazing Mom! Thanks so much for sharing with ispeakmom.com!
On her profession:
I currently work for Macy’s as VP-Regional Planning Manager for Feminine Apparel in the South Region. I have been with Macy’s for the past 10 years and it is an amazing company to work for. I have had great career advancement opportunities and have had the chance to live in various places around the country. My current job is definitely demanding and requires a significant amount of travel. Work and life balance is a high priority for me and although I travel, I strive to maintain that balance and be fully present when I am at home.
On her family:
My husband and I have been together since college. After dating for 5 years (3 of them long distance), we got married in Miami in April 2012. Later that year I got a big job promotion and we packed our bags and moved from Washington DC to Los Angeles. We had an amazing time living LA as newlyweds, and after 2 and a half years we found out I was pregnant with our first child. I requested to be transferred to Miami to be close to our families and was thankful my company was able to accommodate. In July 2015 we welcome our beautiful son, Mathias. Life with Mathias has been an amazing journey. While both my husband and I work full time and travel at times for work, we try to be fully present when we are at home. The weekends are all about spending time with our son and taking him to do his favorite things like going to the park or the zoo or the beach.
On how she balances her career and motherhood:
When we found out I was pregnant we knew that moving closer to our families would be critical to balancing both our jobs and our soon to be expanded family. We both have full time jobs that at times demand long hours and require 30%-50% travel. When we moved to Miami we bought our home close to both of our parents. We were lucky to find and hire an amazing babysitter who has become part of our family. We try to coordinate our schedules so we are not both out of town on the same days but it happens sometimes, and then it becomes a balancing act between the grandparents and our babysitter. There are definitely times when I feel guilty about having to manage our crazy schedules, however, when I see the strong bond our son has developed with his grandparents and babysitter in addition to his parents, I am back at ease.
On her greatest motherhood challenge:
Motherhood does not come with a handbook. There is no set of specific rules you follow in order to be successful. There is no training and you don’t always know the right answers. Nothing prepares you for the immense amount of love you feel for your child, which is also accompanied by anxiety and fear like you’ve never felt before. I would say that has been my greatest challenge – managing through the unknown while caring for the most important and precious person in your life.
On the best moments of motherhood:
There have been so many incredible moments it is hard to pick just one. From the first time I held my son in my arms to all of the other “firsts” – first time he looked at me and smiled, first time he said mama, first time he walked… But I would say my favorite moments are the little every day moments – when he wakes up in the morning and greets me with a big smile as I walk into his room, when I get home from work he comes running towards me and gives me a big hug, when we play and he laughs out loud, when he cuddles in my arms while we sing a song before bedtime. These are the moments I now live for.
On keeping her sanity:
My husband is a great partner and we definitely do a 50/50 share of the responsibilities when it comes to parenting. We manage our time in “shifts” – i.e., sometimes I will take a morning shift on Saturday while he sleeps in a little longer and then on Sunday he will take the morning shift. Having this partnership has definitely been the key to keeping our sanity.
On her advice for new moms:
I would say try to surround yourself with a support system you love and trust, especially in the beginning. The first few months as a new mom are hard and there will be an adjustment period. Having a support system that will take care of you while you learn to take care of your baby will certainly help make the transition easier.
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© Nicola Rios Nogales and ispeakmom.com, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicola Rios Nogales and ispeakmom.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
