-Celebrating the mothers in our lives-

Hello Sheeba,

How many of you have a mother or mother figure in your life who has made an impact on you? From working in corporate America, to wiping dirty noses and kissing skinned knees at home, mothers truly do so much. This month, we celebrate them. 

According to www.aauw.org, the labor force participation rate of mothers with children under 18 was 72.3% in 2019. On top of working a 9-5 job, mothers come home to fold laundry, clean the house,  make dinner for their families, help their children with homework and there is certainly more I could add to this list. It is not easy juggling all of these responsibilities. The pandemic really made it very difficult for many moms and there was a huge exodus of moms from the workforce. 

According to workingmother.com, when factoring in the family duties, the average mom works 98 hours a week. Is it any surprise to consider that so many moms are exhausted, stressed, and just overworked? I think not! 

We acknowledge you, mothers! The work you are doing is not easy so make sure to take time for yourself to rest and recharge. This is so important. 

Inspiring You To Thrive, 

 

DID YOU KNOW? 

• Working mothers make up a significant part of the labor force, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all employed women. (www.census.gov) 
• There were nearly 13 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. as of 2019. (American Express)
• Women-owned businesses generated $1.9 trillion in revenue for the U.S. economy in 2019. (American Express)
• Women-owned businesses employ almost 9.4 million people as of 2019. (National Women’s Business Council)
• Over the past two decades, the number of women entrepreneurs has increased by 114%. (Inc)

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Emily Kane

 A woman named Emily Kane went back to work after having a baby, and began struggling with all of the new stresses of being a mom. She had to return to the office, take care of a newborn, pump her own breast milk, and balance so many new tasks. 

This gave Emily an idea. She wanted to help reduce one of these stresses for working moms. She created convenient lactation cookies, to help produce more milk. She wanted to make them convenient, effective, and of course, delicious.

Emily launched a company called milkmakers. She said it was focused around the idea of empowering the 21st century breastfeeding mom who wants to “do it all.”

Why it works: "The milkmakers line, of which Emily was the first to bring to market, provides busy breastfeeding moms with a delicious, healthful, convenient, organic solution to boost milk supply."

Her advice: "Look at your life. What are your habits? Where do you shop? Why do you shop? When do you find yourself raving about a product or service? Your business idea is probably connected to your passion. Now, you need to listen to yourself – why are you so passionate about your idea? How will it make a difference? How will it add value? That key thought will give you the understanding of why your proposition is unique. Most importantly – be genuine. Your authentic experience is valuable and important, and it can change the way that other people think."

 LEADERSHIP RESOURCE: Dress for Success

“We are about much more than simply a new outfit”

A New York company called Dress for Success is empowering women and making a big difference in so many lives.

"Dress for Success is a global not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life."

This organization helps women achieve financial freedom by providing them, not only with professional clothing, but also with a network of support and tools.

To learn more about this wonderful resource, you can check out their website.

Sheeba Varghese is a strategic partner for your talent development solutions and the author of Confidence, Clarity & Ease: A Guide For Emerging Leaders To Thrive. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

Sheeba works with: 

Senior Leaders and professionals who want to develop stronger leadership skills, have impact and move forward in their careers

Teams who want to work cohesively within their organizations

Coaches who want to renew or apply for certification with ICF

If you want to improve your leadership skills, transition from managing to leading, ensure your team is amazingly successful, increase your own self-awareness and progress your career, or you aspire to be a masterful coach for your clients, then Sheeba would love to support you. She works with clients globally, both face-to-face, phone or by Zoom.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and dining at the wonderful restaurants in the Bay Area.