WHAT WAS YOUR PRIMARY MOTIVATION FOR DECIDING TO RETURN AND CONTINUE TO GROW YOUR WORK AFTER YOUR BOYS WERE BORN?

When Nathan was born, I decided to leave my job with the Bloomberg Administration and went on maternity leave for 9 months.  I’m very grateful I was able to have that extended time with him, but I was ready to get back to work!  My career has always been important to me and returning to work was something I needed to do for myself and ultimately for my children.   I want my boys to see their mother leading a company, especially a company whose primary mission is to grow the impact of good causes.  

YOU WORK WITH SUCH A BROAD RANGE OF PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS. YOU AND YOUR TEAM SUPPORT AND ADDRESS SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE SPECTRUM OF NEED. HOW HAVE YOU USED YOUR TALENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC?

I’m very proud that WCPG has been able to rise to the occasion and support our clients who are serving so many people in need during this crisis.  We’ve had the privilege of continuing to work with CORE, which was co-founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee, and is providing COVID-19 testing, wrap-around services, and now vaccines to some of the country’s most in-need communities and all with a focus on equity.  

WCPG worked with Brandon Marshall to create Fuel the Front Lines to support the physical and mental health of our selfless healthcare providers by giving them much needed wellness supplies and nourishments. 

Another client is The Right to Shower, a soap line from Unilever, that stepped up and provided unsheltered people throughout the pandemic with hygiene kits and mobile handwashing stations.

And, of course, on the other side, we did a lot of work to make sure that our clients whose mission wasn’t aligned with COVID-19 support stayed relevant and active during a time when their work wasn’t front of mind, but still absolutely vital to people’s well-being.  

YOUR WORK REQUIRES AN INCREDIBLE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND BOTTOMLESS ENERGY. THAT IS A BIG LIFT!  WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?

I know that at the end of the day, the work we do at WCPG matters and makes a real difference in people’s lives.  So showing up to work matters and that motivates me.  Every day, I have the potential to bring in a partner that will fund a health clinic or advise a company that is directing marketing dollars to a social cause, or a million other important things.  But If I don’t show up for work, that won’t happen. 

COVID REQUIRED YOU TO QUICKLY REFOCUS ASPECTS OF YOUR WORK ON SO MANY LEVELS. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF? HOW CAN OTHER WORKING MOTHERS BENEFIT FROM THIS INSIGHT?

Moms have to be adaptable to survive!  So, a lot of the skills I’ve developed as a mother actually helped me navigate my business through this difficult time.  We had to make hard decisions, quickly.  My business partner and I had to work double-time to ensure that we were servicing our clients and also bringing in new business.  The team at WCPG matters to me like family.  So ensuring that we were able to keep all our staff safe and employed was our number one goal.  

YOU HAVE YOUR SCHOOL AGED KIDS AT HOME WHILE YOU CONTINUE TO WORK AND THEY LEARN REMOTELY. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TAKE-AWAY? DO YOU HAVE A GREAT HIDING SPOT?!!?!?

I’ve discovered you can get a lot done in chaos, that it’s totally ok to take calls from the closet, and that people are very understanding about it all.  I’m also lucky that I can get a lot of my work done at off-hours when the boys are sleeping.  

FOR YOURSELF? WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH YOU COULD OFFER YOUR FORMER, EXPECTANT SELF?

Sleep now!  And you are about to start the greatest journey of your life, so just enjoy it. 

YOU HAVE SHARED THAT PPD WAS PART OF YOUR EARLY MOTHERHOOD WITH YOUR FIRST SON. THIS IS COMPLICATED STUFF. WHEN DID THE “NEW NORMAL” (AFTER BABY) SET IN FOR YOU? 

While I was pregnant with Nathan, I had very unrealistic expectations of what new motherhood was like.  I wasn’t prepared for the sleep deprivation or all the little things that come with taking care of a new baby.  I was hit very hard with PPD and had days that were some of the lowest of my life.  I felt truly lost and hopeless.  But my husband was amazing in supporting me at that time and my son’s pediatrician recognized that I needed help and organized with my OBGYN for me to take medication to treat the situation.  And when I had Joshua 4 years later, I was better prepared for what having a new baby meant and had a plan with my doctors to start medication immediately following his birth.  It made a tremendous impact for me.

As far as a new normal goes, it’s a great question.  Because now I can barely remember a time before my children.  But it took me a while to get a place of comfort.  

YOU HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING PHILANTHROPY YOUR ENTIRE CAREER. WHAT WORK ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I’ve worked with the most inspiring business leaders, charities, and talent who are all committed to using their position to make an impact.  There are so many singular moments that I look back on with such pride.  But what I’m most proud of is building a business from the ground up whose mission is to do good in the world, but at the same time is actually a sustainable and profitable company that employees people.  

I’m also so proud of the culture we’ve created at WCPG.  Everyone is treated with respect and given opportunities to grow.  And most importantly, I’ve built a business where my children are welcomed and a part of the team.  So much so that my business partner made them business cards: Chief Snack Officer and Chief Idea Officer.  

WHAT PRO-TIPS DO YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH OTHER MOTHERS?

There are no-pro tips because I don’t think there are any pro-parents out there.  We’re all just doing the best we can.  But I believe the most important thing is to just love your children for exactly who they are and to help them however you can become the best version of that.  

WHO WAS YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF SUPPORT IN BUILDING YOUR CAREER AS A MOTHER?

I’ve made two really smart picks in my life.  My husband Emil and my business partner Harrie.  From there, everything else just fell into place.  

My husband has been incredibly supportive of my career and is a full partner in raising our children.  Our careers are valued equally and we work together to navigate schedules between work and home.

Out of Harrie and I, I was the first to have children, but he was always there to stand-in if I needed to take care of a family issue.  And he was supportive of building an office where my children were welcomed.  And now it’s my pleasure to do the same of him.  

FILL IN THE BLANKS:

As a working parent, I never expected that taking care of the kids would be so hard and working would be so much easier. 

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