Im A CEO Mom Youve Got No Reason To Feel Guilty

Im A CEO Mom Youve Got No Reason To Feel Guilty I dont have to tell you that being a mom is hard work. You already know that. You also know having a successful career can be just as hard often harder.So for those of us trying to sto ass to combine the two most important aspects of our lives, let me be one of the many who should be telling you Im proud of you.For new moms who are just starting off on your journey into motherbeibeihood and/or career building, you better believe its one of the most difficult things youll do. I had my daughter just weeks after graduating from college. I had barely begun my work life, and I was already a parent. Instead of binnenseeing my situation as a setback or obstacle, I dove straight into my career to prove to myself and my daughter that no goal is out of reach.Im proud to say Ive been balancing career and motherhood for almost 16 years. Im now the CEO of one of the top 50 PR agencies in Los Angeles, and theres not a single thing I would change.All too often, Ive encountered other working moms who tell me they feel guilty for being successful at work. They say they feel like they should be spending that time at home with their kids. They admit to passing on amazing opportunities for their career because it would require more time traveling, away from home and their kids. Though I do agree that quality time with your kids is important, its equally important to feel fulfilled in whatever your lifes purpose is. Dont dads get to do that? We should have the same opportunity, while still being the loving and nurturing mothers/wives our family needsbecause were women, and we can balance it all. Its our gift.Im probably making it sound too easy, but there are tricks to making it workTell yourself its okay to be great at what you love to do because it inspires your kids when youre happy and succeedingTranslation you should never, ever feel guilty for finding success outside of the home. Being a mother is the most important job we have . I believe wholeheartedly that its my primary job to make sure that my daughter is a functional, contributing member of society who is kind, successful in her own way and a genuinely great person who challenges herself by giving her best with the gifts she was given.In my professional life, my job is to run my growing agency by giving it 110% every day. I mentor my amazing team, and continually deliver for our clients because it fires me up to live my purpose.In order to be good at work and motherhood, I realized very early on I have to be authentic to myself and to my daughter. It just so happens that my authentic self loves to work. My authentic self loves to help others. The real me loves to be successful, and I love to do things that make me feel like Im hitting my personal and professional goals. The beauty is, my daughter sees thatand your kids should see you at your absolute best too Its inspiring to them when they see you hit your goals.I know for a fact my daughter is a be tter, well-rounded person because she sees me succeed, and she wants that for herself. I believe it has given her a level of confidence I dont think I wouldve been able to give to her if Id stayed at home. Yes, I wouldve been able to have more time with her, but as parents, dont we take time for granted anyway? I know Ive done it. So I see my time with her as quality time versus quantity time, and we make the most of every minute together.Talk to your kids about work decisions you make, especially when they affect them.For you moms who have goals and dreams, I hope no one ever said you had to give them up when you became a parent. If they did, ignore them The only thing you have to do is make sure that your kids understand what you do, why you do it and how it helps make their life bettereven when it doesnt always feel that way to them.The hardest parte will be helping them understand that sometimes you have to be at work, or travel, or miss important things because we work in a com petitive world where someone else will do the job if you wont. The best way to mend that is to bring them into your world. Get them excited about it. This way, they become part of your team. My daughter and I have started a tradition where anytime Ive had to travel, I bring her something from a new place, and that helps us create a positive memory around the tripespecially if it caused me to miss one of her important events. So adopt your own traditions, and dont feel guilty about being a parent who wantsor needsto work. Some of us dont have a choice. And if you do have a choice and want to work, you should, because youll be a better mom by being authentic to yourself.Carve very specific time out for your kids.From vacations to mini dates, plan specific dates and times to spend together. When youre not present, technology can be there to help iPhone users can take advantage of FaceTime. If not, simple phone calls can do the trick. When you make the effort to carve out minutes or hou rs in your day, your kids will appreciate it. I have regular phone dates with my daughter, we go on mother/daughter vacations and we hit Disneyland as often as we can. Its our thing I also text her daily and send her silly Bitmojis or jokes on Snapchat to let her know Im thinking of her and want to brighten her day. Just like you would and should in a relationship with a spouse or partner, when you care for someone you find a way to let them know. Do the same for your kids.What I hope youll take from all of this is a certain level of confidence. Know that its OK to be successful, chase your career goals and follow your passions in life. Dont let anyone, especially other moms, tell you otherwise. Its happened to me and Ive never listened to them. Ive listened to my heart, my gut and my kidwhich is what you should do too. Know that when youre reaching goals and showing your kids love at the same time, youre passing along an invaluable lesson to your children, which will ensure their l ife is filled with a similar sense of purpose, drive and accomplishment.In summary, be true to yourself, always.This article was originally published on Working Mother.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer