Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Speaker A: You're listening to the remote mom collective podcast, where moms can find their stride in the remote work world. Whether you currently work remotely or you want to, you're in the right place.
I'm Brittany the remote mom, and I've been working remotely since 2007. I became a mom in 2015, and there's a lot to learn. Together, we'll support, inspire, and empower each other on our journey to balance work.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Life, and motherhood from the comfort of.
[00:00:33] Speaker A: Our own homes or wherever we're working remotely. Together, let's redefine what it means to be a working mom. Let's support and inspire each other.
[00:00:57] Speaker B: Hi there.
[00:00:58] Speaker C: I am Brittany, the remote mom, and.
[00:01:00] Speaker B: You are listening to an episode of the Remote mom collective podcast. I'm so glad you're here. This is actually going to be my last episode for season one. Season one has been so exciting, and we've had so many wonderful stories in season one.
[00:01:15] Speaker C: I've got great plans for season two. I want to talk AI. I want to talk making friends. I want to talk about multiple different things.
[00:01:25] Speaker B: In season two. I do have a call out for.
[00:01:28] Speaker C: Guests, so if you are interested, I.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: Need you to submit a specific topic, not something broad.
[00:01:34] Speaker C: So, for example, if you're going to come on and talk about AI, I want you to mention something in your.
[00:01:40] Speaker B: Topic pitch about how you want to share with remote moms how AI can.
[00:01:45] Speaker C: Be used in your daily life, whether that's being a mom or being a woman or being a human being or using it at work. And I want you to come with exact examples. Don't say there's many things that we.
[00:01:58] Speaker B: Can talk about, because I'm sure there are, and I'm sure you've got wonderful.
[00:02:02] Speaker C: Things that we can talk about.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: But I have so many guests that.
[00:02:05] Speaker C: Give me that broad topic, and I.
[00:02:08] Speaker B: Don'T know, just from the little bit of information that you submit, it's hard.
[00:02:11] Speaker C: For me to determine your areas of expertise.
[00:02:14] Speaker B: I have a lot of people who have submitted wellness, which is fantastic. But if you have different points, parts.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: About wellness, so, you know, maybe you.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: Do Reiki, maybe you focus on meditation, maybe you focus more on exercise. Maybe you're a dietitian. Like, dial into those specific things and make it specific. When you do your podcast topic pitch, I want to hear your story, but.
[00:02:38] Speaker C: I also want it to be specific for moms who are working remotely and.
[00:02:44] Speaker B: How they can incorporate it into their life and how they can utilize it.
[00:02:47] Speaker C: So please keep that in mind.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: But I would love for you to submit those podcast guest forms.
[00:02:54] Speaker C: I will link it in the show.
[00:02:55] Speaker B: Notes for this particular episode. It can also be found on the.
[00:02:59] Speaker C: Remote mom collective website, which is remotemomcollective.com.
let me make sure that's it.
[00:03:07] Speaker B: Yes, remotemomcollective.com is my website. I can never remember if the the is there or not, but it's just remotemomcollective.com.
[00:03:16] Speaker C: And you can find the be a guest. You have topic ideas and suggestions, and you can also, there's also a couple of other things on webpage.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: So with that being said, we're going to jump into our final episode of.
[00:03:30] Speaker C: Season one's topic for today, and we're going to be talking about balancing personal life and networking and working and doing all of those things and being a human being and a mom all at the same time.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: And it's so hard.
[00:03:47] Speaker C: I am a multitasker. I'm actually really good at multitasking.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: They say that you're not supposed to do that.
[00:03:53] Speaker C: However, I'm one of those human design, actually.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Human design.
[00:03:57] Speaker C: If somebody can talk about that and come on the podcast, I want to hear about that.
But I'm one of those that can.
[00:04:05] Speaker B: Multitask, and I'm very successful at multitasking.
[00:04:08] Speaker C: So I can do four things at one time and where some people, it makes them less productive. I'm actually pretty productive. It's hard for me to focus on one thing because I'll get super frustrated. So being able to kind of go back and forth while I'm multitasking helps my brain a little bit because I might think of something to help one project while I'm working on the other one. It just keeps the juices flowing better for me.
[00:04:33] Speaker B: Maybe you're the same way, but, you.
[00:04:36] Speaker C: Know, multitasking can really drain you and it can make you feel burnt out if you do, if you're not used to doing it, or if you're doing it constantly. So you do need to give yourself a breather.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: I like to.
[00:04:50] Speaker C: In the middle of the day, now that we're back in school, I'm in Atlanta, and our county has gone back to school already. Some of you, you know, some of.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Y'All feel like you probably just got.
[00:04:59] Speaker C: Out of school, but we're back in school and we're getting back into a routine, which is awesome.
[00:05:06] Speaker B: And so I like to try to.
[00:05:08] Speaker C: Take my lunch break, which I make myself take because I usually don't. You know, if we work from home or if you work for yourself, you probably are not giving yourself adequate breaks, and so definitely give yourself a break.
[00:05:21] Speaker B: Build it into your schedule and build.
[00:05:22] Speaker C: It into your day.
[00:05:24] Speaker B: Schedule that time for you to go for a walk, or just get up.
[00:05:28] Speaker C: From your chair and call a friend, or go walk around your neighborhood, or go to the gym or go run an errand. Make that time for yourself to step away from the computer screen and let your brain reset. Because when you come back, you're going to be more productive and you're going to be ready to jump back in. And, you know, I get into a cycle where I go back and forth between a couple of things, and then I get stuck, and then I keep going back and forth, and I'm wasting time.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: So step away from your computer, step.
[00:05:59] Speaker C: Away from whatever you're doing, and let your brain do something else. So now that school's back in session, I'm trying to incorporate 12:00 p.m. workouts. Because the gym where I work out has 12:00 p.m. classes.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: They're 45 minutes.
[00:06:14] Speaker C: So I'm gone an hour and 15 minutes total.
[00:06:16] Speaker B: Takes me ten minutes to get there.
[00:06:18] Speaker C: And ten minutes to come home, and then five minutes wiggle time in there. But it's great. I'm in and out, and then my workout's done for the day. And I try to do that at least two days a week. So make sure if you are not exercising, at least get away from your computer for at least 45 minutes so that your brain can refresh.
[00:06:41] Speaker B: Also, as adults and as moms, we're not prioritizing our friendships.
[00:06:47] Speaker C: We're not prioritizing our relationships. We are focusing on the kids. We're focusing on our relationship with our significant other. If there is a significant other in the picture, we're focusing on our relationship with ourself.
[00:06:59] Speaker B: Maybe.
[00:07:00] Speaker C: Maybe that's where we need to start. And actually, that's not a maybe. That is where you need to start. So one of the things, actually, that got me started with getting back into podcasting and all of this is I actually wrote.
[00:07:14] Speaker B: It was supposed to be a book, but it didn't end up being a full book. And it was a mindset called self be true.
[00:07:20] Speaker C: And really what it comes down to is being true to yourself and understanding who you truly are.
[00:07:25] Speaker B: And the foundation of that will allow.
[00:07:28] Speaker C: You to be able to find your people.
[00:07:30] Speaker B: And that can be a whole other.
[00:07:32] Speaker C: Topic that we talk about one day.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: Is finding friends as an adult. Because it is so hard to find.
[00:07:36] Speaker C: Friends as an adult.
[00:07:37] Speaker B: We've talked about the importance of community.
[00:07:39] Speaker C: So much on this podcast, but, like, how.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: How do you find who your people are? Do you even know who your people are? And that is something that you can get down and deep into, that you first have to understand yourself.
[00:07:51] Speaker C: You have to know who you are, what you like, what you don't like. And sometimes we think we know what we like, and we think we know what we don't like just because of friendships that we had earlier in our lives, and things might be different now.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: I am not as easy on my friends as I used to be.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: Let me back up. I don't let my friends get away.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: With treating me the way that I've let friends in the past, quote unquote friends in the past treat me. I am more protective of myself. I can say no. I didn't used to be able to say no.
I tend to be a people pleaser.
[00:08:27] Speaker C: But as I get older and older, I start to realize that being a people pleaser really doesn't do much good for anybody.
[00:08:35] Speaker B: Saying yes just to be agreeable can.
[00:08:38] Speaker C: Actually make it harder on the group or, you know, if you. Whatever environment you're in, because nobody can.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: Make a decision if everybody is just. It's okay, I don't mind.
[00:08:48] Speaker C: I don't mind.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: Then no decisions are going to be made. So you need to find your friends. You need to find friends. You need to find people. You need to get out. Even if it's one person that you're getting out to see, even if it's.
[00:09:03] Speaker C: Just one friend that you put something on the. On the calendar with, and it's a phone call. Maybe this friend isn't even in the location physically same location as you put.
[00:09:12] Speaker B: Some time on the calendar to sit.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: Down and have a nice, long conversation with this friend, just to stay in.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Check and just to keep you guys in connection, not only with yourselves, but talking about yourselves connects you with yourself. Talking about yourself to somebody else connects you with yourself. So, this podcast, for me, I don't know how many people are listening to.
[00:09:33] Speaker C: This particular episode, or I don't know.
[00:09:36] Speaker B: How many people are listening to my podcast in general.
[00:09:38] Speaker C: I mean, I could look at the analytics and look at those kinds of details, but I don't know in the future. I don't know how big this is gonna get.
[00:09:45] Speaker B: But if I'm helping myself and I'm.
[00:09:48] Speaker C: Helping at least one other person, then.
[00:09:50] Speaker B: In my opinion, it's worth it. So, if you are that one other person that is listening to my podcast, thank you for being here. I hope this is helpful to you. And that you're able to take some.
[00:10:02] Speaker C: Nuggets of information and pay it forward, too. So any information that you learn here.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Or if you have aha moments, definitely.
[00:10:11] Speaker C: Pay it forward and share that with your friends.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: And also if you have anything to contribute to me, like I mentioned before, I'm looking for podcast guests. So submit that.
[00:10:19] Speaker C: And I definitely want to hear your story and information on how your advice.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Can potentially help me and our listeners.
[00:10:27] Speaker C: So finding your people can be hard.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: We've talked about different ways that you could potentially do that, and it takes.
[00:10:33] Speaker C: A long time to finally make a.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: Connection with somebody, some folks you just click with, and that's great. But the more, the older we get.
[00:10:43] Speaker C: And the more responsibilities that we have outside of our social life, the less chances that we have to actually make real connections.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: And so you want to make it worth it. And I am that kind of person that if I think that we are.
[00:10:54] Speaker C: Going to potentially click, I will say.
[00:10:58] Speaker B: Here'S my number, call me, please. I want to be your friend.
[00:11:01] Speaker C: I don't have any friends.
[00:11:02] Speaker B: And I will say it just like that.
[00:11:04] Speaker C: I want to be your friend.
I don't have any friends anymore.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: I just moved back to the area.
[00:11:09] Speaker C: I'm really trying to meet some new.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: Mom friends and some new people. Would you be my friend? And if they call me great, if they don't call me great, that just means that we weren't meant to be friends, right? And I move on. So always take that chance.
[00:11:26] Speaker C: Give yourself that opportunity to be vulnerable.
[00:11:29] Speaker B: And say, would you be my friend or be the inviter? I think I've talked about this many times before. Be the inviter. Be the first. Do you want to go with me to the Renaissance festival? I'm going on Sunday and I'm taking my daughter.
[00:11:41] Speaker C: Do you want to go too, or I'm going on a walk.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: It could be anything. Come over to my house and drink.
[00:11:47] Speaker C: Some wine tonight and let's watch, I don't know, whatever.
[00:11:50] Speaker B: Bravo. Whatever you watch. And if they want to come, great.
If they don't, that's great too, because.
[00:11:57] Speaker C: You know, not to call them another time. Or maybe Bravo is not their thing.
So another important thing that I want to talk about is networking.
[00:12:07] Speaker B: Networking is so important, guys, and we've talked about this, about LinkedIn in the past. You never know who you're going to meet. And the majority of opportunities that come around come from people you already know.
[00:12:19] Speaker C: Or connections you already have.
[00:12:21] Speaker B: The likeliness of you cold applying and getting a job is really low.
[00:12:27] Speaker C: I need to find out the statistic.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: The percentage, but it's really low. The odds are so much higher when you have a personal connection.
[00:12:35] Speaker C: And so I'm not saying to only.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: Meet people for networking opportunities to see how you can, don't be a social.
[00:12:41] Speaker C: Climber, you're not going to be a social climber network so that you can.
[00:12:46] Speaker B: Learn more about people, to see not only how you can help them, but how they can help you. And one of the really cool things that I'm doing with, with my group.
[00:12:56] Speaker C: That I'm a part of is I.
[00:12:58] Speaker B: Have connected with a lady who owns her own. She's a general contractor, a woman general contractor, she's a mom, she's successful.
[00:13:07] Speaker C: And I, I don't have a project that I want to do right now, but I will in a couple of years.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: And I want to use her because I've met her in my networking group and she's already answered a couple of questions. I've sent her pictures of some things and have said, hey, quick question. What are your thoughts on this? Or can you just give me an idea on this? And because I have that connection with her, she's going to get my business when I'm ready for this big project in two or three years. And because she's communicating via text and just engaging with me, it takes two minutes to respond to my text message. So these little interactions can build up over time. And I'm not saying again, you don't want to do it just to get the sale and you don't want to do it just to get ahead in life. Those are bonuses. Those are just bonuses in the networking part, but you have to get out.
[00:13:59] Speaker C: There and do it.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: Sitting behind a computer screen is not.
[00:14:03] Speaker C: Going to get you anywhere.
[00:14:04] Speaker B: You have to go in person. And I am the remote mom and I know that remote work is possible, but some things are required to be in person and networking, while fabulous and can be done remotely and virtually, it's so much more impactful in person. So you have to get out there.
[00:14:25] Speaker C: Get a babysitter, do it while your.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: Kid'S at soccer practice, bring your kid if it's allowed, make it happen. Try different times of day. In my group, I'm trying to do.
[00:14:37] Speaker C: Morning meetups, I'm trying to do happy hours.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: We're trying to do maybe even some.
[00:14:41] Speaker C: Lunches, maybe some girls night here and there so that we can get out.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: And get in person. And these events actually are not networking events. These are more social events. And the networking comes naturally. So you don't have to go in there with a business mindset. You can go in there with the sole expectation of just going to meet.
[00:15:02] Speaker C: People and putting yourself out there and.
[00:15:06] Speaker B: Maybe making a connection that eventually becomes something for you or for that other person.
If you are able to help somebody by meeting them, I think that that is a success.
[00:15:18] Speaker C: Okay, before you go, let's actually talk.
[00:15:23] Speaker B: About some networking goals that you may have. And it may be a specific number. It may be, I want to connect.
[00:15:30] Speaker C: With x amount of people on LinkedIn.
[00:15:33] Speaker B: And I just told you, networking, the.
[00:15:34] Speaker C: Really impactful networking is in person.
[00:15:38] Speaker B: Yes, that's true.
[00:15:40] Speaker C: But LinkedIn, there are, you know, social media.
[00:15:43] Speaker B: There are ways to engage with people.
[00:15:45] Speaker C: On LinkedIn, there are ways to engage with people on social media to get.
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Your name in the forefront, to be seen as an expert in specific topics, to be seen as an expert in specific industries.
[00:15:57] Speaker C: And there are ways for you to do that.
[00:15:59] Speaker B: But you need to have a strategy.
[00:16:01] Speaker C: Instead of just going willy nilly.
[00:16:03] Speaker B: Give yourself a goal.
I'm going to connect with two new people each week for the rest of the month.
[00:16:09] Speaker C: I'm going to go to one networking event this month.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Whether it be a PTA meeting that is networking, whether it be a crochet.
[00:16:19] Speaker C: Class that is networking, whether it be.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: A yoga class that can be networking. But you have to talk to people.
[00:16:30] Speaker C: So definitely network.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: The way that I've gotten all of my jobs has been through somebody that I know now. That person is actually my mother. And no, she's not the one that.
[00:16:42] Speaker C: Hired me, but she introduced me to these people because she's really well known in the industry that I work in.
But those people would have known me like, even if she weren't my daughter.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: She would have been a connection for.
[00:16:58] Speaker C: Me to use as a reference, because we work in the same industry and we work with a lot of the same people.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: Sometimes there are networking opportunities that might not be the best opportunity, and sometimes.
[00:17:15] Speaker C: You just don't know until you get there.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: There's going to be some trade shows.
[00:17:18] Speaker C: There'S going to be some networking events that are just duds, and it might.
[00:17:22] Speaker B: Be that there's not enough attendees. It could be that the program putting.
[00:17:26] Speaker C: It on didn't do a good job marketing it.
[00:17:29] Speaker B: There could be several factors.
[00:17:30] Speaker C: If you end up going to one.
[00:17:32] Speaker B: Of those, make the best of it. Don't complain.
[00:17:35] Speaker C: Check it off your list, and realize, you know what?
[00:17:37] Speaker B: This is not the right industry for me.
[00:17:38] Speaker C: This was not the right event for me.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: And don't go again.
[00:17:43] Speaker C: Don't be negative, but try it out.
Now let's go back to the self.
[00:17:50] Speaker B: Care and the mental health piece really quick. I want to emphasize that you're not.
[00:17:56] Speaker C: Going to want to do any of.
[00:17:58] Speaker B: This stuff unless you feel good. And feeling good is not only physical, but it's mentally as well.
[00:18:03] Speaker C: Because when you feel motivated and when you feel passionate about something and when you feel excited about something, you're going to get it done.
[00:18:11] Speaker B: And so you need to make sure that you are ready and motivated and you are excited to do whatever you're going to do. You don't have to be excited to go and socialize and do small talk. That part sucks. I like going to networking events, but I hate small talk. But you got to do it and that is part of the process.
Now, sometimes you have really great experiences, but it always starts with the small talk. And actually we can have a whole podcast episode in season two about how how small talk can turn into big opportunities and we can chat through how.
[00:18:47] Speaker C: That works and we can pull a piece from the book that I wrote but didn't publish. So maybe there is a book one.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: Day, I don't know, but we can talk about those chapters.
[00:18:57] Speaker C: Actually, that's not a bad idea.
[00:18:59] Speaker B: As I'm talking out loud, I'm thinking.
[00:19:01] Speaker C: You know, season two might be cool.
[00:19:03] Speaker B: To pull some chapters that I wrote in this book and turn them into episodes.
Definitely make sure that you are getting rest.
You are clearing your head.
[00:19:16] Speaker C: Make sure you know how to feel.
[00:19:19] Speaker B: Good in your body, your mind and your soul.
[00:19:22] Speaker C: If that means going to church or.
[00:19:25] Speaker B: If that means going to meditate, or if that means going on a walk or going for a swim, then you.
[00:19:31] Speaker C: Go do that if that's what you need to do.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: Or just go sit in the rocking.
[00:19:35] Speaker C: Chair on your back porche.
[00:19:36] Speaker B: Hopefully it's not too hot and hopefully.
[00:19:38] Speaker C: There aren't any mosquitoes out there.
[00:19:40] Speaker B: Maybe it's a nice crisp fall evening.
The point, the fact, the point I'm.
[00:19:47] Speaker C: Trying to make here and I'm getting.
[00:19:49] Speaker B: Tongue tied because my dog is elderly.
[00:19:52] Speaker C: And he keeps crying and he can't find me. So I'm a little distracted.
[00:19:56] Speaker B: But the point I'm trying to make.
[00:19:57] Speaker C: Here is you have to make time.
[00:19:59] Speaker B: For yourself and you have to know what you want. And if you don't know what you want, then you need to figure that out. And then that's a whole different process of journaling.
[00:20:09] Speaker C: Getting down to what it is and.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: Trying to figure it out.
[00:20:13] Speaker C: Writing it out on a chalkboard or.
[00:20:15] Speaker B: A dry erase board or a journal or type it out in a Google Doc. Figure out what you want. Start from there. What do you want? I want friends. Okay, cool. What kind of friends?
I want friends who enjoy Harry Potter.
[00:20:32] Speaker C: And reading and sewing and beer.
[00:20:36] Speaker B: Okay, cool.
[00:20:38] Speaker C: Where do you think you could go.
[00:20:39] Speaker B: To meet these people?
Start thinking about those kinds of things to figure out, to really narrow in.
[00:20:46] Speaker C: And make an action plan. Gotta make an action plan.
And that could be another episode that we could talk about how to make an action plan if you're unsure how to do that, because it can feel overwhelming.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: With all of that being said, I think I say that a lot.
I just want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for putting in the time to listen to me. I hope that you have found some.
[00:21:11] Speaker C: Of the information that I have shared with you to be helpful and inspiring.
[00:21:15] Speaker B: And I hope that you've made a difference in your life or you're working on it. And I hope that you are finding your passion. And I hope that you are doing.
[00:21:25] Speaker C: The work that you want to do.
[00:21:26] Speaker B: Whether it's actual work, whether it's physical work, mental work. Do the work.
[00:21:32] Speaker C: You got to do it.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: As we wrap up season one, I'm excited to come back for season two. I'm not sure how long the break.
[00:21:42] Speaker C: Is going to be, but there will be a break. I don't know if it's short or long. I'm just going to say there's going.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: To be a break. And then I will be back with season two and we will dive into all kinds of great topics.
[00:21:55] Speaker C: And if there's anything that you want.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: Me to talk about or have a guest about, or if you want to be a guest about again, go to my website, remotemomcollective.com, and there is a guest form for you to complete. And please be specific.
At the end of the day, all we can do for ourselves is try our best and show our kids that.
[00:22:21] Speaker C: Trying your best is. Is what we should do.
And failure does not mean that you failed.
[00:22:32] Speaker B: Failure is part of the path to success.
I have failed many times at many things.
[00:22:42] Speaker C: But those failures bring me to the.
[00:22:46] Speaker B: Next, bring me closer to my next success.
[00:22:51] Speaker C: I hope you enjoyed this episode.
[00:22:53] Speaker B: Have a wonderful rest of your day. As we say here at the remote.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: Mom collective, being different makes a difference.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: So let's support and inspire each other. Have a great day.
