Hi Edie, tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do, how old are your children and what happens with your kids when you are at work?
I am a journalist, an author, an event MC and a communications trainer. My kids are 15, 12 and 10. Unless I’m traveling, I usually stop that work at 4pm and then start the other job - taxi driver, short order cook, music practice enforcer, and homework helper.
My kids are at school while I’m at work unless they are in one of their innumerable school holidays. Then it is usually organised chaos. I also have a part time nanny, the lovely Hannah who helps from 4-8 so I can travel and my husband is also part of the Team that keeps the wheels on the bus.
1. One word to describe how being a WoMo makes you feel?
See-saw. (Because its rarely perfectly balanced between work and parenthood.)
2. What’s the funniest experience you have had juggling kids and work?
Breastfeeding child number 2 from my kitchen table while interviewing a former French President over the phone.
3. What is the one piece of advice you could offer another WoMo?
If anyone offers you a work boondoggle (i.e a non-essential work trip in a really nice place) take it. You deserve it. The piece of advice I wish I could take is to choose your battles. Don’t try to control it all. This is hard when you’re in the weeds and stressed however, so whomever can give me some advice on how I can do this more often and more effectively I’d appreciate it!
4. What’s the least amount of sleep you’ve gone to work on and how did you cope?
Zero hours. Caffeine, a make-up artist and pure adrenaline when I was at Bloomberg TV with a baby. Shame that once I left TV the makeup artist isn’t part of the package! After that it was just caffeine. Never forget in this age of Human 2.0 that the easiest way to augment your performance is with the legal drugs we already have - coffee.
5. What have you learned about yourself as a WoMo?
I have a tendency to take on too much.
6. If you had a working mother’s anthem or mantra, what would it be?
Guilt is a poisonous script designed to control us. Resist it all your strength.
7. What is your guilty pleasure to combat WoMo guilt the best?
(Not sure I understand this question? How do I get over the guilt?
Watching Modern Family DURING DINNER with my kids.
8. Would you rather be dealing with a tantrum or presenting in a board meeting?
Presenting! I’m much better at that.
9. If you asked your children what your job is, what would they say?
"Journalist, I think. You have a podcast right?"
10. What’s the one thing you wish you’d known before you became a WoMo?
Everything changes. Absolutely no way you can do it all unless you have a lot of home help and/or your husband is going to stay at home.
11. To date, what has been your best WoMo achievement?
I was interviewing a marine biologist in Davos this year using my 15 year old son’s paper on the scourge of plastic in the oceans as the source for my questions. The biologist thought his paper was so good he offered my son an internship. Now I just have to figure out how we all get to Santa Barbara so he can take it up!
12. What do you want to teach your kids about working mothers?
Hm, I’m not sure. Personally I think I’m a more interesting person than I would be if I didn’t work. That I love what I do and I also try my hardest to be there for the important stuff. That when women are in the workforce companies perform better and do better for their employees. So we need more working mothers out there.
Read more about Edie and her world here