The success story of a working mum
After giving birth to her first child, Sarah Lacy, decided to start a media company, PandoDaily, that offers technology news and web commentary. About two months after she gave birth to her second child, PandoDaily saw its biggest growth in history. Read on to find out how she did it.
Sarah Lacy, working mum and the owner of PandoDaily
Sarah is the first person to admit that juggling work and motherhood is not easy. She wrote on her blog, “I have been nursing or pregnant every day I have run this company.”
Nevertheless, she remains “a very engaged mum of two young kids” even as her company is advancing ever so quickly. Luckily for her, her work life has been making her job as a mother much more manageable than she initially imagined.
It takes a village to raise a child
Sarah brings her children along for work whenever she fails to find a childcare, and she has been receiving nothing but support from her colleagues.
In her PandoDaily post, she shared a recent incident where her crying newborn was soothed by her staff and the CEO of their event’s sponsor, Smartling. She added jokingly, “That’s right: He paid us money and then babysat.”
Even though her viewership is made up of a 90% male audience, she has succeeded in raising USD 3 million in capital. And she cannot place enough emphasis that having this work-life balance is “all still totally doable.”
Being a working mum is just as doable as any other goal you set your mind to
Nothing is impossible
Sarah’s article was written to debunk what Sheryl Sandberg had said about working life in her book, "Lean in" — that it is a tough system because a working mum finds it harder to succeed.
Sarah, however, asserted that it all depends on individuals, because balancing high profile careers and a family can and has turned out pretty well for many.
Furthermore, Sarah that her colleagues at work has not only “let” her make work-life possible, they have also helped her. Her staff has stepped up in order to relieve her stress.
She wrote, “More surprising: You can do this precisely because most people actually want working mums to succeed. Yes, even white men controlling way too much of the world.”
A working mum in Singapore
No one said juggling motherhood and a job would be easy — but, what's greater than being successful in both departments? In Singapore, working mothers do receive plenty of support as well, even women with high profile careers.
Check out some testimonials from successful mothers in Singapore on the Career Mums website.
Tips from Sarah Lacy
Many mothers think it is impossible to have it all. Sarah Lacy and many others alike have proven that attitude wrong. Here are some tips that she shared with us:
1. Stop thinking too much
Instead of dwelling too much on how you should further your career, plan the steps to take. Stop thinking. Start doing.
2. Allow others to help you
When others want to help you make your life easier — whether it is taking care of your children or taking some of your work load off, let them help you.
3. Do not make promises you cannot keep
Promises tie you down. The world can sometimes feel as if it is caving in on you because you have too many commitments to handle. Instead of saying “I’ll do it”, try saying “I’ll try”.
4. Be gracious and appreciative
Being pregnant does not entitle you to receive more help. If people are willing to help you, they are doing it out of kindness. Be thankful that they even bother at all.
Do you think being a working mum is doable for you? Tell us your opinion, we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about Sarah Lacy's path to success:
