Working Mom Series | Heir to Blair

Ready to jump.

1 Nov posted by heirtoblair

I sit in a half-packed office, an odd mixture of frames in boxes but a vintage pennant banner still drapes across the walls. I’ve handed off my clients & this week’s marketing report sits freshly pinned to my bulletin board. I can’t seem to take down the last few pictures or pull the pens out of the little aqua vase. It will feel too final. I’ll do it Friday afternoon, I promise.

I’ve requested no big send-off, no awkward final lunch with the bossmen & folks I rarely interacted with. Just a small gathering of my marketing team, the girls that have seen me through engagement & the first steps of marriage & motherhood. Behind our conversations this week, a tense lump sits in all our throats. Amanda asks if I am excited, if I’ve picked out my outfit for the first day. Beth asks if I will finally lash into the one who wears the sweater vest & we laugh.

I wonder how I will hug them goodbye on Friday, despite knowing that it’s not really goodbye. That for months, I will probably still call with big news & that Kathleen & I’s friendship was before this office & will last after.

I’ve been ready for this week for over a year. But taking that jump always takes a big deep breath.

23 Comments
Filed Under: Adult Club, All about BA, Life in General, nablopomo, Potential for Doocing, Working Mom Series

The details.

24 Oct posted by heirtoblair

For six years, I poured my soul into my work. Caring for families, being their advocate, toeing the fine line between client spokesman & employee. I loved my company, respected the men I worked for, & very rarely had a “bad day.” Over the years, it has been hard to watch my clients pass away, families mourn. What began as a way to serve the community turned into hating myself for the phone calls I made, as I watched the business I work for change cultures. I pushed back, only to be shoved harder. In short? I became a kicked puppy, as my friend Suzanne so eloquently put it over lunch one day.

It became glaringly clear that there was no upward mobility in the company, that there were no promotions or raises in sight in our non-profit & that benefits were being pulled away at a slow but noticeable pace. I felt stuck & uninspired.

I struggled horribly re-entering the work force after Harrison & blamed it on my desire to stay home. Through two years & lots of soul-searching conversations, it became abundantly clear that I did not hate being a working mother – I was frustrated with my job & the person I was becoming in it. & working with the generation I did, where the majority did not understand or support working mothers, being faced with the question every single day of “Why don’t you want to stay home with your baby?” broke my heart. Every single day.

It was time to make a move. For over a year, I have been sending out resume after resume, skirting around the direct issue while trying to network & make contacts. My friends have been incredible, giving me contact names & helping me get my foot in the door at some amazing companies. Also, it ain’t no joke about this economy. If you’re looking for a job, be prepared for it to become a second job. Interview after interview, some asking for me to perform projects & presentations on four-hour third interviews where I spent weekends drawing grafts & then took vacation time to present in a business suit. I spent weeks waiting & agonizing for answers over jobs I felt sure were “the one.” It was exhausting & I had many nights of wondering if my entire life was already set in stone.

After six years, it is time for me to move on & grow my career. So I’m moving into an entirely different industry, re-starting my career in an entirely different position. I am 100% out of sales now, which makes my heart so happy. I’m moving onto a company that contracts research endeavors, working for the vice president. Opportunities are wide-open, the benefits are amazing, & my new boss knows about my blog & love for social media. He thinks it is awesome. (also? I get to wear jeans on Fridays! wheee!)

In short? I am one hell of a happy lady.

p.s. more to come on the house. there’s just so much wrapped up in this one life-changing move!

58 Comments
Filed Under: Adult Club, All about BA, Finding Balance, Potential for Doocing, Working Mom Series

Let’s play a game.

21 Oct posted by heirtoblair

Who wants to guess what this is?

photo1 Lets play a game.

First one to guess gets some kind of prize that will be totally cool.

Congratulations to R’s Momma, who guessed it was a new job offer! (I’ll email you about your prize, I’m thinking Starbucks card or something tasty!) More details to come soon, but right now I am on cloud nine & turning in my resignation.

73 Comments
Filed Under: Adult Club, All about BA, Potential for Doocing, Working Mom Series

Working momma style.

15 Oct posted by heirtoblair

workingstyle1 Working momma style.

Ever wonder what it’s like to wake up every morning & put on high heels? Or business suits?

Searching for some inspiration or want to share your own style?

Working mommas are linking up at Liberating Working Moms & I’m hosting. Come join me?

Filed Under: All about BA, Working Mom Series

Look, ma! No undereye circles! aka CoverGirl Lash Perfection

4 Oct posted by heirtoblair

Despite what some may think, I’m not a weirdo that holes away in a basement selling Avon & listening to Christmas music in August.

Okay, scratch that. I totally listen to Christmas music in August.

I have a job that I love as it challenges me & puts me in front of clients on the daily. Which is wonderful, because I love people. But having to look my best every day? oh, do I often fail. I was most worried before returning to work after my son – I had 40 extra pounds on my frame & no clothes that fit. I was losing hair like a husky & had this weird thing going on where my feet sweat a lot. (new motherhood = totally glamorous) But after three months of maternity leave, we still had a mortgage to be paid, so I bought a few new pairs of slacks, slipped my stinky feet back into my pumps, & tried desperately to still feel confident & pretty in my job.

I realized quickly that the weight would take awhile to melt off. But I could brighten my face up in just a few minutes with my old trusty friends, the blush stick & mascara wand. So I covered the dark circles under my eyes that appeared sometime during the 3am feeding & dusted a little bronzer across my cheeks to help me look among the living. I am not a huge make-up enthusiast, but surely, I entered my new stage of life as a working mother with a little more confidence each day until I was comfortable with my clients once more.

CoverGirl & BlogHer wanted to make sure I was staying on top of my game almost two years into the gig of being a working momma, so they sent me the new CoverGirl Lash Perfection mascara to try out in a brown-black shade.

Oh, my. It is very pretty on. I never really believed that mascara could “lengthen” lashes until this one & I didn’t even have to dig out a toothpick to take out clumps! (kidding! I’m too clumsy to put sharp objects near my eyes.) It held up beautifully, even though the tears of a therapy session. Also, this may have been the first mascara I have tried where I didn’t look like a raccoon by 5pm. Thank you, Lash Perfection, for not smudging under my eyes. Love you, mean it!