The topic of motherhood has come up in conversation with my friends more heavily in recent years. Many of us are moms to young children, navigating the incredible journey of parenthood while holding on tight to the other greatest gift in life: ambition. How does one balance the two? I’m not exactly sure—I’m still figuring it out. I have two children: My daughter is 4, and my son is 10 months old, and I have a brand-new appreciation for the phrase “attempting to do it all” (emphasis on attempting).
My career started far before I was thinking of becoming a parent, and it started with Hillary Kerr. The co-founder of Who What Wear and the chief content officer of Marie Claire has always been the North Star for many of us who work in fashion media, and as some of us entered motherhood, so did she. Kerr’s motto and attitude toward the journey is “Happy mom, happy kids,” and I know exactly what she’s implying. “And by this I mean you have to take care of yourself, too,” says Kerr. “My kids come first, but I have made it a point to carve out moments for myself, and that has made all the difference in my life and my ability to parent the way I’d like to (most of the time, anyway).” I realize this can mean different things for everyone, but for me, indulging in my love for fashion is one way to carve out “me” time.
