Babies & Briefcases

Media headlines scream out: “Women struggle to juggle work and family”. Like, that’s news?

Those of you who are well acquainted with balancing babies and bosses don’t need headlines. You need answers.

Enter Lisa Martin, North Van mother to Adam, 8, and author of Briefcase Moms: Ten Proven Practices to Balance Working Mothers’ Lives. Finally! An expert to solve all your problems, right?

Wrong. Lisa’s not an expert on your life, and she’d be the first to say so. YOU are. And only you can decide what a ‘successful’ life looks like. But Lisa is an expert at helping you figure out what balance means to you, and helping you to identify strategies that are both personal and practical.

The ten practices referred to in her book include traits such as simplification, courage and connection. Each chapter deals with one of the practices, and an accompanying 100-page workbook helps you tailor the principles to your unique situation.

A certified coach who works with balance-seeking organizations and their employees, Lisa believes that we already have all the information and answers we need—it’s just a matter of accessing them.

To that end, her website is home to the Briefcase Moms community, which links women via a monthly newsletter, weekly email tips, and interactive, real-time teleforums.

Each month, between 30 and 50 women take part in a teleconference that addresses one of the practices in the book. Participants can speak out or just listen, and as she facilitates the discussion, Lisa says a “real dynamic of women coaching women” emerges. Those who aren’t able to take part at the time are able to listen to an archived audio recording.

It all comes down to getting clear about your priorities and “making choices that you feel good about every day,” says Lisa, and we couldn’t agree more.

Just think—put Lisa’s practices into action, and you’ll actually have time to read again!

Lisa Martin
Briefcase Moms Community
www.briefcasemoms.com

Comments