VAL_AprilMay_19.indd - page 11

mommag.com
11
Cover MOM
Family comes first.
All families are unique. Tell us about
yours.
Jackson is a sophomore and is training to
play college baseball. He is training five to
six days a week in addition to school work.
Natalie is in sixth grade and loves theatre,
dance and volleyball. She is frequently
auditioning for and acting in plays. Harlow
is a three-year-old boxer and she likes
cuddles. We also have two bunnies: Oreo
and Peter. Between school, work, sports,
dance and volunteering, we love the
opportunity to chill out together at home.
The kids are both talkers and love to share
everything that happened in their day. They
will both keep chatting until they are almost
tucking me into bed.
Every family has their own traditions,
rituals or inside jokes. What’s one of
yours?
Harlow supplies the bulk of our humor. She
is silly and we love to be silly with her. We
have a special language and even tone of
voice we use with her and she loves it.
Boxers have hilarious personalities. If you’ve
ever been around one, you know.
Do you think that parenting is easier or
more challenging than when you were
growing up?
I think social media has made parenting
more challenging than when I was a child.
Essentially, we invite a stranger into our
home every time we log in. It provides a lot
of valuable lessons that I’m glad to discuss
with my kids. Parenting has become easier
in the sense that there is less stigma for
moms to work outside the home or to be
the breadwinner. This certainly wasn’t the
case when I was growing up.
What is something you swore you would
never do before kids that you now do?
Be so forgetful. I forget so many things. I
probably apologize for forgetting more
than anything else, even though I keep
checklists and notes everywhere.
Your biggest wish for your kids is…
To be true to themselves and to be
authentic in the world. There is a lot of
pressure today to be a certain way. More
than anything, I want them to find their
own voice and their own path. I’m
constantly encouraging them to be
different and to think outside the box—to
do the hard thing by going against the
current. I encourage this by celebrating the
things that make them unique, whether it’s
Jackson talking Star Wars to a crowd that
lacks interest, or Natalie sporting an outfit
no one else would wear, I want them to
express what makes them unique.
No one works harder than
mom.
We know that being a mom is a full-time
job. Tell us about your work outside of
the home. How did NW Design House get
started?
I am an interior designer by trade and
specialize in kitchen and bathroom design.
Years ago, as I began building my career,
there were several industry norms that I
wished were different. Design House really
was born from a desire to bring change to
the industry while providing practical
design solutions to my community. I heard
from so many people that they didn’t think
our demographic could maintain an interior
design firm. That was seven years ago.
Design House has matured into a
launchpad for young designers to build
their resume. I also use the business as a
platform to educate others in business and
entrepreneurship. The strength of our
community has allowed me to test my ideas
about the industry and develop systems
and strategies to grow Design House.
What have you learned professionally
that has helped you as a mom?
What came first? The chicken or the egg? At
the risk of sounding cold, I describe my
parenting style much the same way I
manage my business. I strive to be
transparent because I believe in having
everything on the table for everyone to
contribute. I hate top-down management,
so I am constantly encouraging my kids and
my employees to speak up and let their
voice be heard. We celebrate our failures as
much we do our successes.
Entrepreneurship requires embracing
challenges and setbacks. I can’t think of a
better way to describe motherhood.
Nothing is ever perfect, but I am always
doing the best I can. The greatest example I
can be to my kids and my employees is to
admit my failings, apologize and learn from
them.
What design advice would you give to
busy moms dealing with active
(destructive) kids and limited budgets?
I’m too practical to have a home that looks
like it belongs in a magazine. Whether it’s
the car or the sofa, spills happen. I’d rather
make the memories than worry about the
messes. Consumerism tells us that we
should purchase low quality goods and
replace them when they are destroyed. I’d
rather have products that withstand the
demands of my family and save the energy
of having to replace things.
Continued on page 12
We celebrate our failures
as much we do our successes.
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