Peggy McKowen
In celebration of Mother’s Day we are showcasing just a few of our clients who not only rock at business but shine as mothers as well. Throughout the month of May we will be saluting these exceptional business-savvy moms and sharing their tips on multi-tasking in a modern world.
About Peggy:
As Associate Producing Director of CATF , I facilitate the production of a five-play repertory. That means assessing the demands of the plays, coordinating creative teams, negotiating contracts, hiring staff, prepping calendars, and helping to promote the Season and the theater in general. I also follow the production process to insure that the work has every opportunity to be the highest quality work we can deliver. It also means creating additional programming and leading some of that programming; including Lifelong Learning classes for Shepherd University to launching the new Hostel YOUTH! program for teens 14-18.
As a freelance designer I read plays, meet with directors, research and design costumes. Then I travel to the various theaters that have employed me and watch rehearsals, shop for clothes, do fittings and make sure that what I have created in my head actually ends up on stage.
Peggy’s Schedule:
Most of the time it is a normal work week with regular hours but often I have evening meetings, weekend events and tons of travel. I just came off a period of time during which I was out-of-town for a few days each week for five weeks running. That is particularly hard in my family situation because my partner works nights so if I’m away that means the baby gets to spend quality time with grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles. It’s a good thing my son is a “go-baby” and enjoys riding in the car.
Peggy shares a messy juggling work & baby moment:
One morning I found myself unexpectedly without daycare so I decided to take my son to work with me. This was fairly early in my new life as a mom and so I packed everything up and off we went to work. The morning was unbelievably hectic and I didn’t change the baby’s diaper in a timely fashion. Needless to say the baby was a mess, the office was a mess and I was a complete wreck cleaning it all up. I remembered in that moment another mom’s advice. Daycare is essential if you are going to continue with your career goals. You short change yourself and your child if you try to combine job and child rearing. I realized in that moment my son was better taken care of at daycare than with me in the office. I now cherish my daycare provider and the time away from work with my son.
Peggy’s advice to moms about to balance work and life:
There are days when you truly realize you have no control on how the day will progress, what you accomplish and if you can possibly be on time for anything. That’s when you just have to accept that the universe and your child win…and that’s just fine.
Jane Tabb
In celebration of Mother’s Day we are showcasing just a few of our clients who not only rock at business but shine as mothers as well. Throughout the month of May we will be saluting these exceptional business-savvy moms and sharing their tips on multi-tasking in a modern world.
About Jane:
Jane is the mother of four adult children, a farmer, a caterer (Fresh Feast on the Farm), the founder and organizer of Jefferson County Farm Day, and Program Assistant at the Jefferson County Extension Service.
Jane’s work schedule:
When my children were growing up, we were a dairy farm and I milked sometimes two days a week or on weekends. That meant getting up at 3:15am and getting back to the house at 6:30am then returning to the barn at 2pm for afternoon milking and getting done around 5:30-6pm.
Jane shares a funny juggling work & kids moment:
On the third or fourth day of Kindergarten, Child #1 is waiting outside by our fenced in yard for the school bus. I am in a bathrobe inside the house watching from the front door with Child #2 (3yrs old) Child #3 (2 years old) and pregnant with #4. As the bus pulls up and stops, Child #1 throws his backpack over the fence and stomps back to the house saying he has quit school. There is a long line of cars stopped in both directions. Right then I knew if I did not get him on the bus, there would be problems for the rest of the year. So, embarrassed to death (remember, I am pregnant wearing a bathrobe, no makeup and probably my hair had not been brushed either), I take him by the hand and drag him back to the school bus and put him on board. The school bus driver, bless her heart, said she would take care of him. I slunk back to the house as gracefully as I could to escape the viewing public. I had no problems with him getting on the bus after that, especially as I made sure to be dressed before the bus arrived!
Jane’s advice to other moms about balancing work and life:
Set priorities so you can keep your promises—to your kids and at work.
Let us help you
As you may know, Facebook recently converted all business pages to the new timeline design to look like the personal pages. You will be prompted to choose a “cover” photo for your page. You can use a photograph or create a custom banner. This is a great place to get creative with your page and we can help! Please check out the custom Facebook banners we have designed for clients: Skin Care Shop, Suzi Homemaker and CATF.
Kickstarter
Have you ever contributed to or created a Kickstarter project? Are you addicted to looking through all the possibilities like I am? It is a mind-blowing site to sift through and it is a brilliant way to fundraise for creative projects. I root for Kickstarter projects the way some people root for sports teams. Although, I am on the sidelines for most, my husband and I have funded a few. The first one I backed was close to home. My three childhood friends –all artists–were awarded a residency in Nova Scotia. They put up their Kickstarter project and had funding for camera equipment and travel within a month. It was inspiring. Not only did friends and family get to see their project come to life, we got to participate and follow their progress. There are thousands of projects to look through and, even if you don’t want to fund, it is fun to look through and be inspired. Let us know some of your favorites!
Photos by Martha Almy and Alison Taylor.