Kristin Helms - From Boardroom to Baby: A Roadmap for Career Women Transitioning to Stay-at-Home Moms

Praise for From Boardroom to Baby:

If youre struggling with making sense of maternity because it doesnt live up to your imagination, this is the book for you. Kristin Helms reflects on her journey through early motherhood with honesty and humor as she guides you to examine new choices and create your own path. From new relationships to old expectations, she invites you to set intentions and appreciate where you are.

Heather Flett, author of The Rookie Moms Handbook

Kristin Helms writes a brilliant depiction of the guilty struggle moms experience when making the transition from the hustle of the career world to the hustle of the domestic world of motherhood. From being in a world filled with external recognition to being immersed in a world of internal validation and contentment with ones own self is a skill. Learning how to thrive and find value, happiness, contentment, and peace with being a mother while your children are young is eloquently outlined in this book that every career driven stay at home mom should read!

Dr. Kim Van Dusen, LMFT, RPT, owner/founder of The Parentologist with Dr. Kim

A Roadmap for Career Women Transitioning to Stay-at-Home Moms

Kristin M. Helms

This edition first published in 2017 by Career Press,
an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
www.careerpress.com

Copyright 2017 by Kristin M. Helms

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-63265-125-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Helms, Kristin M., author.

Title: From boardroom to baby : a roadmap for career women transitioning to stay-at-home moms / Kristin M. Helms.

Description: Wayne : Career Press, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017034804 (print) | LCCN 2017046956 (ebook) | ISBN 9781632658814 (ebook) | ISBN 9781632651259 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Stay-at-home mothers. | Work and family. | Self-realization | Conduct of life. | BISAC: FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Motherhood. | FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / General. | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Careers / General.

Classification: LCC HQ759.46 (ebook) | LCC HQ759.46 .H45 2018 (print) | DDC 306.874/3--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017034804

Cover design by Howard Grossman/12E Design

Cover illustration by Askold Romanov/istockphoto

Interior by Gina Schenck

Typeset in Minion Pro and Corbel

Printed in Canada

MAR

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Mike, who I still have a crush on after all these years.

To Blake and Gavin, my heartbeat.

First, thank you to my fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Scates, who gave me confidence in my writing capabilities by telling me that one day I would become a published author. That seed he planted within my soul turned into a lifelong dream, and is now a reality.

Thank you to Waverly Fitzgerald, who taught me how to write a stellar non-fiction book proposal that would get noticed (it worked!); to my literary agent, Jill Marsal, for taking a chance on a newbie author; and the entire team at Career Press for believing in this project and welcoming me into their family of authors.

A big thank you to my aunt, Karen Simms, for all of her incredible collaboration throughout writing this book, and to all of the stay-at-home moms who offered up their personal, heartfelt thoughts and stories throughout these pages.

Thank you to my family (Mom, Dad, Jaclyn, Jaimie) and close friends who have always been cheerleaders for my writing and my creative journey.

To my parent-in-laws, Donna and Randy, who flew out to California to watch my kiddos for an entire week while I hunkered down and wrote the majority of this book; and to my dog, Tucker, who kept my feet warm during those late nights writing.

To my husband, Mike, for his unwavering support and love through this rollercoaster ride, and to my children, Blake and Gavinmy tiny musesfor giving my life purpose and joy.

Tap, tap, tap. The sound of my mothers electric typewriter cut through the thick summer heat as I carefully struck each key with my pointer finger. The machine usually acted as a fun toy for my sisters and me when we played office, but now it took on a more serious role in printing my very first business cards for my very first business. I was 10 years old and I was on a mission.

Before the ink was dry, I distributed my cards to every doorstep in my quaint neighborhood in East Sacramento, California. My babysitting and pet care service ran cheap, and it wasnt long before I had numerous clients and a full calendar to fill my summer break between the fourth and fifth grade. My early start as an entrepreneur pointed toward the path my life would follow throughout the next 20 yearsmy work ethic and internal drive for success seemed to be a part of my DNA.

When I was 14 years old and of legal age to work in California, I proudly marched myself into the Baskin-Robbins down the street from my house and got my very first job scooping ice cream; I was ecstatic at being able to earn a paycheck all my own.

For the next 16 years, I always had a job, sometimes two. I put myself through college selling ad space in San Diego State Universitys school newspaper by day and waitressing by night. Four years later, I had obtained a bachelor of arts degree in communication with an emphasis in advertising. By the time my college graduation rolled around, I had received a handful of entry-level sales and marketing job offers. I accepted the one with the highest salary and best benefits, and dedicated myself to ascending the corporate ladder. Motivated by success through career, salaries, bonuses, and prestige, I was living the corporate dream one promotion at a time.

Flash forward 15 years. At 29 years old, I was sitting pretty at my dream job as the marketing manager for one of Hyatt Hotels largest properties in the world in San Diego, California. My days were filled conducting creative meetings, lunching with editors from high-profile magazines, managing photo shoots, writing ad copy, and rubbing shoulders with city bigwigs at oceanfront networking events. It required long hours but it was fast-paced and interesting. I loved every second.

Then I got pregnant. It was planned; my husband and I were pushing 30 and eager to start a family. I remember shutting the door to my office as I left to go on maternity leave. See you soon, I thought to myself.

I never returned to that office and that life. Instead, I did what millions of other career women have done and veered off of my career track, settling into a new life as a stay-at-home mom. The transition from a thriving marketing career to a life based on domestic responsibilities was a shock to my systema once well-oiled operating machine, now falling apart at the bolts. I was grateful to be spending every moment possible with my beautiful daughterthere was no way I could fathom leaving her. But I also had to find a new source of self-worth and self-identity.

My old work hustle didnt translate to my new role at home, and I didnt understand how to feel fulfilled in life by cleaning the house and doing laundry.