Ep 99. Behind the Scenes of Juggling Corporate, Entrepreneurship & Bawse Mom Life w/Ashlei White

Felicia Pugh: 00:00:00

Welcome to episode 99 of the Mom CEO Suite podcast.

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Behind the scenes of juggling corporate entrepreneurship and Boss mom life.

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Ashley White is our guest and she is the founder of the Boss Mom Movement.

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And during our convo we get into the societal pressures that moms face, what workplaces can do to become more mom friendly, plus how she is managing motherhood, entrepreneurship and corporate life.

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Stay tuned and enjoy the episode.

Felicia Pugh: 00:00:27

Hey, friend.

Felicia Pugh: 00:00:28

Welcome to the Mom CEO Suite podc where faith, family and business come together.

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I'm your host, Felicia Pugh, Christian wife, mom of two and life and business system strategist for mom entrepreneurs.

Felicia Pugh: 00:00:43

With over 10 years of experience working behind the scenes of businesses and ministries and as a work from home mompreneur, I'm here to share my personal journey and practical strategies to help you design systems that bring peace to your work and home life.

Felicia Pugh: 00:00:59

While many strive for balance, I believe it's harmony, an integrated flow that works for you, that truly sustains.

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Together, we'll explore how to grow your service based business in a way that is sustainable and keeps your family at the heart of it all.

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Plus hear real life stories and expertise from other mompreneurs who are walking the same path.

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Motherhood gets hard, entrepreneurship gets hard.

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But together we can do hard things.

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Welcome to the suite.

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Welcome to another episode.

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Thank you so much for being here.

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Today we have another guest with us.

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Our guest is Ashley White.

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Ashley is a mom, an author, speaker, certified life coach and mompreneur.

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She's also the founder and CEO of the Boss Mom Movement, which is a platform dedicated to empowering black moms, showing them how to create structure and find their own version of work life balance.

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Ashley motivates and encourages other moms to defy societal expectations and pursue their personal and professional goals without compromising their role as a mother.

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Her message is clear.

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Every mom has the potential to be amazing despite the pressures to conform to society's idea of a perfect mother.

Ashley White: 00:02:16

Whoa.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:16

That is so good.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:18

Hi Ashley, how are you?

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:19

Welcome to the suite.

Ashley White: 00:02:20

Hi Felisa.

Ashley White: 00:02:21

I'm good.

Ashley White: 00:02:22

How are you?

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:23

I am good.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:24

I'm so good.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:25

So I'm super interested to hear about your journey with the Boss mom movement.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:30

You know, I think I found you on Instagram actually sometime around the conference, one of your conferences, and I was like, oh, this looks interesting.

Felicia Pugh: 00:02:39

So tell us about the Boss mom movement, why you started it, how it started, and really what has it been like for you leading the movement?

Ashley White: 00:02:49

Yeah, for sure.

Ashley White: 00:02:50

First off, thank you for having me.

Ashley White: 00:02:52

I'm super excited to be Here.

Ashley White: 00:02:54

But as far as the journey goes, okay, so three years ago, we're three years in.

Ashley White: 00:03:01

It started initially as a podcast because I was becoming a first time mom.

Ashley White: 00:03:07

I was doing a transition in my professional career and I just started having like all of this anxiety around how am I going to balance motherhood?

Ashley White: 00:03:19

I think I was like what, 27, 28?

Ashley White: 00:03:22

How am I going to balance this and my career at the same time and then still have a personal life and, you know, all the things, right.

Ashley White: 00:03:30

And so I was like, let me just start a podcast, connect with other moms that are doing it and see and hear and learn about their journey through their process of just balancing everything.

Ashley White: 00:03:43

And so I was interviewing moms in various stages from, you know, young kids to kids that have graduated, gone on and now they're adults.

Ashley White: 00:03:53

And so it gave a lot of perspective of just what we were going through as moms.

Ashley White: 00:03:58

And so like maybe like a year and I said, you know what, I want to broaden the reach with as far as the audience is concerned.

Ashley White: 00:04:10

And surpassed just doing the podcast.

Ashley White: 00:04:12

I ventured into in person events where I hosted my first summit, still during COVID So it was virtual, it was small, but it was still an opportunity to have, you know, moms speak and engage with other moms through that zoom platform and just really build community.

Ashley White: 00:04:29

And so since then we've just been growing.

Ashley White: 00:04:32

We now have introduced an actual online community just to continue connecting with moms from all over.

Ashley White: 00:04:39

Because I'm in Atlanta, so it's not just Atlanta based, like some of the activities or events, but it's been a journey.

Ashley White: 00:04:46

It's been a journey.

Ashley White: 00:04:47

And I just want to help other moms that maybe have that same anxiety that I have, or moms that are maybe further into their motherhood journey.

Ashley White: 00:04:55

And kids are preteens, teens, and they feel like they've lost themselves, have trouble finding themselves because they just can't balance all of the different hats that they may want to wear or that they may wear.

Ashley White: 00:05:06

And so it just, it's an empowerment movement.

Ashley White: 00:05:09

And I'm just happy to be here and I'm excited to see where we go.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:13

Yes, that is exciting.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:15

And I think it's really relatable, kind of similar to how and why I started this podcast.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:20

Like I was a first time mom when I had started this podcast.

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And I think it's really a good thing to talk to other people who have already gone through what you are about to go through to kind of get perspective that you just don't know.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:33

And I'm pretty sure that that helped you in your journey as well.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:37

And then it kind of like positions you to be able just to create this community for other moms who are going through the same thing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:44

So kudos to you for doing that.

Felicia Pugh: 00:05:46

Now, through the journey, did you ever feel like there was a time with any of your businesses where you felt like trying to manage it all between motherhood and the career and, you know, your businesses that you wanted to just shut down the business part of things so that things could feel lighter for you?

Felicia Pugh: 00:06:04

What did that feel like for you?

Ashley White: 00:06:06

Yeah, I would say I probably feel like that every other month, if I'm being honest, because I do still have a 9 to 5 job.

Ashley White: 00:06:14

I work in corporate America in talent recruiting.

Ashley White: 00:06:18

And it's.

Ashley White: 00:06:19

It can be demanding at times.

Ashley White: 00:06:21

And it's the everyone knows entrepreneurship.

Ashley White: 00:06:28

Or I'm not even gonna say everyone knows.

Ashley White: 00:06:29

Cause I think some people think it's easy, but it's hard, you know, because you have this vision.

Ashley White: 00:06:36

And if you're, you know, creative like me, like, I have ideas that come into my mind, like every day that I'm like, oh, I want to do this, I want to do this.

Ashley White: 00:06:45

And of course, you got to slow down, right?

Ashley White: 00:06:46

You got to actually execute things and watch it manifest and such.

Ashley White: 00:06:50

And so just doing that and knowing that my brain is always, like, moving and going and thinking of something new.

Ashley White: 00:06:57

But I still have this 9 to 5 that I have to show up and show up for, show up and show out for, because that's what pays the bills.

Ashley White: 00:07:04

So it's like, how do you find that medium between, like, going full force in both areas where you're not, like, overworking yourself?

Ashley White: 00:07:14

And I'm a workaholic, so I naturally just overwork anyway.

Ashley White: 00:07:17

Even before motherhood, I was that girl in a nine to five that's working past five, you know, and it's not healthy at all.

Ashley White: 00:07:25

And really just understanding, like, now, girl, you can't do that, like, because motherhood, you know, it.

Ashley White: 00:07:32

Well, I'm not going to say motherhood is five to nine because it's all day every day.

Ashley White: 00:07:36

And so I had to find.

Ashley White: 00:07:38

And I'm still.

Ashley White: 00:07:38

I'll be honest, I'm still trying to find, like, that prioritization line of, okay, you can't go straight from the 9 to 5 to the 5 to 9.

Ashley White: 00:07:47

And.

Ashley White: 00:07:47

And when I say 5 to 9, I'm referring to the businesses because I have the boss, my movement.

Ashley White: 00:07:52

I also manage a hair extension store here in Atlanta called Honey Hair Company and then I was a travel agent as well.

Ashley White: 00:07:59

I had a travel agency which I did let go.

Ashley White: 00:08:01

So I feel like you have to come to an understanding of knowing when and where to let things go because they may not serve that season that you're in.

Ashley White: 00:08:12

But honestly, I feel like every other month I want to give up because it's not doing as much in my opinion.

Ashley White: 00:08:22

And that's just how I critique myself.

Ashley White: 00:08:23

Not doing as much as what I would want to do because I can't give my everyday all day to it because I have to split that time with my job.

Felicia Pugh: 00:08:33

I think that's really relatable.

Felicia Pugh: 00:08:35

When you, you said you let go of the travel agency, so what was it that, you know, made you say, okay, I'm going to give this up versus something else?

Felicia Pugh: 00:08:46

Like what was it about that time and money?

Ashley White: 00:08:51

I feel like my time is so much more valuable now than it was pre family.

Ashley White: 00:08:59

Not that I didn't value my time, but it was like just me, right?

Ashley White: 00:09:02

So whatever.

Ashley White: 00:09:04

But now just trying to be more intentional about the time that I'm spending in all areas.

Ashley White: 00:09:10

I had the Travel agency since: 2008

Ashley White: 00:09:24

And for the amount of time it takes, if you know anything about being a travel agent, like it's so detailed, right?

Ashley White: 00:09:33

You're working with your client until they basically come back from their trip, from the time that they book with you until they come back.

Ashley White: 00:09:40

And if you're, you know, working with a trip that, you know, a lot of times people are booking their trips two years out, a year out, you know, because they're mostly using the agent in most cases to go out of the country.

Ashley White: 00:09:51

So they were making payments and things of that nature.

Ashley White: 00:09:54

And it's just so much time you have to dedicate to it.

Ashley White: 00:09:57

I just didn't have the time.

Ashley White: 00:09:59

And before I shut it down, I actually brought my mom onto the team because she had recently retired and so she was doing like a bulk of the work.

Ashley White: 00:10:06

And I was just CEO, right, and training behind the scene.

Ashley White: 00:10:12

But it was just too much time.

Ashley White: 00:10:14

And I wanted to focus all that extra time into building the boss mom and still doing the hair.

Ashley White: 00:10:21

But I don't have that physically go there because I do have employees at the hair store, so that's a little easier.

Ashley White: 00:10:26

But even some of the hats that I wore within the hair company I had to step away from as well.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:32

That's so good.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:33

Like you're speaking to prioritization.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:36

And what, you know, we all have 24 hours in a day.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:40

What can I do?

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:41

What is my priority for these 24 hours?

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:43

And what, what is going to give me the maximum, I guess, output?

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:48

I don't like to say it that way, but that's the first thing that came to mind for the energy that I'm giving.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:52

And what is priority for me.

Felicia Pugh: 00:10:53

And I know for moms, a lot of times the priority is, okay, the family priority for you is the job, because that's paying the bills, right?

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:01

And so now, based on that, what else do I have time for?

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:05

And so I think sometimes we just like to do all the things.

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:08

But the reality is, depending on the season you mentioned, it didn't make sense for the season that you were in.

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:14

Depending on the season that you're in, you just can't do every single thing that you want to do.

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:19

It doesn't mean that you can't come back to it or circle back to it, but it just might not make sense for right now.

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:26

Another thing you mentioned, you talked about how you were still trying to find that balance, right?

Felicia Pugh: 00:11:30

So what are some of the things that you do that kind of actually have helped you to be able to manage, you know, working and mothering and.

Ashley White: 00:11:39

Having the business calendars, like, literally, I live by several of them, whether paper or electronic.

Ashley White: 00:11:48

And I'll be honest, like, I'm a naturally late person, so I need it.

Ashley White: 00:11:55

And also, I don't forget.

Ashley White: 00:11:56

Like, my own brain is real and I feel like my memory was not that strong coming into motherhood.

Ashley White: 00:12:02

So it's definitely not that strong now.

Ashley White: 00:12:05

And I'll forget.

Ashley White: 00:12:05

I tell people all the time, like, if you want to invite me somewhere or, you know, see if I'm interested in coming, like, it has to be on the calendar, because if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist in my world.

Ashley White: 00:12:17

And even if it is, it might not exist because I might cancel.

Ashley White: 00:12:19

It just depends.

Ashley White: 00:12:20

But yeah, living by calendar and I, I probably not probably, I definitely still need to work on it because when you think about prioritizing your time, like, that also includes planning out your time.

Ashley White: 00:12:36

And so I'm not just popping things on the calendar where you see an open space.

Ashley White: 00:12:40

I recently, in the last six months or so, implemented a app called Structured, which it does connect to your calendar.

Ashley White: 00:12:50

And so it just has everything in one place.

Ashley White: 00:12:52

Because if you have multiple calendars, like your work calendar, personal or whatever, like, it will sync all of those together, and then it really just shows you your day because I feel like, you know, same kind of like a to do list, right?

Ashley White: 00:13:07

And so just really breaking it down.

Ashley White: 00:13:08

And I remember when I first downloaded it, it broke down one of my days.

Ashley White: 00:13:12

I was just looking at the calendar and then it's like a two hour gap, like sometime after work that day, two hour gap.

Ashley White: 00:13:19

And it said, maybe you should take it easy or something like that.

Ashley White: 00:13:22

It was like a little note.

Ashley White: 00:13:23

And so I like that because sometimes you do have to self reflect and remind yourself, like, hey, you might need to slow down.

Ashley White: 00:13:29

You're trying to do a lot, sis, and you can't.

Ashley White: 00:13:33

And so I appreciate it for that.

Ashley White: 00:13:35

Like, just saying, okay, I'm evaluating your day.

Ashley White: 00:13:40

We gonna plug in a break right here or you should plug in a break, you know, And I think it has like a little ticket where you can like check, mark it and accept and sell it and say like, break.

Ashley White: 00:13:50

And I would, like when I initially started using it, I would literally take those breaks and I sit there and do nothing there.

Ashley White: 00:13:56

Maybe watch a little tv, something entertaining just to kind of get my mind at ease, especially after a long day.

Ashley White: 00:14:02

But you just, you have to figure out like a routine.

Ashley White: 00:14:07

But I find that a lot of moms use calendars, so, you know, like, just use it.

Ashley White: 00:14:12

Don't just have me actually use it.

Ashley White: 00:14:14

And set reminders too.

Ashley White: 00:14:15

Because sometimes it might be on the calendar, you might forget that it's on the calendar.

Ashley White: 00:14:19

Maybe the alarm didn't go off or whatever.

Ashley White: 00:14:22

I try to use all the things just to keep me on task and it doesn't always work, I'll be honest.

Ashley White: 00:14:27

But what do you gotta do, right?

Ashley White: 00:14:30

Yeah, you gotta.

Ashley White: 00:14:31

It's the effort, right?

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:33

Right.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:33

No, I'm the same way.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:34

If it's not on my calendar, it does not exist.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:37

And I'm like double checking my calendar sometimes.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:39

Like, is there something I'm supposed to be doing?

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:43

I've had to learn how to just rest and do nothing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:47

Like you were talking about with that app.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:49

Because, you know, I think a lot of black women are just high achievers, right?

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:53

And so we're always used to just going and doing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:14:56

And so even in motherhood, because they added another layer of stress, it was like, okay, you really need to sit down and chill out and do nothing right now.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:06

So I think that's really important just to take those breaks.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:09

Like it's okay to do nothing, right?

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:12

Okay.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:13

I wanted to shift gears a little bit because working in the corporate space, you do have some different experience than in entrepreneurship or you have both.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:23

And I know you mentioned earlier, you said you think a lot of people think that entrepreneurship is easy.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:30

And I think that's part of this whole social media thing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:33

Like, you know, just start an Instagram account and you got a business.

Ashley White: 00:15:36

Right.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:37

But it's so much more than that and people gravitate towards it, I think because of the flexibility piece of it.

Felicia Pugh: 00:15:46

So as an entrepreneur and a working mom in corporate, what are the differences that you have seen between the two spaces?

Ashley White: 00:15:56

Well, like you just said, for starters, the flexibility.

Ashley White: 00:15:59

And there's actually stats on that.

Ashley White: 00:16:01

Like since COVID there's been like an increase.

Ashley White: 00:16:04

I think it's like 78% of moms that are going into entrepreneurship mainly because of the flexibility.

Ashley White: 00:16:11

You know, as moms, we're usually primary parent, right?

Ashley White: 00:16:15

And so if anything happens with kids, you gotta get them to school, pick them up from school, they're sick or whatever the case may be.

Ashley White: 00:16:22

Like, you're the one, right?

Ashley White: 00:16:24

And so when you think about the corporate space or 9 to 5 space, there's not always that flexibility.

Ashley White: 00:16:30

There's not always that understanding supervisor who is okay with you being 30 minutes late here and there, or having to leave early or miss calling out or whatever it may be.

Ashley White: 00:16:42

I will say that I'm fortunately blessed since I started my job, since I've had my son, I work for a company that actually does believe in work life balance, no matter if you're a mom or not.

Ashley White: 00:16:53

Like, when you're off, you're off.

Ashley White: 00:16:55

I remember I've said this all the time when I first started the job.

Ashley White: 00:16:59

I'm so used to having my work calendar on my phone and I was trying to download it onto my phone.

Ashley White: 00:17:05

And the company I work for, it's.

Ashley White: 00:17:06

I work in banking, so it's very strict, um, that you have to jump through hoops just to even get it on your phone for security reasons.

Ashley White: 00:17:14

But my boss was like, why do you need your calendar on your phone?

Ashley White: 00:17:18

If you're out, you're out.

Ashley White: 00:17:20

And I'm just like, you're so right.

Ashley White: 00:17:23

But I never had a manager say that to me before, you know, and so it was just a, like, calming feeling just to know.

Ashley White: 00:17:31

Like, I feel seen.

Ashley White: 00:17:32

And she knew I was a mom too.

Ashley White: 00:17:34

And it's just like, bring your kid on teams.

Ashley White: 00:17:38

Like, we don't mind saying hi to him.

Ashley White: 00:17:40

Like, you know, it just makes you feel comfortable.

Ashley White: 00:17:43

And I would say like, that, that flexibility.

Ashley White: 00:17:45

But even like that comfort ceiling.

Ashley White: 00:17:47

When you're an entrepreneur, you're not really entering to anyone except for your customers, clients, right?

Ashley White: 00:17:52

You're not.

Ashley White: 00:17:53

There's like that overhead that doesn't exist, so you feel more comfortable in that space.

Ashley White: 00:17:59

And, you know, like we hear people saying all the time, entrepreneurship is like, I do it when I feel like it, you know, as opposed to when you have a job.

Ashley White: 00:18:07

Like, you gotta show up when they tell you to show up, you gotta meet those deadlines when they tell you to, versus you setting that.

Ashley White: 00:18:13

So definitely one of the key differences for sure is the flexibility.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:19

Yeah, I think kind of you, you started talking about it a little bit.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:24

The flexibility is great, but then it's like, sometimes we can take a little bit too far, like, oh, I don't feel like working today, so I'm just not going to work.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:33

But it's like, okay, sometimes you have to treat your business the same way that you did when you were working that 9 to 5.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:41

Like you mentioned, you had the deadlines, you knew the work you were supposed to be doing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:46

But then when we start our businesses, it's like, oh, I don't feel like doing that today.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:49

Or we don't really have a plan for what we're going to do in our day.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:52

So I think the flexibility is definitely a great thing, especially for moms.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:56

But I think we just can't take it too far.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:59

Right.

Felicia Pugh: 00:18:59

With the flexibility.

Felicia Pugh: 00:19:01

And it's amazing that you have a job that is all for the work life balance.

Felicia Pugh: 00:19:05

I know a lot of.

Felicia Pugh: 00:19:07

I think more companies are kind of coming to that space, but some of them still aren't.

Felicia Pugh: 00:19:15

So what are some things that they can do, like these traditional corporate companies?

Felicia Pugh: 00:19:21

What are some things that they can do to be more mom friendly?

Ashley White: 00:19:26

Yeah, I definitely agree.

Ashley White: 00:19:28

You kind of are starting to see a shift in some instances, like even LinkedIn.

Ashley White: 00:19:34

They have now a spot on your profile where you can put gap in like parental leave or whatever it is, because it is more people who are not even parents, maybe they're taking care of their parents, you know, And I interview people all day, every day for a living.

Ashley White: 00:19:52

So there have been times where I've interviewed people and they say, yeah, I had to take this year or two off to take care of my elderly parent.

Ashley White: 00:19:59

And so I think from that professional standpoint, we are starting to see a change.

Ashley White: 00:20:05

And it's not necessarily geared towards mothers, but that does help mothers.

Ashley White: 00:20:10

Right.

Ashley White: 00:20:11

For especially, you know, you're staying at home.

Ashley White: 00:20:13

Or I've even seen programs that are like, return to work, which includes mothers that may have taken off a couple years and need to get back into the workforce.

Ashley White: 00:20:23

And so they kind of like help ease you in.

Ashley White: 00:20:25

But I think seeing more of that, more on us training our managers to be that flexible and understanding manager.

Ashley White: 00:20:33

Because no one, if you make people feel like they're a person, that's.

Ashley White: 00:20:38

I'm huge on that.

Ashley White: 00:20:40

Right.

Ashley White: 00:20:40

Make them feel like they're valued, they're a person.

Ashley White: 00:20:43

What they go through matters.

Ashley White: 00:20:44

They'll do the work.

Ashley White: 00:20:45

It's the people that don't feel valued in most cases that are not going to do the work.

Ashley White: 00:20:49

And I don't care if you're a mom or not like that, like across the board, but make us feel comfortable.

Ashley White: 00:20:54

A lot of moms shy away from even talking about family because there's like a stigmatism around it.

Ashley White: 00:21:01

Like, oh, if I tell them I'm a mom, or you know, talk about it, they'll automatically think I can't do the job or I'm going to need X, Y and Z.

Ashley White: 00:21:10

All this leniency on me because I'm a mom.

Ashley White: 00:21:12

Like, we're already women and if you're black, it a black woman.

Ashley White: 00:21:18

You know, it's so.

Ashley White: 00:21:20

It's so many layers to that.

Ashley White: 00:21:22

And I think that we just need more understanding and more empathy around us being moms.

Ashley White: 00:21:29

Me being a mom doesn't say I'm a bad worker.

Ashley White: 00:21:33

That doesn't mean I'm a bad worker.

Ashley White: 00:21:34

Right.

Ashley White: 00:21:35

That doesn't mean I don't want to get promoted.

Ashley White: 00:21:37

Like the opportunities.

Ashley White: 00:21:39

Right.

Ashley White: 00:21:39

And so just being more empathetic, having more resources around moms, especially in those nine to five careers, a lot of them do want to progress.

Ashley White: 00:21:49

And even, even just talking about that, and now I'm thinking too, like the number of women who are pushing off motherhood, we're seeing more women, you know, having babies at later ages because they have all these goals in their professional careers that they feel like they can't obtain if they're a mom.

Ashley White: 00:22:09

So I think just letting us know it's okay, for starters.

Ashley White: 00:22:14

Right.

Ashley White: 00:22:15

So that empathy and sharing those resources with us in order for us to flourish in the workplace is something that I could definitely see helping moms that are in their careers in a 9 to 5 space that more jobs can start doing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:22:33

Yeah.

Ashley White: 00:22:33

And maternity leave.

Ashley White: 00:22:34

I didn't really touch on that.

Ashley White: 00:22:35

But that's another thing too.

Felicia Pugh: 00:22:36

You could go ahead.

Ashley White: 00:22:40

Like it needs to be longer.

Ashley White: 00:22:43

That's just point blank period.

Ashley White: 00:22:45

The little six to eight weeks is not enough.

Ashley White: 00:22:47

I think that's a 12 weeks off.

Ashley White: 00:22:50

But I was actually a contract worker at the time, so my benefits were not the best.

Ashley White: 00:22:55

And I ended up.

Ashley White: 00:22:58

I don't even remember the percentage that I was getting paid, but it definitely wasn't full pay while I was on leave.

Ashley White: 00:23:03

And so then that's another stress, right?

Ashley White: 00:23:05

Because most moms would be like, cut it short because they need to get back.

Ashley White: 00:23:10

Well, I'm not going to say most moms, but for moms that need to.

Ashley White: 00:23:12

To be working, like, maybe if you're a single mom or, you know, you're contributing to the household, you might say, hey, this isn't going to cut it.

Ashley White: 00:23:20

Now I have to cut my maternity leave shorter so I can get back to work and start making some money.

Ashley White: 00:23:25

That's too much stress for a new mom.

Ashley White: 00:23:28

I'm already stressed.

Ashley White: 00:23:29

I'm a new mom, you know, so even just those policies and procedures around maternity leave, some companies are really good.

Ashley White: 00:23:38

I've seen companies that give six months.

Ashley White: 00:23:41

That's amazing.

Felicia Pugh: 00:23:44

That is amazing.

Ashley White: 00:23:46

You know, I didn't experience it, but I would have loved to.

Felicia Pugh: 00:23:50

Yeah, the maternity leave conversation is, oh, my goodness.

Felicia Pugh: 00:23:54

It just needs to be talked about more.

Felicia Pugh: 00:23:56

And I see so often, especially, you know, I hang out on threads a lot, people talking about maternity leave and, oh, my maternity leave is up.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:05

I don't want to go back to work.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:07

I can't.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:07

I don't want to leave my baby.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:10

It's just a lot.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:11

And like you said, it just needs to be longer.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:14

I think it needs to be a year.

Ashley White: 00:24:16

For real?

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:16

For real.

Ashley White: 00:24:17

Yeah.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:19

But you mentioned, like, when I introduced you, you started.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:22

We talked a little bit about the societal pressures for moms.

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:26

Like, what were some of those things that you experienced or what are some of the societal pressures that you face as a mom?

Felicia Pugh: 00:24:31

And then how is the boss mom movement, like, helping other mothers to kind of combat that or not succumb to those societal pressures?

Ashley White: 00:24:44

I don't know that I actually personally experienced, but I think.

Ashley White: 00:24:51

Well, I'm not going to say I didn't experience.

Ashley White: 00:24:53

It wasn't anything that anyone did to me per se, but the perfect moment, it doesn't exist.

Ashley White: 00:25:04

I'm gonna make mistakes, you know, And I feel like you're supposed to.

Ashley White: 00:25:08

You're human, right?

Ashley White: 00:25:09

As a new mom, you're learning.

Ashley White: 00:25:11

Because I've never done this before.

Ashley White: 00:25:12

You know, I've maybe seen people do it, but I've never done it before.

Ashley White: 00:25:16

And so just that, like, that kind of thought and that I think most moms, we put on ourselves, honestly, is that we can't make mistakes.

Ashley White: 00:25:27

And that's a lot of pressure, you know, especially for someone you're caring for another human being.

Ashley White: 00:25:33

Like, this person's life is in my hands, literally.

Ashley White: 00:25:38

And so I wanted to do everything right.

Ashley White: 00:25:41

And I found myself stressing out because if I didn't do something right or, you know, and what's right or wrong, but you know what I mean?

Ashley White: 00:25:49

Like, if I didn't do it the way someone else would have done it, you know, now I'm a terrible mom.

Ashley White: 00:25:57

Like, one of my team members, she put on threads that she put cereal.

Ashley White: 00:26:02

She's now her second kid, but she put cereal in his milk and they tore her to shred.

Ashley White: 00:26:09

I put cereal, oatmeal in my baby's milk so he could go to sleep on a full belly, you know, And I'm okay with that now.

Ashley White: 00:26:18

You know, My son's three, so you can't really tell me anything.

Ashley White: 00:26:20

I feel like I'm superwoman over here.

Ashley White: 00:26:22

But it's like that that's what worked for her.

Ashley White: 00:26:28

You don't know what that mom is going through.

Ashley White: 00:26:30

Those sleepless nights.

Ashley White: 00:26:31

And I mean, yes, we've all experienced them, but you don't know her situation because you're not her, you know?

Ashley White: 00:26:37

And it's like, everyone has an opinion.

Ashley White: 00:26:42

If your child is healthy and out of harm's way, you're doing a great job.

Ashley White: 00:26:47

You know, like, that's what we have to, like, focus on.

Ashley White: 00:26:50

And I think it's just like, all the opinions and stuff, oh, you should do this, you need to do that.

Ashley White: 00:26:53

And why aren't you breastfeeding?

Ashley White: 00:26:55

And like, that's the pressure, the societal pressure.

Ashley White: 00:27:01

And of course, the one that, you know, moms shouldn't be working.

Ashley White: 00:27:04

You should.

Ashley White: 00:27:05

All of us should be stay at home moms, which is fine if you are.

Ashley White: 00:27:08

But that's not everyone's story, right?

Ashley White: 00:27:11

And some people cannot afford to.

Ashley White: 00:27:14

So where's the support there?

Ashley White: 00:27:16

So, boss mom, we empower our mom.

Ashley White: 00:27:19

Do what you have to do.

Ashley White: 00:27:20

My one thing I always preach is, like, you do what's best for your household, period.

Ashley White: 00:27:27

That's the end of the conversation, right?

Ashley White: 00:27:29

Because I don't know what's going on in your household, so how can I tell you what you should be doing?

Ashley White: 00:27:37

So I think that that's one of just some of the social pressures that moms kind of go through.

Ashley White: 00:27:44

Entering is just like, this is what the perfect mom looks like, and I need to embody this.

Felicia Pugh: 00:27:52

Yeah, yeah.

Felicia Pugh: 00:27:53

And like you said, there is no perfect mom.

Felicia Pugh: 00:27:55

I definitely agree with your stance.

Felicia Pugh: 00:27:58

Like, do what works for you and your household.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:01

Like, even when I'm sharing Advice or sharing my journey.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:04

Like, this is what worked for me.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:06

This doesn't mean it's gonna work for you again.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:09

I don't know what you have going on in your household.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:12

Right.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:13

I don't remember what episode I was talking about.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:15

I think something about me taking a longer maternity leave, But I could do that because of what's happening in my household.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:22

Like, my household does not rely on my business income.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:27

Right.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:27

That might not be the case for another mom.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:30

So do what works for you, what's best for you and your family.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:35

I 100% agree with you here.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:37

So now, as we wrap up, just let us know what's next for the Boss mom movement.

Felicia Pugh: 00:28:43

ming up, anything planned for: 2025

Ashley White: 00:28:53

Yeah, absolutely.

Ashley White: 00:28:54

So trying to get back up to more events.

Ashley White: 00:28:58

So we do the summit yearly.

Ashley White: 00:28:59

We did the third one earlier this year every March.

Ashley White: 00:29:03

So: 2025

Ashley White: 00:29:11

So for anyone who's already following or you're not following, like, I team up with another mom.

Ashley White: 00:29:17

Mommy's with motivation.

Ashley White: 00:29:18

And we collaborate on what we call the mommy mixers here in Atlanta.

Ashley White: 00:29:22

Just an opportunity for moms to unwind.

Ashley White: 00:29:26

Come by yourself.

Ashley White: 00:29:27

We're really big on that because we get a lot of moms that reach out, like, oh, I don't want to come by myself.

Ashley White: 00:29:31

But it's like, literally, this is what that is for, for you to come out, meet another mom that you can connect and vibe with and have a new mom friend you can leave.

Ashley White: 00:29:39

I mean, it's been so many times we've had the summit, the mixers, where mom came by themselves, and now they're friends with someone else, and they're still friends.

Ashley White: 00:29:48

I see them hanging out.

Ashley White: 00:29:50

And so that's what we want to create that safe space for you to do that.

Ashley White: 00:29:53

So more money mixers.

Ashley White: 00:29:55

And then, of course, the online community.

Ashley White: 00:29:58

We do have a free community right now.

Ashley White: 00:30:01

So if you follow us on Instagram, it's at the Boss Movement.

Ashley White: 00:30:05

B, A, W, S, C.

Ashley White: 00:30:06

There's a link to join.

Ashley White: 00:30:09

We're 80 plus moms in there right now, so just looking to continue to grow that platform as well.

Ashley White: 00:30:16

And again, that is for any mom sitting anywhere.

Ashley White: 00:30:19

You don't have to just be in Atlanta.

Ashley White: 00:30:21

But: 2025

Ashley White: 00:30:28

That I've been doing that will continue.

Felicia Pugh: 00:30:31

And all of that information will be linked in the show description so you guys can easily click and connect.

Felicia Pugh: 00:30:37

And I should have asked you this in the beginning, but what is a boss mom?

Felicia Pugh: 00:30:42

What's a boss mom?

Ashley White: 00:30:45

My definition, Right?

Ashley White: 00:30:46

Yeah.

Ashley White: 00:30:47

A boss mom is a mom that shows up confidently for herself and for her family.

Ashley White: 00:30:53

And I say herself first because in order for us to be any good for our family, we have to whole first.

Ashley White: 00:31:00

So we're showing up confidently in the decisions that we make boldly and being able to find that balance so that we're not burnt out.

Ashley White: 00:31:09

We're living a fulfilled life like that's the boss.

Ashley White: 00:31:12

I mean, living a field life in all areas because we know there's a lot of areas.

Ashley White: 00:31:18

Right.

Ashley White: 00:31:20

That we just need to show up for.

Ashley White: 00:31:22

And we're doing it confidently.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:25

Awesome.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:25

I love that.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:26

So all of you boss moms listening, go ahead, get connected with Ashley and the movement.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:32

Thank you so much for joining us today here on the Suite.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:35

Thank you guys for listening and we'll see you in the next episode.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:40

Thank you for listening to the Mom CEO Suite podcast.

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:44

If you enjoyed this episode, can you do us a favor?

Felicia Pugh: 00:31:47

Leave a review on itunes and share with other moms in business like you, help us spread our message and empower others who are at this intersection of motherhood and entrepreneurship.