I had the privilege to sit down with three women and local business owners to discuss how they maintain a work/life balance as mothers, support other women, and thrive in their respective fields. It was an enlightening experience that I am excited to share:
First, I spoke with Takia Livingston: owner of Kitchen Tune-Up in Bloomfield. When I asked Takia about her journey as a business owner and her journey as a mother she made a point to say those two aspects for her are completely intertwined. About five years ago Takia learned about the kitchen redesign business through a franchise broker but found her love of kitchen design by renovating her own kitchen after buying a house. Kitchen Tune-Up provides a variety of services from a complete cabinet remodel, painting, floor removal, moving walls and plumbing, the works. Running a business and raising a 6 ½ year old and a 1 year old is no easy feat but Takia shared she would not give it up for the world. When I asked Takia if there was any advice she would give herself when she started this journey, she said the only thing was she would be kinder to herself. At this point, though she credits her work/life balance to the support of her husband and being a business owner: “I’m not at work 8-5 constantly, I can check in, I can stop by the customer's house when I want to, and then I’m still afforded the opportunity to go pick up my kid at 3 o’clock.”
Josephine Salvatoriello is a full time business owner of Avenue Salon in West Orange and a full time Mom. When I asked her what sets her business apart from other salons she said “We are a very homey salon. When you walk in you’re not just a price tag to us. Like, everyone here is family. The customers are family, the people who work here are family… It’s a great feeling when you come in and you know everyone.” Josephine has 4 young daughters, all under the age of 8, and expressed it can be very difficult at times to maintain a healthy work/life balance but the secret is her employees: “Honestly the girls who work for me have made it so easy. I trust them with my life. It is easy to leave here and know that everyone is taken care of.” Josephine finished by saying it's all about having a positive attitude. In her personal life, or in business, she leaves whatever could be bothering her at the door and puts a smile on her face. For her kids or her clients, a positive attitude is what keeps her going through anything that overwhelms her.
Dr. Christina Hector is trained as a family medicine and sports medicine doctor and owns a medical practice in West Orange called Onyx Direct Care. Dr. Christina has been making natural skin care products for about 10 years and recently relaunched her business to incorporate aesthetic services as well as the sports injuries and musculoskeletal issues she has been treating. She is also a mother of 3 children: a 9 year old daughter and two 7 year old twins. Her growing family was part of why she wanted to expand her services. “My work life balance was not where I wanted it to be. I felt I wasn’t having enough time with my family, and I wanted to change that.” She structured her relaunched business around her family's schedule: “If I step out of doing what I was traditionally doing before…I was able to set my own parameters of when I was available to work.” While Dr. Christina was explaining some of the services Onyx provides, she highlighted self care as an essential also. “The biggest thing I realized was the self care portion… I realized: ‘Okay, now I have the business, now the kids are all set. They're getting a little bit more mommy time but when does mommy get her time?” She urges others to have some time to themselves and remember they are just as much a priority as their work and kids.
Between tips, tricks, and valuable insight into their respective industries, these three remarkable women shed light on the value of taking care of yourself and others. They each exuded empathy and compassion as well as admirable expertise, attributes we can all take with us in pursuit of our own success.
“Honestly the girls who work for me have made it so easy..."
“I’m not at work 8-5 constantly..."
