DRESS FOR SUCCESS

As a mom, we have a uniform.  It's usually the least dirty pair of jeans and a t-shirt that covers an unattractive muffin top.  And if you you understand muffin top, flabby arms are most likely as well.  And sagging... Oh, let's just face it...  The aforementioned "uniform" is a  little better than a tent.  Plus, don't forget they shoes that support our feet!  This usually implies sneakers.  That plantar fasciitis isn't going to heal itself, you know.

This is what we are most comfortable wearing.  It's what we live in, it's what we play in, it's what we prefer.  The problem is: IT LOOKS BAD.  Not ooh, where'd you get those jeans they don't quite fit you bad, but the wow, when did you stop caring bad. 

It was never so apparent to me how badly I dressed until I was pregnant with my first child.  I was a TV development executive at the time and t-shirt & jeans were de rigeur in my office.  I was having lunch with the president of CBS and her VP's at a very fancy Hollywood restaurant and I wore what I though was a nicer version of my "uniform.". Instead of jeans, I wore courderoys.  Instead of a t-shirt, I wore a button down.  Instead of sneakers, I wore... Oh wait.  I was retaining so much water the only thing I could wear was sneakers.  I'll never forget my boss whispering in my ear as we say down, "what the hell are you wearing?". Two hours later, he gave me a $500 gift certificate to go shopping for some maternity business suits.  He was embarrassed and so was I.

As a working professional, I always believed that I'd be more productive if I was comfortable.  While that might have been the case when my job was to sit on my ass writing all day, being productive out in the real world with high-stakes business deals and real clients at stake means making a great first impression.  What I've learned is that making a great first impression every time, all the time requires work.  Work on my body, work on my weight, work on my clothes.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE shopping!  But finding the time and money to do it is tough.  Here are a few tips to help you on your way to making a great first impression:

1)    Wear a dress.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but it does have to look good on your body type.

2)    Find shoes that look good with your dress, but can be comfortable for long periods of time.  Spend the money on a really comfortable, neutral pair, even if it's out of your budget.  If the shoes are truly that great, you'll wear them every day for years and the "per use" cost will go down.

3)    Carry a mid-level designer purse if you can afford it.  People notice accessories, so don't skimp if you can swing $200 or so for a purse.  Buy something in a neutral, but "stand out" color.  I carry a green leather Coach purse and it never fails to get compliments.

4)    Wear nice jewelry.  Remember that it doesn't have to be real, but should look it.

The better you look, the more successful you look.  People want to work with successful people, not shlubs.  Dressing for success will help get you there.

Welcome to Mom 2.0, the blog about reinvention and redo’s.

The definition of “Mom 2.0”: stay-at-home moms who, for one reason or another, have decided to get back into the work force after years of being away.  For some mothers, their absence is measured in just a few years.  For others, we’re talking ten, fifteen or even twenty years!   When you were working, there was no Amazon Prime, Twitter or Facebook.  Imagine what the world looked like the day you quit.  Now imagine all the things that have changed since then.
Some of the questions you’re asking yourself are: How will you do it?  How will you land a new job?  How will you adjust?  How will you compete?  How will you make a living?

Do you still have the same network of contacts or have you lost touch?  Do you want to do the same kind of work you did pre-kids (or PK, as we like to call it)?  Do you want to change careers?  Is this a chance to reinvent yourself?  How much time will it take?  What kind of salary to you need?  What kind of lifestyle can you handle?  What is your risk aversion?  Blah, blah, blah.
Overwhelming.

Our readers are the mothers of children, but in this context, it is important to remember that they are also the mothers of reinvention.
Many of our 2.0 moms are well-educated and left high-paying jobs because they had the very enviable option to raise their children full-time.  Others left the work force because of a lifestyle choice or out of necessity.  The one thing all our readers have in common is that they are getting back into the workforce.

We’re talking about moms who have been the president of the PTA for the past ten years, who have raised tens of thousands of dollars for their schools by heading up charity events, or who have organized entire neighborhoods to protest the building of the local strip club.  We’re talking about moms whose dedicated work ethic could earn them huge bucks in the private sector had they stayed.  But there were more important things in life.

That was then, this is now.  Hey…you can’t put “PTA President” on your resume… can you?
In this day and age of lightning-fast connectivity, the demands of work change on a monthly basis.  But we’re talking years!  Oh, the adjustments you’ll have to make!

Think about the steep learning curve ahead if you left the workforce when the Internet was just something you used for e-mail and IM’s.   Now the average marketing job requires an understanding of 360 degree marketing.  Huh?  What does that mean?  You’ve got to account for Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many more multi-platform, multi-headache obstacles that most likely didn’t even exist back then.  Sales jobs are extremely challenging in this economy with cut-throat competition even within company divisions and limited commission opportunities.  “Service” industry jobs for professionals such as lawyers, accountants and financial planners are all about “who you know,” and as a full-time mom, who you know is usually other moms.  How can they help you get work?  How can they help you land a job?  Get clients?

Networking?  Forget it!  That 7:30 a.m. networking breakfast conflicts with drop-off.  Dinner with a prospective client or employer at 8 p.m.?  Who is going to babysit?  How often will your significant other put the kids to bed?  Even more likely, you’re a newly single mom who has to get back into the workforce to support the family.  It’s not like you have a lot of free time to do the extra stuff 2012 jobs require.  Do you really have the time and money to tweet or join a high-profile networking group that costs more per year than a whole month’s mortgage?  Are you kidding?
Listen, we get it.  It can be overwhelming.

We’re here to help.  We’re here to support.  We’re here to recommend resources.  We’re here to listen.  We’re here to laugh.

We’re here to help you become Mom 2.0… the mother of reinvention.

Why now?

Every time we sit down to review what we are doing, we are struck by the amount of time that has passed, while not feeling any different on the inside.  This is our quest as to how to make things work now, with what we've got.  Come on in, the waters fine.  We aren't going anywhere!