Nicole Baker, Age 33, Owner & Partner, Studio Office Solutions (http://www.s-o-s.com/)
I was able to sit down with Nicole Baker to discuss career, success, challenges, being a working mom, divorce & the #metoo movement.
Tune in to listen to the full episode.
On the Idea of ‘Perfection’:
“It's my personal struggle, it probably will always be. I've never hit a day of perfection. Driven women, especially who come to New York, they want to hit financial goals. I'm generalizing so maybe I should just speak for myself. I have had financial goals I've wanted to hit. I wanted to fall in love, get married, have two kids, a boy and a girl. I wanted to have a big career and do it all while not gaining any weight, having awesome clothes and having a great time with my friends, being with my family and loving everyone that I work with. All of those things have happened they just did not happen the way I thought. I have an almost 4 month old daughter and I have a 3 year old son and I'm getting divorced. I'm shifting everything during my day to figure out how to be at a 4 o'clock Valentines day party at my son's school. I'm still nursing and my pumping schedule is always off because of work stuff. My Nanny is the most important person in my life, I can't do life without her. I've had to embrace people helping me, which I was way too good for that before. Even if I had a Nanny I had to do everything on my own.
When I was pregnant this last time I was so, so, sick, I didn't feel good. I had to raise my hand and say, “I can't be at a meeting I need someone to cover it”. These are things that attacked me at my core. Having to say I'm failing, I'm not doing a great job at something, I don't feel good, I'm having a day, I need help- but they are required sometimes. They forced me to look at myself and say “Ok you're not perfect and your not on this trajectory of perfection but what can you do everyday to feel good and still embrace this time.”On Owning a Business:
“There's really hard days owning a business, starting one, having kids. A lot of stuff has happened and there are some days where I feel like I regret it because I'm not comfortable and then there are some days you are so happy, fulfilled and proud and not bored- never, ever, ever- and I know that's what I need to be doing because there is progress in growth and that to me is more important than comfort. “On Being a Working Mom:
“Nothing is worse than feeling like you're working like an animal to be a great mom and to be delivering in business and feel like you're failing in both- that's a terrible feeling. Burning on both ends and feeling like you're disappointing on the home front and at work, those are the lowest days I've ever felt and a lot of people, not just women, a lot of people can understand and appreciate that. So being real about what you need and having your company, team, boss, being real about what they need and just having real conversation- that's a luxury I think we can have.”