Kathleen HensonKathleen Henson

I started Henson Consulting in my basement in January 2001 to try and make a living while enjoying what I love doing most—being a parent. Flash forward 15 years and five kids later, my "little" firm next founded next to a sump pump, has become an agency with 40 employees and a wide range of local and national clients.

Whether you’re an emerging PR practitioner, an agency leader or a CMO with a team of PR professionals, this “new mom dilemma” is likely a familiar scenario. Women are not going to stop being moms, nor does becoming a parent mean halting a PR career. In fact, out of my firm’s 40 employees, 39 are women and nine of them are parents.

Because of this unique culture, I’ve learned some valuable lessons for how to nurture new moms and ensure that the PR Mom track doesn’t derail a career. Here are some tips to instill in your agency or organization:

• Be flexible for stars: I think it’s vital to empower new moms the flexibility to manage their role from home either as a permanent arrangement or as a transitional period. Job positions can change for great colleagues. For example, when a long-time employee and new mother came to me with news of her husband’s job relocation to Cleveland, my response was simple: we will make it work. Now, my senior leader successfully manages her role remotely and gets to spend time with her 16-month-old daughter and her clients are just as happy.

• Encourage colleagues to find their own path: As my story shows, the moment you have a child your priorities shift. In order to remain a powerful presence in the PR world, you just might need to find a new path that fits your evolving priorities. Talk to new moms about making a work schedule that works for both your organization and their families. Some new moms might try freelancing or find a childcare provider that gives them a sense of peace. I recently hired a freelance writer who is pursuing her writing passion and enjoying our firm’s team-focused environment, but also getting quality time with her baby girl working part-time. A win-win for both of us.

• Be efficient with your time: As a new mom, every second in your day counts, and I can speak from experience that you feel like you never have enough time for anything. As a mommy mentor, I tell others to be efficient with precious time by scheduling conference calls during commutes, setting up client meetings over lunch or even waking up an hour earlier to check off a few to-do’s before getting kids ready for their day. I always keep two running lists of ‘to do’s’ for both work and family needs.

• Consider investing in childcare benefits: If your company or agency is able, consider offering discounted childcare as part of your benefits package. This investment will create a more flexible work/mom balance lifestyle and is well worth the cost if it means your star employee returns to her role after maternity leave.

In this female-dominated industry, CEOs and senior leaders must be open to flexing policies when it comes to the mom (or dad) life and their PR role. As I like to say, “Why give anything up?”

I've learned that life is about finding your own balance, and sometimes that might mean that work or family will take dominance, but if your passions are being both a parent and a rising PR star, you don’t put either on hold.

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Kathleen Henson is founder and CEO of Henson Consulting. She can be reached at [email protected].