The Working Mothers Expo - next time I am taking a day!

The Working Mothers Expo finally came around this past weekend. We went to the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday afternoon. I plan to take a day (at least) next time (in May!) to pamper and experience more than we could in an afternoon

I listened to two speakers, Janice Windt, the MD of Working Mothers Expo, and Shaney from You Baby and I.

Janice Windt

Janice Windt shared her parenting and career journey up until The Working Mothers Expo. She is already planning the next Working Mothers Expo for next year as well.

A great life hack from her: Life hack - take 5 min each day to write down priorities! 

Shan Vijendranath

Shan is a very successful blogger who stressed the importance of a social media strategy:

Her tips for a social media strategy include the following points:

1. Identify clear goals
2. Know your target market
3. Listen and compare, but stay authentic
4. Pick the right platforms
5. Build your brand
6. Mix it up by keeping up with Industry Trends
7. Engage your audience
8. Attract potential clients
9. Listen to your analytics
10. Plan and schedule

Little Miss loved the Bounce Inc area, and could not get enough! There were lots for her to do!

But next time I will definitely take a day to listen to more speakers, to take my time through the exhibitors, and to get a pamper in! (And maybe leave the rest of the family at home...)

I finally found the Mooncup (menstrual cup) at the Expo, but that warrants its own post.



Disclaimer: We got a family ticket for one day at the Expo.

The Working Mothers Expo starts on Friday - WIN a set of tickets!

67% of Working Mothers Unable to Cope with the Demands on their Time
Graphic by Essentials

The Working Mothers Expo had research done in partnership with MiWayLife about the working mother:

1. 67% of working mothers spend half their day or more unable to cope with the demands on their time. - That's true!

2. One in three spend nine or more hours at work every day. - I work my eight and half hours, nothing more! When I leave the office, I am finished!

3. 56% never take the time to exercise. - That's me! But I slot it down to laziness! (Guilt always!)

4. A third check their work email before they even get out of bed in the morning. - No! I don't have the time before I get to the office!

5. On average, most working moms believe that their friends are better mothers than they are. - No, I think we all do the juggle, and I love catching up with my friends to hear how they are doing it!


Janice Windt, the Managing Director of the Working Mothers Expo, had similar experiences. “I started speaking to other working mothers and realised that many of them were struggling as much as I was. Many of them were making decisions that they regretted. They were trying hard to cope and putting on a brave face. My heart started to break for these women - for all of us.”

The honesty of these conversations, combined with requests from other working mothers, lead Janice to found the Working Mothers Expo in order to create an opportunity for working mothers to connect with each-other and get all the help, support and inspiration they need in order to Make. Life. Work.

The Working Mothers Expo, in partnership with MiWayLife, brings together everything working mothers need under one roof on 4-6 November 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
There will be world class products, services and a Speakers' Corner. (I can't wait for this! Check out the line-up: Speakers)
There will also be great entertainment for the kids!
Dads / partners get in FREE with a group / family ticket.

Tickets are available at Computicket.

#THEJUGGLEISREAL


WIN

One reader of this blog can win a set of tickets to The Working Mothers Expo this weekend.

Please comment and tell me why you agree with some of the Research by The Working Mothers Expo and MiWayLife? 

I will draw a winner via Random.org at 12 pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Only open to a Gauteng reader able to come to The Working Mothers Expo on their own travel expenses.

A day in the life of Janice Windt, MD behind Working Mothers Expo

The Working Mothers Expo is around the corner. Janice Windt, the Founder and Managing Director behind the Expo, answered a few personal questions. I wanted to know more about her work-life, as well as how a normal day in her household looks like.

Janice Windt:

My normal day starts at about 4am, when I wake up to answer emails before hundreds more emails and calls start coming in again at 8am ;)  My husband takes the boys to school so that I can start my proper work day at 07h30 and work until 1pm when I fetch the boys from school.  Afternoons are all about them, which is such a privilege.  I try keep evenings for my husband and I and the result is that I sleep a lot less than I used to!  Even our accountants are worried about the hours I keep!  So yes, this is my only job.

I worked at an Investment Bank for ten years and left corporate in February 2015 to start the Working Mothers Expo.  It’s taken 18 months to get to this point and we are VERY excited to see what the response to our first event will be.   Our goal is to make the lives of working mothers easier by bringing together everything working mothers need under one roof.  Working mothers need to realise that they are not alone, get access to the help and inspiration they need and have a moment that is, quite simply, all about them. 

The idea for the Working Mothers Expo evolved out of the challenges I personally experienced as a working mom and also from the experiences I was privileged enough to learn about when I interviewed more than one hundred women from seventeen countries around the world for my blog. As I started speaking to other working mothers I’ve realised that many of us struggle with similar things. It’s a real privilege to be able to reach thousands of working mothers through the avenue of the Working Mothers Expo.  I’m very grateful.

The Working Mothers Expo, in partnership with MiWayLife, brings together everything working mothers need under one roof.
It will be on from 4-6 November 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre. With world class products, services and speakers and great entertainment for your kids, this is an event not to be missed.
Tickets available at Computicket. 

Ten ways to love your man

Relationship advice

It's September, and it's a great new season to start afresh with relationships.
Hubby and I do not even find the time for date nights anymore...
Checking my calender right away! Even though the budget is tight, we can still make a plan?

I needed to hear this today!
Maybe also you?

Janice Windt from Working Mothers Expo has great advice:

We know what it's really like. When you have young kids, a job to hold down and a house to run, it's not easy to find the time or energy to love your man...

But the truth is that we believe the most important thing you can do for your kids is love your man. And we mean LOVE. We mean look up to him, build him up in your children's eyes and let them see love modeled in your relationship. They will not see it anywhere else. They are more likely to experience the exact opposite in the world, their friends' homes and lives, everywhere really.

         Love is hard to find and hard work to keep... so let's get started.

Ten Ways To Love Your Man
1) Tell him he is awesome...

 Read more: 10 Ways to love your man 



The Working Mothers Expo, in partnership with MiWayLife, brings together everything working mothers need under one roof. It will be from 4-6 November 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The MCs are Elana Afrika and Claire Mawisa.

The Working Mothers Expo Tickets are available at Computicket now!




Disclaimer: I will be getting tickets to attend The Working Mothers Expo in November.

How to make every moment count as a working mother - 5 tips

Being a working mother and juggling the rat race of city life are difficult, and I don't think we can have it all!
I am giving myself some grace as I am getting older and "wiser" (sic! Laughing at myself here!)
I try my best to make the moments count, and I do not beat myself up when I "fail"! I try harder the next time!

But there are definitely some ideas to consider to make moments count! Janice Windt, the managing director of The Working Mothers Expo, suggests 5 ways to make every moment count as a working mother.

1) Prioritise.  
What is most important to you? Do more of that and less of everything else...

2) Clear your diary. 
Just say no. Be on time for the kids. (It definitely goes with priorities and making your children the number 1 priority!)

3) Pause to breathe. 
Do the things that makes you happy, like reading, long baths or time-outs! Whatever!

4) Sing. 
The advice is to sing, even though you are not very good at it! My Little Miss does not appreciate my singing at all, and usually asks me to stop. But maybe it will work for you? ;-)

5) Sign up for the Working Mothers Expo VIP Waiting List and book your diaries for the  Working Mothers Expo, brought to you in partnership with MiWay Life, bringing together everything a working mother needs under one roof at the Sandton Convention Centre.


How do you make the moments count as a working mother?





Read more on this article: 5 Ways to make every moment count as a working mother

The Working Mothers Expo, brought to you in partnership with MiWay Life, brings together everything a working mother needs under one roof on 4-6 November at the Sandton Convention Centre.  Take a step back from your hectic schedule, make some time to reflect, hear an inspiring speaker, indulge in some retail therapy and connect with other working mothers. We would like to create some dedicated time in your schedule that is all about you.

Words of wisdom from Mothers of Africa #MondayMotivation

Celebrating Mothers of Africa

The Working Mother's Expo shared the output of a recent survey. A stunning number of women, over 1200, responded to the survey, sharing their words of wisdom.The ebook is divided in sections of Courage, Perspective, Work Life Integration, We're in this together, On Happiness, Self Care, When the going gets tough, Perfection, On Motherhood. All with beautiful photos of real moms who are doing it day-by-day!

This helps for a bit of Monday motivation when the Monday feels a bit blue!

As Janice Windt, MD of the Working Mothers Expo says “The truth is that we’re all in this together. The challenges we face are not unique. No matter the colour of our skin, our marital status or job description, working motherhood is a challenge. If you find it hard, trust me, you are not alone. That’s why we are bringing everything working mothers need together under one roof at the Sandton Convention Centre in November - to help working moms make life work.” 

Signing up to be reminded of the Expo in November is for free!

3 Ways to Create Me Time in Your Day - Guest post

The ultimate Holy Grail for mothers. Just a bit of me time!
Coffee in a coffee shop usually does the trick for me, but I am always eager to learn about more ways...

Guest post by Janice Windt, MD of the Working Mothers Expo:

Somewhere in the far reaches of my memory I can recall the concept of Me time: A moment that involved me, a book and a cup of chamomile tea on the two-seater couch that just fitted in my tiny first apartment...  A breeze would gently blow the sweet sound of children’s voices in through the open window.  I would lie peacefully, my knees over the couch armrest, dreaming of the day when I would be married with children of my own…

Today, Me time is the three minutes I get on the loo to check Facebook before one of my sons bursts through the door to see what I am up to.  It’s my drive to work – a luxury many stay-at-home mums would give anything to have – even once a week.  Me time is the thirty minutes I get here and there when I just leave everything – dishes, dirty clothes, toys strewn into every nook and cranny.  Sometimes I just look at it all and say “no, not right now” and I escape to my writing.  Sometimes, me time is a coffee, uninterrupted, during work hours.  That is a dream too – I know that and I appreciate every creamy sip.

So, what can you do, amidst the chaos that is your schedule, to create more Me time in your day? We have some suggestions for you below but we would really love to hear yours in the comments… because the truth is that we are all in this together: