By Esperanza Urbaez, LATINA Style magazine, Vol.15 No.2, 2009
Living among us are women who balance the world in the palm of their hands. They are top executives and successful CEO’s of multimillion dollar corporations; role models to many; raising strong families as loving wives, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, and mothers: and fabulous with every hat they wear. They are superwomen.
And they are everywhere. According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women-owned firms employ nearly 13 million people and generate $1.9 trillion in sales. Between 1997 and 2006, majority women-owned firms (51 percent or more women-owned) grew at twice the rate of all firms (42 percent vs. 24 percent). The number of Hispanic working women in the U.S. workforce exceeds seven and a half million, and the numbers continue to rise. Many of those ventures were started not only by women, but by women who are mothers. These entrepreneurs and executives who are also mothers are trying to help not only themselves, but other women as well.
As even Superman had his own secrets behind the ‘S’, so do these strong and successful superwomen. Learn how these phenomenal women find balance in their lives, deal with stress, and make the most of their experience of being mothers. Follow their steps and you can surely be a spectacular supermom. It’s as easy as ABC!
Maria de Lourdes Sobrino and daughter
Adversity
“I wish we could have a school for parents,” said Maria de Lourdes “Lulu” Sobrino, founder & CEO of Lulu’s Dessert Corporation, who has overcome many challenges and obstacles – including discouragement from her ex-husband – in order to become a leading maker of ready-to-eat desserts. “Nobody knows exactly how to be a good parent. We just try our best, and unfortunately we will make mistakes,” continued Sobrino, mother of 21-year-old Monica and 32-year-old Lourdes. Maintaining the traditional Mexican values and understanding her daughter, Monica, who was born and raised in the U.S., is still a challenge for Sobrino.
Natalia Boden and son
Balance
One of the elements to master in order to become a ‘Supermom’ is work-life balance. When it comes to priorities, it is all about balance for Wanda Dryman, resource planning manager of the Customer Service Center at Aflac. “Being a role model for my children and also taking time for myself so I can rejuvenate,” is what is important for her. “You can’t be a superwoman to everybody!” Dryman has three children: her son Christopher, 18; and daughters Kendall, 7, and Avery, 2. She spends extra time with her husband if she needs to, goes to the gym on-site at Aflac and makes sure to relieve stress.
Boden’s biggest work-life balance strategy has been her superb organizational skills. “I know that if I don’t complete task X by X time, I might be late to pick up my son, so I make sure that all is listed and in order of priority every day,” she says. “My daily calendar has each hour segmented for something different, including time to eat!”
Wanda Dryman and family
Cloud Nine
“Being loved for who I am with all my imperfection,” has been the most satisfying aspect about motherhood for Salaverria, and the fact that she knows that she has done the best that she could over the years is even more satisfying. For Sobrino, being a grandmother and seeing her children grow has made her feel complete as a woman. “It’s a great feeling.” Now that her children are adults, Sobrino counts her daughters as her friends, and vice versa. “Having their trust, love and being their friend; I think that’s the amazing part of being a mother.”
The greatest joy of motherhood, according to Boden, is holding your children close and hugging them. “There is nothing more absolutely fulfilling than being a mother,” adds the Honduras native.
Not too long ago, Dryman had the opportunity to watch her son listening, caring and keeping an open heart to others. This brought her much joy because, as she puts it, “You hope that your children will grasp something of what you teach them and sometimes you’re not really sure.”
Do’s and Don’ts
Vilma Salaverria and family
As one finds the balance working on a successful career, overcoming adversity and enjoying motherhood, many lessons are learned about what to do and what not to do. Of all the life lessons acquired by Sobrino, the most important has been to have integrity. She always taught her daughters to be fair and be accountable for every decision that they make.
“Do your best,” is the lesson Dryman imparts on her young children, whether they are playing football or gymnastics and also to be sincere in everything they do. This and hard work is the same lesson Salaverria has always given her children. “In college, my boys worked two to three jobs at same time,” she says. “They know I worked hard and for many hours. They learned and followed the example.”
“Love and enjoy life” and “always, at all times look on the bright side,” are the lessons Boden hopes to give her young children when they become older. Of course, manners are also important: “For now, it’s: no se dice ‘que?’, se dice ‘perdon?’ when you don’t understand what someone has said!”
Encouragement
These fabulous ‘Supermoms’ have the following encouraging messages, especially for all working moms and future working moms-to-be:
“Think about having children when you are young. I have seen a lot of people who are waiting until after their thirties or sometimes forties to have kids. There are many reasons why we give priority to our careers and we don’t think about the future of the kids. I believe its better be at the in end of your twenties or early thirties and strong, when your marriage is young, to have kids”
-Maria de Lourdes “Lulu” Sobrino
Vilma Salaverria
“Do your best and don’t kick yourself for doing one thing better than the other. Use the support system that you have, whether it is family or work.” -Wanda Dryman
“Be fully committed to all the roles in your life. You have to deliver. You can’t have work-life balance and not deliver. Understand one another; reach out, encourage and support others. Mentoring is the key.” -Vilma Salaverria
“If you are a working mother and you feel you are not spending enough time with your children, remember this: your son and daughter will admire you later on for all your sacrifice and hard work and how you managed to work and spend time with them. They will realize when they too are mothers and fathers what it is you did to make sure they always had the best life could give them. That is what I think of my mother and father.” -Natalie Boden
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