This story was shared Katy Moms Network, one of the Texas sites of The Local Moms Network. This is a slightly edited version of the original.
Meet Blessing Adesiyan, Founder/CEO of Mother Honestly.
Blessing Adesiyan is the inspiring Founder & CEO of Mother Honestly, a global community for the modern mother. Blessing was born and raised in Nigeria, and lived all over the U.S. since moving here for college, and considers herself a global citizen. However, she and her husband of twelve years and their three sweet babies now call Katy, TX home.
Blessing is a badass, simply put. She’s had a successful career in the corporate world as a chemical engineer, but recently stepped back from that to focus on Mother Honestly, a platform that inspires, encourages and guides the modern ambitious woman to thrive in and beyond motherhood. Through online content, and offline activations, they aim to empower and elevate mothers to lead bigger, better and deeper lives. Mother Honestly is full of support for mothers across their website and social media platforms and they also have a successful podcast.
The truth is, the modern mother is working harder than ever before, parenting with anxiety, stress and exhaustion. Mother Honestly provides the community, resources and support you need to combine work and family during these uncharted times.
Check out the interview Katy Moms Network did with this beautiful (inside & out) mama below
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Katy?
I like to think of myself as a global citizen. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I came to the United States to attend college – the University of Florida. Upon graduation, I moved to Parkersburg, WV for my first job and since then, I have lived in at least eight cities across the country. We’ve lived in Katy for close to 5 months now, however we also lived in Sugar Land from 2014 – 2016 before moving to Detroit, Michigan, and then finding our way back to Texas.
Greatest gift about about being a mom?
My children are my greatest joy. They fill me with passion to get up and do my best work, live my best life by showing them what’s possible. As a working mother, it’s easy for me to get caught up in the guilt of not being available to them all of the time, but I also look at them and see how independent they have become not just physically but, in their thinking, and logic, I see how much they love and respect me and think the world of me because I have shown them who I truly am.
Least favorite mom job? (i.e. packing lunches, dishes, bath time, etc.)
It’s very weird, I love every aspect of any mom job there is. As long as I am doing it for my children, it brings me so much joy. However, I do a lot of outsourcing to enable me spend quality time with my kids.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
My dad is a pastor and I spent my childhood singing in the choir. I still love singing, it brings me so much joy.
Best mom hack that makes your life easier?
I do most of my cooking on Sundays after church, and portion them into bowls for the upcoming week. During the week, I simply microwave the bowl for dinner and place it on the center of the dining table for my family to dig in. It’s important to me that my family eat healthy home-cooked meals, it’s also important to me that I don’t stress myself in the process.
Tell us about your career outside of being a mom…
I was a Chemical Engineer by trade. I also completed my Masters in Energy Management and hold an MBA degree from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. I completed all of these degrees as a mother. It’s true that we mamas can do hard things. Most recently, I worked as a Supply Operations Manager for BASF, a chemical company.
What was the inspiration behind Mother Honestly?
Absolutely. My son was 4-months and I was simply tired of the resources friends were sending my way at that point. Many of these amazing resources which were very useful revolved around my baby – lots of breastfeeding tips, and how to wear my baby, etc. There was nothing specifically for me as a person. Being an ambitious professional woman, I felt isolated during those 4-months of maternity leave which I was grateful to have especially since the United States is still the only developed country with no mandate for paid parental leave. However, I was craving for something else.
Motherhood is hard AF, we have so many competing priorities and we need to understand how being a mother affects our goals, dreams and ambition. I wanted someone to talk to me more about how my career and all the amazing things I want to achieve in motherhood. I was struggling with so many things at the time thinking about my return-to-work, will I be taken seriously at work after a new baby, what are the policies surrounding pumping at work, how do I support my dreams in this new phase of motherhood. All of this led me to starting a conversation on social media and within weeks, so many women starting sending me DMs saying they wished there was a platform that caters specifically to how they should be approaching their personal and professional lives in motherhood. That led to the launch of Mother Honestly, and in the last 18 months, we have grown to reach over 300,000 mothers through our podcast, content and conference. In 2018, we welcomed over 250 mothers to our first Mother: The Summit, and in 2019, we had over 500 moms come together to discuss possibilities for their lives in motherhood.
How important is community and honesty in motherhood for you?
Very important. I think that as mothers, we crave community. We are designed to depend on each other for physical, emotional and spiritual support. It’s why I wake up daily to host candid conversations on our social media channels. I know mamas need it. I also think whatever we do in motherhood, we need to do it honestly. That’s where that name Mother Honestly came from. I saw women comparing themselves to other women and how they raised their own kids, how they approached their careers, how they fed their family. If we are going to live up to our truest potential in motherhood, we must do what feels natural and true to us. That’s the only way we can truly achieve success and avoid burnout. I am not the mom who feeds her kids organic 100% of the time, I also don’t spend my time driving from one activities to another for the kids. I have embraced what works for me and I am truly happy.
Best advice for moms who stay at home, but want to get back out in the working world somehow?
It’s important to transition to return to work with a clear understanding of what that looks like for you. You can return to a part-time position, work-from-home role, or a full-time gig. And of course, you can start your own business as well. No matter what you choose, know that your children will be fine. If you are looking for opportunities within the workplace, look into The Mom Project, a company that places women returning to work into respectable and flexible jobs.
How important is it for you to have a passion outside of being a mother?
We live in a world of possibilities, and I truly believe that every mother should live up to their limitless worth and potential in motherhood. As much as you are obsessed with your children and family, your dreams aren’t less important. In fact, they are now important more than ever because your children are watching. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or working mom, its important to nurture your dreams. There are so many side projects and flexible work to consider if you are not sure of where to start.
Best advice for mom guilt?
From time to time, you will feel mom guilt. The truth is, no matter how supportive your spouse and support systems are, moms will always have a special place at home. So when mama is away from work, or feels she isn’t doing the right things for her children, it’s natural to feel the guilt. But here is how I combat that guilt – I tell myself that I am human, I love my children and I am doing the absolute best that I can for them. I also ask for help from my husband to ensure that I am more present for them. Sometimes, I feel sad not spending as much time with my bigger kid, so I ask my husband to watch the littles while I take her on an errand with me. That simple solution of chatting enroute Kroger or H-E-B wiped that guilt and got me back to a place of abundance.
Who has most influenced you to be the mom you are today?
I watch Michelle Obama and how she raised her girls and it completely inspires me. A mothers job is not to teach, its to be a role-model for our children and its what I strive for everyday. To show my children that they are my greatest accomplishments, and that I have dreams and hopes not just for them but for me, for our family and for our future. These qualities I see daily in the former first lady.
When parenting gets hard, what’s something you tell yourself that gets you through?
Parenting is tough for women, since we are most likely the default parent. And while we are starting to see more men step up at home, women still do majority of the household chores and activities for and with the children. That alone can make a mama pull her hair out sometimes. The truth is, I don’t tell myself anything. I simply ask for a true partnership or help to accomplish those tasks. My husband is my partner in this, and I routinely engage him in the activities for the week. I ask friends and family members to step in, or I outsource if I can afford it. Our society has made it okay for women to bully themselves into doing all of the things, and mamas are burning out, falling sick and feeling isolated without support. We need a different approach to parenting in America and it starts by not toughing it out, but my simply reaching out to our neighbors, friends and loved ones when we need support.
Would you please name one thing you hope your kids look back and remember about their childhood and you as their mama?
I want them to remember how much I love them. I want them to remember our loving home, our weekend breakfast, which I absolutely make a big deal out of. I want them to see how much passion and excitement I brought into our home and how grateful I am that they came into our lives. I want them to look back and be proud of their mother and see possibilities for themselves the way I’ve seen possibilities in them and through them. I want them to go out and love their family, their work, their lives with vigor and energy.
Be sure to follow along with Blessing on social and her website!
Website: www.motherhonestly.com
Social Channels: @motherhonestly on Facebook and Instagram
Mother Honestly is the complete ecosystem for women to lead exciting and fulfilling lives in motherhood. Through content, podcast, and offline activations, they are aligning motherhood and ambition in a new way.