The MNY Spotlight
"...then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.”
—Tina Fey, actress, comedian, writer, and producer
With Mother’s Day around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about the balancing act of being an entrepreneur and a mother during the time of covid. I’ve always said that I have two children, my first being my son Carlos, and my second being Mestiza. The truth is that I live with this internal dichotomy of having two highly opposing forces in my life, both battling each other for my attention, and more often than not, me feeling like I am not giving enough of myself to either. To add to that, there is working from home without childcare, facilitating distance learning to a rambunctious 5 year old, and the logistical challenges of co-parenting with a newly married ex-husband. As all mother’s can attest, it’s a lot of juggling.
The day that we launched Mestizanewyork.com was the day I went into labor. It was June 13, 2015. Within 24 hours I was blessed with a 10.1 pound baby and our very first online sale, which was unsurprisingly from Sue Rechter, Louisas mom. Since that fateful day I have gone through a divorce, a successful fundraise, purchased my very first home and found my person. But, despite all these major life moments and everything seemingly falling into place, there are times where I feel completely drained and guilt-ridden for not giving my full attention to of the two most important things in my life.
Alessandra in an early Mestiza Mini, just weeks before her due date