Where are you originally from and how long have you been in Easton?
I’m originally from Westchester, NY. I grew up in Briarcliff Manor and went to Hackley in Tarrytown from 5th grade – 12th (in case some readers went to Briarcliff High and are like I don’t remember you). We moved to Easton in 2014 so we’ve been here about 11 years now.
Tell us about your Family!
I have 3 amazing kids. Sammy is almost 17, Lila is 15 and Cori is 13. They each have their own awesome personalities and interests. Sammy is a rock climber and into robotics and engineering. Lila is at the Regional Center for the Arts and makes films and is an incredible artist. And Cori is a fantastic soccer athlete and a great student. My husband, Sam, is from LA and works in television.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I started my career in TV on the show America’s Next Top Model before I was married and had kids. My dream has always been to be a show runner and Executive Producer. I worked on the show for about 5 years and worked closely with Tyra Banks and all the judges. I went to Africa, London and would travel back and forth from NY to LA. It was so much fun and I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss those times a little.
One thing you wish someone would have told you about motherhood?
I wish someone sat me down and told me when I was pregnant and contemplating whether to stay in TV or not that, in the moment, it will feel like your kids are the most important thing in your life and you’ll feel like you should completely focus on them BUT there’s a price to pay if you do that and forget about yourself because as they get older, you’ll wonder where YOU went and you’ll spend the later half of your life trying to catch up. It’s okay to still have dreams when you have a family.
What’s your favorite thing about raising a family in Easton?
Easton is this quaint little farm town with good schools and genuinely good people. It’s a hidden gem near everything but it also feels so removed and far away from everything. When we were looking to move to CT from Briarcliff, we looked all over and there was just something about Easton that I couldn’t stop thinking about. It just felt like home. I still have that feeling whenever I get back from a long trip or even just go out for a walk. It’s just so beautiful and quiet. There aren’t many places like it.
Best mom hack that makes your life easier?
Skip the purse/cute diaper bag and get a super functional Patagonia-type backpack. I know, I know, not cute but truly it’s the best way to keep everything together, organized and you don’t care as much when you put it down in a public bathroom. You will wear a purse again I promise. The same goes for the mini-van. I know. You don’t want to do it, you promised yourself you wouldn’t be that mom…BUT I have to tell you, they make them for a reason. They are a dream. The doors, the storage, the space…it’s a life saver. I promise you will have a normal car again, just bite the bullet and do it to make your life easier when the kids are swing-the-doors-open-aggressively years old.
Tell us about your business when & why you decided to start up this business?
My business is still in its infancy. It’s called Broad Reach Media and it includes Producer services, The Mama’s Village Podcast – CT and Event Producing/PR services. I have been thinking about starting this Production company and trying to figure out if I had time to do it and would it be worth it for many years. Ultimately, the decision came when I realized that nobody was going to give me the permission to do this, there are NO guarantees in any venture and I really love what I do. If I plan to be a leader, I need to build something and lead. So it has been long overdue and I know that if I don’t do it now, I will regret it for eternity. So here we are…. The website is being built and The Mama’s Village Podcast-CT is in its infancy and I am excited (and terrified) to watch all of it grow!
What is your background, where did you go to college and what brought you to CT?
I have a background in Television. My father is an Executive Producer and has been all my life. In the 80’s/90’s he started A Current Affair, Inside Edition, Shipmates and dozens of other syndicated series and right now runs This Old House and all of its many spin offs. My mom was a Producer as well for part of my life (While You Were Out was one of her shows back in the day) so I’ve always wanted to work in Television. I went to Boston University and graduated with a Film and Television degree. Straight out of BU, I moved to Los Angeles and got to work. I met my husband out there and when we decided to get married, it was a tough decision where we were going to raise our family. We ultimately decided on the East coast and after living in Westchester for 5 years, Connecticut really just felt more like our place so we set out to find our forever town and moved to Easton. When I got pregnant with my first, I decided to step away from the TV life to raise them and bought a fitness franchise called Stroller Strides in Northern Westchester. I ran that for 3 years and then worked as a personal trainer after moving to CT. I loved being a personal trainer and working one-on-one specifically with the mom population. As the kids got older though, it was time to get back to me and my lifelong dreams so I went back to TV in 2018 and it was very humbling starting from the bottom again but I’m very glad I did.
Tell us about the podcast and what you are thinking for the future of it?
The Mama’s Village Podcast – CT is a place where Fairfield County moms come together to share tips, tricks, hidden gems, support and have really good conversations. Fairfield has some really great people and I genuinely love talking to other moms and hearing what they do, what are they thinking about, how are they coping with the stress of being a mom, how are they raising their kids in this crazy time? The topics we talk about range from Divorce to Parenting tips to Anxiety in motherhood all the way to event planning and where to bring the kids for a genuinely good time. The conversation really has no limits so I can’t wait to see what other surprising things we talk about. So far, hosting this podcast has been a blast and it has surpassed my expectations. I hope it continues to grow so we can raise up the mothers in this community and make sure everyone knows they are not alone in whatever they’re going through in motherhood. If you know of a mom that has something to talk about please send them my way!
Best advice for moms who experience the inevitable MOM GUILT handling a career and raising a family?
I have a theory about Mom guilt that the reason we feel it is because it’s the dissonance between our goals for raising these incredible humans we created and for growing our own personal goals. If you notice, the breadwinner moms that work to put food on the table and for the main purpose of money, do not feel as guilty because they have to do what they have to do to feed their kids. What they mainly feel is separation anxiety. The moms that feel really guilty are the ones that are not sure if the time they are putting into their work and away from their kids is worth it. If the money for childcare plus commuting and everything that goes with working, for example, is about the same amount a mom is making, it feels like they are deciding between working toward their personal goals (what they went to college for, what they thought about forever etc) and their kids. It can feel selfish to decide to work. BUT I am here to say, from the perspective of someone that sacrificed my big dreams and worked in something more flexible so I could be with my family, it is not selfish to do what you love and to work toward something for yourself. It is okay to love yourself and put the time into your career and build something that you can thrive off of for years to come. Yes, the kids will only be small for a little while but they care about the quality of your time with them, your happiness and that you have a life you love outside of them even if they don’t have the words to tell you that.
Who has most influenced you to be the mom that you are today?
My mom was obviously a big influence on me just because she’s who I grew up with and her way was what I knew. She passed away a few years ago and in grief, I’ve realized how much of the way she was has shaped me. But I also have been influenced by my friends and colleagues. The moms that have learned to take the breath before they lose their sh**. The mom that taught me how to unfold the stroller with one hand (shout out to you Cynthia!) The mom that during one of my first exercise classes back from having my first baby whispered to me “Yes you can, Mama!” as I struggled running up the hill with my stroller. All of these moms have influenced me and I genuinely want to thank them and keep that going.
What advice would you share with a new mom or other moms?
I think my biggest piece of advice to Moms of any stage is instead of listening to all the noise and focusing on what everyone else is doing around you, do what you say you’re going to do for YOURSELF. Meaning, if you tell yourself you’re going to walk everyday this week, do it. If you tell yourself, you’re going to set aside 20 minutes to journal every morning, do it. If you speak to your child in a way that you’re not proud of and you say you’ll stop, then stop. When you tell yourself that you’re going to do something and then you DON’T do it, you lose trust in YOURSELF and that is a slippery slope to shame, resentment and depression. The trust you build in yourself is where self-love is. So practice doing the things you say you’re going to do for yourself no matter what and you will find your confidence soar, your fulfillment will go up and you will begin to realize what they mean when people talk about self-love. Also, don’t put yourself down for any reason. Nothing good comes of it.