"The Mom Box" is a metaphor for the way that society keeps women small and contained. I wrote a little about that here recently. To be "Outside The Mom Box" is to step outside the boxes that we’re placed in as a women…whether that’s mom or childfree, wife or single, beautiful or unattractive, fat or thin…and create a life that’s not a box but a mirror. A mirror of who we are as an individual, active and taking up space in the world. I had an idea about how I wanted to help women do that when I first started this business but that's changed in the eighteen months since I opened my doors.
““We need not wait to see what others do.”
—Gandhi”
In no small way, my mother's illness and death last month helped spur on these changes. There's nothing like the death of someone close to you to remind you that your own days are numbered. And since my days, like yours, are numbered, I don't want to spend them playing it safe. Or trying to accommodate a request that doesn't make sense, pursue a path that doesn't serve me in the highest possible way or continue a commitment that feels outdated.
So, I've returned to my roots a bit in a new and improved way with the OTMB business rebranding. I'm doing only the pieces that I love and am really, really good at. This work, the story, focuses on helping women - not just moms - feel and act more confident in the big and small moments of their day-to-day lives. I'm offering solutions that only I can provide like a time-limited, personalized coaching program which focuses on a specific, super-exciting goal. No more asking "what do you want?" but "who wants to hear about My Story?" instead. This story won't change and it may not be for you. And I know some people will go away. That's okay because my story isn't for everyone. But if you struggle with saying "no" or setting a healthy boundary, it might be for you. My story might be for you if wrestle with guilt over not doing your work or enough work or the right work. And it might be for you if you waffle about making decisions because you don't want to let people down or are worried that speaking up will hurt feelings. So if any of those feel familiar, buckle yourself in. You're in good company.
Thanks for being here.