I know there are so many moms out there considering a return to paid work right now. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview two of Houston’s finest “mompreneurs”, Maggie Segrich & Meredith Wheeler of Sesh Coworking. These ladies started Houston’s first female coworking space!! Woo hoo!! Thank-you ladies for building this community. The picture above is from their pop-up last October. They now have a beautiful loft space that will be open as soon as it is safe after COVID.
How did you figure out what you wanted to do when you returned to paid work?
Maggie – For me it was a matter of continuing my career in jewelry, but on my own terms, which meant transitioning from part-time work for someone else to going to work for myself full-time.
Meredith – Oh, it was definitely one heck of a journey for me. After having my first child, all I knew was that I didn’t want to return to the way things were before her which meant leaving my job in the wine industry. From there, my husband and I were lucky enough to have the means for me to stay home with my daughter. While staying home with her, I explored different business models and ideas. I tried my hand at many, many different test runs to learn what was intriguing and satisfying enough for me to do every day. Ultimately, I kept returning time and time again to the idea of creating an organization and eventually, a coworking space, for working women.
Tell me about the venture, Sesh Coworking, that you ladies started together.
Maggie – Meredith started this baby now over three years ago as a pop-up community called Girl Sesh. When I moved to Houston in July of 2018 I was searching for a location for my jewelry studio and kept coming up empty. I found Girl Sesh on Instagram, and the more coffee & coworkings I attended the more I found myself drawn to wanting to help Meredith make this brick & mortar happen because it was a space I wanted and needed as a business owner.
Meredith – I began the organization, originally called Girl Sesh, in April 2017 after having my second child and moving back to Houston from California. I held weekly Coffee + Coworking sessions along with happy hours and educational workshops, all designed to bring the working women of the community together to connect, support and share resources. When Maggie joined the business in December of 2018, we began actively working to turn the dream of a brick and mortar space into reality. We are both so thrilled with how the Sesh Loft turned out.
How do you find the right partner for your venture?
Maggie – I asked to become a part of the venture Mere was building because I had wants and needs that I strongly felt her idea solved. Mere & I like to joke that we got business married, but honestly, I think that’s our secret sauce. We run our business for longevity, we 100% acknowledge each other’s strengths and weakness, and bounce everything off the other, no matter how crazy the idea may seem.
Meredith – Every day I am so grateful that Mags approached me about coming on-board to Sesh. She and I always say that we are each other’s yin and yang – she fills my weaknesses and I help fill hers. However, there are a lot of similarities between us that are just as incredibly important in ensuring that our partnership is successful – she and I are both passionate about changing workplace culture for women, we are both mothers and we both share the greater vision for Sesh.
What benefits do you see in hiring stay at home parents who have returned to work?
Maggie – I was a SAH/WFH parent for nearly 6 years. Something I noticed prior to the pandemic was the mentality difference in people that never experienced the rush to attempting to get all your work done during naptime – which can be a spontaneous and unknown amount of time. The planning, organization, focus and efficiency of the SAH workforce is an untapped resource that the entire world has had to experience together. I foresee SAH parenting skills becoming acceptable and legit resume and LinkedIn skills to list post-pandemic.
Meredith – Oh my gosh, stay at home and work from home parents are total bad asses! Often times we get just as much done, if not more, with the same amount of time as a parent working outside of the home. You have to have strong adaptability, focus and energy management skills, all of which are essential to any company.
What advice would you give a mom who is considering a return to paid work right now?
Maggie – Solid childcare is a must. I have had some doozies and there is nothing more distracting or stressful than a call from the school that your sitter didn’t show up or a call from ballet saying they saw your kid unattended in a hot car. Awful right? Do not feel paralyzed by being without childcare, fire the person if they are bad. I worked for nearly a year without childcare because I had that awful experience, but the point is – I found a way and it worked.
Meredith – Be prepared for it to be HARD. The transition is not going to be an easy one, but it will be incredibly rewarding. My transition from stay at home, to work from home to full time outside the home lasted years because it followed the trajectory of Sesh. Even with so much time to prepare, taking that leap into full time work outside of the home was still difficult – physically, mentally and emotionally. I missed my girls so much but found that our time together became more present and cherished and I felt more fulfilled knowing that I was following my path.
What is your best advice for moms working from home with kids now?
Maggie – Find time for yourself. This was a hard, long lesson for me to learn 4-5 years ago, however trying to discover a space within this pandemic took some creative thinking. I have a stressed out, only child that is currently a level 5 clinger. Right now, I get my time by running several miles with our biggest dog and my 6-year-old on her bike. When we get back, the house is calmer and my high-energy girls are tired enough that I can stretch for 15 to 20 minutes while simultaneously talking to my husband, uninterrupted. That uninterrupted adult conversation is what I need right now. It is my “me time” because there is no one else I can talk face-to-face with – outside of our 6-year-old and three dogs, and I’m sure you can now imagine why I need that adult conversation ;-)
Meredith – Give yourself grace. Working from home can sometimes feel like you are failing on all fronts. Take a deep breath and know that you are only one person. Give your task list an honest look and prioritize what needs to be done. And the rest of it? Let it go until tomorrow. And don’t forget to put work away each and every day. Turn off email, shut the computer down, silence the calls. Creating separation will give you the energy and strength to tackle work sustainably for the long haul.
I am so excited to participate on a virtual panel discussion moderated by these 2 lovely ladies and hosted by General Assembly on Tuesday May 12 from 7-8:30pm. Sign up for the free event here.
