I’m hiring, and you should be too

Let me explain why hiring help isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Nov 15, 2024

COOKING Protein Peanut Butter Overnight Oats prepping these saves me so much time in the mornings
LISTENING The 'Good Enough Mother' We all should takeaway this mentality from Rebecca Michael, who is Head of Marketing for Google Search & Maps
CRAFTING Thankful Turkey with the sun setting so early, I love having crafts planned for my kids.
BUYING Dark Brown Aureum Belt this sale is too good to pass up!
SHARING MNTSTUDIO is opening in San Francisco I have been tirelessly working on this for months, and I’m excited to bring you behind-the-scenes

Currently

In the past few months, I’ve made two major hires that have been life-changing—and I’m not exaggerating.

Before I dive into who’s joined my home “team,” let’s clear up two common myths about getting help. First, some people think that hiring help is a luxury. And I get it; for a long time, I thought the same. But consider this: the average lifespan for women in the U.S. is around 80 years. That means middle age is closer to 40 than 50. In the thick of motherhood, we all know the saying the days are long, but the years are short. And the fact is life is simply too short to spend it on things that don’t bring you joy. This isn’t just about self-indulgence; it’s about choosing how to spend your time intentionally.

For me, it’s about creating space in my life for quality time with my kids, for my career, and for my own growth. I would rather be fully engaged in a craft with my kids or planning our next weekend adventure than caught up in laundry, dishes, and the endless tidying that comes with kids. When our responsibilities grow at work, we hire support to help with execution. Why wouldn’t we take the same approach at home? It’s not about avoiding “the hard work” or “getting out of it.” It’s about investing in the right kind of support so I can show up for my kids, my career, and myself.

Second, the idea that we can “do it all” is one that just doesn’t hold up. Sure, I believe we can have it all, but not by doing it all ourselves. During a podcast episode, I was chatting with Ashley Grech, the CFO of Xero, and she said something that has stuck with me for months: Your kids won’t remember who packed their lunches, but they will remember an unhappy mom. That’s the truth of it, right? We need a village to thrive, especially as working moms, and there’s no shame in building one.

So, let me introduce you to my new village: someone to address the invisible labor at home, and someone to ease my mental load as a 2x entrepreneur, 2x mom, pet owner, home owner, partner, friend, daughter (cue the overwhelm, I know).

First, we transitioned our nanny into a full-on house manager role. If you’re wondering, “What exactly does a house manager do?” I wrote an entire article on it, but here’s a TLDR: She does all those invisible tasks that usually pile up—laundry, grocery unpacking, changing the sheets, organizing the mess of a junk drawer. She also handles school pickups and after-school activities. Even if both your kids are in school, having someone who can come by a few times a week for a couple of hours in the morning can make a massive difference.

The second person I brought on board is a virtual assistant, who actually functions as my Chief of Staff. Because I work for myself, she manages both New Modern Mom tasks and my personal life admin. Let’s talk about “life admin” for a moment: it’s all those little tasks that take up more time than we realize. Booking a date night reservation, ordering holiday cards, researching camps for winter break, sending thank-you notes—these things don’t just get done magically. But they also don’t have to be done by me.

If you’re thinking, “That’s nice for you, but I can’t afford a personal assistant,” I totally understand. But there are some really affordable, flexible options out there that cater to working parents who need just a few hours of support here and there. Duckbill.ai, for example, offers part-time virtual assistants who handle tasks remotely for a fraction of what a full-time assistant would cost (and I got you 50% off your first 2 months to try it out).

I’m sharing all this because I want to remove any guilt around hiring help. We often feel this societal pressure to do it all ourselves, especially with “mom” tasks. But there’s nothing wrong with delegating. You’ve honed these skills at work; you know how to lead, prioritize, and delegate. Apply that to your life at home, and watch the difference it makes.

This is just the first part of sharing on this topic. Next, I’ll dive into how I onboarded my team to set them up for success—because getting the right help is only the first step. As any hiring manager knows, if you’re going to create a thriving team, you want to make sure everyone in it is set up to help you in ways that truly work for you and your org., or in this case family.

Meet my friend Amanda

Are you a multi-hyphenate juggling work and life? Do you want to build an ambitious life but feel pulled in so many directions? You need to meet my friend Amanda Goetz. She's a 2x Founder, 4x CMO, author and did it all as a single mom of 3 kids.

Her free newsletter - 🧩Life's a Game - has been the most tactical, real-world productivity newsletter I've ever read. She shares weekly tips to over 50,000 readers looking to level up in the game of life. Sign up here if you are ready to play the game of life at a whole new level. Sign up for Life's a Game

All the Things

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year, here are a few items I own and others I’m eyeing for the holiday. Shop the full edit here.

Ezra Amber Glass Tealight Holders these are great for any tablescape year round, but look gorgeous on a Thanksgiving table
Luce Metal Candle Holder
Marin Warm Natural Oversized European Flax Linen Tablecloth I love a basic tablecloth that can be elevated
European Flax Linen Napkins great quality and comes in tons of colors!
Glora Gold Napkin Rings there’s something about a pretty napkin ring that completely elevates your table
Faux Magnolia Holiday Garland this looks beautiful as a centerpiece and can be repurposed during the holiday season
Calistoga 2-Tiered Wooden Server perfect for pre-dinner apps!

🚨PSA🚨It’s family photo season! Here’s some coordinated outfits for the whole family to add to cart this weekend. Plus here’s 50% off to purchase your holiday cards from Paper Culture with code MODMOM24 (exp: 12/7). Shop the full family photo edit here.

For Mom:

Freja Dress in squirrel
Gyra Boots in tan leather

For Dad:

Flannel Charlie Shirt in eggshell
Straight Chino in tannin brown
Allen Edmonds Oliver Sneaker in brown

For a little boy:

For a little girl:

Textured Dress in cream
Fine-knit tights in brown
Addy Ballet Flats in gold

Must Reads on NewModernMom.com

Thanks for joining me on this journey,

Barbara

And if you like what you read, I would so appreciate you sharing this with just one mom friend!