WAHM: Business Partners

Just in time for Father's Day Holly Swantek of Holly Swantek PR offers this clever and thoughtful celebration of her husband in his role as a WAHM booster. Holly shares five smart, realistic strategies for getting the most from your most important home-based partnership. Great job, Holly. Thanks!

Not long after Sally asked me to contribute an article on how my husband has helped me to be a successful WAHM, I was inspired by a pearl of wisdom from my 5-year-old son, dispensed over breakfast as my husband hustled around the kitchen and out the door to catch a plane.

"Mom," he said. "If Dad is on a trip then you're in charge, and if you're on a trip then Dad's in charge. Right?"

From the mouths of babes, that's how it works -- after 7 1/2 years of me working from home, we've finally morphed into a seamless team that supports a WAHM environment. Like anything worth doing, it hasn't always been easy. But today, the rewards are ours to share. Here are my Top Five Tips on how to make it work.

Banish 'Boy vs. Girl'
I bring home some bacon, fry it up in the pan, tie up the garbage, pull the recycling to the curb & hit grounders to my son when Dad can't make practice. My husband takes little temperatures in the middle of the night, folds and puts away laundry, fixes scrambled eggs and wields a toilet brush with the best of 'em. Neither of us has time for gender stereotypes.

Hold Regular Strategy Sessions
The topic of these meetings may flow from the kids' allowance, to his travel schedule, to specific projects either of us is working on, to why we got a cat without telling him first. (The kids called him from the pet store, it's not my fault we didn't have good cell reception!) Regardless of what's discussed, these sessions must occur. Over morning coffee. Over a glass of wine in the evening. Over the children's heads at the playground. They must occur.

Protect the Glass Ceiling
And the glass shower, the tile floor, the washer & dryer, and whatever else may need repair. A household issue quickly becomes a workplace issue for a WAHM. If husband travels a fair amount and neither of you is a talented do-it-your-selfer, then resolve to do whatever you have to do to get the job done. This usually means picking up the phone and calling for help. It hurts to pay for something you think you should do yourself, but it will save you tenfold in sanity down the road.

Promote From Within
Be generous with titles. Around the house, my husband is CEO and I am COO. In my business, I am Founder & President, and my husband is Director of IT and Strategic Consultant, but if I think he can take on more, I will give it to him. When I asked him how he has helped me to be a successful WAHM, he replied: "There's not enough blog space in the world for everything I do!" His confidence has been rewarded with a new title: Chief of Exaggerated Claims...perfect for a public relations business! And finally,

When All Else Fails, Remember You're On the Same Team

Holly Swantek

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer
Freelance Writer
Parenting
Motherhood