C-Suite Moms: Leire Bascaran Of Helen + Gertrude On How To Successfully Juggle Motherhood and Work

An Interview With Vanessa Morcom

Share responsibility. Your spouse, your parents, the neighbors. They all provide quality interactions for your kids. If you can’t be there for some reason, you can rest assured that they are in good hands.

In today’s fast-paced business world, women in executive roles face the unique challenge of balancing high-powered careers with the demands of motherhood. Despite progress in workplace equality, female executives often carry a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities. How do these successful women manage both spheres of their lives so effectively? In this interview series, we would like to explore this intricate balance and we are talking to women executives from various industries who are also mothers, to share their insights and strategies for successfully juggling their professional and personal lives. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Leire Bascaran.

Leire Bascaran is the Co-Founder + Chief of Strategy at Helen + Gertrude. When she isn’t checking off client goals, managing internal teams, or leading new business development; you’ll find Leire hanging with her family. Whether she’s chasing her 2 boys, catching a flight, or hittin’ the gym, she keeps an active lifestyle and never misses a beat.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the “backstory” behind what brought you to this point in your career?

My career has been a series of following what I love, trusting my instincts, building my network, and a little luck. I started in corporate and slowly made my way to ad tech and eventually the agency world. I now have the privilege of working with amazing clients and extremely talented individuals.

Can you share with us how many children you have?

I have two boys, 4 and 7.

Where were you in your career when your child was born/became part of your family?

Both my children were born during the wildest times in my career. My business partner and I got the opportunity to spin off and build our company when I was seven months pregnant. When I was asked if I was interested in building Helen + Gertrude, my only response was, “Can I get insurance?” It took courage to do everything, but I figured it out thanks to my amazing team and family. The second was born a few weeks before covid. Enough said.

Did you always want to be a mother? Can you explain?

I honestly don’t think so. I always felt like if it happens, it happens but I can’t say I visualized my life as a mother before having kids. My husband always wanted kids, so in a way I signed up for it. Regardless, it was totally worth it and I have zero regrets.

Did motherhood happen when you thought it would or did it take longer? If it took longer, what advice would you have for another woman in your shoes?

I don’t think motherhood officially started until a few months after my first was born. It definitely wasn’t immediate. Having a newborn and going through labor is a huge shock, and I think it truly takes time to process. And even if you become a mother through a wonderful other path, your world is also being flipped upside down.

My advice is to ignore all expectations and all the quotes about “it was love at first sight.” Your body, your mind, and your entire world just went through an extreme transformation. You need time to develop into this role. Once it settles, these little humans definitely become your universe; it just takes time.

Can you tell us a bit about what your day-to-day schedule looks like?

I try very hard to separate work and family life. With it comes sacrifice but I really don’t want to lose any of the quality time with my children. My day-to-day starts with a ridiculous 5:30 am wake-up to go to the gym while everyone sleeps. Then, I come home and somehow manage to get ready between getting the first one on the bus and the second one to daycare. I work 8:45–6:00 at the latest. I cook dinner, play, bath, and bedtime, and then at the tail end, I wrap up any outstanding emails or deliverables while the boys snooze. By 10 pm, I’M DONE. It’s go go go and it’s not graceful, but we pull it off.

Has being a parent changed your career path? Can you explain?

Being a parent did not change my career path, but it definitely made me realize that my job doesn’t define me. It also has made me think hard about my willingness to travel, reallocate, and prioritize work/life balance. I love what I do but it’s no longer my MAIN priority. My children will always come first.

Has being a mother made you better at your job? How so?

Being a mother has definitely brought a different level of empathy. It has really helped me with my employee interactions, seeing them as their whole selves and recognizing how the struggles outside work can affect what happens in the office. It has also helped me connect with my clients better. We tend to share that common denominator of the chaos that parenthood brings.

What are the biggest challenges you face being a working mom?

I think the biggest challenge as a working mom is expectations. It’s the expectation that you have to do it all or that you have to do it perfectly. There is no way that you can be perfect. You will forget things, there will be tears, there will be compromise. That being said, the best thing I ever did was to always share the responsibility of parenting equally with my husband. We work hard at maintaining a 50/50 balance so we both work hard but also have time to breathe.

Are there any stories you remember from the early days of parenthood that you want to share?

It was honestly all a bit of a blur, but I have vivid memories of my breastfeeding adventures. I had a demanding travel schedule back then, so it was known that I needed extra time to pump when I arrived at the airport after a long day of meetings. My team would even scout out the Mamava pods for me in certain airports because it became our routine. They were so supportive.

Even during regular work days in the office, I devised a system where I could pump during calls by coordinating the pump and muting based on when I had to speak. There should seriously be mom olympics. It could have events such as multitasking: prepping formula or pumping, while changing diapers, while making your grocery list, etc… It’s all an art!

Are there any meaningful activities or traditions you’ve made up or implemented that have enhanced your time with your family? Can you share a story or example?

Travel has always been a big part of who I am and what I love to do. Even after my kids were born, I refused to stop out of fear of disrupting routines and how complex traveling with a little one can be. Fast forward seven years. We have made it an annual tradition to go on a big trip during the last two weeks of August. This mini sabbatical has been an amazing way for us to be fully present and experience all these new things together. We’ve now met iguanas in Belize, ran from a bull in the Swiss Alps, and gotten lost in the medina in Marrakesh. These are the stories we will always remember and that my kids go on to talk about at school.

We all live in a world with many deadlines and incessant demands for our time and attention. That inevitably makes us feel rushed and we may feel that we can’t spare the time to be “fully present” with our children. Can you share with our readers 5 strategies about how we can create more space in our lives in order to give our children more quality attention?

1 . Work around the clock. Sacrifice your night or morning; don’t use the time that is supposed to be theirs.

2 . Simplify. Kids don’t need 500 activities, and you don’t need to attend 500 events. The simpler, the fewer things you have to think about.

3 . Share responsibility. Your spouse, your parents, the neighbors. They all provide quality interactions for your kids. If you can’t be there for some reason, you can rest assured that they are in good hands.

4 . Put the phone away. That little screen is an addiction. Emails can wait. You also have to realize that your children watch you checking it all the time and learn from your example.

5 . Set boundaries. You are entitled to this time. Simply let everyone at work know that you will not be connected after hours; believe it or not, most will respect it.

How do you inspire your child to “dream big”? Can you give an example or story?

Dreaming big comes from confidence and independence. I actually let my kids run around in our neighborhood within a certain radius on their own. They climb trees and play pretend all day with their friends, all on their own (as I supervise from afar to make sure everyone is okay). This is when they run wild with their imagination or decide to become entrepreneurs and sell overpriced Pokemon cards to their neighbors. I just let them be, and beautiful things come out of it.

How do you define success in both your career and your family life, and how has this definition evolved over time?

Success in work is stability and balance. Success in family life is when everyone is happy and loved. This definition has evolved over time, but watching my son laugh with those deep belly laughs or tell me all about his wonderful day at school means so much more than becoming CEO of a major corporation.

What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better parent? Can you explain why you like them?

I love Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff. It’s a very different perspective on how to manage your child’s development and emotions by exploring parenting in ancient civilizations worldwide. There are some powerful tactics that have been around for generations.

I also really respect Dr. Becky. She has some great tools for getting through difficult hurdles, such as Big Emotions, and she really makes you think about parenting for the adult your children will become, not the immediate effect.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote” that you share or plan to share with your kids?

In the words of Tom Cruise in Risky Business, “Sometimes you just have to say what the heck”. Don’t overthink, follow your instinct.

If you could sit down with every new parent and offer life hacks, must-have products, or simple advice, what would be on your list?

Don’t sweat it. Honestly, the moment you think you have them figured out, they develop into a new stage, and you will once again have no idea what to do. But it’ll be fine, you’ll figure it out one way or another.

Thank you so much for these insights! We really appreciate your time.

About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media.