C-Suite Moms: Shannon Forrester of Floor Coverings International On How To Successfully Juggle Motherhood and Work

An Interview With Vanessa Morcom

Work really hard to be present in each moment: Make sure you learn to stop what you are doing and fully focus on your kids. It’s so important to be able to understand when your kids really need you — sometimes it only takes a minute.

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 Shannon Forrester.

Shannon Forrester is the owner of Floor Coverings International (FCI) of Regina. Shannon began her journey with FCI in 2016 as a Design Associate for her sister, then one year later bought the business from her sister and became the owner of FCI of Regina. In January of 2024, Shannon was named a Franchisee of the Year at FCI’s annual meeting.

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

I have always been a business owner, but after having my fourth child, I decided to take some time to be with my family. My sister-in-law approached me about Floor Coverings International (FCI), and at the time I had taken a step away from working. When my son was born and a bit older, I was ready to jump back in to the business world, and began helping my sister-in-law with the sales side of her franchise. About a year later, I bought her out and became the full owner of her Floor Coverings International franchise.

I really enjoy the challenge of this line of work. In the past, I grew my businesses and then sold them, which is what I anticipated doing with this one, but every year we continue to outdo ourselves, and haven’t been quite ready to let this business go. Accomplishing things that feel impossible is a passion of mine, and each year I set a goal that seems impossible to reach, and enjoy working toward that goal. I also enjoy having a business model that is flexible. This allows me to make a schedule that fits my needs to be able to spend time with my family, and Floor Coverings International offers just that.

Can you share with us how many children you have?

I have four children — three boys and one girl. My oldest is 21 and my youngest is nine.

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

When my oldest son was born, I owned three fitness franchise locations. He grew up with the businesses, and came to everything with me. When I had my second and third children, I owned and operated a total of five businesses. Soon after, it was clear to me that having three children and five businesses wasn’t going to work, and began selling my businesses. When my fourth child was born, I had a vending machine company, but ultimately sold that to devote all of my attention to my children.

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

I’ve always wanted to be a mother; so much so, that I used to dream of having six kids. My family was very entrepreneurial, so being a working mother was something that came very natural to me.

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 was 25 when my oldest son was born. While I was definitely a young mom, I would not change a thing about the timeline. It was really important to expand my family and have more children, which is why my business ventures are centered around the growth of my family. My main priority has always been to spend time with them, while also bringing in a secondary income to provide for them.

While you can’t plan out everything in life, my advice to other women would be to determine what is important in your life, and don’t lose sight of it. If you want to be a working mom, be sure that you can devote attention to all of the priorities in your life.

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

My schedule is really dependent on what is happening in my family’s life. My children are all in sports, and showing up for their events is a priority for me. So, if I need to leave work to attend those, I will, when it’s possible. Some days I work from home and then go into the office until about 7:30 p.m., and other days, I’ll work in the office during normal working hours. It’s all about flexibility and finding a business opportunity that allows you to adapt on a day-to-day.

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

My career path has never been a straight line; I’ve built up businesses and then sold them when both myself and the business were ready. When I jumped back into the business world and wanted to have a second income for my family, I bought Floor Coverings International and have been building that up since. In a word, building everything around my children, putting them first without sacrificing my existing businesses takes precedent.

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

I think being a mother has made me softer, as I was a tough boss before. My kids have definitely helped me become a better listener, and realize what is important and when to prioritize that.

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

Mom guilt is real; there are times where I feel like I’m not doing enough at work, and times where I feel like I am not doing enough at home. The flooring and construction industry is very male-dominated, which can be hard as a mother. A lot of the men in my industry work 12+ hours a day, and during the holidays, I find myself getting especially overwhelmed when trying to balance spending time with family and running my business.

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

After having my first son, I realized how important a good support system is. I found a great caregiver, and began to understand that it is okay to ask for help, and how important it is to speak up when you can’t do something alone.

I try to show all of my kids the importance of hard work, and am transparent with them when things are difficult. I want them to see everything that I do to support them, and try to involve them as much as possible in my work so that they grow up knowing that they can work hard, too.

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?

At work, we do family parties rather than just staff parties. It’s important that my children get to know the children of the people I work with, and weave the office into my family. This not only allows me to spend more time with my children, but my staff get to spend more time with their children too.

When we have holiday weekends, I try to give my staff an extra day off to spend more time with their families — these moments create lasting memories that should be cherished.

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 really hard to be present in each moment: Make sure you learn to stop what you are doing and fully focus on your kids. It’s so important to be able to understand when your kids really need you — sometimes it only takes a minute.

2 . Carve out time for family and stick to that, no matter how hard it is: During this time, try really hard to not let work interfere.

3 . Involve your kids in as much of the work stuff as possible, and make it fun: Don’t make work look like a negative factor in your life. When you make work outings fun, it instills a work ethic in kids and allows them to see what you’re doing when you’re not with them.

4 . Wake up before the family wakes up: This allows you a head start on the day so you can be there for your family in the morning and have quality time together. Make sure you have time for yourself, too!

5 . It’s okay to ask for help: Knowing when you might need someone else to step in and assist you is not a sign of weakness. Having an extra hand makes a huge difference for both you and your children.

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

All of my children play sports, and I always instill in them the mindset that they can do whatever they set their minds to. I set goals with all of my kids, and show them the things that I do to inspire them to work hard.

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

I’ve found that there is a fine balance of saying “it’s okay to not always be the best,” and wanting my children to excel. I have a highly competitive family, and sometimes none of us know how to just rest. Rather than winning, I try to center success around accomplishing personal goals.

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

“10x Is Easier Than 2x” and “Who Not How” are two books that I’ve not only read myself, but encouraged my staff to read. I use what I’ve learned from these books with my children, and taught them that sometimes big growth can be easier than small growth. I’ve also taught them that focusing on who is going to help you get to where you want to be is more important than solely focusing on how you’re going to get there.

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

My favorite life lesson quote is: “perfection kills progress.” Waiting for the right time or for something to be perfect will always stop you from moving forward to the next step. Simply make a plan, and keep moving — it will get better as you go.

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?

I make about 90% of my meals in my crockpot. My recommendation for every new parent is to invest in a quality crockpot so that your family can enjoy easily prepared nutritious meals, and save you time!

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