Here’s What Happens When Moms Get A Look At Startup Life
By Kristin Reilly, Director of Talent Experience
My name is Kristin and I’m a mom of two, a loving wife, and a self-diagnosed workaholic. I have the lineage and true grit of hardworking parents pulsing through my veins.
My Story
Before starting at Jet.com, I worked with Marc Lore (CEO & Co-Founder) at Quidsi and loved every minute of the fast-paced and challenging, but incredibly fun, environment. Following him to Jet wasn’t scary for me. It was scary for my mom, though. With the added pressure and uncertainty of startup life, how was I going to juggle it all at once?
“Kristin, you’re a mom of two. You’ve got an awfully long commute,” she said. “I was really hoping you’d find something closer to home”.
Growing up, both of my parents made sure I settled for nothing less than the best, one of their proudest moments being my acceptance to Cornell. All my hard work, studying, focus, and persistence paid off.
Sometimes, it feels like my mom has forgotten I am this way due in part to her shining example and how I was raised. Confident. Kind. Independent. Hardworking. Relentless. Passionate.
Front Row Seat
So, how do you show that all the hard work your parents put forth in raising you paid off? The answer, surprisingly, was quite simple: Bring mom to work.
Recently, Jet moms descended on our Hoboken headquarters with a packed day of activities on the docket. Mom’s favorite: sharing insights on user experience (yes, really).
Our moms watched us lead team meetings, run conference calls, and got an inside look at our day-to-day interactions with our peers. We even mixed in a little champagne, some friendly putt-putt and an embarrassing tell-all game of funny stories.
Changing the Tide
As the day went on, I could see my mom’s perspective change. I was still the workaholic trying to do too much. But now she knew why. I was making a difference and there was a reason that I chose this path for myself.
In place of skepticism and worry, I saw pride. That same pride I saw when I rode my bike for the first time, when I got into my dream school, and when I married my soul mate.
Our parents work hard to instill important values in their kids. It can be hard for them to tell, on a day-to-day level, how they actually did at parenting.
Inherited Wisdom
Seeing your grown child in their element, living those values and impacting others, brought that all to the forefront for my mom. And that’s what brought it full circle for me.
I desperately want my kids, as they grow, to live out loud, with kindness, passion, and purpose; to have the skills to work with others by creating emotional connections; to do the right thing and challenge themselves every day to be their best.
For many of us in the startup world, working hard to build something from nothing, our jobs have the tendency to define us. Having a loved one witness our passion first-hand can help them connect to the biggest part of our lives.
As for my mom, the conversational tide has turned from, “she works so far away” to “Jet is a great place, I’m proud of Kristin, and she is so happy.”
Take a peek at a few of the day’s unforgettable MOMents.
Photo & Video Credits: Foglight Entertainment.
