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Making it work: 9-5 plus with parenting

When it comes to career-oriented stay-at-home moms, more than half say they would rather be working, according to a 2011 survey by the Working Mother Research Institute.
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January 28, 2016

When it comes to career-oriented stay-at-home moms, more than half say they would rather be working, according to a 2011 survey by the Working Mother Research Institute. But sometimes they need a hand, and that’s why Laura Gerson and Galite Shafer started the website MomFair and MomFair LIVE!, an all-day conference taking place Jan. 31 at UCLA Carnesale Commons. 

The idea of the event, Gerson said, is “giving women who are utilizing our digital properties a way to connect one on one to entrepreneurs, potential mentors, career coaches, recruiters, counselors and people who help with work-life balance, child care and financial planning.”

The conference, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is expected to attract nearly 250 women. It will open with a keynote address on cultivating confidence from author Jess Weiner (“A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life … and How You Can, Too!”). Attendees then have a choice of nearly 20 “skillshops” and panels that range from “Dusting Off Your Resume.” 

Author and TV personality Samantha Ettus will discuss networking, and the day will close with a conversation between Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media CEO Madeline Di Nonno and Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, stars of “Playing House” on USA Network. The Headshot Truck mobile photography studio also will be on hand.

Gerson, who also founded MomAngeles, a 6-year-old website that offers parenting and family resources in and around West Los Angeles, knows firsthand the challenges stay-at-moms face when they try to re-enter the workforce. When she moved to Los Angeles from her native Atlanta in 2008 after a 20-year career in marketing, she didn’t plan to start a website; she didn’t plan to work at all. 

“When my husband and I moved to L.A., I was pregnant,” recalled Gerson, 45, of Pacific Palisades. “I decided I was done. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.” 

But a funny thing happened. Gerson, who has one child, started planning a lot of fun play dates — not just afternoons at the park, but museum adventures and classes for the kids. “It seemed a waste for all that research not to go somewhere,” she said. So she started a blog that became MomAngeles (momangeles.com). “We didn’t have all these mommy blogs [then],” she said.

Gerson, who took a full-time position last year with AAA Flag & Banner doing business development, met Shafer, 46, mom of three, in a parenting group at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and they teamed up in 2013. 

“I was doing entrepreneurial things, too,” said Shafer, who received her MBA from McGill University in her native Montreal and worked in marketing for Mattel for several years. “At the time, there were not a lot of working moms in our circle. I saw Laura. I was like a little cheerleader.” 

As MomAngeles grew, the pair started to field frequent questions from fellow moms about working while raising kids. This, along with Gerson’s own challenges getting hiring managers to consider her after a career hiatus of a few years to focus on parenting, was the impetus for MomFair (momfair.com).

“It just brought to light for both of us that moms are struggling with this topic — whether looking for a 9-to-5 job, looking to grow their existing job or work from home — that whole underlying message of the elusive work-life balance,” Gerson said. 

In addition to creating the MomFair website, which officially debuted last fall, Gerson and Shafer also hosted a conference in 2013. But it was a much more modest affair than the one taking place this weekend. And though they believe there are a number of reasons it’s needed, the fact that it is women-only — with the exception of a couple of speakers — is an important one. 

“Women like to have that connection, more so than men,” Shafer said. “I think women need to talk to each other. Especially as mothers you can feel isolated. I have experienced that. You can feel you’re alone with your issues.”

The target audience for the event is moms 25 to 50-ish, who are college educated and had a career before having kids. Tickets start at $195. 

Gerson and Shafer said they ultimately hope to effect change in the larger workplace, making it easier for moms to find satisfying employment. To that end, they are happy that a major automotive company is sending several representatives to MomFair LIVE! in the hopes of getting a better sense of what moms returning to the workforce are looking for and how they can best serve current employees who are moms.

“They want to improve their HR practices,” Gerson said. “They want to improve their retention.”  

Gerson and Shafer are hoping the women who come to MomFair LIVE! find more than inspiration. “It should help you with a plan.” said Gerson.  

“It’s not just rah, rah, rah,” Shafer added. “It’s to give you the resources you need.”

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