The Role Model Mom
Over the weekend, Jaime King missed an international flight.
She could have taken the day to rest or shop or attend to the many requests for brand collaborations, meetings and appearances she receives on a weekly basis. Instead, she arrived at the W Hotel in Hollywood to offer support and advice to a diverse group of women during the first “Mamas Making It Summit” hosted by Fashion Mamas.
King looked impeccable in a black velvet Oscar de La Renta dress, her long, blonde, wavy hair fell softly over her shoulders as she smiled at summit attendees before taking the stage.
The founder of Fashion Mamas, Natalie Alcala, introduced King to the group and when King began speaking to the women, “it was like she set the tone to spark a fire in each one of us,” said summit attendee Frances Marquez.
King began a modeling career at age 14. A self-described “daughter of the plains”, she grew up in a farming community in Nebraska and went on to secure a successful Hollywood career thanks to the support of her parents who always told her she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to, she recalled.
But the model and actress with an inspiring career, who had proudly walked runways for high fashion houses like Chanel and Christian Dior, found herself feeling guilty when she became a mother.
“When I went back to work…and brought my baby with me every day to work, my milk dried up,” recalled King. “I felt like I was letting down the people around me. Somehow I felt like I was doing something wrong by doing the thing I wanted the most in my life.”
King says she had made the decision to put family first but as her career continued growing, she was faced with the challenge many working mothers have to tackle— how to make motherhood and career work for everyone.
“I realized that when I made the decision to put my family first, it didn’t mean that I didn’t care about my career or my work or my path or what I was doing any less,” she explained.
With that in mind, King began shaping her role as a working mom, which meant she would raise her children to see her as a strong and passionate entrepreneur without sacrificing important moments like comforting them as long as necessary if they got sick. She would often ask herself: “What are they gonna remember about me?”
“Yes I want them to remember that I’m a strong woman, that I support other women, that I support everybody, that I’m a humanist, a feminist…but at the same time I want them to remember that when they needed me I was there,” she said.
So far, King has managed both motherhood and career flawlessly. She expressed her faith in the power of positive thinking and encouraged the women at the panel to believe in themselves and work toward their goals.
“As an entrepreneur, one thing that I really want you all to understand is that if you can see it, you can manifest it.”
Advice for moms in the words of Jaime King
* Whatever you believe in, that will guide you.
Follow your heart. Reach out to people. Connect with people. Take chances. Be bold. Follow it and whenever something starts to scare you, lean into that even more!
* Start Small (quality over quantity).
By doing this you’re using your time efficiently. You’re able to save space for yourself.
* Be gentle with yourself.
Meditate 15 minutes a day. Write down 5 things that make you happy. Is it going for a walk around the block? Is it reading five pages of your favorite book?
* Find other people that inspire you.
Find your tribe and if you don’t have a tribe, write down exactly what it is that you want and allow it to come to you.
Mommy In Los Angeles® had the opportunity to speak briefly with Jaime King after her panel discussion during the Fashion Mamas Mamas Making It Summit. We were honored to listen, connect and share hugs with her and look forward to watching her career continue to thrive as she raises her two beautiful children. Thank you, Jaime King. You inspire us all!
And thank you Fashion Mamas for creating this platform for women to learn and become inspired.
Follow Jaime King! | Twitter: @Jaime_king | Instagram: @Jaime_King
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