With a month dedicated to new beginnings, it seemed fitting to have Christi Hester as the featured Mompowerment mom this month. I chatted with Christi in fall 2013 for our original interview for the book. I knew that Christi was working on new things last year, but I got to hear a lot more about her new publication, Stout, a few months ago. And I love what Stout is all about. It’s a reflection on Christi’s general attitude about new beginnings – be strategic, bold, and persistent.
Christi’s professional story
Christi has always worked in some element of marketing, including advertising, sales, and PR. In fact, when I interviewed Christi for the book, she had owned her own media company, Hester Media, for about 10 years.
After studying PR, Christi worked in an ad agency in PR and client service then excelled in the world of ad sales for about 8 years at companies like the New Orleans Publishing Group, Austin Business Journal, and Southern Living, many times building territories from the ground up. Commission only ad sales with Southern Living Magazine allowed for a flexible schedule, but when the market crashed and publishing took a hit, the doors to consulting finally opened. After years of sprinkling the seeds to do consulting, Christi changed part of her focus to help businesses with their strategic needs, especially as they related to marketing and branding (while still doing ad sales for Southern Living). She’s been doing marketing consulting on her own through Hester Media for about 15 years now.
Part of the shift to an entrepreneurial endeavor was to spend more time with her only child at the time. Christi had always wanted to do consulting and she had the courage to make the switch after becoming a mom. She describes it as, “Having my first child gave me the inspiration and strength to try something new.” (This idea of courage coming from motherhood is something I heard a few times during the interviews. Combine this with going after your passion and you have a winning combination.)
Creating something new
More than a year ago now (March 30, 2017), Christi launched Stout, a leadership magazine aimed at humanizing brands and leaders at various levels. Yes, you read that right! She still runs Hester Media AND now she manages a magazine and three children.
Stout came to be while on a consulting gig for an ad agency. They needed extra hands for producing an anniversary edition of a monthly employee magazine. She rolled up her sleeves, editing and writing as needed. During this experience, she was equally inspired by the stories of the truck drivers and factory workers as she was this amazingly talented CEO. She thought, “it’s a shame more people won’t know about this.”
At the same time, Christi was interviewing for a C-level publication planning to come to Austin and thought it could be more meaningful. Within minutes she connected her dots, realized she already had all the resources and much of the knowledge to produce what she thought should be in the world. “Often times CEO’s aren’t very inspired by their peers but are by the man in the arena. I want to encourage others to be ‘Stout’ and be brave enough to share their gifts. Success needs to be demystified and we all need to relate to these leaders more. They shouldn’t be glorified but we should be able to recognize common traits within each other.”
What does Christi’s schedule look like?
In general, Christi works about 25-30 hours each week. Her kids range in age from 5 to 14, so they’re now all in school. She’s not convinced she ever needs to go back to work full time, although she’s open should the right opportunity come along. Right now, Christi has her eye on the prize of building and serving an audience for Stout Magazine.
Negatives of being a professional part-time working mom
There are some financial challenges when you work part time, especially as it relates to relying on one spouse for benefits. (I will add that some moms I interviewed had benefits while working part time but not all did.) In addition, Christi talked about marital stress. She admits there are moments when she feels that she’s not doing anything well as a part-time professional.
Benefits of working part time
Christi talked a lot about the benefits of a being a professional part-time working mom. She’s a lot more present with her children. She realized early on that there is a short window during her young children’s development to be there. She talks about a unique connection with her three children and how the journey of motherhood has made her a better person. And Christi loves that she has contributed financially all these years as well. The part-time approach to her career allowed for more balance and getting the best of career and family – it’s the best of both worlds. “Sometimes it’s a trade-off, sometimes it’s golden, and others, very challenging and scary. But for me, it was the right choice.”
Advice to other moms looking for more work-life balance
- Tap into your intuition. When making decisions, pay attention to your intuition, whether choosing who to partner with, which clients to take on, or whether or not it’s time to make a change.
- Look and listen to connect dots. Take a step back to see what trends you’ve picked up on and anticipate future needs based on that. Don’t reinvent the wheel, but see what’s missing and if you can provide value and fill in gaps or do something better. Maybe there’s something you can bring to the table that others can’t or a supplemental role to help others achieve their goal.
- Balance ebbs and flows. Realize that there often is no balance but more of a balancing act that ebbs and flows. Envision what good looks like and prioritize accordingly. Let go of things that you can’t control or that are ego-based. Don’t compare yourself to others; they are on their own journey. You’ll do better for you and your family focusing on your journey.
- Start from where you are and make the next right step. OK, so this is actually a tip from Oprah but it is Oprah we’re talking about and Christi very much follows this approach to life. Just focus on what you can do in the now to propel you ahead for tomorrow and build on your momentum. Sure, have a strategy, but be ready to be flexible. Some days you’re going to move mountains, and others you might roll down them.
- Seek out support and be supportive. Ask for what you want and ask others what they want and need. Build your tribe, women and men alike, older and younger than you. Learn from one another.
What new beginnings are you working on? A new business? A new approach to work-life balance? You might even be in a new place and are building a new tribe? How can we help?
*********************************************
Looking for more thoughts on work-life balance or want to read more advice from moms like Christi? Check out the Mompowerment book in ebook or paperback on Amazon (affiliate link).
