Industry Insights by: Carla Ahern, Rodan and Fields Consultant

Mompreneur
I’m in love with this word and the women who have chosen to embody it. This bold, ballsy career path has been on the rise in the last few years, and I am so excited to see it thrive. I met a mompreneur on a park bench a few months ago. She has two young kids, a husband in the military who travels a bunch, and still looked flawless. Usually I’m a bit intimidated to chat with a mom who seems to have all of her shit together mainly because I never wear makeup and I nurse my daughter constantly under a stinky, but beautifully floral, wrap. Obviously I have some insecurities packed in there but that is not the premise of the article. I want to talk about the mompreneur who chatted with me on the park bench as our kids climbed on the YMCA’s play structure.
She told me she had been an engineer and found herself working a lot, then her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and damn if those awful things don’t put things in perspective. She left her job and became a Rodan and Fields consultant. I wanted to know more so I interviewed her about her life now as a mom and R&F consultant.
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What does a current day look like for you? (Monday-Friday) – 
I drop the kids at school, head to the gym for a good workout and then head home for errands and to work. Once I pick up the kids at 2:30, I get to focus my time on them. However, I actually started my skincare business while I was still working full-time so my days used to look very different. I used to squeeze in 15-20 minutes here and there throughout the workday to reach out to people or place a quick order. Then after my kids were in bed, I’d spend the time sitting on the couch next to my hubby with my computer on my lap doing more reach-outs and follow-ups. I would use my time in the car to dial in to listen to training calls. I found ways to be efficient and work it in since I knew how much this business could change my life and I am so grateful I believed it in and myself because it has been such a blessing! 

How many hours do you work in a typical week? What times of day do you work? – 
I probably work about 10-15 hours a week. I love that this business allows you to work on your own schedule so I am able to work while my kids are school (but then on breaks such as these, Spring Break, I can choose to just do the bare minimum to keep my customers happy and enjoy my family time). Occasionally I have a customer or potential business partner that I need to be flexible for but since my kids know I’m not always on the phone, they’re typically pretty good for me when I need to be. It’s not a “party” company so I don’t have to be out of the house multiple times a week in the evening when I want to be spending time with my family. I typically host one event a month – either  a coffee event during the school day or a sip and sample in the evening. Often times I’ll do these events with other R&F Consultants and/or team members so it is more of a fun social thing than really feeling like work. 

What prerequisites are necessary to become a consultant? 
In order to become a consultant, you must invest in a business kit. There are 4 different options. The lowest being $45 which gives you the right to sell the products but does not give you any product yourself. The biggest option (which is what I did) is $995. It gives you almost all the products, valued at over $2,100 and a ton of samples which are great starter conversations. In my opinion, if you are starting this as a business, this is the option that makes the most sense for multiple reasons. Those samples are great, the discount is insane, if you decide it’s not for you there is a 60 day money back guarantee to send it back for a full refund, and R&F has phenomenal incentive programs, one of which actually allows you to earn back a reimbursement for your kit on top of all the commissions you’ve already made (I earned this!).
What excites you about your work? – 
SO much stuff! I love that my skin is so much better than it used to be. I love that I have made so many new friends and love my life so much more than I did before. I love that my family and kids are happier because I no longer have the stress of my full-time job weighing on me. I love that this business challenges me in my ways my chemical engineering job never could and that it gives me the
 freedom to contribute, use my intelligence and personality to grow a business and keep me focused on something other than just being a mom. Aside from all the personal benefits, I love that we are not an inventory or a party company which has hit over $1 billion in a VERY short time, that we empower women, that this is skincare made by Stanford trained still practicing dermatologist with a plan to expand to new countries and launch new renowned products annually. I love that this business can be done by anyone willing to put in the work and see the vision for how this can change their lives if you don’t give up. 

Would you recommend this to occupation to other moms? 100%. I truly believe everyone should be doing this. It’s amazing. The income potential is insane. The group of women (and men) are empowering and inspiring. It will challenge you to grow and become a better person and expand your families abilities to travel, have fun, pay for college and retirement all while making more friends and improving your face (and your husbands ).
 
This interview helped me to understand the many perks of working for an exciting brand and using it to make your personal and professional life richer. If you are interested in connecting with Carla about her business, please let me know and I’m happy to connect you! Also, if you, or someone you know, has a similar position, we’d love your additional perspective.
Big Hug,
Em
Special Thanks to Carla Ahern for contributing to this article! Reach out at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-ahern-02a41812/

​NPR devoted a week’s reporting to the rise of contract work. I totally nerded out and listening to EVERY podcast in the series. One significant finding woven in each report is 1 in 5 Americans are contract workers. This trend is predicted to grow within the next few years. In my opinion, contract work is an excellent way for stay-at-home moms to balance their home responsibilities and dip their foot back into the working world. There is a myriad of opportunities that range in the industry, contract length, and location. Contract work is literally the ONLY work type that I haven’t tried as a mom, so I asked my friend Dawn a few questions regarding her experience in contract work. She is a contract counselor at a local non-profit.
In our interview, she recalls the most appealing aspect of the contract position was the flexibility. She remarks, “It feels like the best of both worlds sometimes. I get to see staff at the office, and we get to know each other, so there are rapport and support, but I don’t need to go to staff meetings, and I can pretty much stay on the periphery of workplace drama.” On the parenting front, the flexibility is good too. Dawn says she would recommend this type of contract work to a stay-at-home mom because “it does allow me to be there for my son. I can drop him off and generally pick him up after school. And since I make my own schedule, I am able to volunteer at his school too.” So clearly the flexibility is a huge benefit, but an issue raised in the NPR reports and my conversation with Dawn was the lack of benefits. Dawn states as one of the only dampers on the deal, “...if a client doesn’t show I don’t get paid. If I’m sick, I don’t have paid sick days or paid vacation days. But if I want to take a month off, I can, and I have.” I believe this is a crucial point to consider because, in a mom’s world, sick days happen frequently. Additionally, health benefits are usually not included in contract positions, so if that is a deal breaker for you, I recommend asking about the benefits during the initial correspondence regarding the position. While considering benefits, if you think the contract position is a good fit but they only offer benefits to full-time employers, you could voice your interest in a full-time position and work toward a more consistent schedule and benefits. 

If contract work seems appealing to you, popular search engines such as Indeed and Simply Hired have integrated contract toggles under the ‘Job Type’ search. Along with the ease of a focused search, there’s a ton of contract work articles such as which inform you of the highest paying while others can inform you of contract jobs within your field. Look out for more articles about contract work options in the future. If you have more information about contract work and would like to share it with your fellow readers, please use the comments feature below to tell us your story. 

HUGE THANKS to Dawn Stary for her contribution to this article. 
Big Hug,
Em