Meet the Mentees of TLMN | Essex County Moms
virtual mentoring session

The Local Moms Network/HeyMama mentoring session

This post originally appeared on The Local Moms Network. 

Meghan Markle announced that for her 40th birthday she was launching a global mentorship program, encouraging women to set aside 40 minutes to share their advice and experience with other women—and we’re totally on board. Moms supporting moms isn’t just a hashtag or a catch phrase—it really is everything. On the parenting front, having each others’ backs helps us tackle hurdles large and small. And on the career front, moms helping other moms climb the corporate ladder or launch their own businesses is just as important.

Creating entrepreneurial opportunities for other moms is at the heart of what The Local Moms Network does. So co-founder and CEO Layla Lisiewski was grateful to have the opportunity recently to participate in the HeyMama The Mama Mentors program. “Mentorship gives promising young women and their companies the insight they need to move forward, faster and smarter. Although every business is different and there is no secret sauce of success, dedicating my time as a source of information, resources, and experience was incredibly rewarding to me—and I hope helpful to the mentees!” says Layla. She adds that she also learned by listening. “The most rewarding part was seeing how deeply invested the mentees were in growing their business and interested and willing to work on it. I learned a lot too! It gave me fresh eyes/different perspective as I reflect on my own business,” she says.

Katya Libin, co-founder and CEO of HeyMama, shares that she created the program because mentorship, and having people believe in you, is crucial for any new entrepreneur. Says Katya: “We’ve since had over 500 women go through the program, and plan on expanding it next year.  Our hope? That no mother seeking help for her career has to go without it, there is so much we can achieve collectively and it all starts with the simple act of giving or receiving help.” Below, meet some of the mentees Layla worked with, and learn about their growing businesses.

 

Tiffany Hwang, Retail Results Consulting, LLC

Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
I’m Tiffany! I’m a southern California native, a wife and mother of 2.  I’m a proud UCLA Bruin that has spent the last 16 years on the corporate side of the retail industry working for national and global brands.  Earlier this year, I left the corporate world and launched Retail Results Consulting LLC.  My business specializes in inventory management and the supporting operational functions that help emerging and growing fashion brands increase sales and drive profit.  I have a proven track record of delivering growth and profitability and I would love to help you grow your brand.

Why did you start your business?
I started Retail Results Consulting LLC because the first 12 months of the pandemic stirred something in me.  As the world watched the inequities and injustices marginalized groups experience in everyday life come to light in a manner that could not be ignored, I felt an enormous pull to contribute as an agent of change.  With a particular interest in working with women and minority-owned and run businesses, through my work, I aim to help eradicate the economic inequities that continue to present themselves to marginalized communities.  Through leveraging the expertise I’ve acquired from my corporate experience, I help emerging and growing brands catapult their sales and profit to the next level.

Why did you join HeyMama and what was the experience like being paired with a mentor?
I joined HeyMama to meet other like-minded women and to expand my network.  I happened to join right before the pandemic so I’ve never actually been to an in-person event.  That said, I cannot say enough about the community and the women who I have met.  I am inspired on a daily basis.  I’ve now been a participant of the Mama Mentor program three times and it does not disappoint.  Each session has been invaluable in varied ways.  Each mentor has been vulnerable in sharing their journey, their mistakes, their wins and their learnings.

Anything else you’d like to share?
I offer free 30-minute discovery sessions for anyone who would like to learn more about my services and how they can help your business.  Head over to the website to secure your session.

 

Nicole Seawell, Sailor’s Sweet Life, LLC 

Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
I am a mom to three teenage boys and an amazing golden retriever living in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado with my husband of 22 years.  I am originally from NY and schooled at Cornell undergrad and UPenn for law. I traded the big city for wide open spaces and adventure in the mountains and on the water.

I help teams and individuals get unstuck. Miscommunications, not poor intentions, are at the root of most conflict, inefficiency and dissatisfaction. My superpower is quickly identifying your specific motivators and natural default and then how to reset as needed for each professional and personal situation. By demystifying your patterns, you can expect more effective communication, higher productivity and easier days.

Why did you start your business?
Being a working parent is not for the faint of heart. I wanted to thrive—not survive—the years and find joy in the realities. I believe everything is solvable and I am especially great at helping others. I am a born doer and cheerleader.  I wanted to help others develop their superpowers for more joy and optimal results.

Why did you join HeyMama and what was the experience like being paired with a mentor?
I joined HeyMama for community and networking. I believe we are at our best when we connect and support one another. We all have something to share and learn despite different ages and stages. I have learned so much and given where I can. I love the growing relationships.  Layla provided access to experts and shared her struggles and wins. Effective mentoring is like pulling the curtain back and providing real pragmatic paths forward.

 

Elisa Pupko, Treasure Trunk Theatre

Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
I’m the Founder & CEO of Treasure Trunk Theatre. I live in Brooklyn with my husband and daughter and am expecting my second child at the end of this year. My favorite things are coffee shops and travel, both things I’ve missed the past year and a half!

Treasure Trunk Theatre is a theatrical enrichment program that creates a nurturing space for children to develop their imagination, confidence, and creativity through the magic of storytelling. We offer classes, camps, birthday parties, and corporate events both virtually and in person in NYC. With a background as an actor and early childhood specialist, I wanted to create a program that allowed children to grow their imaginations and connect with the world around them.

Why did you start your business?
The only time I’ve had an “aha moment’ in my life was when I thought of starting Treasure Trunk. I was working as an actor and babysitter in NYC and one day realized the creative imagination games I played while babysitting, would be a fantastic way to teach theatre to young kids. I rented a yoga studio for an hour a week, told the families I worked for about my class, and Treasure Trunk Theatre was born!

Why did you join HeyMama and what was the experience like being paired with a mentor?
I joined HeyMama to connect with other moms who were experiencing the same things I was as a working mom, and especially as a business owner. Being paired with a mentor was great to not only learn from their experiences, but also to have the opportunity to hear from other amazing women they trust and seek advice from, I loved that it became a small community of mentors in a way.

Meredith LeJeune, Thought Bubble Communications

Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
I am a wife and mother based in the mid-Hudson valley area in New York! I have three adorable children, 7 year-old boy/girl twins and a 16 month old baby girl. I am the owner of Thought Bubble Communications, a boutique public relations firm that uses public relations strategies to raise the profile of minority and BIPOC small businesses. As a woman and minority owned business certified with the city of New York, we shine a light on minority-owned products and services that are continuously undervalued and misrepresented in the media. I am also a doula and yoga instruction.

Why did you start your business?
My journey towards entrepreneurship started in 2009. I am a spiritual person and after much prayer and meditation, I knew my purpose was bigger than my current situation. I quit my job in Virginia and moved to Atlanta. To gain more experience, I worked for a PR firm. I needed to learn the business of a PR agency. I was laid off from that role in June 2012. I secured my LLC in Sept. 2012. That is when my entrepreneurial journey began!

Why did you join HeyMama and what was the experience like being paired with a mentor?
I joined HeyMama because I was looking for a network of entrepreneurial progressive women who also understood what it meant to balance family life with drive and ambition. One of the best benefits of joining this group has been being paired with a mentor. My mentor group was filled with likeminded business women! We engaged in conversation and talked about topics that would help us better understand and grow our business. Our mentor, Layla Lisiewski was amazing!

Margot Simmons, The Daily Doula

Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
I’m Margot Simmons, of The Daily Doula, based in Fairfield County, CT, and if I had known what a doula and lactation consultant were when I was growing up in Washington, DC, my life would have looked a lot different. But, I didn’t. So, after graduating college and getting a master’s degree in early childhood education, I pursued a career in education, marketing and design. Then, after a two and a half year battle to conceive, I got pregnant and had my first child…five weeks early! I was a mess and it changed my life forever. Today, I work to redefine the scope of postpartum and child-raising support. As a seasoned mom of three, highly-experienced postpartum doula, newborn feeding specialist, sleep coach, early childhood educator, and nurse-in-training, I provide truly non-judgmental support to families on a variety of subjects as they tackle the often unplanned aftermath of bringing a baby home and raising young children.

Why did you start your business?
Reasonably unflustered [sort of!] and somewhat confident going into motherhood, I realized I needed support immediately when I brought my first child home from the hospital 5 weeks premature. While I was deeply grateful for the sage support of my parents, even they realized they hadn’t been parents to a newborn in 30-something years. So, my husband and I hired a postpartum doula – and my life was forever changed because after the birth of my second child, I knew my true calling was to not only mother my own children but to support other parents as they made the transition into the crazy, anxiety-ridden world of parenthood.

Why did you join HeyMama and what was the experience like being paired with a mentor?
I love my work through and through and connecting with the families I work with is magical. But, I miss the camaraderie of the office and team environment as a solo practitioner. Joining the HeyMama mentorship program has been a way to reconnect with other women and entrepreneurs, accessing spots in my brain that I don’t get to on a daily basis.

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