MM- What has been your most memorable moment (s) as a mom?  

My most memorable moment as a mom was when my son at eight months needed an operation to take a growth off of his belly button.  He was hooked up to all of these IV's and I had to leave him in the operating room with the doctors and nurses.  I was so sad and upset...this poor little boy being operated on and he had no idea what was going on....and to top it off his mom was not even in the room with him!  When he woke up he just looked at me and reached out to me to hold him...At that moment I realized I was the most important thing in his life and the only thing that could truly comfort him.  I never felt so important in my life!

MM- What has been the biggest challenge for you in motherhood?

My biggest challenge is not spending all of my time with my son.  I know in this day and age and being a working mom this is unrealistic but I find myself negotiating with myself all day long.  I count the number of hours I spend with him vs the number of hours he is not with me (i.e.: school, play date, nanny, etc) and am always trying to balance the two...I am ALWAYS feeling guilty and ALWAYS longing to be just with him!

MM - What inspired you to start your own business(es)?

I always wanted to be successful but never knew what I wanted to do!  I went to Peru on a vacation to visit a friend and saw these amazing brightly colored market bags in Lima. I could not get them out of my mind.  I was hiking the INCA trail and had an idea to redesign the bags and bring them back to the USA!  Hence the name inca!

MM - With the success of Inca you decided to write a book - What was your inspiration?  

My inspiration was my son!  I wanted be the best mom for him and to help him to be successful in life but was so overwhelmed with going to work, being a new mom, and just feeling overwhelmed and confused...all I wanted to do was speak to Steven Spielberg's mother!  I kept asking myself  "what did Steven Spielberg's mother do right?" To me he is a very well rounded person: He is the most successful person in his field, he is a family man, has good values and is philanthropic. From wanting to speak to Steven Spielberg's mom I came up with idea to interview the Mother's of highly successful people in all different fields: sports, politics, film, etc and see what kinds of advice and values they instilled in their children. 
 

MM - How did you write the book while running your own business and being a great mother and wife?

I would do most of the book interviews, editing, etc at night after my work day was done, my son was tucked into bed and then had dinner with my husband (yes I was exhausted but invigorated!).

MM- How do you manage your work/life balance?

The first thing that I had to realize is that my work is NOT my life. My son  and family are my life.  Although my work is of the UTMOST importance to me...I had to re prioritize my life since I had my son.  I was always so focused on me and work that to refocus my brain was hard for me.  It was obviously a no brainier that my son comes first but to be honest it was hard to adjust. However, I am lucky because I own my own business so I can come and go as I please.  I always make sure to drop my son off at school no matter what in the morning and pick him up (even if I just leave right afterwards) alt east 3 times a week.  I try to be home by 5:30 every night and never schedule any mtgs early evening ( I will only go for dinners or events 2 times per week and I schedule dinners after 7:30p so that I can spend the most time with him before he goes to bed). Also, the weekends are ONLY about family and I try not to go out on the weekends (so we have full days into nights together) unless it is a special occasion.   The best advice I could give to new mom's is to give yourself and body a break. If you have a moment relax...just lay down and be quiet. Your thoughts, body and hormones are all over the place..give yourself some time to adjust and be kind to yourself.

MM - What activities do you like to do with your son?

I love just playing with him in his room. I let him take the lead and follow on any adventure he wants to go on! 

MM- How do you maintain your sense of style while juggling your business and your son?

A lot of upkeep!  I really enjoy the whole grooming process (hair dyed, mani/pedi, eyebrow wax, laser, etc). I also LOVE to go shopping and truly get excited when I buy something that I love. It is not every day that I can get it together but when I do I really feel great!

MM- What are your favorite Mom Essentials and why? 

Aquaphor!  It is a genius product and heals almost all ailments....I use it on my son for chapped lips, dry skin, diaper rash, sunburn, cut and scraps...I call it the Creme de Le Mer for babies!

MM- If you could give another mom or expectant mom one piece of advice, what would it be?

Lead by Example  

MM - Do you have a motto you would like to share with other moms?

I interviewed Steven Spielberg's mother; Leah Adler for my book and she said a very simple but profound statement about raising your children "Never lose your inner child".  I thought this simple sentence was very important for raising our children ....children are full of joy and laughter and we can revel and be a part of that magnificent quality if we never lose our inner child!