Alexandra Reese | How A Career Break Led Her To Storytelling
by Neha Ruch
When we started the AMHW series almost two years ago, it was to better represent the women choosing to lean into motherhood as empowered and this time in our lives as full of its own opportunity. Hearing from Alexandra Reese is a reminder of that. Alexandra stepped away from her ten years in TV journalism when she had her son and reconnected with storytelling in a new way in motherhood. With a beautiful eye for visuals and videography, she started telling her own family’s story through the lens and in the year following, she found her path to nurture her baby and her own creative interests, eventually building One Day Baby.
Below, she adds to the series her story of career flow, how she’s built a village in a different country than her family, and her inspiring daily to-do list of self fulfillment. Make special note of her “me hour” rule.
How did you change after becoming a mother?
My relationship with motherhood is constantly evolving. However, one thing that clearly changed is that motherhood made me cut down my job and at the same time it was the trigger to start my own business.
I had been working as a TV journalist and videographer for a German broadcaster for a decade before our son was born. It had always been my dream job and my work has fulfilled me to the max. But my schedule wasn’t compatible with my new life as a mom.
I took a break of one year to be there for our son, but during that time I couldn’t sit still. I used my camera to tell our own stories and started documenting our new everyday life as a family. These days and years are so precious and capturing them has become a passion of mine.
That was when Onedaybaby began without even knowing that our family films would lead into my own business.
Two years later, I create moving memories for mine as well as for other New York families to help them remember this special moment in time.
What choices did you make to accommodate motherhood? Would you make them again?
As we don’t have family in New York, it took me some time before I started looking for help and support by a babysitter or a nanny. I didn’t treat myself to time just for myself much. But after a while, I was thrilled with the idea of having a break - as well as time for us as a couple which is almost the same level of important, I guess.
Looking back on it now, I would ask for help rather sooner than later. I’m much happier now that we found our little circle of close friends and our wonderful babysitter.
Describe yourself as a mother in 3 words. What kind of mother would you like to be?
Loving. Patient (work in progress). Passionate.
How do you take care of yourself outside of motherhood?
By following my passion for videography and filmmaking. Ever since my baby started taking longer naps, I sneaked away and used that time to work on Onedaybaby. I edited family films or built my website or networked with other mompreneurs. Since my son is now in preschool, I shoot during the day and edit after we put him down.
Running my own business is the thing outside of family that makes me extremely happy. Now I’m putting time and energy in nurturing my business and my baby.
Every mother needs help to find balance. What does your village look like?
Both of our families live in Germany, so we don’t have grandparents around as a backup or physical support. That would be so great. I wished we could beam them into our living room whenever we need help.
But I’m more than thankful for the amazing friends we’ve made and our lovely babysitter who became our second family in New York.
We switch children with our close friends on the weekends. So each couple gets some baby-free time and therefore a break that we all need.
What are you working on improving about yourself as a woman & a mother?
I’m sharing a part of my “To-do” list, as it’s what I’m always working on:
be on the phone less
be more patient
date nights once a week! (…maybe every two weeks is more realistic)
ME time for one hour a day! (Everything is allowed: phone, girlfriends, mani pedi, etc.)
go running
meditate 3 minutes a day
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