Paula Herrera | On Slowing Down, Staying Connected and Curious
by Neha Ruch
In the spirit of friendship, it feels like the time is right to bring back this series. I started these profiles when I launched Mother Untitled in 2017 to create a collective of women who blur the edges between stay at home and working mother and create a fresh narrative about women choosing to focus on family life while staying creative and connected. Personally, it’s an excuse to go deep and learn from women I admire making their way in the grey area.
I bumped into Paula Herrera at many a mother-entrepreneur gathering in New York, pre-Covid. She always seemed to know everyone but equally, when it was our turn to chat she had a focused, sincere and soft curiosity and in a time of small talk, she stood out. We connected because we share a similar path pre-motherhood, with a career in marketing punctuated with an MBA, which Paula received from Wharton. Now her genuine care translates to her nature as a mother but also an ally to small business. When pregnancy made travel less possible, she shifted and now she is raising her two children while consulting and investing on the side. Below, she shares her advice on staying curious and connected while slowing down for the early years of motherhood. I have a feeling it starts with her authenticity in her love for community and support for women.
Q: You always strike me as so well connected and equally as such a present parent. What shifts did you make in your work life for motherhood?
Thank you! It is definitely a work in progress and something that is always shifting. My life post-MBA / pre-babies included quarterly travels to Colombia where I worked with Latin American artisans. That quickly shifted when I became pregnant with our daughter Maia (remember Zika?!). In order to have more flexibility, I shifted back to consulting, which is how I began my career right out of university.
Right now, I get to grow alongside my kids as I have pivoted my career to intermittently help small businesses accomplish their strategic and operational goals. My husband and I also love being early stage investors in a handful of consumer companies. I get such energy out of backing an exciting venture!
Of course, I recognize wholeheartedly that I am very fortunate to be able to slow down in this season of my career.
Photo by Michelle Rose Photo
Q: You have some really fun clients in your brand consulting practice, when and how did you start consulting? What does your version of balance look like these days?
To date, all of my projects have come to be very organically, stemming from relationships that I had already formed. The first “official” one was with HeyMama, a platform for mamas in business, where I was a founding member and took on various initiatives. Most recently, I reconnected with my first boss from consulting to develop career programming for the high-potential, low-income students her non-profit supports.
My brain just loves thinking of ways organizations can structure themselves for optimal operations and impact. So I find myself daydreaming of projects with companies I absolutely love! When the timing is right, I go for it.
As far as balance goes, it looks a little different day by day and week by week. But what I absolutely strive for is to be present, 100%, in what it is I am doing at that moment.
Q: I'm sure at different stages with consulting, your network has always served you. What advice would you give mothers in the grey area of pausing and shifting worklife to stay connected?
I am somewhat of a curious person by nature, so I am frequently connecting with people that share my interests or are involved in something that seems intriguing. My advice during this grey area is to always be exploring and seeking connection. Send that uncomfortable first email, make that funny first impression and ask a million questions!
I also get so much joy out of connecting people in my random network – a mama seeking a designer, a friend searching for a coffee roaster, a designer exploring manufacturing options. Helping others connect always comes full circle and keeps me connected in return.
Q: Even with part-time or freelance work, there's a lot on your plate and everyone needs help - what does your village look like? How has that changed at different stages of parenting?
I often finish my day and ask myself how I finished said day – and I have help! We have an incredible nanny who takes care of me as if I am the third child ☺ And the best husband who is my #1 fan. I really grow alongside my two little ones, Maia and Theo. As you know very well, the different stages bring along different challenges. Currently, at 2.5 and 4.5 years old, things are flowing!
Also, my crew since becoming a parent is beyond what I ever imagined. I have several text chains I cannot live without. A monthly (zoom) book club that gets bonus points for selecting romance novels. A weekly workout and boxing group that keeps me strong, both physically and mentally. And now more than ever, I make the choices I can make to best take care of myself, in order to best take care of my family.
Q: I think you and I share in common a desire to keep growing alongside motherhood, what are you reading/watching/listening to that has made an impact recently?
Reading: I am a self-proclaimed bookworm! I am always reading, even if it is in 4-minute spurts. I usually have a non-fiction and fiction going side by side. Recent faves are The Vanishing Half and Billion Dollar Loser. For news, I love our mutual friend Hitha’s #5SmartReads – I appreciate how eclectic yet curated her picks are.
Watching: I don’t watch much TV unless it involves Detective Olivia Benson (who I saw once IRL on the NYC courthouse steps and I almost fainted).
Listening to: Obama’s audio book A Promised Land and I feel like we are old friends just chatting over a fire. Especially after hanging out with his wife Michelle (aka listening to Becoming) earlier this year!
Quick Chit Chat
A product you'd gift to every mother: Bubbsi Coconut Oil Gang! A little for babe, a little for mama! Bonus points for a badass founder!
Ideal date night (location or activity): Tacombi spicy margaritas with a side of tacos and esquites (in that order).
Family travel destination you loved: Miami! A day at the beach ending with a stroll and people watching at Bal Harbour Shops. Bonus points for a kid-free sunset at The Standard!
3 Instagram accounts you’re inspired by:
… aside from yours!
Hitha Palepu for making me smarter with the above-mentioned #5SmartReads + I love her book picks
Favorite business school professor Adam Grant for his brilliance + books (for little ones too!) Latest book is dropping next week!
Celeste Barber because she is the unexpected laugh (and I mean out loud laugh) I don’t even know I need
Read More:
I’m a Better Mom When I’m Working—Here’s How I Found Acceptance
Featured Image by Michelle Rose Photo
