New Year, New You?

Full stop. You’re golden, girl (#wemissyoubetty). Don’t change, okay?

Instead — try this: New Year, New Newsletter.

Welcome to The CARRY™ ALL. Your new favorite weekly email that’s basically a cheerleader, a load-lessener, and your funny BFF all in one.

We're going to show up in your inbox every Sunday with alllllll the goods you can cram into those 14 free minutes you get each day as a working mom.

Aside from sharing stories from some of the most inspirational working moms we know — we're bringing you the need-to-know, inside scoop from our CARRY™ experts on things like your finances, mental health, lifestyle, health and wellness and more. And like working moms do — we're doing it efficiently.

Our goal? To save you those eight precious seconds it takes you to Google something — and giving you what you need, before you even know you need it.

The best part? We’re working moms just like you. We’re working our tails off, we're juggling a million balls and it's all just a lot.

Let's do this thing.

We're three weeks into 2022 and I can't let this go. I’ve been obsessed with New Year's resolutions since I was a child — but even then, I saw them for what they were: lots of dreams but very little delivery. As an adult, I love the idea of vision boards too — but I’ve seen what happens when life deconstructs our dreams.

So instead of New Year’s Resolutions, a leadership habit I’ve developed is the practice of saying hello and goodbye at the start of every new year.

Here’s what I’m welcoming and what I’m ditching in 2022:

I’m saying hello to looking at the challenges/opportunities ahead and exploring where I need to be open, where I need to engage, and where I need to be proactive. This simple time of intentional planning will help me set my priorities for the year.

I’m saying goodbye to a bloated and over-scheduled life. Why? Because I can’t face new challenges or welcome new opportunities with no margin. So — I’m taking a good, hard look at what stands in the way of my future and I’m working out where it's time to let go. This piece can be hard, and even painful, but when we actively say goodbye to the old, we make room for the new — and isn’t that what the New Year is all about?

Join me and look at your life, priorities and goals. What do you want to say hello to this year?

ONE. Wondering why so many working moms report turning down promotions? Because between working and momming — they're clocking an average 98 hours of work each week, according to a study commissioned by Welch's. Um... we'd be lying if we said we were surprised. Between being the chauffeur to and from practices, trying to figure out SAT Prep and college applications, to navigating the whole "Wait, was this an exposure?" thing — we can only assume this figure is understated for moms in any stage of parenting.

Have you turned down a promotion or job opportunity because of your work/mom responsibilities overwhelming you? If you have — we want to hear your story! Email Info@carrymedia.com with the subject line "Turned Down Promotion."

TWO. We’re echoing our girl Jo and challenging you to clear the clutter. Working mom, badass business owner, and dream CARRY™ Crush Emily Ley of Simplified is helping us say hello and goodbye to the right stuff with her annual #simplicitychallenge on Instagram. Every year it’s literally the best thing ever. Each day, Emily gives you one practical step to simplifying your life and clearing the clutter — all totally doable in the cracks of your jam packed day. She tackles it all with quick-hitting daily challenges to give your life a little more zen. The challenge started on January 1st, but you can hop in any time here.

THREE. In December, you spoke up and we heard: We're ALL struggling with the whole, "There's only 24-hours in a day" thing. Time management is hard 🤷‍♀️ So — here's our hot tip, ready? Take two minutes to sit down first thing in the morning and brain dump. It doesn't have to be pretty or polished or neat or organized — just get it out on paper. Then — refine it into a prioritized list — with things that MUST get done today on the top. Whatever you don't get done today, transfer first thing in the morning to tomorrow's list and continue that each working day. Simple — but oh-so-effective!

Sherri Shepherd is a comedienne, actress, co-host of the Two Funny Mamas podcast, an Emmy-winning former host of The View, and mother to Jeffrey Charles (16).

How would you describe being a working mama in one word?
Overwhelmed.

What is one thing you would say to encourage moms juggling a million things at once?
Breathe, pray & meditate

Where does your working mom guilt fall on a scale of 1-10? 9.5. Jeffrey asked me one night in frustration "why can't you be like other moms and stay home!" It broke my heart, because I am a single mom taking care of all the bills and his special needs, school fees, therapy etc., a dad with Alzheimer's. If I don't work and bring in a paycheck, the entire house of cards will fall. And being a single mom in the entertainment industry, I always have to hustle to keep working. Standup comedy, speaking, hosting talk shows–all require me to travel (and Jeffrey is in school so he can't travel with me.

I just hope one day he will look up and realize that I made a lot of sacrifices for him and that I did what I loved.

If you could switch careers with one person, who would it be? I'd love to be Cardi B for the day — to live freely without censoring myself. I could only handle it for the day though. After about 12 hours, the guilt would hit me and I'd feel the need to pray for forgiveness for all the lust raging throughout my loins!

Working moms get — on average — 14 free minutes a day. When you find those, what are you doing with them? I love reading a good Stephen King or Dean Koontz book. Give me a great historical romance (did someone say Bridgerton?), but make sure the reading glasses come with the book!

Who's a mom you admire and why? My sister Lauren, a nurse with four kids. She is now studying to get her Master's while successfully raising twins and two teenagers. Oh, and she has Diabetes, so in between taking tests — she's shooting herself with insulin. My hero.

Last show you binged or watched?
Married at First Sight. I have these fantasies of letting the therapist pick the man they think I should be married to. I’m just scared he’d be 5’1”, bald and have halitosis.

Most embarrassing thing in your purse / bag?
Potassium and Magnesium pills. I never know when those leg cramps will hit me. SOOOO not sexy!

See the future or change the past:
Change the past.

Meet our Mom on the Move, Michelle Buelow, Founder & CEO of Bella Tunno! Michelle had a ton to say about living in the tension of being a working mom and a business owner — and honestly, every bit of it was PURE GOLD. Check out a sneak peek of what she had to share with us!

“I think I’ve looked at this ‘struggle' from a different vantage point than most moms who work outside of the home. My end game is to set an example for my two daughters that women are capable of changing the world."

Want to get to know more about Michelle's working mom story and get a CODE to shop our favorite baby products? READ MORE here.

Can we give a massive “HECK YEAH!” to Sara Blakley, founder and CEO at SPANX® for giving every employee two round trip tickets to anywhere in the world at the end of 2021? We definitely cried watching this video and instantly started plotting how we can get a job interview at SPANX ASAP. (Do you think they’ll retro-gift us the tickets? We're only kind of kidding.)