This millennial mom knows her stuff.

Christine Michel Carter, a Baltimore-based writer, speaker and consultant, understands how involved mothers are in the lives of their children — and how fulfilled it makes them.

But having a successful career is just as important.

Carter wants mothers to have both.

In 2015, she created Mompreneur and Me, a business that blends the two in a guilt-free fashion. Mompreneur and Me hosts free networking events nationwide designed for professional development. Its kickoff event is in Washington, D.C. in May.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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For the first time in twenty years, a strong economy is drawing more women into the labor force. However, due to having more household tasks than her male counterparts (over 3X as many in fact) sponsorship, networking, and work-life balance remain hurdles for today’s working woman. Caring for children is without a doubt one of the largest household tasks these women face.⁣ ⁣ Enter Mompreneur and Me.⁣ ⁣ Writer, marketing strategist and mother of two Christine Michel Carter was one of these women. As a global brand strategist she’s been featured in The New York Times, EBONY and Women’s Health and has been called “the exec inspiring millennial moms”, a “mom on the move” and “the voice of millennial moms”. But as a mother of two, Carter struggled with sponsorship and networking. “I noticed there were no networking events for career-minded mothers that allowed their children to remain on-site. Understanding how stressful, time-consuming and difficult it can be to find quality childcare, I created @mompreneurandme events.”⁣ ⁣ At Mompreneur and Me events, groups of working moms and their children (dads are welcome too!) and social media mom influencers network and have fun- from bowling to mommy and me cooking classes. For the first hour moms participate in an activity with their child, and for the second hour they network with one another and work on professional development activities: from handling office politics to advocating for oneself in corporate settings.⁣ ⁣ The women love Mompreneur and Me events because unlike conferences and other meetups, thanks to corporate sponsorship they do not need to pay to attend or travel outside their city. Mompreneur and Me events come to their city. The moms also have access to quality childcare while on site, so they can network guilt-free. ??????????

 

A post shared by Christine Michel Carter (@cmichelcarter) on Jan 9, 2019 at 3:21pm PST

And guess what? You can bring your little one along.

“Moms no longer need to feel guilty for wanting to focus on their career or for leaving their child to do,” said Carter, an award-winning thought leader. She is the 32-year old mother to Maya, 7, and West, 4. “I often heard from other moms across the country that due to household responsibilities, they had very little time for sponsorship and networking.

“I knew what that felt like.”

The Mompreneur and Me concept helps balance the pressure of being a good parent and advancing your career.

More than 75 working mothers with children under 18 are full-time in the labor force, according to the Department of Labor. The presence of working mothers in the labor force continues to rise, and 40 percent of those women are the breadwinners.

But, there are still pressures and limited time to network professionally. Women do up to three times more house work than their male counterparts.

Mothers who attend the hour-long Mompreneur and Me workshops should expect professional development activities, such as resume writing and communication skills. They could also be engaging in fun activities such as yoga, bowling or cooking classes.

“We… help moms get noticed by prospective employers,” said Carter, who has contributed to publications such as TIME, New York Times and Parents, “and communicating new innovative ideas in a clear and confident way can set moms apart from their peers without children.”

Mompreneur and Me can come to any city and is often supported by corporate sponsors and companies. You can sign up for the mailing list to stay updated about Mompreneur and Me.

The event schedule for 2019 is as follows:

May 19 — Washington, D.C.

June 23 — Philadelphia, P.A.

July 14 — New York City

July 28 — Atlanta, G.A.

Aug. 11 — Nashville, Tenn.

Aug. 25 — Houston, Tex.