tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post562158902967435065..comments2024-02-13T05:20:46.558-05:00Comments on A CUP OF JO: My Balance: Pilar Guzman from Martha Stewart LivingJoanna Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18109285188206811042noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-83254499655228448632012-10-21T16:59:21.127-04:002012-10-21T16:59:21.127-04:00Wao! Thanks so much for this interview. I identify...Wao! Thanks so much for this interview. I identify myself so much with Pilar's words regarding the after hours being in work. I do the same thing. I am gone at 5:00pm but work all day trying to do my tasks as diligent as I can. If any is left out I work in my home after my 7 and half months old baby is asleep. Pilar's message is the same I try to convey to any mother who feels need to be after hours in the office to show they are getting the job done. Happy mommy happy and productive employee. That's my mantra. GMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08534573051335997667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-71470405654761299262012-07-22T14:25:59.614-04:002012-07-22T14:25:59.614-04:00Loved it.Loved it.Poethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02077405126164153610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-54792086458413955792012-07-13T14:54:37.948-04:002012-07-13T14:54:37.948-04:00I love the art on her kitchen walls. I am decorati...I love the art on her kitchen walls. I am decorating and want those really bad. Could you ask her where are those from? Thanks!Esternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-37228246498656922462012-07-09T12:54:21.509-04:002012-07-09T12:54:21.509-04:00I have been reading all of the series, and this on...I have been reading all of the series, and this one has been the most enjoyable. She really seems to have a grasp on balancing the kids and hubby. I love the idea of a weekend/week getaway - SO NECESSARY! Thanks for sharing, especially the tip about leaving when you leave - it's spot on!Moniquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09727047449152827037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-17516740371834112882012-07-08T00:00:05.755-04:002012-07-08T00:00:05.755-04:00I felt very detached from the blog reading this se...I felt very detached from the blog reading this series. I know Joanna said that it was purposefully going to be about women with similar types of jobs at similar levels, but I find a discussion of the "struggle to balance work and life" feels naive, elitist, and kind of mean when we are using women from this bracket as the implied examples of "regular women". I think of basically all the mothers at the school where I work who work constantly and do not have flexibility in their jobs, can not afford huge, magazine type homes, nannies, or ordering in food. And yes, some of them are single mothers. THAT is where the challenge is. THAT is the "how does she do it" question that I have. These women have it very, very, easy by comparison.Johannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-87254643518290427592012-07-07T00:21:00.359-04:002012-07-07T00:21:00.359-04:00I don't understand the "her life is a dre...I don't understand the "her life is a dream" or "wow, what balance" comments. She says personal time is on the toilet and kid time is while waking up or going to sleep, oh and maybe while brushing teeth, and husband time is a semi-annual thing...Where's the having it all part? All of the interviews have read like this! All any of these ladies have is a sounds-cool job:)Jananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04127594741785301487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-1506443364072218302012-07-06T00:01:13.470-04:002012-07-06T00:01:13.470-04:00her life is a dream! what the perfect interview! t...her life is a dream! what the perfect interview! thank you for sharing!!!<br />xo TJhis little ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07650587056374483559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-39441566565653803742012-07-05T20:38:53.802-04:002012-07-05T20:38:53.802-04:00Love the whole post, but I hope she knows that by ...Love the whole post, but I hope she knows that by sending those emails out about new ideas at 9pm- that's showing her team that they should be expecting it and responding, encroaching on other's time who may have tried to completely finish their work and logged off at 7pm. If those were just saved as drafts and sent in the morning for the team, then I would agree this plan is awesome. :) <br /><br />If my manager sends an email at 9pm, I'll expect them and never be able to turn off work and enjoy finding my own family.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-54672861331419808422012-07-05T19:44:33.291-04:002012-07-05T19:44:33.291-04:00I think Pilar sounds amazing. I love that she gets...I think Pilar sounds amazing. I love that she gets to spend nice time with her kids in the morning. I hope to be able to do that when I do have kids. Did she says she lives in the same house as other family members? I would love to hear more about that! Very interesting.Lisamarie https://www.blogger.com/profile/10625420457754403806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-39329996897158672802012-07-05T16:36:21.410-04:002012-07-05T16:36:21.410-04:00love this one! a little one breathing through the ...love this one! a little one breathing through the crack of the door in the bathroom, how true is that!!?dervla @ The Curatorhttp://www.blogcurator.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-49643775932246039012012-07-05T15:22:11.282-04:002012-07-05T15:22:11.282-04:00"Sarcasm (passive aggression in joker's c..."Sarcasm (passive aggression in joker's clothing) is death to the marriage; we are trying to excise it from our home. Not easy. Nice underwear, a regular(ish) wax." Love it.<br /><br />I hope this series continues to grow! I'd love to hear from some women in academia, single moms, and, as others have said, women with lower profile careers. Thank you for another great interview, Joanna!Elainehttp://hungrylittleelephant.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-11221412395638736202012-07-05T14:18:49.621-04:002012-07-05T14:18:49.621-04:00chic81.com... YES! Perfectly said. :)chic81.com... YES! Perfectly said. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-22004223322360691172012-07-05T13:44:18.222-04:002012-07-05T13:44:18.222-04:00I think that these situations are still comparable...I think that these situations are still comparable to the middle class, you just have to think about your situation and figure out what would work. Of course these women make more than middle America or the average middle class mom, most live in NYC or San Francisco, the two most expensive places to live in the country, salaries are adjusted accordingly. Also, I am not sure how old most of these women are, but some of them have mentioned they are around 40, or older. So, they've also had longer to establish a career and thus were farther ahead when they had children or adopted. <br /><br />Overall, I think that this series has emphasized flexibility. I live in Chicago and know several middle class moms (in fact I know one who would do an interview if asked!) who are dual income families and manage to have a nanny part of the time because they have flexibility in their employment hours. More and more, I think families need to ask for the flexibility from their employers and/or establish certain hours. I truly believe that as long as I am doing my work and doing an excellent job, if I had children, then my employer would allow me some flex-situation so that I could establish a routine while the children are still young, in order to keep me sane and allow me to do work to the best of my ability. <br /><br />I am not trying to pick a fight here at all, but I think we can all learn from one another no matter what our situation may be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-10936061375431272652012-07-05T13:26:23.838-04:002012-07-05T13:26:23.838-04:00This is such a fantastic series. I enjoy all of th...This is such a fantastic series. I enjoy all of them. It is so refreshing to prioritizing well and being able to have beautiful lives with great jobs and families!Ella @ The Bright Side Projecthttp://www.thebrightsideproject.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-38494097564546911902012-07-05T13:13:58.893-04:002012-07-05T13:13:58.893-04:00I think this is my favorite post so far.I think this is my favorite post so far.katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02468300052767181221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-52339805076195847682012-07-05T12:29:42.477-04:002012-07-05T12:29:42.477-04:00This was an awesome post. I wonder how the mother-...This was an awesome post. I wonder how the mother-friendly office environment Pilar speaks of compares for fathers. My husband's job requires constant late nights and weekends, and because few of the men he works with are fathers, I think they don't understand that need for family time. Many of the women, however, are mothers, and I wonder if they find the office family-friendly. I think it's less socially acceptable for men to make time for their families than for women (though obviously, this depends on the office). <br /><br />Also, I agree with some of the comments, it would be nice if a future mother/balance series focused on women who don't have high-paying jobs!Courtneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02141270011785790129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-91802386962431130152012-07-05T12:13:51.290-04:002012-07-05T12:13:51.290-04:00I always love to hear about other mom's who ha...I always love to hear about other mom's who have reached a point in their career where they say -- I am doing a good job and working late everyday isn't the reason! I am always accused of over communicating and it works! Thank You! New mom's always need more reassurance when it comes to their careers.<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285500189413104297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-70840017835601012292012-07-05T11:59:06.544-04:002012-07-05T11:59:06.544-04:00I really wish all those complaining about this ser...I really wish all those complaining about this series would point out where Joanna said she was featuring a 'typical' woman. Her intro post to this series simply said mothers who work full-time in office jobs who are all doing well in their fields...and for the purpose of the series, wanted to choose women who were in similar situations - which makes sense to me for comparisons. I think it's great that she encourages such open dialogue and I love reading others comments but I think it's a shame that so many are quick to criticize the series and the women. It'd definitely be interesting to see a teacher, nurse, etc as some have suggested but I so wish it was suggested in a nicer way. There doesn't seem to be a need to attack Joanna or these amazing women just because this series doesn't represent you or those you know. It's a peek into others lives.<br /><br />I think we could have a little more respect and an open mind towards these women who have so openly shared their story with us. I imagine many of them were once at the bottom and have had to work their way up to where they are now...while some do get handed things, success doesn't often come overnight. We don't have the backstory on these women but I bet they've all had their share of struggles. And now that they have the money and possibly a position of power, they are using it a way that seems to make them happy. Nothing wrong with that if you ask me. I personally find it very interesting to see how these successful women make their lives work and if I didn't, I hope I could come up with some constructive criticism (and don't get me wrong, some readers have!). It's one week on Cup of Jo, a series of posts, - and I imagine Joanna has other great weeks planned where perhaps she will talk to other mothers who may represent the 'typical' mom as suggested. Or the not so typical mom. There are many types of us out there. Suggestions are great, and I'm sure helpful, but I wish it didn't have to get so personal. Why are we so quick to judge? <br /><br />Joanna, I love this series and do hope it continues with a wide variety of moms (and dads too!). Thanks to you and these ladies for the glimpse of how other handle their everyday lives. Joanna, you always seem to handle things with such class and you have my utmost respect.ashleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-57223493515630429642012-07-05T11:31:29.827-04:002012-07-05T11:31:29.827-04:00This is terrific, and I completely agree with her ...This is terrific, and I completely agree with her about the length of the workday. My only caveat would be that a *good* manager will question your efficiency if you're always working until 10 p.m. But there are many, many bad managers who think that's a sign of dedication, not inefficiency.<br /><br />And managers set the standard. If I get 9 p.m. emails from you, I'm going to think you expect me to be reading them at 9 p.m.<br /><br />I hope for your next series, you'll feature women who have less exalted and lucrative careers--I don't mind seeing these, but I can't help but notice that these women all have resources that I do not.Tragic Sandwichhttp://tragicsandwich.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-59128631032921397432012-07-05T11:25:38.786-04:002012-07-05T11:25:38.786-04:00what a wonderful inspiring story! I love this ser...what a wonderful inspiring story! I love this series and although I am a living a far less glamourous and much more modest life, I enjoy that these posts are from successful mother's with great jobs, fancy brownstones and a seemingly bigger bank account. Why? Because in the end we are all mothers and I think it just shows that no matter what material things you have at the end of the day we are all hoping to give our children the same things, we all want to be there to tuck them in a night, enjoy bathtime, breakfast and all of those magical moments in between.eastcoastbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15761280733825112803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-82680102194445761762012-07-05T11:17:01.621-04:002012-07-05T11:17:01.621-04:00I'm sorry but you are only featuring women who...I'm sorry but you are only featuring women who makes lots of money. Hardly an accurate snapshot of how most women balance it all. I do enjoy your blog, but this series is just amazingly shallow & unrealistic. Perhaps you could feature some women who are making less than 80K a year. Or perhaps some single mothers. Or even some women of color.dinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18359812932634291158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-39438989575889009782012-07-05T11:06:42.629-04:002012-07-05T11:06:42.629-04:00THANK YOU for this series. I am a new mom (baby gi...THANK YOU for this series. I am a new mom (baby girl will be 4 months on July 12) who returned to a full-time office job a month ago. I am still trying to find my footing and navigate this new huge, amazing priority with work, marriage, myself...it is so very helpful and inspiring to see how other women manage their time. I can literally feel myself relax when reading these interviews... thanks!!Sallynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-36831298995827300962012-07-05T10:59:26.613-04:002012-07-05T10:59:26.613-04:00Blah blah blah, rich white women making 6 figures ...Blah blah blah, rich white women making 6 figures who don't always abstain from yawning during their dinner dates. What reality are these people coming from? I know you're not going for cutting-edge journalism on this blog, but it couldn't hurt you to dig a little deeper. These interviews sound like you just called up your best friends, and asked if they'd like a guest spot. Do any of these women put their kids on a bus? Or have a serious food budget? Earn less than 50K with 2 children? Take care of elderly family members?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-25478903483258614912012-07-05T10:57:52.444-04:002012-07-05T10:57:52.444-04:00Again, great great interview! I particularly like...Again, great great interview! I particularly like the question about having time for themselves and the fact that they don't. I thought somehow it was just me :) I also like the question about advice for new moms, since I am one of them. <br /><br />I'd love to hear from the men in their lives to see their perspective in comparison. I think maybe you have done this before? I love how the men are such huge participants in the family :)Mindy Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01237144478337679738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-88088614808569239102012-07-05T10:57:04.479-04:002012-07-05T10:57:04.479-04:00Just, wow! I hope someday I can be a parent like h...Just, wow! I hope someday I can be a parent like her :)Meredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13758956738414871038noreply@blogger.com