These women look amazing, and they are amazing. Each has worked their way to the top of their field and done so while balancing the demands of parenthood.

These women have all the advantages — involved partners, financial security, most have family in the area, and yet they still struggle to get it all done.

How can that be? The short answer is that our society is not set up to benefit families. According to a study published in the journal Social Forces in 2021, the U.S. ranked last among 20 developed nations when it came to overall policies aimed at helping parents support children. Every parent is familiar with the lack of affordable childcare. Add to that school and summer camp schedules that haven’t changed to fit the reality that most mothers are now employed and it’s a recipe for struggles.

But more than the physical tasks of pickups and household chores, there’s the fact that women are far more likely to take on the mental load — or cognitive labor, as it’s sometimes called. Mothers too often serve as the sole command center of the family — the one charged with remembering and organizing every component of family life, from who has to wear a special shirt to school on Tuesday, to making all appointments, organizing playdates and childcare, and anything and everything else required to run a household. Our minds are always working overtime, and that takes its toll.

It’s ridiculous that in 2024 women are still the only ones ever asked how they balance work and family. However, since much of the work still tends to fall on us, why not try to help each other out? If you’re a woman struggling to do it all, hopefully you’ll find a tip or two here to help balance the load.

Angie Scott

COO/Co-owner
Search Influence

Along with her husband, Angie Scott founded Search Influence, an SEO and digital marketing agency, 18 years ago. As the chief operating officer, Scott focuses on keeping the company’s operations lean and efficient, while handling all human resources and accounting activities for the company’s 28 employees, all of whom work remotely. She and her husband share a home office. They also share two sons, a 17-year-old and a 21-year-old who’s away at college.

Staying Organized Scott has found success doing things by the book.

“At least 10 years ago, I discovered this incredible book called Getting Things Done by David Allen,” she said. “I’ve actually made my kids listen to it too. There are a lot of good ideas in it, including making sure to get everything out of your brain and onto some sort of list or app. It also teaches tips for taking time to look ahead and avoid getting overbooked or forgetting to follow up with something…I live by my Google calendar — everything for business and personal is on there.”

At work, she ensures daily team check-ins include a specific activity.

“At Search Influence, we are big on saying our top priority for the day out loud,” she said. “It’s a way to hold yourself accountable.”

Time Savers Scott takes advantage of delivery services like Instacart when possible and splits household tasks with her husband — something made easier by the fact they both work from home. For her, it’s the digital clutter that can easily suck up time.

“I’m big on unsubscribing from emails,” she said. “You have to make this a routine to do this, ideally each time you get an unwanted email or at least monthly.”

I Let Go Of… “The idea that being a mother and wife means I have to do everything, including cleaning the house. In my head, cleaning the home meant I was taking care of my family…I know that sounds so silly, but I think many moms can understand that we hold ourselves to these notions that we have to do it all in order to be a ‘good’, ‘tough’, ‘hard working’ mom.

It worked — not only did we have more time as a family on the weekends, but also I wasn’t as distracted and concerned about keeping every little thing clean so that I wouldn’t have to work harder that weekend cleaning it all.”

Ariel Wilson-Harris

Principal and Owner
Wilson Ave Co.

In 2017, Ariel Wilson-Harris founded the event, marketing and communications agency Wilson Ave. as a side gig. By 2021, it had become her full-time job. Two of her biggest clients include New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund, with which her firm works on public relations and events, and the New Orleans Museum of Art, which she assists with communications. Her team of five also works with national clients, including Max/HBO, the American Booksellers Association and James Beard Award-nominated food writer and the face of Juneteenth Nicole A. Taylor.

Wilson-Harris is married with three children, a 3-year-old and 11-year-old son, and a 5-year-old daughter.

Staying Organized Wilson-Harris is proud to say she’s old-school when it comes to organization.

“I still write everything down,” she said. “I love shopping for planners and organizers. When I check off action items, I feel so accomplished. It’s therapeutic for me to write things down.”

She has used a variety of blank project planners with calendars and keeps work and home together. While at work, she uses Monday.com for organizing accounts and timelines.

Time Savers At work, Wilson-Harris likes to think outside the traditional meeting.

“Everything doesn’t warrant a meeting,” she said. “I’ve sat in hour-long meetings and thought to myself, ‘That could’ve been a five-minute phone call.’ If someone asks for a meeting and I know it can be a quick thing, I like to suggest another alternative, like a Zoom or a coffee. I have saved so much time this way and you’d be surprised how many people thank you for it.”

At home, she said she and her husband’s busy schedules mean she commonly relies on delivery from Doordash for meals, with a favorite restaurant being True Food Kitchen in the Warehouse District.

She said she and her husband split household tasks and that she has incentivized her kids to keep their things tidy.

“They know that they need to make sure everything is picked up before they go to bed or else things may end up in the trash,” she said. “It sounds harsh, maybe, but it works!”

Sanity Saver “After putting the kids to bed, sometimes my husband and I sit on the front porch and smoke cigars with a nice red wine,” she said. “It’s a time for us to connect and talk about our day.”

Wilson-Harris also makes friend time a priority and said she is “unapologetic about traveling without kids.”

“Traveling is a healing process for me,” she said, “and my kids at this age need constant attention. I am grateful for my loving family that supports me when I need time away.”

I Let Go Of… “Drama. I am very particular about the energy around me,” she said, “so If I have to remove myself, I am unapologetic. If it doesn’t serve me or my family, there is no reason to have it take up my life.”

Athena Stanford

Chief HR and Diversity Officer
Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM)

As the first person to hold this new role at LCM, Athena Stanford has spent the past year and a half creating a department from scratch. Stanford oversees all strategic planning and processes and procedures for the entire employee life cycle, including orientation, benefits, culture, work environment and engagement. When the museum is closed to the public on Mondays, she typically works from home. She is married with a 4-year-old son.

Staying Organized Stanford is all about digital tools. She has separate digital calendars for work and home and uses Evernote for personal to-do lists.

“I set a lot of reminders and make a lot of lists,” she said. “At home, creating a place for everything has really helped, as well as decluttering regularly.”

Stanford and her husband of almost 18 years divide household labor — she takes laundry and handles most of the mental load, like kid appointments, and he does the cooking and grocery shopping, but she said they allow for flexibility.

“If someone is tapped out or has other things going on, we talk that through,” she said. “That communication piece is really important.”

Time Saver “I’m big on choosing our child’s and my clothes ahead of time,” she said. “We have a specific morning and bedtime routine.”

Sanity Saver To decompress, Stanford has a monthly membership that she uses to schedule a massage and facial once a month.

She and her husband also have a unique exercise plan.

“We box together, usually at least once a week,” she said. “We’ll do some sparring, but he’s not allowed to hit me, just defense. We joke that it also doubles as couples therapy.”

I Let Go Of… ”I definitely used to be a perfectionist, but becoming a mom changed that quickly,” she laughed. “Nothing is going to be perfect, and that’s fine. I’ve learned to lean on friends and my partner for support when I need it.”

Cammy Livingston

Owner
Camellia Productions NOLA

Cammy Livingston has racked up more than 20 years of experience in the arenas of sales and marketing and events since graduating with a marketing degree from University of New Orleans. In addition to handling the sales and marketing at English Turn for seven years, she was also one of the first women to serve on the board of the Fore! Kids Foundation for 15 years. Ten years ago, Livingston struck out on her own and created her own LLC, through which she works with organizations including the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation, the National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana and Tulane Burkenroad on everything from the production details of events to digital marketing consulting.

Livingston is married with four children — ages 10, 7, 4 and 3.

Staying Organized Livingston said her family lives by a shared Google Calendar, and she uses a separate Google Calendar for work.

“I’ve found Calendly to be an indispensable tool for managing my business and personal schedules,” she said. “This app enables me to streamline my appointment booking process, allowing clients to select a time that works best for them while automatically syncing with my calendar. Not only does this save me time, but it also presents a professional image to my clients.”

Time Savers When it comes to household tasks, Livingston relies on several convenient services, including Target pickup and Walmart delivery, but also a creative national service.

“The Hampr laundry service app has been a game-changer, allowing us to outsource laundry when needed for $10 a bag,” she said. “It’s a luxury, but when I need them, I use them, and maybe we just don’t go out to dinner that week.”

She also works to make her children as independent as possible.

“We have snapped pictures of our kids fully dressed and ready to go, making sure to include any essential items they need to bring with them,” she said. “Our older children can then refer to these photos throughout the morning, ensuring they have everything they need before heading out the door.”

She said she also uses a reward system.

“I’ll give out little pop-up surprises or treats to a child who has gone above and beyond in helping out,” she said. “It incentivizes the other kids.”

Decompress Livingston loves a good massage, but they can be expensive and time-consuming.

“I’ve been so excited to discover these smaller little places around town where you can pop in for a 20-minute chair massage,” she said. “Even that can work wonders for my well-being.”

I Let Go Of… “Being the Pinterest mom, especially when it comes to parties. As an event planner, I always want to impress, but I’ve had to let go of that on the personal side.”

Erica Salm Rench

COO
Rasa.io

Erica Rench runs Rasa.io — an AI company that personalizes email content mostly for publishers and professional trade organizations. The company has clients nationwide, with a large concentration in Washington, D.C., and Chicago. She employs around 20 people who have all worked remotely since the pandemic. She is also on the board for Melange Dance Company.

Rench is married with three children, ages 9, 6 and 3.

Staying Organized “I really like to lean into the idea of work/life integration over balance,” said Rench. “Balance to me implies one or the other. It’s not always a balance.”

Rench uses a tool called Followupthen.com.

“You send an email to the website, and it emails you when you want to be reminded of something,” she said. “My inbox and calendar are the tools that rule them all.”

Rench also loves a performance management app called Align.

“I use it for personal priorities, for setting goals for myself and family,” she said. “It allows you to look ahead see where you want to be, then it breaks it down by quarter and year. It’s also good for business strategic planning.”

Time Saver Rench said chores are big in her house.

“The older two are expected to put their laundry away, make their beds and clean their rooms,” she said. “Everyone has to contribute or else the system breaks down. They also have complete ownership over homework and school projects.”

Decompress Rench works to fit in exercise whenever she can.

“I do yoga or stretching for 5 to 10 minutes a day and then I run three to five times a week — two of those days are on the weekend and then I fit another day in, sometimes in a break between meetings.

I Let Go Of… “The idea of perfection,” she said. “And I’ve said no to lunches. My kids pack their own lunches.”

Dr. Alisha Lacour Seremet

Regional Medical Director
Ochsner Health

As regional medical director, Dr. Alisha Lacour Seremet oversees Ochsner Health’s footprint in Covington, Mandeville, Hammond, Lacombe and Folsom. She is in charge of operations, quality and safety for the region. All Ochsner physicians in the region report to her. Seremet also sits on the board of trustees for Ochsner Health and on the board of Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.

Two years ago, Seremet and her family — her husband, 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son — moved from Uptown New Orleans to Covington, where both her parents and sister live. She also has an uncle in Mandeville and a brother in Houma.

Staying Organized Seremet uses a hybrid system of digital and paper.

“I live by my to-do list and schedule,” she said. “I keep a to-do list on my computer. It’s actually a Word document separated into two columns, one for work and one for family/personal. I’ve never found an app or system that works better for me.”

At least weekly, Seremet takes her list and schedules the tasks on an electronic calendar. She and her husband share a calendar and she also created a separate calendar just for area family that has all of her children’s activities.

“That way everyone has all the information,” she said, “and if they want to show up, they can.”

Time Saver The Seremets have a nanny who handles drop-offs, pick-ups and homework, and a housekeeper that comes once a week, but she said keeping things tidy is a job the whole family shares every day.

“We hold the kids accountable. Our bedtime routine includes: Everybody cleans their rooms, lays out their clothes for the next day and makes sure backpacks are packed. It’s about a half-hour routine.”

A passion for “picking up” also extends to groceries and shopping.

“I can’t remember the last time I went to a grocery store,” she said. “We Instacart all groceries and do Target pickup and Amazon for anything else.”

Sanity Saver For Seremet, exercise is not optional.

“I had a frank and honest conversation with my boss when I took the job where I explained that working out is an important part of me being able to do a good job at work,” she said. “I’ll look at my calendar three to four weeks out and start filling in Pilates classes where I can. It’s an hour total — and I just use dry shampoo because I don’t have time to shower. I have to make it work.”

I Let Go Of… “‘Shoulding’ myself,” she said. “Thinking I should be doing this or that. I was driving myself insane.”

Lauren Mastio

Partner
Jones Walker

A partner in the New Orleans office of Jones Walker LLP and member of the firm’s board of directors, trial attorney Lauren Mastio’s expansive practice includes environmental and other regulatory disputes, as well as commercial litigation. Her areas of practice include traditional energy, renewables and construction. She’s also on the GNO, Inc., Next Gen Council, is participating in the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) and is the immediate past president of the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

On the home front, Mastio is married with three children — two girls ages 12 and 7, and a 18-month-old boy.

Staying Organized A self-described “paper person,” Mastio prefers to write out lists and print out documents and emails that are then organized by stacks.

“When an issue requires additional consideration and can’t be addressed right away, I add it to my list, print the relevant email or documents, and either stick it in the ‘to-do’ stack or in a particular case stack. That way I have everything I am working on at my fingertips, but it is contained.”

She keeps everything for work and home in a planner that goes with her everywhere.

“Every morning, I check my Outlook calendar to make sure that no one snuck in a meeting or call that didn’t find its way onto my paper calendar.”

Time Saver Mastio said the key for her is to squeeze the most out of every moment.

“Whenever I can use a few spare minutes to respond to emails and make sure everything continues moving forward, I do so,” she said. “For instance, if I’m at one of my kids’ games, I’m on my phone while they are warming up, but I do my best to shut it down when they start playing.”

She also uses her daily commutes to and from work to phone friends and catch up.

Sanity Saver To decompress, Mastio hits the pavement.

“I love walking in the evenings with my husband,” she said. “It’s such a great way to connect at the end of the day. We don’t decide dinner until the night of, so we end up walking a lot to the grocery store nearby. It’s a time where we get to relax and get some sunshine.”

I Let Go Of… “I have come to peace with the fact that I’m not going to make every single game,” she said. “Like at work, you have to pick your battles. Mattie, my eldest, is proud of her mom and fully understands if I can’t make it to a softball game. She knows I’m doing something important. Once you get on that level, you find this peace.”

Mindy Nunez Airhart

President/CEO
SSE Steel Fabrication

In 2018, Mindy Nunez Airhart purchased SSE Steel Fabrication, a company her parents created in 1996 in lower St. Bernard Parish. She has since served as CEO, which, in her words, involves taking care of “anything not production related” for the company, for the 92-employee company. She is also a member of the GNO, Inc., NextGen Council; is on the board of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and the Louisiana Workforce Commission First Planning District Board, and is a past chair of the New Orleans and St. Bernard chambers of commerce.

Airhart is married with two children — a 13-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son.

Staying Organized “I live by my Outlook calendar,” she said. “Everything goes on it, including kids’ appointments and social activities.”

With a new driver in the house, she uses the app Life360 to keep track of her children’s coming and goings.

She also loves the app Todoist.

“I use it as a task manager so I can get the task out of my head and worry about the next thing,” she said. “It also allows you to have multiple lists, set reminders, code things by category and put in due dates.”

Time Savers Airhart’s children are both involved in after-school activities that keep the family schedule packed.

“My daughter has cheer practice twice a week until late,” she said. “And my son plays football plus has performance football training three times a week. So, we eat a lot of fast-food and takeout. We try to eat as a family on the weekends.”

At home, she relies on outside help.

“My housekeeper saves my sanity,” she said. “She comes once a week and that means I don’t have to clean on weekends. She is worth every penny!”

Decompress With her children having reached the teen years, Airhart said she’s been enjoying the return of a bit more free time.

“I really have not had any time for books since my children were born,” she said. “I just recently bought a Kindle and have been really enjoying reading again. I was reading the Elon Musk biography, which was fun because Tesla is one of our biggest customers.”

In addition to making sure a monthly “mom friends” meeting happens, Airhart has also created a fun friend tradition.

“A friend and I get together a couple of times a year for lunch and we invite people we think are interesting but that we don’t know very well to join us,” she said. “We call it ‘holding court.’ That’s been really fun.”

I Let Go Of… “I’m naturally an overachiever and want to take a leadership role in everything and go all out, but I’ve had to rein that in,” she said. “I try not to have unrealistic expectations for what I do — so I stay off of Pinterest.”

Tracy Rotharmel Shanks

Founding Partner
Rotharmel Shanks LLC

Tracy Shanks runs a law firm that specializes in servicing families facing any type of legal issue, from estate planning and succession to premarital legal counseling, predivorce counseling and divorce. Shanks said the firm’s three attorneys try to promote an amicable approach whenever possible.

She is married with three children, ages 6, 4 and 3.

Staying Organized Shanks is all about working ahead.

“Planning and preparation are key for me,” she said. “My husband and I meet on Sundays to review the upcoming week and plan meals. Ideally, we make a date of it and get a meal or a drink somewhere while planning for the week ahead. Each weeknight, I make sure to pack lunches and snacks, put out the kids’ clothes for the next day, and pack a gym bag to leave by the front door.”

She said she also swears by the practice of time blocking.

“It’s so easy to get pulled under with day-to-day tasks,” she said. “Time blocking can help ensure that you are doing something every day to push your big goals forward.”

Time Savers Shanks has one word of advice for busy moms.

“Delegate!” she said. “I know, moms have such a hard time delegating! But once you put your mom guilt aside and take the time to show someone else how you like things done, delegating can free up so much extra time. As each kid came, my husband and I have shifted toward a very equal division of labor.”

She said in her experience with families the issue of mental load inequality is a reality for most, including her own.

“I find [the mental load] tends to just be put on us as women,” she said. “In my family, I am the detail-oriented one, so I’ve definitely taken that on.”

Sanity Saver “I take a walk outside,” she said. “I do my best thinking while walking through the park.”

She said she also loves the sauna at the Jewish Community Center and has a weekly set reprieve.

“I take one weeknight per week all to myself,” she said, “Thursday nights. “My husband has his own night too. The deal is, you leave the house and don’t come home until the kids are asleep — no making dinner, no homework, no dishes. It’s amazing how much you can recharge without any responsibility for an evening.”

I Let Go Of… “The biggest thing I have let go of is the desire to do everything myself,” she said. “To be a successful working mom — successful in my career and successful as a mom — I have had to know when to step up and when to step back. In turn, when I am with my kids, I can show up 100%.”