MOTHERS DRIVING CHANGE
First of all we would like to take the time to thank all the Mothers out there, for being our heroes! Thank you for always being so caring,
for raising change makers and for driving us towards a brighter future. In honour of Mothers day we have taken the time to ask some of the Mothers from the Indosole team around the world some questions about what it’s like to be a Mother in today’s day and age.
Name: Fransje
Region: EU (Spain)
Role: Europe Webshop
Name of Kid(s) and their age(s): Elie (10) & Wolf (9)
What has been your proudest moment as a Mom so far?
I am the kind of Mom that was already proud when they burped for the first time. It's ridiculous.
But my happiest moments are definitely riding waves & hitting the ski slopes together.
What is the hardest part of balancing your professional life while being a Mom?
I feel very grateful to be able to combine it all. It's sometimes challenging to do everything, but then I get up an hour earlier to get everything done.
How has sustainability or responsible/conscious living played into your Mothering style?
we created a family Instagram called 'Thebiohackfamily' where we share our families lifestyle.
What do you wish your child to aspire to as he/she grows up?
Whatever they want to become, as long as they put effort in and are passionate about it
Name: Kiri Hance
Region: Australia + New Zealand
Role: Digital and Brand
Name of Kid(s) and their age(s): Ra Mini - 3
What has been your proudest moment as a Mom so far?
Every moment. seriously. Every moment I'm proud of Ra, she inspires me
What is the hardest part of balancing your professional life while being a Mom?
Disconnecting and reconnecting minute to minute. Ensuring I'm present with Ra when we're together
How has sustainability or responsible/conscious living played into your Mothering style?
The understanding of how I see living sustainably has developed since Ra. I don't see that it's possible to live with an environmentally conscious mindset without honestly seeing the intersectionality of all elements of life. Women's empowerment affects health and wellbeing of the community, which affects health and wellbeing of earth, which affects health and wellbeing of animals.... and so it goes. In essence, for me, sustainability means kindness.
As oversimplified and pretentious as that ideal may seem, it helps stave off the demons of complexity in an increasingly hostile world. In turn, leaving space to be present with Ra.
What do you wish your child to aspire to as he/she grows up?
Fearless, kind, and able to dare greatly!
Name: Lana
Region: Bali
Role: Shop Manager
Name of kid: Altov Age :16
What has been your proudest moment as a Mom so far?
When my son was in junior high school he won a medal for silat ( almost same like karate ) and he said this is for you mum I will protect you from all bad people
What is the hardest part of balancing your professional life while being a Mom?
The hardest part is living far away from my son
How has sustainability or responsible/conscious living played into your Mothering style?
I communicate to my son everyday,because he is in Jakarta so I usually call or video call in that way I know what he need and I communicate to his teacher and friends as well
What do you wish your child to aspire to as he/she grows up?
I wish he will grow up into caring and loving person and can pursue all his dreams
Name: Jennifer
Region: Singapore
Role: GM
Name of Kid(s) and their age(s): Zoe - 11, Max - 9
What has been your proudest moment as a Mom so far?
Witnessing the moment my kids found the joy of cruising on wheels - they both love riding bikes, skateboarding and rollerblading. I think anyone at any age can experience joy and freedom when you're propelling yourself with your own energy and feeling the wind in your face. Seeing the look in their faces when they're realised how good that is was priceless.
What is the hardest part of balancing your professional life while being a Mom?
I'm not a perfectionist but I'm a very thorough person so when it comes to that work life balance the hardest lesson is to cut corners and be ok with it. It's a constant learning journey to realise that often it is only I that sees things that are not done, or only half-done, when in fact everyone else simply sees what I have done!
How has sustainability or responsible/conscious living played into your Mothering style?
My parents raised me to respect all that is around me - the environment, the animals, the people and our communities. So I have consciously passed that same appreciation to my own children. Being mindful of the beauty that is all around us everyday is important for me and I remind my kids of that everyday in some way. As a mother, it is easy, especially when children are young, to get caught up in needing 'things' so I feel that awareness actually accelerated my learning journey as a more conscious consumer and has inevitably passed on to my kids. I am constantly helping them to question what they have, why they need it and how things might be made and by whom.
What do you wish your child to aspire to as he/she grows up?
Living in a world with clean air, clean food and clean oceans. If they aspire to that, they will hopefully find meaningful ways of working towards it within their community - both locally and globally.
Name: Mirjam
Region: Europe
Role: Marketing Manager
Name of Kid(s) and their age(s): Finn (12), Kaya (9) and Levi (22 months)
What has been your proudest moment as a Mom so far?
Oef that's a hard one, there are many. Perhaps one very recent one: last night my husband and I went out to a big event after a long period of lock-down and our eldest took care of the other 2 until we got home.
What is the hardest part of balancing your professional life while being a Mom?
You always feel like you are not doing enough and there is always a feeling of guilt, either towards your job, towards your kids and even towards yourself (since that’s what usually comes last)
How has sustainability or responsible/conscious living played into your Mothering style?
I try to raise my children with strong values, of being kind and caring to each other and the world they live in. I try to teach them responsibility and consequences of actions they take. It’s really hard sometimes and I am often critical of my parenting but its work in progress, like most things in life.
Luckily some things just come natural living in Amsterdam like biking everywhere - we hardly ever use a car. A big focus for me and always a challenge is food and what we consume. My kids are at an age where they start understanding my choices but of course its also natural they push back on things and don’t want to agree with me (like forbidding things like McDonalds ;-)
What do you wish your child to aspire to as he/she grows up?
I want them to feel like the world is their oyster and that they can be anyone they want to be. Because of our international lifestyle, I hope they will learn there are no borders for them. They speak 3 languages fluently and I hope this will be a big asset for them as they grow up.
We really love our Mothers and appreciate them. The Mothers of Indosole have made us who we are today as a company. By leading with example we have learnt to take care of our planet the way Mothers took care of us. We can not be thankful enough and in reality everyday day is Mother’s Day.
Driving change with each generation