Noria Morales is co-founder and chief marketing officer of The Wonder, a members-only community for families based in New York City. It’s a creative, learning and play space designed to cater to kids offering after- school activities, book clubs and more. It doesn’t stop there. The space includes adult-friendly areas, including a lounge and grown-up-only workspace for parents. Prior to launching The Wonder, Noria was head of collaborations and influencer marketing at Target (think all of the fabulous fashion collabs many of us have refreshed our browsers at midnight to snag an affordable and coveted top or dress).
What are you doing to keep your kids engaged throughout the day while you’re all at home, and how are you approaching your work? We have a schedule that starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at bedtime. Not that every hour is scheduled, but it gives the kids a framework for how to get through the day. It also helps me manage my time because I know when I can get work done. I’m also getting up before 6 a.m. in order to get an hour’s worth of uninterrupted work time with coffee, when my brain is fresh. I get more done in an hour than I do in two mediocre, interruption-filled hours during the day. I give my kids extra credit points (redeemable for a toy) for every optional work activity they complete from school, and if I have to resort to screen time, I try to choose a quality edutainment show like Brainchild, or I just give up and watch something I loved as a kid with them, like E.T.
How are you lifting your spirits and keeping sane in the midst of this new normal? I do Forward Space dance classes and The Class with Taryn Toomey; those are definitely my two favorite things for exercise and mind-clearing. Also, I’ve always loved food, so I’m taking this time to cook, bake and drink. Right now, it’s daily bread, chocolate cake and grapefruit margaritas!
What’s your biggest challenge right now? Figuring out the future. Our livelihoods (my husband owns restaurants, which is unfortunate at this time) were put on pause in March. It all changed so fast that our heads are kind of spinning, but the only thing we know is that business as we know it is likely gone until there’s a vaccine or proven treatment. So the question is, how do we pivot to keep moving forward?
What is your ultimate stay at home garment that’s giving you confidence and comfort? I have an oversized cashmere cardigan from Vince that really is just an adult version of a kid’s blankie. I’m not sure about the confidence part, but it sure does give me a lot of comfort and peace.
How are you reinventing your Mother’s Day this year? I think it’s going to be the best Mother’s Day ever. No stress about buying me something, no stress about brunch reservations. It’s just going to be my boys and me at home. Maybe they’ll pick me some flowers from the yard, and maybe my husband will make lunch, and that sounds good enough for me. The together time from this experience has been really good.
About this interview series: As Mother’s Day approaches I’ve thought a lot about the importance of shining a light on all moms, particularly in the midst of this unprecedented new normal. The world is changing, but honoring and celebrating mom remains intact. Mothers come in many forms, those who gave birth to us or adopted us; our grandmothers and best friends; and those who found us in times of need and invited us into their lives. As part of my CANDID interview series, I had the pleasure of connecting with inspiring women who are mothers, founders and dynamic individuals. They share their stories of navigating the now and how they’ll re-invent Mother’s Day this year amidst this ongoing pandemic. I will add features daily to lauraksawyier.com until May 10, and all will be featured on townandstyle.com here as well. -LKS
Laura Katherine Sawyier is a women’s personal and wardrobe stylist and founder of the SALON X LKS event series. She is based in St. Louis and New York City.
