As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve thought a lot about the occasion in the midst of this unprecedented new normal. The world is changing, but honoring moms remains intact. As part of my CANDID interview series, I had the pleasure of connecting with nine inspiring women who are mothers, business founders and dynamic individuals. This is the first of the series. The rest can be found at lauraksawyier.com and townandstyle.com in the coming weeks.
ronke faleti ▪ svp at wells fargo advisors ▪ founder of korédé
What are you doing to keep your kids engaged throughout the day, and how are you approaching work?
It’s amazing how much time there is with children at home, even with planned activities! We maintain an outline of a schedule for everyone, and my husband Yinka and I take shifts for who’s ‘on’ during the day. We are much more intentional on everyone chipping in with laundry, dishes, cleaning up and cooking. It’s a way to spend time together while doing the work that makes our household function. We take walks, build forts and play make-believe. It’s extraordinarily loud in our house in the evenings. The benefit of having three older children (ages 8, 5 and 3) is that they entertain themselves well and have similar interests. Our infant is by far the most chill in the home. Yinka and I talk about how it’s actually been a blessing to have a large family right now. It’s busy for sure, but it’s been good to have each other. We think of those who might be struggling with loneliness and anxiety.
How are you lifting your spirits in the new normal?
After the kids are in bed and my work is finished, I steal alone time to watch something on TV. Right now, it’s Little Fires Everywhere. Often, the escape is accompanied by a glass of wine, chocolate-covered almonds or sweet kettle corn popcorn. I wish I could do more house parties or Zoom calls, but my schedule is pretty packed with a fully integrated work and home life. I’m pretty guilty of being present where I am present. Because I’m so present at home, I feel absent with friends.
How are you staying connected with your loved ones?
Yinka and I meal prepped together recently, and that gave me immense joy! We also work out together. My siblings and I have a group chat, and I belong to a women’s group. We held our last meeting on FaceTime, and it still lasted 3 hours! What was interesting to manage was the battery dying or moving to different parts of the house for either a better signal or better privacy.
What is your ultimate stay-at-home garment?
I don’t own a lot of loungewear or workout wear, and I want clothes that are easy for nursing. I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt a lot. Every week, I pick at least one day to dress up and wear perfume, style my hair, and put on mascara and lipgloss. I love those days. I love the concept of easy and elevated dressing. I have a feeling that my handbag line, korédé, will embark on that kind of offering post-pandemic world.
How are you reinventing Mother’s Day this year?
I’m looking forward to creating an experience with the children mostly. My son wants to set up our tent and camp in the backyard, which would be a good place to brunch and build memories. I will miss my mother. She was to travel here from Nigeria, but COVID-19 has forced a ban on all travel there. We’ll spend it together apart, as they say.
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. To find out more, visit lauraksawyier.com.
