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Introducing... Erika

Hi. I’m new here.


If Jacklyn were throwing a party where we happen to meet and you wanted to know a few things about me, here’s what would probably make the top of the list. First, I’ve known Jacklyn for over 20 years ever since we stepped on the campus of George Washington University and decided to pledge Kappa Kappa Gamma that fall. And let’s go ahead and get this out there - I have five kids between the ages of 6 and 2. Their names are Paxton, Marin, Coco, Coburn, and Colton. I mention this early because, well, that’s a lot of kids and there are two sets of twins in there. It’s like my party trick. Then, there’s my career. I run the marketing department at an amazing tech company that I love and is growing quickly. Finally, there’s my husband. I’ve been married to my humble, supportive, and unbelievably hilarious partner-in-crime, Marc, for over 10 years, and, in addition to the five kids we share, we’ve also started (and run) two businesses together.


I believe in the power of inertia. Be like Dory: Just keep swimming. If you want something done, ask a busy person, right? But, when you’re busy, you’re the one that pays the price for that level of productivity. Like when you’re choosing between a shower or not feeding your kids yet another bowl of mac and cheese for dinner. You’re probably going to skip that shower, right? And your kids will look at you with love in their eyes as you scoop their plates full of vibrantly colored, healthy foods, right? (Confession: I’m most likely skipping the shower and giving the kiddos mac and cheese.)


I was once asked in front of about 100 people what one thing I was thankful for that I felt was key to my success. I did not say the support of my spouse or the motivation I glean from my kids’ admiring eyes like the other speakers. Nope. Me? I’m thankful for dry shampoo. That’s where I’m at.


So, why am I writing this post instead of Jacklyn?


In case you haven’t caught on yet, I’m not an expert in self-care. It takes time for me to balance the many priorities that flood my mind when I open my eyes every morning. I’m still learning how to approach these challenges and maintain focus on what is really important. And these challenges are hard and guilt-ridden and difficult. There are many days where we find ourselves completely sidetracked by a lack of childcare, someone is sick, or the dog may or may not have eaten two sticks of butter off the kitchen counter and the vet has to be called because clearly that can’t be good. Yup, true story. Regardless of the cause, Marc and I start more mornings than we care to admit staring at domino-stacked calendars on each of our phones and we declare, “ok! Today, we’re surviving, not thriving. Pull out the iPads, kids! It’s time for some serious screen time.”


And that’s why I’m here.


I’m here to share my perspective as someone that’s walking my flawed, bumpy journey to self-improvement by making sure I can replenish that imaginary cup every day and have something left for me after fulfilling my commitments to my husband, children, work, parents, sisters, friends, neighbors, and everyone else that asks me for something. I’m here to talk about how I’m actively working to have more days where I “survive and thrive.”


I’ll be joining Jacklyn as the co-host for the 52 Weeks of Me podcast. I’ll learn from her year of success and candidly share my struggles - and stories of success - with you all. I’ll be inviting my friends, colleagues, mentors, and influencers to join us to share their stories, too.


And, if you ever need a recommendation for a good dry shampoo, I can help.




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