Welcome to Chicago North Shore Moms Meet a Mom feature where we highlight one mom each Monday, what they are up to both personally and professionally. This week’s Meet a Mom feature was introduced to me by Jen Luby (Dayhouse Coworking) when I attended one of their amazing virtual lunch n’ learns. You could say that I have a small momcrush on her because she may be the coolest, sassiest, savviest mom chic I’ve ever met…. Jill Salzman is the Founder and CEO of The Founding Moms, “the world’s first and only global collective of offline masterminds and online resources for mom entrepreneurs.” Jill is fearless and she wants you to be as well. Check out our interview with this mastermind and start spearheading your path to fearlessness! Welcome, Jill!
Hi coolest mom ever, I mean Jill Salman 🙂 Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here? yada yada yada
I’m from a little place just outside of New York City called New Jersey. I moved to Chicago in 2005 because a childhood friend whom I thought would never leave the East Coast told me she liked it. That made me think it must be the greatest city in the world. So I moved without a plan, no friends or job or family here. Somehow it’s worked out.
You’re a mama! How many kiddos do you have and how old are they?
I sure am. I have two daughters, 13 and 10 years old, and two stepsons, 14 and 6 years old.
What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?
The continual reminder about how to be a kid again.
How do you get through your double duty days of remote learning and remote earning?
I’ve rearranged my schedule to match my kids’ schedules. When they break for lunch, I do too. This doesn’t account for the interruptions about lost calculators or emergencies with stuck staplers, but that happened long before the days of remote learning. Somehow, we’re surviving.
Please share your favorite mom tips that make quarantine/COVID life a little easier…
Honestly? It sounds so hokey in writing but dance party breaks between classes with the kids saves our sanity and feels so good. YouTube has offered us the ability to breakdance, belly dance, do some tai chi, and the kids have gotten familiar with Bobby Brown and The Pointer Sisters. Dreams do come true.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you…
That I’m first-generation American — my parents are from Hungary.
Please introduce your endeavors, The Founding Moms, It’s Working Project, etc.
I run The Founding Moms, the #1 global platform that helps mom entrepreneurs build better businesses. We provide offline masterminds in cities around the world and online resources (video courses, virtual assistants, business coaching, and so much more) to help her make more money. I also host the Why Are We Shouting? podcast where I talk about small business blunders, ways that mom entrepreneurs shine, and valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way in my 15 years as an entrepreneur.
Who are your influencers and/or mentors that have helped you get to where you are today and/or continue to inspire you. Feel free to give any shoutouts.
The members of The Founding Moms are truly my heroes. We’ve gotten to know one another’s challenges, hardships, and amazing advancements even in the face of a pandemic. I’m honored to be among them, and I truly wouldn’t be where I am in business without them. Shout-out to Stephen Colbert! (If I say that enough, he’ll respond one day, right?)
What advice can you give other mamas out there who are looking to start a new business in the current climate?
Find fellow mom entrepreneurs who are making it work right now. Talk to them. Ask alllllll the questions. See what works for them, where their challenges lie, and what communities help them to build their businesses.
What’s on the horizon for your business? Future aspirations, plans….
We’re trying to figure out a way right now to launch a version of The Founding Moms en español. It’s in the very early stages but I’m truly pumped to get our resources out to that many more mom entrepreneurs.
Follow along with Jills sassy humor and brilliant business advice on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and sign up to be a part of The Founding Moms here.
