Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety on Empowering Moms

Back in 2015 Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety realized: there wasn’t any empowering content for millennial moms. Instead, there were outdated tropes about what moms should be – and what they shouldn’t. That sparked the idea for their company, Motherly, a digital platform centering moms through non-judgmental content about parenthood, being a working parent, and everything in between. And today, Jill and Liz share how motherhood expanded and nourished their sense of self.

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On the Importance of Carving out Time for Yourself

Liz: I was having this exact conversation with my husband last night. We went over everything that we have to do this week. And I said, “Okay, but where's the stuff that's gonna pour into us this week that's gonna give us the energy to endure this?” And I think I've really mentally gone from knowing that self care matters to it is a conviction that I'm living on a day to day basis. That does mean that other things have shifted. So at Motherly now, I am part-time. I am not a full-time co-founder as of last year because there was no space. Also, I'm a really creative person. And we were able to bring in a day-to-day operator that is even better at day-to-day operations than me. So being unapologetic about having needs as a human-being. Because we are not superhuman as mothers. Having needs, asking a lot more of the people and structures around us, and putting ourselves on the calendar first, because the momentum of our culture is towards everyone other than mothers, towards kids. And I think we have to take some of our power back and that's where I've been able to find space and like really become unapologetic about it.

On What She Learned Through Her MS Diagnosis

Jill: In some ways, my multiple sclerosis was a gift. Because it gave me an opportunity to put my self care first. It gave me a reason to be unapologetic about it, and through that I've learned a lot of things. I've really learned and deeply believe that when a mother thrives, families and communities can thrive. And that we have to be strong. We have to be our best selves. Frankly, as a CEO and a co-founder, I have to be my best self so our company can be as well. And realizing that at the core of all of that is my health – it's something I wish every single woman, every single mother could really see and understand their importance, their value in their lives, and how their health is really at the center of that. 

PS: 9 to 5ish is going on vacation for the next few weeks. We’ll be back in your feed with new episodes with some amazing women in September. Until then, keep up with Carly and Danielle @carlyanddanielle on Instagram.