06 | Jasmin Forts, HR Leader & CEO of Siesta Solutions
MEET EXPECTING CEO JASMIN FORTS, HR LEADER & CEO OF SIESTA SOLUTIONS
There are few people as committed to the notion of a well-rested working mom as Jasmin Forts. Jasmin has led by example as a vocal supporter of ‘life before work’ via her role as a successful HR Leader in the corporate space. Her belief in disrupting the work-obsessed status quo ignited her passion for providing a space for professionals to rest and recuperate.
Jasmin’s a certified Career Coach, HR Leader, Author, 200-hour Certified Yoga Instructor, Meditation Coach, Millennial Mom, and Wife! She has over 16 years of experience in Human Resources and is currently in HR leadership.
WHERE IS SHE IN HER EXPECTING JOURNEY TODAY?
3 children: 2 over 10, 1 twelve week old
In business for 3 years
TIMESTAMPS
Read the full episode transcript here.
[00:00-3:32] Introduction
[03:32-7:11] Having her first child and co-parenting
[7:11-12:54] Mourning a traumatic pregnancy and mothering experience
[12:54-13:59] Featured Expecting CEO affirmation
[13:59-24:33] Navigating maternity leave in a corporate role + running a business
[24:33-27:10] What she wishes she knew about her journey
[27:10-30:25] Gratitude for this season of life
[30:25-32:38] An affirmation that any Expecting CEO needs to hear
[32:38-33:28] Connecting with Jasmin
NO PREGNANCY IS THE SAME
Young mother’s often experience a lot of judgment and shame from society. There’s nothing quite like the pressure of “having it all together” as you navigate parenthood. And yet, Jasmin avoided the crushing weight of shame by leaning on the support of her family. She remembered the support of her partner’s mother who “dropped everything” and brought in an entire family of aunts who embraced her.
“There were a lot of things I was battling with, but when I tell you those women went ahead and health that right on up for me…” she shared.
Years later, Jasmin had co-parenting down and began adding to their family with her now husband. Her second pregnancy came with different challenges than her first, physical challenges. This pregnancy was full of hospital visits, anxiety, and detachment. Jasmin reflected on how traumatic the experience was saying, “Even today talking about it makes me really sad. And, you know, I, I've mourned that, that part of my mothering experience for my son because I don't remember it. I'm still trying to forgive myself for that.”
Surviving a traumatic pregnancy leaves it’s mark, but it isn’t necessarily the end of the journey. Jasmin took that experience and has used it to learn about herself and her relationship with motherhood. Now, just a few weeks after giving birth to her 3rd child, she feels like she was able to settle into the pregnancy experience and give this child a beautiful entry to the world. She smiled saying, “This third has helped me reconcile my relationship with motherhood where I no longer feel like motherhood is a duty. I feel like it's a blessing.”
MATERNITY LEAVE WITH A CORPORATE ROLE
Jasmin has been vocal about the flexibility and stability provided by her corporate role. The advantages of a ‘traditional’ job were apparent as she described her maternity leave package (and short term disability) which included: 12-weeks of partially paid leave.
While financially her family was comfortable, Jasmin shared a different challenge this go around. The timing of her maternity leave was in direct conflict with her husband's work schedule! Essentially, maternity leave fell in the middle of the budget season which is the busiest time of year for finance professionals.
It was a surprise to Jasmin how much the unavoidable absence of her husband impacted her. She recalled that as the biggest struggle of this pregnancy experience, “my partner, my husband, my best friend was literally doing all of the things for work…” leaving her to seek support elsewhere.
So how did she navigate maternity leave and come out sane? She let go of what she thought maternity leave would look like and accepted the support from other people in her life. She teared up describing the incomparable support system around her, “I literally had seven other women and my girlfriends that were cooking meals, they were asking to come by and just hold baby for me so I can shower.”
PRESSING PAUSE AS A CEO
Building a business is a labor of love. Most entrepreneurs know the self-inflicted pressure of getting things off the ground and doing “all the things” to take the business where it needs to go. Jasmin, queen of being well-rested, still fell into this bad habit! She shared the temptation to continue to do it all until the end of her first trimester.
After speaking at a virtual conference she sat down, exhausted, and said to herself, “Okay, jazz, you said that you were going to give this pregnancy the love, the rest, and intention that it needs.”
Since then, she deliberately would down, finished out existing contracts, and fully embraced being still. Looking back, she’s grateful that she took the break and slowed down as an entrepreneur.
A WORD FOR OTHER EXPECTING CEOS
Three kids, a successful career, and a impactful business later… Jasmin looks back on her various pregnancy journeys and see’s a journey of healing. Every pregnancy was different and presented her with different challenges and opportunities to heal wounds.
Her call to other expecting CEOs is that “You can forgive yourself as a mother… You can always reconcile your relationship with mothering.”
FEATURED EXPECTING CEO AFFIRMATION
Today’s Expecting CEO affirmation is:
I am up for the challenge of taking on a new role.
Remember, an affirmation is only as powerful as the practice it’s attached to. We encourage you to post this somewhere you can see today, use it as your meditation mantra, or even use it as a journal prompt!
Expecting CEO journal prompt:
Jasmin shared exactly how different each pregnancy can be, which reminds us of how much our role as a parent changes with each additional child. Are you expecting your first child? Your fourth? How do you anticipate your role and the way you identify shifts with this change?
CONNECT WITH JASMIN
INSTAGRAM: @SIGNEDWELLRESTEDJAS
LINKEDIN:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminfortsknowstalent/
