Babies + Business: Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids)

Wrapping up Impact Academy 2018 before the holidays

Last week marked our final session with Impact Academy: City Maker Edition, facilitated by Impact Hub Ottawa, Synapcity and the City of Ottawa.

As part of my experience and in hopes of spreading some child-friendly corporate jungle joy – I’m sharing my FREE Babies + Business Mini Guides below!

Before I applied, I had spent the past two years navigating the corporate jungle, coworking spaces, conferences, startup events and life in general with my first son.

When my second son arrived this past summer, I decided to keep going and see what happened. I applied to the local program and started attending workshops and business events when my newborn was two months old.

Before I had children, I had been working in the professional development industry, doing marketing communications roles and travelling in Australia and Europe. I was used to going to events, talking to people and visiting new places. In fact, it became a bit of a way of life and helped me make connections, learn something new and get out of my comfort zone.

Why does this matter?

Parents are people and I believe just because you have a family, it doesn’t mean you need to completely change who you are.

Children can be a catalyst for adjusting our priorities, creating new ways of doing things and reimagining who we are and how we want to be.

It could be upskilling ourselves through further education, changing careers, negotiating a flexible work arrangement or starting a business.

As much as I love technology and the internet, becoming a parent can also be an isolating experience.

If the baby won’t nap and you need some fresh air, why not pack them up, go for a walk and hit up a midday business event to meet people in real life while you’re at it?

Pack snacks for yourself, toys for the baby and a pen and paper to write down your learnings.

Throw some business cards in your diaper bag and go up to complete strangers to have a chat.

Grab a coffee with a colleague and get them to hold your baby while you scoff down a second breakfast.

Pitch yourself, your idea and ‘an ask’ in less than 60 seconds while juggling your squirmy and babbling 20+ lbs bundle of joy in front of a room of almost complete strangers.

Ask for help with your idea on a microphone while breastfeeding said bundle of joy in front of a packed Creative Mornings event because you’re on a time limit with this pilot project, you already made the effort to get there and if the baby is hungry you gotta do what you gotta do.

Too far? Feeling uncomfortable? Bewildered? Inspired?

I’ve done all of the above and more (you can read about it in my previous posts on the blog) but what it all boils down to is:

I did things which challenged my resolve, confidence, clarity, key messages, multitasking, organization and many more unseen and probably unrealized abilities alongside my children.

I did them because I didn’t have flexible childcare while they were babies, didn’t want to leave them with complete strangers and didn’t want to stay at home wondering what could/would/should happen if I decided to one day venture into the corporate jungle with them.

So I just did it.

And now I’m writing about it.

Bringing some awareness and creating real life experiences along the way to drive the major point home:

Parenthood and professional development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

To help other babies (and their primary caregivers) and businesses do the same, I have created a FREE resource based on my experiences attending over two dozen events with a baby and toddler (separately – are you crazy?!) in two different countries (England and Canada), with more planned for future!

Calling all parents who want to invest in themselves alongside their children!

Grab our FREE Mini Guide To Navigating The Corporate Jungle (With Kids).

Be what you want to see (more of)

Subscribe for future emails at bit.ly/BabiesBizBreakfast.

Some of my other #BYOBaby into business settings experiences are detailed on these blog posts, if you want to learn more about:

• Visiting Algonquin College’s DARE District with kids
• Visiting Invest Ottawa with kids
• Participating in Impact Academy with a baby
• Attending Creative Mornings Ottawa while babywearing
• Touring coworking spaces as a parent
• Bringing children into the boardroom

AND if you’re curious about what I’m up to (besides planning child-friendly events) and want to hear from me every now and then, please sign up to my other newsletter at bit.ly/AmyMaureenLynchNews.