Heather Lovato | CEO of clover PR and rhythm Care
What is one piece of advice you’d share with expecting parents of their first child?
Order a meal for delivery, take a nap, and let the clutter pile up a little longer. As soon as I realized what was truly important vs what “should” be important the enjoyment of parenting changed. Soaking up these moments with our littles is what matters, and if the clutter is bothering you, clean it but if it doesn’t save that time doing something that will restore you. Your happiness and self-care are paramount to the health of the family so make sure to prioritize what is most important to keep you healthy and balanced. And don’t worry, if living in the “best time of your life” feels hard — IT IS! It’s ok not to love every moment of it and you’re still the best parent for your little loved one.
How do you stay balanced as an entrepreneur and mom?
I ditched balance within the first year of motherhood — it’s an unrealistic expectation. I found my mood was hinging on this word, this feeling that is too hard to achieve as a working parent, so I shifted to the rhythm… and my whole world changed. Some days work is the bulk and others it’s me or parenting, but the point is that the scale is always tipped, never balanced, so by finding my rhythm to sync up with all the needs of my life I can flow through it with ease and that was the game-changer for me in parenting. Also don’t be afraid to go against the grain to make your life work for you, with you not you work for it. You can be in flow with your dreams and your demands.
Recommend a book in the child development space to read.
The Body Keeps Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk. This is actually a book for you mama because what we’ve experienced, our traumas, our cracks, and our desires become magnified when we have children so in order to heal and be able to show up in parenting as our best selves we have to identify and heal those areas. We focus so much on how to nurture our children, often we forget the deep desire to be nurtured and restored as well.
What is your go-to parenting hack?
Bribes (feel free to judge) and whispering. Lollipops change lives! Also, my kiddos tend to yell and as a parent, overstimulation is real so I whisper and magically they quiet down a bit. Also when I am frustrated I get such a better result by slow, quiet talking vs letting my emotions take over so these two things have been my secret weapon lately for easier moments consistently with my littles.
BIO
Heather kicked off her career in 2006 by supercharging digital campaigns for brands like Barry’s Bootcamp, Burke Williams Day Spa, Nekter Juice Bar and Nike Women’s Division before getting back to her roots in traditional PR when she launched clover PR in 2013. Heather has channeled her hyper-organized Virgo tendencies, love of wellness, and outside-the-box thinking to create holistic strategies and innovative campaigns for clients that keep ROI top priority.
When she’s not strategizing on the next pitch or campaign with the team, this Napa native can be found enjoying a glass of grapes at her newest fave winery BOTTAIA, dishing about being a mompreneur on her podcast “A Space for Sol” or disconnecting completely by snuggling up to her babes and hubby on the couch.
Find Heather
Instagram: @rhythmcare.co and @cloverpr
Website: www.wearecloverpr.com
LinkedIn: /heatherlovato