Last Updated on September 17, 2022 by Marie Bautista
Mommyhood + career = disaster.
This seems to be the equation most people live by, and a woman needs to pick one or the other to fully realize success in life.
But what if there’s a secret formula to achieving both?
What if, instead of disaster, we can change the equation to mommyhood + career = success?
Chairmom Merlee Jayme has been on both ends of struggling to integrate climbing up the pinnacle of her career aspirations while raising her four lovely daughters.
Like any mom, she experienced the mental gymnastics of focusing on performing well in the workplace but also thinking whether her daughters’ tutoring homework was done. For her, she believes that the key to giving your 100% at home and work is not about “balancing” but rather “integrating” these two separate roles to co-exist.
Integration allows one of two things to take up more of your time or focus at some point over the other. For me, this is how career and family should be dealt with–integrated, not balanced,
Jayme wrote in her book.
Sitting in a meeting while thinking about what you’ll cook for family dinner can take a toll on any
mom. Often, it’s the recipe for disaster aspiring career moms are facing.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to reach for your dreams while nurturing your little ones.
Chairmom Merlee Jayme shared all her tips and secrets to succeed in both in her press conference and book launch held last September 12, 2022 for her new book “Chairmom: The Winning Combination of Mommyhood and Career” at Makati.
Together with Angel Guerrero, Founder of Adobo Magazine, and Madonna Tarrayo, CEO of Unitel Straight Shooters, Jayme opened conversations about the realities of being a Chairmom, the triumphs and sacrifices of being a working parent, and the fulfillment of living both dreams of becoming a successful career woman and homemaker.
Being mombitious (mom + ambitious), as the three women embodied in their lives, is not without its emotional rollercoaster. They tackled feelings of fear and guilt, as well as joy and hope, in the process of being Chairmoms in their respective industries.
But more importantly, the book launch created the spirit of sistergood (sisterhood + good), fostering a community of love and support for moms, parents and young adults alike who are aspiring to maximize their lives and find purposeful meaning both at work and at home.
Chairmom was made possible through editor-in-chief Mio Borromeo, managing editor Leanne Tria, deputy editorial director Kyle Nate, copyeditors Faith Uy, Jhunie Balignasay, Gabrielle Cayabyab, John Clutario, Rhea Pulgado; layout artist Miko Quiogue, assistant layout artist John Isono, and cover artist, Sabine Jayme, Chairmom’s youngest daughter.
Find out how an ex-nun, high school dropout, an Asian creative woman fought her way to become the founder of one of the most awarded advertising agencies globally–all while being a mom of 4 by ordering a copy of Chairmom at bit.ly/BuyChairmom.
ABOUT MERLEE JAYME
The 2019 Drum Global Ranking announced the top 100 Chief Creative Officers globally, and only eight of them were on the list. One of them is Merlee Jayme.
She is one of the most awarded advertising creatives recognized with the Hall of Fame Award, The New York Festivals Creative Achievement Award, and in the Philippines, she has been awarded the Creative of the Year by Campaign Asia. This 2022, Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change awarded her as a Women’s Advancement Champion for her creative work for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
ABOUT BOOKSHELF PH
Bookshelf PH is an online bookstore and book publisher in the Philippines. The organization’s goal is to promote a richer Filipino literature that will contribute to individual empowerment, and in the aggregate, nation-building. At the core of these aspirations is the belief that the surest and simplest path to personal and professional growth is through reading, whether through physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks. Bookshelf PH thus welcomes collaboration with all book lovers in the country, including everyone from freelance writers and interns to local booksellers, self- published authors, and brands that aim to publish a book.