aloted omoba

LM Mum Of The Month: Aloted Omoba

LM Mum Of The Month: Aloted Omoba

LagosMums interviews Aloted Omoba, a mum, writer and entrepreneur. Our mum of the month is the founder of Super Working Mum, a website that offers tips and strategies on how to balance ones life as a working mum. Enjoy this exclusive interview with the number one super working mum- Aloted Omoba.

aloted omoba Please introduce yourself?

I write under the pseudonym Aloted Omoba. I am a wife to an amazing man and a mother to two lovely children – a girl and a boy. We live in Essex, UK. I grew up in Ibadan, did my Youth Service in Lagos and lived there for a few years before moving back to the UK where I was born. I have a BSc degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Operational Research. I started my career in Management Consulting and then moved on to work as a Business Analyst where I analyzed processes and systems for various organizations.

Currently I run Super Working Mum.

Share your journey to motherhood? 

I got married in 2007 and then had my daughter in 2009. All of a sudden, my schedule and priorities changed. I suddenly became responsible for another human’s existence. It was a whole new experience, and it seemed nerve-racking at first. It still can be!

I knew I wanted to have some gap between my children, (left to my husband he was fine with just one child), to give me time to adjust to motherhood so as not to get overwhelmed by the whole process. I had my son in 2013. So far it has been an interesting journey but the good thing is I am taking this journey with God …every single step.

Please tell us about your family?

We are a closed knit family. My husband and I endeavor to be close to our children who are now 5 years and 18 month old.

What does motherhood mean to you?

I see motherhood as a gift, a calling and a responsibility given to me by God to guide, protect, provide, empower and influence my children. To raise them up in the way of the Lord. Motherhood is a large part of who I am as a woman, and it has a great impact on every other aspect of my life.

Motherhood is something I do in partnership with my husband as co-parents for our children and with God who gives me wisdom on how to be the best mother for them.

What is your view on work life balance?

Oprah Winfrey once said, You can have it all, not just all at once. I agree with her. I also read somewhere that between work, family, and marriage, a woman must choose TWO to succeed at, or fail at all three.

My personal view is that every woman can avoid failing at all three, by realizing there is a time for everything. With a change in mind-set, adopting a degree of flexibility, and having a strategy, you can achieve work life balance, whatever that means to you.

How do you balance it all? How do you do it all?

I balance it all by knowing what is important to me at every given point in my life and focusing on doing what I can to live out my priorities. For example I changed jobs some years ago, in order to spend more time with my daughter. I got a pay cut when I changed jobs, because I decided to work somewhere local, rather than the city. However, I understood that money goes money comes. What is the point of having all the money in the world, at the risk of losing a great relationship with my daughter? It was a very easy decision to make and for me that is balance right there.

I also make sure I ask for help when I need it. I cannot do it all and won’t even pretend to try! I outsource things like cleaning; I engage my children by giving them age related chores to do.

Do you work outside the home or are you a SAHM?

I am a Work Life Balance Strategist. I specialize in helping busy working mums optimize their time, resources and relationships so that they can free up their time and spend it on the important things of life.

I also provide business strategy to my clients, helping them see where they can leverage their time by automating their business processes so they can get more paying clients easily. Most of my work is online so I work anywhere the work is – outside the home, client site or from home.

How did you decide to start Super Working Mum?

When my daughter was born, I experienced a BIG change. It was a whole new experience, and challenging. However, I knew I had to find a way to adapt to this drastic change in my life.  I also noticed that a lot of working mums around me were overwhelmed, always complaining of being busy with so much to do at home and at work. They struggled with finding time to take care of themselves and with growing spiritually which is the foundation of everything.

I began to trust God more, research, learn, and implement strategies that helped me cope with prioritizing and combining my work and home duties effortlessly and still grow in my spiritual walk.

Super Working Mum was therefore birthed out of my desire to share my findings with other working mums, to help working mums who are overwhelmed find balance and fulfillment in their lives whilst building a profitable business or career and still honoring God in the process.

Tell us about your book writing process and experience?

I had wanted to write a book for sometime but was waiting for the right time. Then, in January 2014, I read a book written by Salt, Bola Essien-Nelson called True Confessions. I liked the easy format of the book and then I got a light bulb moment- the time is now! Reading her book gave me the inspiration and kick I need to get mine started. I immediately set a deadline as to when I wanted to complete the book and make sure that every day I woke up early in the morning to write one or two chapters of the book. I did this for about two months straight and before I knew it the first draft was ready. I found a lovely editor who did the editing, got someone to do all the layout and the book cover and by September 2014 to the glory of God, the book was ready for print and launched.SWM

What do you advise mums who nurse the idea of being a writer?

I will say if you are new to this start by keeping a journal or a blog to get those creative ideas out of your head. Make sure you write as often as possible to hone your writing skills. Join writers groups on Facebook or other sites. Take a writer’s course if you think you need one.

If you already have a book idea then start writing! Get that book out of your head onto paper. Everything else will fall in place.

How do you relax?

I relax by catching up on some of my favorite TV shows or a funny show on Youtube, hanging out with a friend and going on weekend retreats.

Difference between being a Mum in the UK versus Lagos, Nigeria?

The main difference I find is the ease of getting things done in the UK. I can do my grocery shopping, clothes shopping etc online that alone cuts away a lot of stress for me. I can bulk cook knowing that there is constant electricity and my food won’t spoil.   I know Nigeria is catching up on these things, which is a good thing. The downside of living in the UK though is that domestic help and childcare may be more expensive in the UK than in Nigeria. Also the support system is much better back home. I envy my sister sometimes because she can easily drop off her children at my parents but I don’t have such luxury here.

What are some of the funniest things that you have encountered as a mum?

My daughter says the funniest things and that makes me laugh. Children generally are funny and if you need to lighten up just hang around children.

How does a Mum keep view of her purpose?

A mum can keep her purpose in view of balancing the needs of her family by making time for herself. She needs to make sure she connects with her source, God, on a daily basis to draw strength to carry out her purpose. This might mean waking up before everyone else or staying up late at night when everyone else has gone to bed to spend time with God. He is the only one that can give her strategies and insights on how to balance it all. She must also learn how to maximize her time so she can fulfill her purpose while taking care of her family. In my book, Super Working Mum I share a lot of tips on how to do this.

What do you cherish the most from your childhood – now that you are a Mum?

I cherish the love I saw (and still see) between my dad and my mum, which in turn was extended to my siblings and I. That love has grounded me over the years. When there is love between daddy and mummy, the children benefit from it.

What are the benefits of going on all female retreats?

There are a lot of benefits but here are a few:

  • It helps to eliminate the outside distractions of your usual daily routine so that you can set aside some uninterrupted time to solve key problems in your life
  • It creates a sense of shared experience and bond with women of like minds
  • It allows you to network and form lasting relationships with others in a safe laid back environment

Most of the ladies who attend the SWM group retreat in the UK have testified of new businesses launched, new events launched, forgotten dreams revived, improved walk with God, better relationship with husbands and peace in the home and most especially an overall sense of fulfillment, happiness and calm.

What is your philosophy on life?

Be kind to everyone you meet.

How would you measure being a successful parent/mum?

God gives success and if my children are doing their best and are influencing their peers/generation in a positive way I would consider that a success.

Any message to LagosMums?

To all the LagosMums reading this you are doing an awesome job. Remember God has provided the grace and resources you need for every stage of motherhood so invite him to take the journey of motherhood with you.  Also remember to take care of you; if you do not take care of you, you cannot successfully take care of your family.

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