STACEY ROMOSER

Husband: Todd Romoser
Children: Breckin, 15 months
Business: Bomboras Grille, Art Cafe and HHI Jet Pack
Favorite part of the day at work: Providing people with unique and enjoyable experiences, whether it be painting pottery, flying on a jet pack or enjoying a social dining experience.
Favorite part of the day at home: Spending time with my son and watching him grow up.
What would make your work life easier? More hours in the day and a second set of hands!
What would make your home life easier? Being able to balance work from home better.
How do you balance work and home? I try to plan my work week out in advance and to make it a point to schedule time with my family and friends with activities that help me recharge.
Best tip for other working mothers: Prioritize! Set realistic goals that align with your business purpose and life passions.

LUCIANA QUIROGA

Husband: Hicham Idllalene
Children: Emilyah, 13 months
Business: Luciana
Favorite part of the day at work: When I first get to my store, I write down a list of all the things I have to get done. I open the door, turn the lights on and get ready to start a busy day.
Favorite part of the day at home: When I go to get Emilyah from daycare and she hugs me tight and calls me Mami!
What would make your work life easier? Probably hiring more people, but being a perfectionist, I would rather just do it myself.
What would make your home life easier? I can’t complain. My husband has always been great. He helps get everything done before we go to sleep. And my daughter is the best! She gives all the energy I need to get everything done. I have a great family and that’s what keeps me going.
How do you balance work and home? It is not easy! They both keep me really busy. But having great support at home keeps me going at work. Love is the key. Since I have it both at home with my husband and daughter and at work because I love what I do.
Best tip for other working mothers: Be proud of yourself ! Although sometimes you might feel overwhelmed, step back and look at all you are achieving. By handling it all, you are becoming an inspiring role model for your kids!

SHANNON WRIGHT

Husband: Russell Anderson
Children: Pryor Anderson, 7 months
Business: Captain Woody’s restaurants
Favorite part of the day at work: Getting to visit with our locals and our staff.
Favorite part of the day at home: Getting to spend time as a family.
What would make your work life easier? I have it pretty easy with a great staff that takes such good care of our restaurants when we are not there.
What would make your home life easier? I have it pretty easy there as well, with my husband being very involved and also having great babysitters.
Best tip for other working mothers: Don’t let work ever be your first priority and always make sure to take a little time for yourself!

MONICA DAVIS

Husband: Brett Cargill
Children: Davis, 6. Stepchildren Hanna, 11; Michael, 13
Business: Monica Davis Real Estate
Favorite part of the day at work: My favorite time at work is early in the morning where I can make phone calls, answer emails and have a little peace and quiet before the chaos begins.
Favorite part of the day at home: Dinnertime where we all sit down at the table and I can hear about everyone’s day. I enjoyed dinnertime as a child with my parents growing up so I want to continue the tradition.
What would make your work life easier: A clone of myself so there would be enough of me to go around.
What would make your home life easier: A personal chef would certainly make my home life easier, but I have it pretty good. I am blessed with an understanding, supportive usband, wonderful parents and a very patient 6-year-old son!
How do you balance work and home? Very carefully. I try not to sweat the small stuff.
Best tip for other working mothers: Learn how to delegate. It is important that your family be supportive of you and if you ask for help, I guarantee you they will give it to you.

ERIN CARMINES

Husband: Andrew Carmines
Children: Alice, 2; Milly, 10 months
Business: Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks
Favorite part of the day at work: Lunchtime.
Favorite part of the day at home: When Andrew gets off work early and surprises us at home before bedtime. Nothing makes me happier than to watch Alice race to the door and scream in delight that her Daddy is home.
What would make your work life easier? More hours in the day. Sometimes I feel like there’s just not enough time to get everything done.
How do you balance work and home? It’s important to make time for yourself. I always, regardless of how insane my day is, make time to take a gym class at Beach City Health Fitness, a Sweat Fitness Boot Camp at the Rec Center or play some tennis at the Yacht Club. It makes me feel good and a better mom.
Best tip for other working mothers: Reasonably healthy eating and a strict napping and bedtime schedule greatly reduces the possibility of meltdowns.

TRACY HAWK

Husband: Todd Hawk Children: Hunter, 13
Business: H2 Builders
Favorite part of the day at work: When I get to see my creativity come to fruition. Whether it’s a new marketing concept, ad idea or complete H2 office renovation. I love being creative and am always juggling multiple projects related to H2.
Favorite part of the day at home: By far dinnertime and the evening family time. It is when the three of us have a chance to reconnect about each of our days, after school, sports, homework and work are complete. We are an extremely close-knit family and enjoy being together, no matter what the activity.
What would make your work life easier? If I could add more time into the work day, only when I need it. It seems there are always never-ending deadlines.
What would make your home life easier? If I could clone myself to help with the laundry. It seems to be the one household chore that I battle daily.
How do you balance work and home? Being a small business owner provides me with great flexibility. It is a definite tradeoff, because you are a business owner/employee seven days a week, any hour of the day. However, I am allowed the flexibility to work directly at the office, from my home office and have a flexible schedule. This allows me to focus on y most important job of being a mom to Hunter. Whether I am the team mom, school committee volunteer, chauffer, homework tutor, cook, cleaner or President of Marketing at H2 … there is no greater privilege than being mom. God has blessed me to be the mom of a wonderfully well-rounded young man.
Best tip for other working mothers: Find the happiness balance for yourself and always have a positive cando attitude. Allow time for yourself to be the best “you” that you can be. For myself this means playing tennis, boating, reading and running and of course activities with my family. We are a very active outdoors-loving family. My husband and I made the commitment long ago that our family always comes first. You only get a limited amount of time in today’s busy world with your precious child, as you watch them grow into adulthood. Enjoy every, single moment because work will come and go but you will always have the best job of being a mom.

JONI VANDERSLICE

Husband: Rick Vanderslice
Children: Sarah, 15; Grace, 13
Business: J Banks Design
Favorite part of the day at work: I love the collaboration process. Working personally with my talented employees is such fun for me. Whether we are designing, drawing or working on management issues, I find myself energized by their minds, thought processes or differing perspectives.
Favorite part of the day at home: My quiet time with coffee in the morning gives me perspective, helps me to prioritize, allows me to focus, and ensures my positive, productive outlook for the day. But I look most forward to making dinner and dining with family. It’s the best time to download, laugh and enjoy each other.
What would make your work life easier? We’ve all said it but it’s true — more hours in the day!
What would make your home life easier? More at-home help! At my girls’ current ages, it’s very important for me to be a hands-on mom. Balancing home management, pick-up and drop-off logistics, volleyball and all the extracurricular activities is a lot. It’s not easy to do everything, be everywhere and make everyone happy all at once. However, I wouldn’t change any of it – it’s the way I stay connected with them and our car rides have generated some of our best talks.
How do you balance work and home? Prayer. Seriously. My morning quiet time. As a family we talk about our issues and then pray about them. Knowing God is in charge, not me, brings a level of peace and helps me to tackle problems and fears with a different perspective.
Best tip for other working mothers: If at all possible, carve out a morsel of quiet time for yourself. The tiniest bit of personal time can completely change your perspective. Prioritize and remember what really matters. And accept and understand that you cannot solve every problem, that listening to someone may be better than jumping in to help.

TERESA KITCHINGS

Husband: Kevin Miller
Children: Kelsey Lynne Miller, 4
Business: Island Medical Spa
Favorite part of the day at work: Morning before other associates come in. This gives me time to transition from home mode to work mode.
Favorite part of the day at home: Picking up Kelsey from daycare.
What would make your work life easier? Learning to delegate, which I am working on.
What would make your home life easier? A maid.
How do you balance work and home? Close friends and faith in God.
Best tip for other working mothers: Don’t try to do it all. Ask for help. This was one of the hardest things for me to learn. I also am the caregiver for my mother who has untington’s Chorea. And last October, Kevin was hurt on the job. It was then I learned to lean on friends, family and co-workers, which I think is hard for mothers to do, especially type-A personalities which most business owners are.

AVIS ROLLISON

Children: Clayton Rollison, 33; Jake Rollison, 31
Grandchildren: Gradyn, 2; Kennedy, 2; Bridget, 10
Business: The Porcupine, Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar
Favorite part of day at work: At The Porcupine, lunchtime. We are the busiest and have the most buzz in the store with customers and activity. At Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar,
happy hour. Everyone is coming in, happy to be off work or off the golf course.
What would make your work life easier? Cloning my staff, both businesses. Our No. 1 asset is our employees and if we had more good ones, we could do more business and all have less work!
What would make your home life easier? A self-sustaining house so I could spend more time in the garden, beach, cycling, and playing with my granddaughters.
How do you balance work and home? At this point in my life it is not an issue, my children are grown, but there is never enough time between jobs and market travel for The
Porcupine to spend enough time with my granddaughters. I just have to make a schedule. Sounds horrible!
Best tip for working mothers: My working aunt gave me the best advice. Exhausted at the end of the day, the hardest part is when you walk in the door at home (dinner, baths, homework, etc.). Walk in the door, hug them, teach them to behave quietly for 10 minutes, take off your shoes, put your feet up, shut one eye (no more than 10 minutes). You get up re-energized and refreshed. It worked for me!

SARAH BROOKS

Husband: Todd Brooks Children: Archer, 16; Waddy, 14; Susan, 12
Business: Island Getaway Rentals
Favorite part of the day at work: I love the mornings. Sipping a McDonald’s coffee at my desk and reading my email is my most enjoyable time.
Favorite part of the day at home: When everyone is home from practices and work. We can all hang out together, talk and on a pretty day, the doors are
wide open and everyone is relaxed.
What would make your work life easier? I can’t really think of anything to make my work life easier. I work with a great group of hard-working, smart women that really make the time at the office smooth and fun. I feel very lucky that we all get along so well. My husband and I are very proud of the people we work with and believe that who you choose to work with is the most important part of running a business.
What would make your home life easier? In my fantasy world, I would have a cook to plan healthy meals that my family could (and would) eat. Maybe Oprah can help me with that.
How do you balance work and home? I try to keep up with daily chores at home and office. A friend once said to me, “Eat the big frog first.” That phrase stuck with me and I try to get some things behind me.
Best tip for other working mothers: On a regular basis, ask your children to help you with various things around your home and office. It can be bonding, purposeful and both of you will enjoy the time you spent together.