11 Questions with… Tracie Wagman. @TracieWagman #bdk11Qs
09 Nov 2020
Welcome to “11 Questions with…”. This edition’s guest is Tracie Wagman.
Enjoy!
11 Questions with… Tracie Wagman
1. Elevator pitch… tell us about yourself.
I’m CEO of a fashion tech start up, Pin & Tucker, formerly CEO of Help We’ve Got Kids, volunteer focused on environmental protection and women’s issues and a mother of two.
2. Your spouse… tell us about him.
I generally try to keep my private life private.
3. Your kids… tell us about them.
My daughter is a great kid, really strong academically and focused on her marks so she can get into an Ivy League College. Thankfully she hasn’t displayed any crazy teenage rebellious behaviour so I’m crossing my fingers on that one.
My son is an incredibly kind and resilient boy. He is very social and can make friend with anyone, anywhere and people tend to like him a lot. Also, he’s very funny. He’s also very into basketball and wants to get a basketball scholarship somewhere like UCLA so we shall see.
4. Do you have any family traditions?
We eat dinner together every night. I try and do those questions like “were you kind today” and “what did you learn” but my kids see right through that. In the end, over dinner, we end up having really great conversations that are often quite difficult and profound. My rule has always been to be honest with my kids and it’s become harder and harder these days because of all the things going on in the world. Traditionally, we have breakfast in bed for birthdays and mother’s day (though since I wake up at 5am that one is a bit tough for my kids so I have to go back to bed and wait for breakfast!).
5. What have been your biggest challenges as a parent?
You know, as they get older and are very aware of current events, it’s a struggle to ensure they know what’s going on in the world without being terrified of what’s happening. And now I’m trying to give them the tools they need to function as citizens of the world with integrity, generosity and kindness while at the same time being vigilant about their safety. It’s an ongoing challenge to give them the independence and freedom they need to make mistakes without trying to do and fix everything myself.
6. If you could pick any career in the world for yourself, what would it be, and why?
I love being an entrepreneur and also being on the board of companies I care deeply about. But if I could do anything I would love to have enough wealth to be a philanthropist full time and give back as much as I could.
7. Growing up, who inspired you the most?
Growing up, a couple of my closest friends had mothers that really impacted my life and were there for me during some hard times especially during my teenage years. They helped me shape who I am as a woman and a mother.
8. How do you balance work life and family life?
I’m sure we all know now that there is no such thing as “work life balance”. I always say it’s more about choice. For example, if I go to that dinner meeting, I am choosing to focus on work that night. If I go to my kids basketball game, I am choosing to focus more on my family at that time. So in the end I hope it all balances out but it’s a daily struggle about choice.
9. What advice would your “current self” give to your “just about to have my first child” self?
Cut yourself some slack. Try and calm down and not be so stressed about everything. It’s hard when you have your first kid, I realize that, but as best you can try and relax and enjoy the ride because it gets harder later!
10. Has there been a piece of advice you were given about parenting that really stuck with you?
Someone once told me not to have any expectations of people. For example, you think so and so will be there for you and help you but it doesn’t always happen the way you want it to happen.
11. What advice would you give to new parents?
It would be the same as #9 and #10 but I would add one more thing: make sure you spend time focusing on your relationship. Your baby will be fine if you and your partner go out for dinner or a movie or even away for the weekend. It’s so critical to remember your relationship.
Get social with Tracie Wagman!
Be sure to visit Tracie’s website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Stay tuned for our next “11 Questions with…” feature.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Big Daddy
“11 Questions with…” is an on-going feature. I will be interviewing parents with the same 11 questions, who like me, live in the digital world. The goal is to examine different perspectives, advice, challenges, and experiences from how people parent their children, and live a successful work / life / online balance.
There will be no specific frequency for this feature. It will be on-going, and filed under the “Lifestyle” tab, then “11 Questions with…” subtab, so it is easy to find.
With all the challenges of parenting these days, we could all use stories from fellow parents, who may have already gone through a similar experience, or were offered advice that you could use.
If you would like to be interviewed for an upcoming edition, please contact me at craig@bigdaddykreativ.ca.
Craig Silva
Craig is a husband, a father, team leader, travel and food writer, senior youth group coordinator, designer, brander, community builder, volunteer, and social media strategist. Craig likes to travel, go camping, go on road trips, watch movies, build stuff, operate the grill, and sing with his band. Craig is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. In June 2017, PR firm Cision identified Craig as one of Canada’s top 10 most popular male bloggers in the parents and family space.
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