I’m Not a Regular Mum; I’m a Working Mum!

IWD-Feature

ith International Women’s Day on the horizon, I saw an opportunity to reflect on what it means to me to be a working mother and the difference it can make to work in a flexible office with a supportive team behind you.

You’re probably familiar with the term ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ but you know what, it takes a village to raise a Mother too. This doesn’t necessarily just mean having a supportive partner, family and friends around you (although that helps A LOT). It can also mean working for a company that understands you as an individual and appreciates that you have a life outside of work.

On occasions, it can be hard, for anyone really, to keep your personal and work life separate. Especially if you are trying to be a successful career woman, a caring mother, a loving partner and an individual in their own right.

So at this point, I am sure you’re wondering what does a working Mum look like?

What a working mum looks like

Being a working Mum can be portrayed in a multitude of ways including:

  • Leaving work at exactly 5pm on the dot, or earlier if you need to do school pick up
  • Not being able to attend meetings due to drop off, pick-ups and extracurricular activities
  • Coming to work with stains on your shirt after hugging your little ones as they eat their breakfast
  • Feeling the dreaded Mum guilt because childcare or school drop-off didn’t go so well
  • Having to leave early to pick up your sick child from childcare or school
  • Spreading your body and mind across a multitude of areas in your life

With all of these examples, I have painted a very busy picture. In some cases, this can make mums sound like a less than desirable employee. However here I am building my career and proving a valuable employee with the support of the team at Oraco.

How I landed my role as Social Media Manager

Before I dazzled my future boss with my fancy resume and list of talents, I was upfront and honest.

I was sweating the entire interview and struggled to breathe but I still told the team I had a 2.5-year-old daughter at home and even admitted that my husband and I were trying for a second child.

Without a bat of an eyelid, my future boss said, “That is not an issue for us Tayler, it has nothing to do with your ability to do this job successfully.”

I felt relief knowing that I was still a desirable employee regardless of my personal choices. Maybe being a working Mum, and potentially pregnant, did not have any impact on my experience, knowledge, passion or drive to be a Social Media Manager.

Of course, I landed the job, high fives all around! I have not looked back since.

My experience as a working mum IWD-2

5 months down the track and here I am writing this blog with an extremely grateful heart. Since starting work at Oraco I have found out that I am pregnant with my second child and the team here couldn’t be happier for me.

I am being challenged mentally and growing professionally every day, within a 4-day working week. Not once have I missed out on a growth opportunity just because I work part-time or because I will be ‘leaving soon,’ you can’t get rid of me that easily!

I have always been a conscientious and passionate career woman, but I found that becoming a mother has further honed my professional skills. My organisational abilities have been amplified tenfold.

Want me to juggle 50 projects at one time? Challenge accepted! Looking for someone who is a great communicator on all fronts? Give me a call! I bring an abundance of experience to Oraco and I am excited to further expand my skillset within my role, while my children grow older.

I understand that I am incredibly lucky to work in such a progressive and supportive workplace, and I know that not all working mothers have experienced this same level of acceptance.

All I can hope is that more workplaces, like Oraco, begin to acknowledge people’s abilities regardless of race, sexual preference, personal beliefs or life choices.

If we are all treated with respect and supported as equals, collectively we will create a more supportive and enjoyable workplace, society and world which will lead to us all being #EachforEqual.

By Tayler Rossetti

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Contents
I’ve always been fascinated by symbolism 🌀

By how a single mark, image, word or gesture can represent something far bigger than itself. Across cultures and civilisations, we’ve used symbols to communicate identity, beliefs, stories, belonging and ideas that sometimes go far beyond what words can explain.

And somewhere along the way, I realised that’s also how I’d started to see brands.

A logo can become a symbol of what a business stands for. A colour can carry years of recognition. A phrase can represent an entire belief. A story can become shorthand for where a business came from and why it exists. Iconography can represent services, philosophies, products or ideas.

What we see on the surface carries meaning because of everything sitting behind it.

Over nearly two decades of working in branding, I also began noticing the same themes appearing again and again in the businesses people really remembered.

Their past, beliefs, future, people, identity, expression, impact and longevity.

Eventually, I gave each of those ideas a symbolic form.

They became Oraco’s Eight Brand Marks, and today they give us a way to look at a business from eight different perspectives and uncover the stories, ideas and meaning that make it distinctly its own.

The strongest brands aren’t built by adding meaning that was never there. More often, the clues already exist.

You just need to know where to look.

Explore the Eight Brand Marks via the link in bio.
One of the hardest things about running a business is knowing what actually deserves your attention.

When you're inside it every day, everything can feel important. The website needs updating, content needs creating, marketing isn't quite working, the messaging feels off. Someone suggests a new platform, another campaign or a complete change in direction. But more activity isn't always the answer.

A big part of Jessica's work, both through Oraco and the business owners she mentors, is helping people step back far enough to see what's really going on.

– What are you actually trying to achieve?
– Who are you trying to reach?
– What's already working?
– Where is the real disconnect?
– And what can probably wait?

Sometimes the most valuable strategy isn't adding another thing to the list. It's creating enough clarity to know what matters now, what comes next and what doesn't need your attention at all.

If you're looking for strategic advice, a fresh perspective and someone to keep you accountable to actually doing the things you said you were going to do, Jessica offers one-on-one business strategy and mentoring sessions. Shoot us a DM to find out more.
Last week, we lost someone very special.

Sean was a former Principal of Mannix College, a longstanding client of Oraco's, and someone I was lucky to get to know over many years.

I first met Sean in 2012 through my work with Mannix, and I remember instantly clicking with him. He was incredibly kind, funny, super organised and genuinely caring. He made working together easy, but he was also someone who took the time to get to know you beyond the work itself.

Every year, without fail, Sean would send me a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year message, always accompanied by a quirky little Bitmoji of himself. Even after he finished as Principal and we were no longer working together regularly, those messages continued. It's such a small thing, but I think it says a lot about the kind of person he was.

I've worked with Mannix since 2009, a relationship that now spans close to two decades, and Sean sits right in the middle of so many of those memories. He was there through an important chapter in my career and Oraco's growth, trusting us with Mannix for many years, and still making the effort to stay in touch long after our working relationship changed.

Looking back, it means a lot that such a longstanding professional relationship also brought someone like Sean into my life.

As the Mannix community gathers today to celebrate Sean's life, I'll be joining the service from home and thinking of his family, friends and everyone at Mannix. I had hoped to be there in person, but I'm glad I'll still be able to join everyone in remembering him.

Thank you, Sean, for your kindness, your humour and for always finding a way to put a smile on people's faces. You made a difference to so many people, myself included, and I'm very grateful our paths crossed.

Leanne x

Photo courtesy of Mannix College.
One year of @twobayslaundry 🤎

A year ago, Two Bays Laundry opened its doors with a brand we’d had the pleasure of helping Liz and Kirill bring to life from the very beginning.

From strategy through to the visual identity, we wanted to create a brand that felt fresh, organic and full of personality, but most importantly, one that felt like it belonged here on the Mornington Peninsula.

That sense of place became part of the identity itself. The curves within the logo draw on the movement of water and our coastline, while the stylised ‘B’ represents the two bays that gave the business its name, Western Port and Port Phillip. The coastal palette, natural textures and broader identity carried that story through the space (shout out to @saint.design.interiors), signage, uniforms, vehicles and everything in between.

It’s always pretty special seeing a brand move from ideas on a page into a real business, but even more so watching it become part of the local community.

A huge congratulations to Liz, Kirill and the whole Two Bays Laundry team on your first birthday. It’s been such a pleasure working alongside you from those early ideas through to launch and everything that has followed.

Happy first birthday! Here’s to everything still to come 🥂
We don’t believe the best brand stories are invented.

They’re found in the reasons a business began, the decisions made along the way and the people behind it. The things they care about, do differently, and perhaps don’t even realise are interesting anymore.

Often, you’re too close to your own business to see what someone else might find remarkable.

That’s why we ask questions, listen and look a little closer.

The story is already there. You just have to know where to look.
At the heart of @joannaphotography.au’s new identity is a refined wordmark designed to balance timeless elegance with a sense of movement and connection.

A sophisticated serif typeface was chosen for its enduring quality, warmth and understated premium feel. The letterforms evoke a sense of craftsmanship and longevity, reflecting the brand’s focus on creating imagery that grows in meaning over time.

Connection between the A and N introduces a sense of movement and continuity, symbolising the relationships, stories and moments that unfold throughout life.

This is why we start with your story. It’s often where the most distinctive part of a brand identity is hiding.

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Filed by: Oraco Agency
Reference: PF-4165
Photo source: @joannaphotography.au 
Filed under: #ProjectFile #BrandStrategist #Branding #BrandDesign #LogoDesign

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Picture of Oraco

Oraco

We are designers, strategists, storytellers, coders, animal lovers, travellers, adventurers, yogis, gig-goers and coffee, tea & wine enthusiasts. We are for culture that fuels progressive and imaginative thoughts. We value positive change and believe in equality. We expect accountability. We aspire to create a work-life balance. We enjoy teamwork and contribution.

One Response

  1. Love this T, you are an amazing women and mother thank you for sharing your story and I am so pleased you have found your home ❤

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