Mom in media - Dentsu

It was really a daunting thought of coming back to the world of media, after spending a year away from the industry upon having my first baby. After all, a year away from media is like dog years, multiplied by seven. So much can change in a relatively short space of time. I gave all of my time and attention to my little one and blocked out, for the most part, social media and any advertising or media-related conversation, other than having the radio constantly playing during the day in an effort to not over-stimulate my baby with what was on television. How was I going to assimilate back into the media world again? How was I going to catch up with all the changes? How would I cope with a full work day under a fair amount of sleep deprivation (my boy wasn't, and still isn't sleeping through the night)? After spending every single minute of every day with him for the past 365 days, how would this affect me emotionally? Was I going to be bursting into tears at my desk, or in meetings because I miss him so much? These are all very scary thoughts that kept me up at night, for about a month before returning to work.

Hemlata Naidoo

Thankfully, there are so many of us moms in media, and just working moms in general, that I could speak to and be reassured that, being a working mom really makes you work towards being the most efficient mom/person that you can be – at work, as well as at home. You make the hours and minutes count even more when you are spending time away from your child. You appreciate every moment even more. Being a mom really puts things into perspective and you almost feel better equipped to handle the stresses that media can bring. A study done in 2010 by Yale University revealed that growth changes do occur in a woman’s brain during the first two years of motherhood and that the parts that grow “are responsible for emotion, reasoning and judgement, the senses and reward behaviour,” definitely some of which we could use in our daily media lives. The study also mentioned that the brain is so amazing at storing information, that coming back to media was almost like riding a bicycle again after many years of not.

Of course working for a forward-thinking company that allows you the flexibility to be a mom really helps too! In Cape Town there are many media agencies led by strong woman, who are moms, so it is encouraging and inspiring to be part of this era, as we have that common thread that helps us relate to each other at various levels of seniority. Taking all of this into consideration, it makes you realise that being a mom really is amazing, but being a mom in media is even better, because you really can have it all.

About Carat

Carat’s mission is to Redefine Media. Carat creates better business outcomes for clients through its command of media convergence. Established in 1968 as the world’s first media agency, Carat is part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, the global communications network Innovating the Way Brands Are Built. Consistently at the top of RECMA’s Global Qualitative Evaluation ranking, Carat serves clients in 150 countries via a network of more than 9,000 talented staff. For more information visit Carat.com or follow @CaratGlobal.

About Dentsu Aegis Network

Part of Dentsu Inc., Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of ten global network brands - Carat, Dentsu, Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum and supported by its specialist/multi-market brands. Dentsu Aegis Network is Innovating the Way Brands Are Built for its clients through its best-in-class expertise and capabilities in media, digital and creative communications services. Offering a distinctive and innovative range of products and services, Dentsu Aegis Network is headquartered in London and operates in 145 countries worldwide with more than 38,000 dedicated specialists. www.dentsuaegisnetwork.com

About the author

Hemlata Naidoo is an Account Director for Carat Media Planning & Strategy.

Hemlata has been in the media industry for 12 years and at Carat for 3. She has a strong client service background, with experience in media buying, planning and strategy across the South African and International market.

She has experience across a range of sectors including automotive, alcohol, sporting brands, fast food, telecommunications and direct response in the UK market.

She also has experience working and co-ordinating with African markets on global clients.