Mama of the month: Hitha Palepu
Posted on February 04 2020
Mom To: (Names and Ages of children/pets)
Rho (4 years) and Rhaki (8 months)
What are you currently working on?
Developing our lead product at Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, making Instagram a little more smarter with #5SmartReads, speaking at events and conferences
What are you currently reading?
Bunny (a brilliantly written but bizarre novel) and You're Not Listening
What has the experience of raising young children and growing a business been like?
To be honest, I don't know anything else! I was building Bridge2Act when I was pregnant with Rho and in his first two years, and I've been building Rhoshan Pharma before I got pregnant with Rhaki!
My life is very integrated. I work from home so I can spend time with my kids, and there are plenty of times when I'm on a work call and trying to feed Rhaki and get Rho to put on his shoes. There's never a dull - or quiet - moment in this stage.
As a mom of 2, what do you use to help get you through your work day?
Coffee. Water. Taking quick meditation breaks and literally locking myself out of my phone with the Forest app so I don't get distracted. My Silk + Sonder journal is my secret weapon - it helps me stay organized, focused, and mindful during the work day.
Every mother needs to find balance, what does your village look like ?
My nanny and babysitters, my housekeeper, my mom and mother-in-law who are incredibly hands on and jump in when we need a third set of hands. My father deserves special credit for being the best father, grandfather, boss, and for making sure we always have fresh healthy food at home. My team at work is incredible, and I just brought on an assistant to help me with my speaking commitments and help me grow #5SmartReads.
What are you working on improving about yourself as a woman and mother?
As a mother - keeping my cool and not yelling, and savoring the moment when things are good. As a woman, I want to invest my time and money in making the world a more equitable place. Women - especially black, native, and Latinx women - are paid less, raise less capital, and still shoulder the brunt of the labor at home and in our families. Tipping those scales in favor of women through investing and advising is what I'll be working on for the rest of my life, and I'm building that plan and goals now.
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