Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Kay Ziniewicz.
Hi Mary Kay, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story begins with me becoming a mom. For me, I never planned to be a mom. I was pretty set in my career trajectory, was certain about where my career was headed, and motherhood was not in the plan. Fortunately for me, God had a different plan! When I learned that I was pregnant, my life changed, even though I didn’t think it would change at all. My baby was born early by nearly 7 weeks. I was terrified, but continued to communicate with work throughout my 3-month maternity–work was what I knew. I knew work better than motherhood. And, I learned that strong women continued to work. There was no other option for me. Prior to my daughter’s entry into this world, when we saw the first ultra sound–my husband and I fell in love with the dot on the spot! We decided, when the dot was born, my husband would take on the position of the stay at home parent. I went back to work work, full time, for ten years. It was not easy for either of us–I longed to be home, and my husband, longed to be around adults, longed to exercise his other talents and, importantly, longed to contribute to our household income. My husband went back to work and I brought my business (literally) in-house. At that time, I consulted for law firms around the country. Now, working from home, I got to stand out at the bus stop with all the other moms in the neighborhood. All of whom left promising careers to care for their children. Many of whom attempted to go back to work in some capacity to no avail–these superstars were shut out by the automated systems–they received instant rejections or none at all, and their self esteem suffered. I knew that if decision makers met these talented people, they would hire them. The problem was, these people, moms, never made it through the resume sorting process. These moms had gaps in their resumes. These moms lacked the right language on their resumes. Businesses were missing exceptional talent. I knew that I needed to fix it. So I did. My business gives businesses instant access to off the market talent for the price of flexibility.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Bus Stop Mamas is ever evolving and I am challenged every day to stretch beyond what I believe I am capable of.
Early on, I discovered that there are many perceptions of mom–who mom is, what mom is capable of, what mom wants. At Bus Stop Mamas we challenge mom perceptions every day–that includes our own.
A big disruption for Bus Stop Mamas was the pandemic. We describe our mama segments as car seat mamas, bus seat mamas, driver’s seat mamas and beyond. Our largest mama segment is the bus seat mama–this is the mom with grade school children–and this mom was hit the hardest by the pandemic. Bus Seat moms were cooking, cleaning, masking, sanitizing, grocery shopping, feeding and teaching their kids around the clock. These moms, who, pre-covid, were seeking to escape the house for 9 to 3 job opportunities, were suddenly very strapped. So our network paused for a bit of time. But, as we all know, nothing keeps mama down!
Bus Stop Mamas is fueled by mama strength–the BSM mama community, the BSM mama team, and the BSM mama promise: to lift every mom–whoever she is, where ever she is to achieve whatever she wants–we’ve got mama’s back.
What I know to be true is that moms rise to the occasion. Always.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bus Stop Mamas. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Bus Stop Mamas is a jobs marketplace that gives employers access to an untapped, underutilized and critical labor force–Moms. The model offers an employer a new lane in talent acquisition, where they get introduced to experienced talent, and moms are introduced to decision makers, through a personal email introduction. Just like a friend. Bus Stop Mamas combines human touch with high tech.
Bus Stop Mamas is helping companies better leverage one of the most critical demographics in today’s workforce, while keeping mom engaged, her way.
The platform enables companies with a commitment to offering flexible work options to post open jobs that are directly promoted to Moms across America. Bus Stop Mamas is built for Mom life and Modern businesses. Literally, everyone wins. Business, Mom and Community.
Bus Stop Mamas is a talent solution that works for companies of all sizes–from one person shops to large enterprises–including Caribou Coffee and Boston Scientific.
Bus Stop Mamas solves a problem that impacts households around the country, and isn’t new–women exit careers to care for their children. Employers lose critical talent. We connect them to one another in a way never considered before–flexible work that works throughout the life cycle of her child(ren).
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Oh boy, am I very lucky/thankful to be a Mom!
I see blessings all around me, every day. I am blessed that I am proven wrong–a lot! I am grateful that I was proven wrong about being a mom–I thought I never wanted to have children. As it turns out, being a mom is the absolute best thing that ever happened to me. And, if it wasn’t for motherhood, I would not have created Bus Stop Mamas:) I am so happy to be a mom, I am so thankful that I am able to support all moms and I’m so thankful that Bus Stop Mamas is spearheading challenging perceptions of moms and how organizations rethink operations to include a mom schedule.
Pricing:
- Post a job for $99.
- Hire a mom and pay a small success fee: $150 for temporary, $450 for part time, $1000 for full time.
- Subscription pricing available
- Enterprise partnerships available
Contact Info:
- Email: marykayz@busstopmamas.com
- Website: www.busstopmamas.com
- Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/company/busstopmamas/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BusStopMamas/
- Twitter: @busmamas
Image Credits
Mary Kay Ziniewicz
Leslie Parker Orenstein
