In celebration of Mother’s Day, we’re highlighting some of the strong moms working behind-the-scenes to bring DeeBee’s to families everywhere. Our founder, Dr. Dionne Laslo-Baker, is a mom herself – in fact, it was her own children’s kitchen experiments that led to the delicious treats we craft today. Today, we have many working moms on our team who continually inspire us!
So let’s raise a SuperFruit Freezie to all the mothers and mother-figures, do away with mommy guilt, and sink our teeth into motivating stories from some of our wonderful working mommas.
Veronica, Sales
Hi! My name is Veronica, and I recently joined the great team at DeeBee’s as the Canadian Sales Manager. I am a proud mom of 3, ages 9, 13 and 16 years old. As you can imagine, I have my hands full all the time, and balancing motherhood and a full-time job has come with its challenges and a fair amount of mommy guilt.
Now that my children have grown older and more independent, navigating the nuances of motherhood and work has become easier. However, the early years were the hardest in my experience. I will never forget when Daniel, my youngest, was about to turn one and take his first steps - it so happened that I had to go on an overseas business trip for 22 days! Out of all the complications this trip entailed for my family, I was most worried and felt the most guilt that I would not see Daniel take his first steps. So, I left specific instructions to not let Daniel on the floor and practice taking his first steps until my return - haha! Daniel was a late walker because mommy didn’t want to miss the milestone.
I laugh at it now, and there are so many other stories that I am sure all mothers can relate to. But at the end of the day, having our children is such a source of happiness and fulfillment. I would not have it any other way.
Becky, Senior Director
I’m the mom of an energetic 3-year old and the Senior Director at DeeBee’s Organics, responsible for our brand and marketing. This past year, I’ve multi-tasked work calls while pushing my daughter on our swing, feeding ducks at the park, and (naively) while she played with finger paints.
What I've come to really love about this experience (now that we have our nanny back!) is how integrated my life is now. I see my daughter throughout the day, and my daughter sees me work. It’s neat she gets insight into that part of my life!
If you’re lucky to be part of a great company like DeeBee’s, it means that family life and personal life are valued enough that they can support and even nurture each other... yeah for women-owned!
Pricilla, Sales
My name is Priscilla and I’m a National Account Manager for DeeBee’s Organics. I live in Texas and have a two year old son named Oliver Mateo, or Ollie as we like to call him.
One of the biggest blessings in disguise we’ve had this last year during the pandemic, is moving closer to my parents temporarily. While my husband and I work from home, my parents watch Ollie and take him to a lot of the places they took me when I was little.
It’s been such a crazy year but I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to have this time with my family that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Dionne, CEO/Founder
Balancing being a mom with being a CEO has a life and story of its own. This balance changes as our kids grow and as the business evolves. This past year has been unusual for everyone but it has been nice in some ways not to be able to travel for work. I have spent time watching and participating (as much as possible while still working) in the day to day activities with my children. I always wanted to be a ‘fly on the wall’ of my kids' lives and this past year has actually kind of allowed me to be that fly while still working. So that has been a positive for me.
Our son David is 17 and he is very active. He is outdoors kite-surfing, hiking, or doing photography pretty much every day when he’s not at school. He has the courage to be bold and try new things, while having the confidence and knowledge that he has to put in the effort and time to achieve the goals he has for himself. He loves being in nature and we love watching and hearing his stories.
Jocelyn is 19 and just finished her final exams for first year university (I still can’t believe my baby is at university!). It has been exciting watching her find her place as a university student but also challenging having to watch mostly from afar because of the pandemic. But it feels so unbelievably good to watch your child soar and love life - it kinda makes you feel like maybe you have gotten something right.
I used to worry that maybe I worked too much, had to travel frequently for meetings, and sometimes I missed important events in their lives. But over time I have come to realize that that gave them a sense of independence and also a grounding in the knowledge that if you want to accomplish a goal, you have no choice but to work hard, put in the time and not give up until it is complete. My husband and I have never once had to remind our kids to do their homework. They saw how hard we worked, the perseverance we had and I think that was just what they needed to enjoy their schooling and feel committed to working on themselves.
Being a mom is and will always be my priority. I will always put them first. Even when I’m on an important call or meeting, I will take the time to first make sure all is ok, let them know what I’m doing and then be sure to spend the time after to hear and listen to what is happening with them. I want them to know that I always, in ALL WAYS, have their back. I’m there as Mom, as a confidant, and my love is never conditional - I want them to be their authentic selves, I am their biggest supporter and will be there cheering them on forever and into eternity.
Ashley, CFO
I am the CFO of DeeBee's Organics. I am based in Toronto, and have one boy who is 15 months old. As I have a COVID baby, first time motherhood and never ending lockdowns in Ontario is all I know. I look forward to the days when we can have play dates, swimming lessons, gymnastics… ANYTHING! Balancing motherhood and work I think will always be a challenge - but you get remarkably efficient during nap time.
It's also great to work for a company such as DeeBee's who support working moms and don't blink an eye when you have to tend to your child. Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, soon to be moms and those who dream to be a mom.
As you can see, DeeBee’s is a woman-owned company, committed to supporting our working parents. We’ve seen first hand that life – and work – is better when everyone gets to feel balanced and supported. And we’re wishing everyone a very Happy Mother’s Day!