Stay-at-home work

COSTA MESA — Some Newport-Mesa moms aren’t just driving carpool or making play dates anymore, nor are they having to choose between a work life and a home life.

These days they’re combining them — running companies and juggling the duties of president, mom and wife every day.

“The common thread between these moms, these people, is they really like working,” said Costa Mesa resident and mother of two Allison Olmstead, who runs Townsend Olmstead Media Co. from her home with Lauren Townsend, another young mom. “And the good news is they don’t have to give up one or the other.”

Sally Bartz of Costa Mesa worked as a designer for some of the area’s most well known companies including Roxy and Paul Frank. When she had her first baby about a year ago, she wanted to move in another direction while staying at home, and she came up with a concept for a luggage line called Halsea.

“It was a natural progression,” she said. “Being a mom, it made more sense to be in more control of the business side.”

Entrepreneurial moms are taking cues from their lives as they progress. Lisa Sommer of Newport Beach puts out calendars and gift packs for women at all stages of life. When she started the Pulp Factory, she was recently married, so she put out a desk calendar called An Engaged Girl’s Life. When she was pregnant, A Pregnant Girl’s Life launched. She now has A New Mom’s Life and A New Baby’s Life — all from the musings of everyday life. All are full of tips, necessities and mantras.

“It was inspired by my life,” she said as she fed her 2-year-old son and Bartz’s 1-year-old son some kid-sized crackers and sliced bananas.

She and Bartz said they’ve realized that there’s a give and take between work and home, even when both are run out of the same place.

“You need to know what you can do and what your skill sets are,” Bartz said. “There’s so much to starting a business and starting to be a mom…. It’s tempting to come up with a great ambitious idea, but it should be something you know or something that taps into those skills.”

Bartz knows luggage, having been the brains behind Roxy’s luggage, but similar to Sommer, she started creating her line based on what her new needs were. Anytime she came up with an idea, she thought about what she and her friends would like — something relatively affordable, with the right pockets for bottles and diapers and that could be used when the kids aren’t around.

“I think if you can find something that works within your life, it can be a wonderful thing and can satisfy you in terms of finding a balance that challenges you both professionally and personally,” Townsend said.

The other necessity? Help — with the kids and with the work.

“You have to have help,” Bartz said. “You can’t concentrate on running a business without some help.”

Sommer said a strong network of help from friends, baby-sitters and, possibly, employees can create for a more seamless transition into full-time mom and business owner.

“It’s about finding the right balance…. I was doing a corporate job and commuting three hours a day and only spending an hour in the morning with my daughter,” Townsend said. “That just seemed a little out of balance for me.”

Bartz has hired a part-time bookkeeper — another mom — and has help with her little one on certain days of the week.

There is a strong network of other moms in business, and these days, a little kid noise in the background of a phone call is welcomed.

“There are so many women like us — moms doing their own things,” Sommer said. “When I first started and I first had Jake, I felt like I needed to lock him out or not answer the phone while he was around.”

Bartz added, “It’s not taboo anymore. It’s more of a bonding thing.”

Managing a home and a business has also allowed the women to hone their organizational and planning skills.

“It’s a tough trick, and you’re constantly wearing both hats and you never take one off,” Townsend said.

“Part of it is just being disciplined and carving out some time to be really focused on your work.”