Marie Jaster - Founder and Editor in Chief of Beige Feels the Online Magazine for opinion leading people and Brands.
us advice on how to embrace the unpredictability of family life and finding the balance between being mum alongside running her successful businesses.
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Q. We love BEIGE, can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it?
A. I founded BEIGE in 2018 with the aim of creating a digital home for our readers. It's an online magazine that aims to inspire, entertain and at the same time impart knowledge and values - but all as colourful and bold as possible. We write about topics like fashion, beauty, interior, but also our travel guides are very popular, as well as articles about art, culture and exciting people and brands. Since I'm pregnant, family will certainly get another thematic focus as well.
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Q. Becoming a Mum, alongside a successful Journalist career, how do you plan on managing the juggle of work and family life?
A. I am really very privileged because my boyfriend also works self-employed as an architect and my mum lives in the same city as we do.
So we don't have an exact plan, but we can let family life come to us and hopefully focus a lot on our child's needs, but at the same time continue to work flexibly.
Meetings and interviews are also doable with a baby, and my boyfriend (and my baby) will have to accompany me on press trips in the future, but so far I have only received support and understanding from my industry and my clients. And I know that this is not a matter of course. I am so thankful for it.
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Q. What do you think is the biggest challenge for Mothers in the work place? What more can be done to support them?
A. For others, it is certainly the attitude of their bosses and colleagues that part-time workers are less valued and often underestimated as mothers.
As a manager and self-employed person, it is certainly finding the balance between work and family, I already know that my own demands will challenge me the most - and the constant guilty conscience that I am not doing justice to either my child or my job.
The biggest support for me at this point is certainly that clients continue to book me and want to continue working with BEIGE, because collaborations with the online magazine and on Instagram are my livelihood, which I also use to finance my employees and freelancers. So I hope that as a mother I don't slip off the radar ...
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Q. How have you found your pregnancy?
A. I'm almost ashamed to say it sometimes, but my pregnancy was really so beautiful, I hardly had any complaints.
At the beginning, of course, I was very tired, extremely hungry and my circulation was weak, but the more pregnant I get, the better I feel.
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Q. What do you think is the biggest challenge faced by mothers in the workplace?
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A. I have especially felt this recently in the recent relaunch of our clean care company Stranded. The biggest challenge seems to be the mix of feelings in finding the balance –– the real feeling of mom guilt when you ask for help in order to make working possible, the passion of work shifting when you become a mama, and also trying to give my whole heart to my sweet baby and my devotion to work simultaneously.
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Q. How would you describe your style?
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A. I would say it's a mix of vintage, French chic and Danish playfulness, with one or the other dominating depending on my mood. Without jeans, I unfortunately had to distance myself a little from French chic, but I still somehow have the feeling that I have found myself a lot more during my pregnancy. In any case, crises in front of the wardrobe are much rarer than when I'm not pregnant.
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Q. What challenges have you faced when dressing during your pregnancy and how have you overcome them?
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A. I wouldn't call it a challenge, but rather a whole new feeling: I like to show my belly and no longer hide it. Being tummy-free is finally my thing - even if I realise that it still challenges the viewing habits of many people on the street. But hey, I honestly don't care!
7) What is your opinion on the current Maternity Wear Market?
It is a difficult market because it is a sensitive time for many women. Do you spend a lot of money for such a limited wearing time? Some like to wear more body-hugging things, others just the opposite. I would like to see more adaptive solutions, designs that can be worn for breastfeeding as well as during pregnancy - or end up changed again in your non-pregnant wardrobe.
I also think it would be great if big labels brought out their classics in maternity wear, after all, your tastes don't change immediately when you become a mother, you still want to feel like yourself and wear your favourite pieces.
8) Do you have any family traditions that you intend on continuing with your little one?
I don't know if you call it tradition, but I want to sing, cuddle and do a lot of cultural things with my child. I never knew boredom as a child and I am happy when my child is as creative, independent and at the same time cuddly as I was. A tradition of my own that I want to create, because I don't know it from my childhood, is to travel a lot. I want my child to see the world, understand other cultures and know what is worth fighting for in terms of climate protection.
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