March 11, 2025 • 33 mins
How can mothers find the support they truly need in a world that often leaves them feeling isolated?
In this inspiring episode, Melissa Joy sits down with Ariel Wan, founder of The Mamas Network, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a safe and empowering space for parents. Ariel shares her journey of building third spaces—welcoming environments where moms can connect, share experiences, and navigate the unique challenges of motherhood without fear or judgment.
We explore the economic realities of childcare, the balancing act of work and parenting, and why investing in community support is critical for modern moms. Ariel’s vision includes coworking spaces with onsite childcare, offering flexible solutions for parents striving to maintain both personal and professional fulfillment.
Key Takeaways:
✨ The power of community in reducing isolation for parents
✨ Why third spaces matter & how they help moms thrive
✨ Economic realities of childcare and the need for flexibility
✨ How The Mamas Network is bridging the gap for working moms
✨ The importance of investing in well-being & support networks
Join us for a meaningful conversation about motherhood, financial wellness, and the importance of strong communities. Don’t miss this episode! Subscribe now and let’s continue creating spaces where parents feel seen, heard, and supported.
The previous presentation by PEARL PLANNING was intended for general information purposes only. No portion of the presentation serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from PEARL PLANNING or any other investment professional of your choosing. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy, or any non-investment related or planning services, discussion or content, will be profitable, be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful. Neither PEARL PLANNING’s investment adviser registration status, nor any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed that a certain level of results or satisfaction will be achieved if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. PEARL PLANNING is neither a law firm nor accounting firm, and no portion of its services should be construed as legal or accounting advice. No portion of the video content should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if PEARL PLANNING is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A copy of PEARL PLANNING’s current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees is available upon request or at https:...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Melissa Joy (00:01):
Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast.
I'm Melissa Joy, a certifiedfinancial planner and the
founder of Pearl Planning.
My goal is to help youstreamline and organize your
finances, navigate big moneydecisions with confidence and be
strategic in order to grow yourwealth.
As a woman, you work hard foryour money and I'm here to help
(00:21):
you make the most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
And I'm here to help you makethe most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
Just a quick note before wedive in the information that we
share is meant to educate andinspire, not serve as
personalized financial advice.
Everyone's situation is unique,so be sure to consult with your
own financial professional forguidance that fits your life.
And just so you know, theopinions shared in this podcast
(00:44):
are my own and those of myguests, and they don't
necessarily represent those ofany organizations that I'm
affiliated with.
For more important disclosures,please go to our webpage at
pearlplancom.
Now let's get started.
Welcome back to the Women'sMoney Wisdom Podcast.
I'm thrilled today to be joinedby a creator, someone who's
(01:06):
making a new space, a newcommunity, and it's all about
space for moms.
But I think this episode reallycovers identity.
It covers some of the toughchoices that we make as
individuals and familiesthroughout a lifetime, and just
an interesting new idea in anonprofit format.
So we're going to talk a littlebit about the nuts and bolts of
(01:28):
that as well.
Ariel Wan is a communitybuilding and marketing
professional for nearly 20 years.
She's located out of Ann Arbor,michigan, and she founded and
runs a 501c3 nonprofitorganization called the Mamas
Network.
1c3 nonprofit organizationcalled the Mamas Network.
They are a support communitydedicated to making sure that no
(01:48):
woman or mom feels alone intheir journey through motherhood
.
Ariel, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you.
I'm so glad to have you hereand I've been watching on
socials you building this MamasNetwork.
I know that well.
You can talk about it, butyou're really looking to be
there, especially for newer momsor, you know, when you're in
(02:11):
that blocking and tackling zonewith younger kids and I've I've
aged out of that, but I see itall the time with my colleagues
at work who we have in theoffice mothers of
three-month-olds all the way upto grown and flown adults.
So tell me a little bit aboutthe Mamas Network and how it
(02:33):
came to be and why you'reinspired to support this
community.
Ariel Wan (02:37):
Yeah, so the Mamas Network.
I formally started it justactually a year ago, in March of
2024.
And it was a result of justbeing exasperated around the
lack of formal support for womenwith children.
I used to go to, I used toattend an in-person mom support
(03:01):
group that unfortunately,because of COVID and, like you
know, funding declines, itstayed virtual and they were not
able to bring it back in personbecause their primary focus is
on all the other issues andproblems that women face.
And you know, this specificjourney in that point in your
(03:22):
life is just like a very smallpoint.
But to my world and otherparents who, you know, just
entered parenthood, this is allof their lives, this is a new
condition of our life that tothis day still has no formal
support.
And I think it's becausepreviously you kind of relied on
your family, your network ofrelatives, your village nearby,
(03:45):
but now, because we're sotransient and people are moving
or more mobile, we are leavingour, you know, like traditional
villages of people that we kindof grow up with and now we are
kind of like isolated and alone.
I think COVID really enhancedthat.
I think COVID really enhancedthat and I just kind of you know
(04:28):
, I was just kind of tired ofthere not say is everyone feels
this way, it is completelynormal, and if you talk to other
people you'll feel so muchbetter about it, and then you
can like create your own villageand figure out life as parents
together, and so that's kind oflike the basic foundation of
what basically a supportcommunity is and what I want to
create with the Mamas Network.
Melissa Joy (04:47):
You know that loneliness.
A couple of things come to mind.
One I remember being a workingmom of young kids, dropping off
at the beginning of daycare, andI had a commute at the time
when my kids were before schooldaycare age of an hour so I
really wouldn't be there for thepickup and I just remember
(05:09):
there wasn't that network.
Of course I had friends, likeyou know, in text chains, but I
didn't have the same communitythat you have.
If you have time for the momsgroups and things like that that
are kind of set aside for thosewho are staying home with the
kids, things like that that arekind of set aside for those who
are staying home with the kids,and so you know that having
(05:33):
something that is a physicallocation or planned activities
but also is welcoming to peoplewho are staying home with the
kids but also working people,can be so impactful to give that
space for you to relate toother people going through your
same circumstances.
Ariel Wan (05:48):
Yeah, and you know the.
While a lot of the supportiveservices are geared towards new
parents or parents of young kids, the Mamas Network welcomes
moms and parents from all stagesof parenthood.
(06:09):
The idea with this nonprofit islike we are here for you and we
understand that being moms,being dads, life is nuts and
sometimes you might not respondto a text message in months, but
that doesn't mean therelationship is over and we
understand that and so we'rejust here for you.
So when you are free, when youhave that time, like know that
(06:33):
there is somewhere for you to go, that you will be with good
people who will understand lifeand who you don't have to
apologize constantly to because,like, we all get it and it's
just there's something reallyspecial to um, go into like a
third space where you walk inand people just like understand
(06:53):
and um, and you don't have tolike constantly explain yourself
or apologize or feel on edge orunease that your kid might be
running around and beingdisruptive, because everyone
who's there experiences that andeveryone's totally chill about
it and it just makes you feel somuch more comfortable and that
makes you more open to sharingand making you more open to new
(07:17):
experiences and meeting newpeople and because the moms
network is a support communityat all of our events.
When people walk in they knowthat like it's a safe space well
, can you describe a little bitmore?
Melissa Joy (07:30):
I know the journey is a newer one, um, in terms of
kind of rolling out and buildingthe support network that is, um
, the mama's network.
What does it look like, um?
And?
Or will it look like because Iknow?
And or will it look like causeI know you're you're working on
a permanent location and whattype of events are you doing?
Um, so just give us a littlelike a rundown of how it looks
(07:51):
and feels, um, yeah.
Ariel Wan (07:54):
So, um, right now, I guess, like if you asked me, and
like, well, right now, um, I domonthly and weekly events.
So we do weekly support groupsfor moms and babies every
Tuesday and Thursday, and then amonthly Saturday one for, like,
the working parents that can'tmake it during the days, and
(08:16):
then, monthly, like every month,we do at least one or two all
family activities.
So, like the moms that we meet,for the moms only things we get
to meet their entire family, andall of our family events are
designed in a way that the kidscan play with some sort of like
organized activity and theadults can like get like a
(08:37):
mental load off and know thattheir kids are playing safe and
they're like within eye.
You know, like we can see them,but there's only like one door
where they can leave and youknow, go in, go out, and so you
can actually enjoy your timetalking to other parents and, um
, you know, grabbing food,sharing, you know, drinks it's
just a lot of fun.
Um, and we do at least one ortwo of those a month.
(09:00):
Um, right now, we do one insideof a homes campus so parents
can like play ping pong andcornhole and then the kids get
to play with kiddo kinetics whocomes in and does like active,
like sports activities with them.
Melissa Joy (09:16):
So, just as a pause , holmes campus for those of you
who are located in SoutheastMichigan is a really cool like
big open concept brewery andcommunity gathering space.
Um, that's newer.
That has a lot of well whenit's not um winter in michigan,
a room to run around to, but um,uh, I, it's just a nice open
(09:40):
welcoming.
Ariel Wan (09:41):
Yeah, and they recently opened up their like
event space, so it's just likethis huge indoor warehouse yeah.
Yeah, Like a warehouse and justhas, you know, like ping pong
tables and cornhole and justlike and they do like really
random activities in there too,which is like really fun.
So it's just like anotherreally great space.
And they are also wanting to bemore inclusive to parents with
(10:06):
the condition called children.
Melissa Joy (10:09):
Yes, it's a permanent condition, isn't it?
Ariel Wan (10:11):
It is a permanent condition and that's why I was
like we need to supportcommunity for this condition.
Melissa Joy (10:16):
On your website you describe that this is a third
place outside of home and work.
Can you talk a little bit?
I just love that concept and Ihaven't thought about it.
But sometimes you can cram outthat extra.
You know the other places thatyou go when you change into.
You know the world of parenting, so I love that concept.
Ariel Wan (10:39):
Yeah, you know it's all about your identity and you
know the third space concept islike who you are.
you know who your identity isand because your first, your
first place is your home and solike.
For us it's like our home life,our like mom life, our like
wife life, home life, and youare a certain type of person for
(11:01):
that mode.
And um, your second mode isyour work life or whatever you
do to keep busy, and so somestay-at-home parents, their work
life and their home life is thesame, especially if you work
from home too or you go into anoffice and you have your own
kind of identity at work.
A lot of working parents whohave new parents, like myself,
(11:25):
like I felt more comfortable atwork than I was at home with my
newborn because I didn't knowwhat to do with my newborn.
But I can handle work, I knowwork.
Melissa Joy (11:35):
I've always been much more comfortable in my work
identity than the journey as aparent.
Ariel Wan (11:41):
Right, Right.
And so the third space is thatlike that space for you where
you can go and just be yourself,not be mom, not be, you know,
director of this, not beresponsible for anything else is
just for you.
And you know, post COVID, Ithink that's really eliminated a
lot of third spaces or evengotten people out of the habit
(12:04):
of going to a third space.
And so, like third spacestraditionally have been, you
know, like churches, bars,restaurants, clubs, that kind of
space, libraries, you knowwherever you want to go.
And you know, when I startedthe Mamas Network, I, you know,
very quickly saw that there areso many great community
(12:27):
locations, businesses, spaces,there's so much space, but
they're all closed a lot of thetimes and it's like, why not
make these spaces more open?
And, you know, just workingwith local partners, we were
able to turn some of theselocations into our mama's third
spaces and it becomes like aroutine monthly thing, so that
(12:51):
they look forward to gathering,they look forward to going to
this space and they know thatthey're going to like meet
really great people and havegreat conversations.
Melissa Joy (13:01):
I love it.
Where are you going next?
How are you so?
You've kind of collaborated andco-opted with other
organizations or companies sothat you can create these third
spaces, these events.
What's next for the MamasNetwork?
And I'm particularly interestedin the co-working idea that
(13:24):
you're building out.
Ariel Wan (13:26):
Yeah, so I'm really excited.
I mean, because of the greatpartnerships that I've been
working with, I've been able todo so much within the last year
and to serve as many parents aspossible.
And we started a pilot programin October of last year in 24, a
co-work with onsite childcareconcept where you leave your,
(13:50):
you bring your kid, your littlekid, like baby, to up to five,
basically like under elementaryschool aged, and you leave them
in this like playroom, and thenyou go to a different room next
door and you work and that's theconcept.
Melissa Joy (14:06):
And it's kind of like is it like I mean at the
gym where there's?
Ariel Wan (14:10):
Yeah, it's like, it's like the gym, you know you drag
your kid off in the play areaand then you go work out for an
hour or two and then you pickyour kid up and leave and you
know, and if your kid likeneeded you, they find you and
then you can like take care ofyour child.
And yeah, it's the same concept, except that you're working and
because of that, the becauseparents are on site we are not
(14:38):
limited and restricted by all ofthe childcare licensing fees
and rules and regulations, andthat's what really kills the
affordability aspect of childcare.
But because the parents are onsite and they are there to help
take care of their kids whenneeded, we don't need to do that
because they're there andthat's how we're able to make it
(14:58):
really affordable.
So the next step is I've signeda lease and we are moving into
a permanent space of our own tooffer co-working with child care
.
Full day, full time Amazing.
So it'll be Monday throughFriday.
The hours to start will be nineto four.
I hope to eventually openearlier because I know,
(15:19):
especially the parents of youngchildren they're probably awake
at 530 in the morning, theparents of young children,
they're probably awake at 5 30in the morning, and so they're
all looking to like, you know,like if I can get some work done
at 6 am or 7 am and be donewith my day by like 11 or 1,
like that would be wonderful,that would be so flexible and
that would be a really greatoption.
So we are, um, we're currentlyin the process of getting space
(15:43):
ready and we will be open inApril, so within like a month.
Melissa Joy (15:49):
Amazing Congratulations.
Thank you when you, when wetalk about so, since we're a
money podcast as well talk to meabout the economics of that
type of arrangement versus, youknow, full-time childcare where
you drop your kid off and leave.
Ariel Wan (16:09):
Yeah, so full-time childcare.
Like I was just looking at myown daycare bill, I have a
three-year-old in full-timedaycare and it is it's $317 a
week.
Melissa Joy (16:25):
And we're at.
Ariel Wan (16:26):
I was going to say we're at one of the most like
reasonably priced daycares, likeone of the lowest price
daycares, and it's still $317 aweek and thankfully my daycare
is one of those daycares thatlike never closes and they have
like their own generator, sowe're just so grateful.
But there's so many daycaresI'm finding that close on the
same schedule as the publicschool schedule right and the
(16:50):
public school schedule closeslike all the time.
Me, as a parent of like asix-year-old now, have learned
that they close all the time.
And then when they close, whatare you supposed to do?
You still work, um, and so,like little break.
My, my little break concept isgonna help parents of with older
kids too.
That they have like an option.
(17:10):
It's like a backup, asupplemental care, um, so, my,
um, my membership range, so mydaily, if you just want to drop
in that day, it's $50 and it's aday pass just for the entire
day.
Compare that to like if youlast minute needed a babysitter
to watch your kid all day.
That's like minimum $20, $25 anhour.
Melissa Joy (17:33):
Oh yeah, and you can't find one.
Ariel Wan (17:35):
Right and you can't find one last minute Exactly,
like, even if you had the money,the availability is scarce, um,
uh, so it's a 50 day pass.
And then, um, for those parentsthat want to either support us
more consistently or needsomething more consistent and
don't really want to think aboutit like do that daily, like, oh
(17:56):
, I gotta do this today, weoffer memberships and it starts
at there's two membership levels.
One is a $99 a month level,which gives you one free day
pass, and then subsequent daypasses are just $25.
And then the other one is $299a month.
So, basically, for $300 a month, you get unlimited access.
(18:16):
So, um, you just reserve aheadof time and then it's just free
after that.
And, um, there's so many otherbenefits to it.
I mean, in addition to beingpart of a wonderful community,
um, we also will have a parentsden, which is like a parents
only space for, like, grouptherapy, uh, venting together,
(18:40):
taking n naps, working on acouch, like you can do whatever
you want in this space.
And then we also are going tohave a support and therapy room,
which one of two things canhappen Either a provider can go
in that space and use it forone-on-one consultations or
therapy sessions, and if theclient needed child watch, we
(19:01):
have child watch during the day.
Or a member and a parent canuse that room for their own like
virtual, like telehealth orvirtual therapy or a couple's
therapy, and if they need achild watch during that time, we
have it during the day, and soit's just.
You know it's a parent centriccenter and so everything is
(19:22):
really focused on like, how canwe help you be awesome Because
you are now a parent.
Melissa Joy (19:28):
I feel like you're going to be overrun.
I'm assuming there are limitswhen you know like you have to
reserve in advance so you knowthat the headcount is right or
things like that, because snowdays would be like everybody's
on it right.
Ariel Wan (19:40):
yes, so we have max capacities and that's why we
were um, we request, we requireeveryone to reserve, and so,
like with membership, onunlimited membership, you get to
reserve like way ahead of time,um the 99 membership.
You can reserve um, like, Ithink, like one or two days
ahead of time and then, like thedrop-ins are just the day of I
(20:01):
love it.
Melissa Joy (20:02):
Um, you're filling a need that we have so much
there's.
There's just unlimited um demandand, yes, it, there are so many
compromises people make to makethe money of parenting work.
Um, we were discussing as wewere preparing for the call.
I really feel like women tendto be at that fulcrum point
(20:25):
where they are the ones who kindof give, whether it's less
career ambition or I mean,there's still the same ambition,
but just, you know, makingchoices that may limit career
expansion and thus theirexpansion of human capital,
decisions to switch fromfull-time work to part-time or
(20:46):
staying home, and there's nojudgment to that if that's your
plan.
But if that is a compromise andthus makes you more vulnerable,
you know, if there's a changein your relationship status or
you have additional needs whenit comes to caring for aging
parents and things like that,there's just so much you take on
(21:06):
that is just kind of there's noconversation, it's not a oh,
here's the trade-offs, it's justlike I guess this is what I'll
do.
And then we see that ongoingfor women who live longer than
men and then have, you know,diminished economic power in
some cases because of it, right?
Ariel Wan (21:24):
So I feel like you're giving space for more.
Right, yeah, it's like I.
I want to support you so that,if you feel like I want women to
be empowered, I want them tofeel like they have options and
that they don't have to makethese huge sacrifices that are
(21:45):
everlasting impacts on theirfuture life and their future
earnings because of it, and soI'm really hoping that this
nonprofit that I'm building willbe there to support parents,
support the women, so that theycan they don't they.
They just have more options andthen they can fully, you know,
be what they want to do.
Melissa Joy (22:05):
I love that it's it's it is all about options,
because there's everybody hasdifferent right fit for what
they choose.
But if you don't have options,that's just the tragic part.
Tell me a little bit aboutcause.
I have so many clients, and I'msure listeners too, who have a
dream or an idea and they'relike this really would be a
great to be a nonprofit.
(22:26):
Um, but there are so manylogistics when it comes to
running a nonprofit getting itoff the ground, how do you fund
it?
And there's a lot of theoperations are very, in many
cases, if done effectively,entrepreneurial.
It's like running a business.
So tell me about that journeywhat have, how did you get
(22:47):
started and what have been thesurprises?
Either positive or negative.
Ariel Wan (22:52):
Yeah, when I.
So when I when I first starteddoing this, it took me a bit to
realize that I was being anentrepreneur.
Like it didn't occur to me thatlike, oh, I started a nonprofit
business, like, oh, it's abusiness, like I'm still an
entrepreneur.
And then I quickly learned thatentrepreneurship is like
terrifying and exciting at thesame time.
Melissa Joy (23:11):
It sure is.
Ariel Wan (23:12):
It's a journey.
Right, it is such a journey andyou know that itself.
Also, I've found my communityof like other moms who are
entrepreneurs, so it's beenreally nice to like meet those
people.
But when I when first thinkingabout like this business and
what I wanted to do, decidingwhether or not it was going to
(23:33):
be a for-profit or anon-for-profit was a very big,
important decision, and I thinka lot of people, when deciding
on whether or not to create anLLC, like to create your own for
profit business or nonprofit.
The biggest thought, and I thinkthe differentiator, is like,
why are you doing this?
Like, why, what is the businessLike, what are you meant to
achieve?
(23:53):
And I wanted to create anonprofit because I wanted
something to last beyond just meand I also wanted it to be a
nonprofit because I wanted tomake sure that it was mission
first.
So I think philosophically, thedifference, the biggest
(24:14):
difference between a nonprofitand for profit company is
nonprofit.
Your main priority is to servethe people and then your
secondary.
Any secondary priorities arewould be to find the money to
serve the people, and afor-profit is your primary goal
is to make profits, and thenyour secondary, if you want to,
(24:40):
is to like, do good and like anddo good for your community.
But those are all secondary.
Your first priority is still tomake money, and I like the
nonprofit philosophy where Ineed to make money to serve
people, people.
(25:01):
And I think like when you startit with that right mindset,
we're going to be able to help alot of people.
But then the second part aboutstarting a nonprofit business, I
think is it would be reallygreat to have for-profit
business experience, because Ithink the biggest pitfalls in
nonprofit organizations andmanagement is everyone starts a
nonprofit organization with theright intentions.
They all want to do it becausethey want to help people.
(25:22):
There's like a need they'refeeling, so there's a lot of
passion.
A lot of times it personallyaffected them and that's why
they wanted to start thenonprofit um, and so there might
not be as much like businesssavviness operational like right
, like the, the nitty-gritty,like what actually runs the
(25:42):
business, and I and I encountera lot of non-profit business
owners who just want to do thework but, um, like the little
important, the little stuffthat's like annoying but like
really important and crucial tolike the future, like longevity,
longevity of your nonprofit,like that's the stuff that
they're not very good at and nordo they even want to do but
(26:03):
they struggle with like havingthe funds to pay someone to do
it versus them just kind of likedoing it themselves.
Melissa Joy (26:11):
Makes sense For your nonprofit kind of vision
over time, will you?
Obviously there's a people arepaying to do your services, and
then two other traditionalsources of funding for
non-profits are either, um, youknow, donation initiatives,
fundraising, as well as grantsum are you kind of going to be
(26:33):
all three legs of that stool oris more of the membership kind
of driving the revenue of theorganization what's yeah?
Ariel Wan (26:43):
well, the, the hope is that the uh co-working will
be the main revenue source forthe non-profit and that kind of
becomes the like hub and um.
I I plan on doing expansionsinto like opening up multiple
centers in like differentneighborhoods where there's a
(27:08):
lot of need, um, so, and then atthat center, then that center
becomes the mama's network hubas well, and so we will be
providing, you know, like thesame supportive services and
gatherings for the parents inthat area, um, and then so like
any kind of donations andsponsorship, those like
traditional fundraising is tofundraise for all of our
(27:30):
supportive services, making alittle break, more, even more
accessible, and reach evenfurther the parents that cannot
afford.
Like you know, we have parentsthat can afford it because they
work.
We have parents that arepart-time, so they know that
it's an investment.
But then there's also thestay-at-home parents that have a
really hard time justifyingtime for themselves, but they
need it as well.
(27:52):
So, true, and and like andsupporting them, and you know
there's a lot of likestay-at-home parents that want
to.
They're thinking about takingthat next step of going back to
work or, you know, doingsomething else.
But if that chicken or egg youknow it's like do I find a job
and then find daycare, or do Ilike get care and then find a
job?
Melissa Joy (28:10):
because you, you can't do it at the same time you
can't go to interviews withyour kid on your hip right like
right, exactly, and so like um.
Ariel Wan (28:16):
at our program here we had so many parents come in
to do job interviews, to dovirtual job interviews and
prepare for it, and then I wantto be able to provide that for
more and more parents and to doit for people that cannot afford
that $50 day pass, for example.
Melissa Joy (28:37):
Well, kudos for being an integral link in a more
healthy, holistic, welcomingcommunity.
I also love that you'relocation-based, because I think
so many things have and I'mdefinitely guilty of this, you
know kind of reverted to virtual, which I think is a blessing in
many cases.
But there is something to besaid about having that friend
(28:58):
that you can meet up for coffeeor book group.
I know you're facilitating thatwith the programs that you do
and there's so much emphasis onwell-being and your mission.
Ariel Wan (29:09):
Yeah, and another emphasis on is just like it's
all very chill, like I have asign whenever you come to any of
our events, the sign says yay,you made it.
Melissa Joy (29:22):
That's all you needed to do.
Just get.
That's all you need to do.
Ariel Wan (29:24):
You just needed to make it because like it's so,
like that's the hardest partabout this period of our lives.
With young kids it may not bedifferent, and the degree of
difficulty in many casesincreases in certain aspects of
life, when, wherever you are inyour journey.
You know like we'll always behere.
You know, there was a mom thatI haven't seen in months and I
(30:03):
saw her yesterday at one of theevents that I saw her at and I
was like, oh my gosh, I haven'tseen you so long.
She was like, oh, like, I hadsurgery, I had this.
This came up, that came up.
It's just been crazy.
And she's like but I finallymade it and I'm like, yes, you
did, and I'm so glad you're here.
Melissa Joy (30:19):
That's amazing and when you have that connection
you know you can always openthat door back.
If you have that chillexistence where it's not like
what have you done for me latelyit's more like I'm so excited
to see you.
Ariel Wan (30:30):
Exactly, and you know there's a lot of.
I think I also see there's alot of fear from like negative
experiences of pastrelationships where people have
just kind of like you've kind oflike lost friends because time
has passed.
But in like this journey oflike parenthood, like time moves
at weird speeds but like it'sjust really comforting for these
(30:51):
moms and these dads to knowthat like we'll always be there
for you and there'll always be afamiliar face and we'll always
welcome you in.
We're never gonna be oh, wehaven't seen you in a while.
Like time has passed, you'reout of the loop now.
Yeah, right.
Melissa Joy (31:06):
Well, and if I could just say, I think one of
the messages that I'd like ourlisteners to hear, for whatever
stage of life you're in,whatever your identity is,
whether you're a parent or notis investing in yourself has
rewards and it also in somecases, you may need to have a
conversation with a financialprofessional, with your spouse
or partner, with your community,to make that investment
(31:30):
possible.
Because, while you have amazingrates for membership, it still
is a cost.
But considering your money tobe a resource and knowing that
that resource is there not onlyto pay the bills but also to
invest in your own well-being, Ithink, is the modern money
(31:50):
concept that it's reallyimportant for you to understand,
because your well-being isprobably the most valuable part
of wealth, even more so thanwhat your bottom line is and
things like that.
Ariel Wan (32:04):
Absolutely.
Melissa Joy (32:06):
Ariel, where can people find you?
In the Mamas Network?
Follow along and or, you know,check it out.
Ariel Wan (32:14):
Yeah, so themamasnetworkorg.
You can also follow us onInstagram, which is the
mamasnetwork, underscore A2.
And Facebook and LinkedIn areboth the mamasnetwork.
Melissa Joy (32:25):
I love it.
So we're so excited to seewhat's next for the mamasnetwork
.
I know we'll be saying we had aconversation with you way back
when, as you're expanding andreally spreading this message of
acceptance and investing backin yourself to more families
over time.
Yes, thank you.
(32:46):
Thank you for listening to theWomen's Money Wisdom Podcast.
If you found value in thisepisode.
The best way you can supportthe podcast is to forward an
episode to a friend or leave areview.
(33:08):
Go to pearlplancom and thepodcast link to get all the
resources and links mentioned.
Welcome to the Women's Money Wisdom Podcast.
I'm Melissa Joy, a certifiedfinancial planner and the
founder of Pearl Planning.
My goal is to help youstreamline and organize your
finances, navigate big moneydecisions with confidence and be
strategic in order to grow yourwealth.
As a woman, you work hard foryour money and I'm here to help
(00:21):
you make the most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
And I'm here to help you makethe most of it.
Now let's get into the show.
Just a quick note before wedive in the information that we
share is meant to educate andinspire, not serve as
personalized financial advice.
Everyone's situation is unique,so be sure to consult with your
own financial professional forguidance that fits your life.
And just so you know, theopinions shared in this podcast
(00:44):
are my own and those of myguests, and they don't
necessarily represent those ofany organizations that I'm
affiliated with.
For more important disclosures,please go to our webpage at
pearlplancom.
Now let's get started.
Welcome back to the Women'sMoney Wisdom Podcast.
I'm thrilled today to be joinedby a creator, someone who's
(01:06):
making a new space, a newcommunity, and it's all about
space for moms.
But I think this episode reallycovers identity.
It covers some of the toughchoices that we make as
individuals and familiesthroughout a lifetime, and just
an interesting new idea in anonprofit format.
So we're going to talk a littlebit about the nuts and bolts of
(01:28):
that as well.
Ariel Wan is a communitybuilding and marketing
professional for nearly 20 years.
She's located out of Ann Arbor,michigan, and she founded and
runs a 501c3 nonprofitorganization called the Mamas
Network.
1c3 nonprofit organizationcalled the Mamas Network.
They are a support communitydedicated to making sure that no
(01:48):
woman or mom feels alone intheir journey through motherhood
.
Ariel, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you.
I'm so glad to have you hereand I've been watching on
socials you building this MamasNetwork.
I know that well.
You can talk about it, butyou're really looking to be
there, especially for newer momsor, you know, when you're in
(02:11):
that blocking and tackling zonewith younger kids and I've I've
aged out of that, but I see itall the time with my colleagues
at work who we have in theoffice mothers of
three-month-olds all the way upto grown and flown adults.
So tell me a little bit aboutthe Mamas Network and how it
(02:33):
came to be and why you'reinspired to support this
community.
Ariel Wan (02:37):
Yeah, so the Mamas Network.
I formally started it justactually a year ago, in March of
2024.
And it was a result of justbeing exasperated around the
lack of formal support for womenwith children.
I used to go to, I used toattend an in-person mom support
(03:01):
group that unfortunately,because of COVID and, like you
know, funding declines, itstayed virtual and they were not
able to bring it back in personbecause their primary focus is
on all the other issues andproblems that women face.
And you know, this specificjourney in that point in your
(03:22):
life is just like a very smallpoint.
But to my world and otherparents who, you know, just
entered parenthood, this is allof their lives, this is a new
condition of our life that tothis day still has no formal
support.
And I think it's becausepreviously you kind of relied on
your family, your network ofrelatives, your village nearby,
(03:45):
but now, because we're sotransient and people are moving
or more mobile, we are leavingour, you know, like traditional
villages of people that we kindof grow up with and now we are
kind of like isolated and alone.
I think COVID really enhancedthat.
I think COVID really enhancedthat and I just kind of you know
(04:28):
, I was just kind of tired ofthere not say is everyone feels
this way, it is completelynormal, and if you talk to other
people you'll feel so muchbetter about it, and then you
can like create your own villageand figure out life as parents
together, and so that's kind oflike the basic foundation of
what basically a supportcommunity is and what I want to
create with the Mamas Network.
Melissa Joy (04:47):
You know that loneliness.
A couple of things come to mind.
One I remember being a workingmom of young kids, dropping off
at the beginning of daycare, andI had a commute at the time
when my kids were before schooldaycare age of an hour so I
really wouldn't be there for thepickup and I just remember
(05:09):
there wasn't that network.
Of course I had friends, likeyou know, in text chains, but I
didn't have the same communitythat you have.
If you have time for the momsgroups and things like that that
are kind of set aside for thosewho are staying home with the
kids, things like that that arekind of set aside for those who
are staying home with the kids,and so you know that having
(05:33):
something that is a physicallocation or planned activities
but also is welcoming to peoplewho are staying home with the
kids but also working people,can be so impactful to give that
space for you to relate toother people going through your
same circumstances.
Ariel Wan (05:48):
Yeah, and you know the.
While a lot of the supportiveservices are geared towards new
parents or parents of young kids, the Mamas Network welcomes
moms and parents from all stagesof parenthood.
(06:09):
The idea with this nonprofit islike we are here for you and we
understand that being moms,being dads, life is nuts and
sometimes you might not respondto a text message in months, but
that doesn't mean therelationship is over and we
understand that and so we'rejust here for you.
So when you are free, when youhave that time, like know that
(06:33):
there is somewhere for you to go, that you will be with good
people who will understand lifeand who you don't have to
apologize constantly to because,like, we all get it and it's
just there's something reallyspecial to um, go into like a
third space where you walk inand people just like understand
(06:53):
and um, and you don't have tolike constantly explain yourself
or apologize or feel on edge orunease that your kid might be
running around and beingdisruptive, because everyone
who's there experiences that andeveryone's totally chill about
it and it just makes you feel somuch more comfortable and that
makes you more open to sharingand making you more open to new
(07:17):
experiences and meeting newpeople and because the moms
network is a support communityat all of our events.
When people walk in they knowthat like it's a safe space well
, can you describe a little bitmore?
Melissa Joy (07:30):
I know the journey is a newer one, um, in terms of
kind of rolling out and buildingthe support network that is, um
, the mama's network.
What does it look like, um?
And?
Or will it look like because Iknow?
And or will it look like causeI know you're you're working on
a permanent location and whattype of events are you doing?
Um, so just give us a littlelike a rundown of how it looks
(07:51):
and feels, um, yeah.
Ariel Wan (07:54):
So, um, right now, I guess, like if you asked me, and
like, well, right now, um, I domonthly and weekly events.
So we do weekly support groupsfor moms and babies every
Tuesday and Thursday, and then amonthly Saturday one for, like,
the working parents that can'tmake it during the days, and
(08:16):
then, monthly, like every month,we do at least one or two all
family activities.
So, like the moms that we meet,for the moms only things we get
to meet their entire family, andall of our family events are
designed in a way that the kidscan play with some sort of like
organized activity and theadults can like get like a
(08:37):
mental load off and know thattheir kids are playing safe and
they're like within eye.
You know, like we can see them,but there's only like one door
where they can leave and youknow, go in, go out, and so you
can actually enjoy your timetalking to other parents and, um
, you know, grabbing food,sharing, you know, drinks it's
just a lot of fun.
Um, and we do at least one ortwo of those a month.
(09:00):
Um, right now, we do one insideof a homes campus so parents
can like play ping pong andcornhole and then the kids get
to play with kiddo kinetics whocomes in and does like active,
like sports activities with them.
Melissa Joy (09:16):
So, just as a pause , holmes campus for those of you
who are located in SoutheastMichigan is a really cool like
big open concept brewery andcommunity gathering space.
Um, that's newer.
That has a lot of well whenit's not um winter in michigan,
a room to run around to, but um,uh, I, it's just a nice open
(09:40):
welcoming.
Ariel Wan (09:41):
Yeah, and they recently opened up their like
event space, so it's just likethis huge indoor warehouse yeah.
Yeah, Like a warehouse and justhas, you know, like ping pong
tables and cornhole and justlike and they do like really
random activities in there too,which is like really fun.
So it's just like anotherreally great space.
And they are also wanting to bemore inclusive to parents with
(10:06):
the condition called children.
Melissa Joy (10:09):
Yes, it's a permanent condition, isn't it?
Ariel Wan (10:11):
It is a permanent condition and that's why I was
like we need to supportcommunity for this condition.
Melissa Joy (10:16):
On your website you describe that this is a third
place outside of home and work.
Can you talk a little bit?
I just love that concept and Ihaven't thought about it.
But sometimes you can cram outthat extra.
You know the other places thatyou go when you change into.
You know the world of parenting, so I love that concept.
Ariel Wan (10:39):
Yeah, you know it's all about your identity and you
know the third space concept islike who you are.
you know who your identity isand because your first, your
first place is your home and solike.
For us it's like our home life,our like mom life, our like
wife life, home life, and youare a certain type of person for
(11:01):
that mode.
And um, your second mode isyour work life or whatever you
do to keep busy, and so somestay-at-home parents, their work
life and their home life is thesame, especially if you work
from home too or you go into anoffice and you have your own
kind of identity at work.
A lot of working parents whohave new parents, like myself,
(11:25):
like I felt more comfortable atwork than I was at home with my
newborn because I didn't knowwhat to do with my newborn.
But I can handle work, I knowwork.
Melissa Joy (11:35):
I've always been much more comfortable in my work
identity than the journey as aparent.
Ariel Wan (11:41):
Right, Right.
And so the third space is thatlike that space for you where
you can go and just be yourself,not be mom, not be, you know,
director of this, not beresponsible for anything else is
just for you.
And you know, post COVID, Ithink that's really eliminated a
lot of third spaces or evengotten people out of the habit
(12:04):
of going to a third space.
And so, like third spacestraditionally have been, you
know, like churches, bars,restaurants, clubs, that kind of
space, libraries, you knowwherever you want to go.
And you know, when I startedthe Mamas Network, I, you know,
very quickly saw that there areso many great community
(12:27):
locations, businesses, spaces,there's so much space, but
they're all closed a lot of thetimes and it's like, why not
make these spaces more open?
And, you know, just workingwith local partners, we were
able to turn some of theselocations into our mama's third
spaces and it becomes like aroutine monthly thing, so that
(12:51):
they look forward to gathering,they look forward to going to
this space and they know thatthey're going to like meet
really great people and havegreat conversations.
Melissa Joy (13:01):
I love it.
Where are you going next?
How are you so?
You've kind of collaborated andco-opted with other
organizations or companies sothat you can create these third
spaces, these events.
What's next for the MamasNetwork?
And I'm particularly interestedin the co-working idea that
(13:24):
you're building out.
Ariel Wan (13:26):
Yeah, so I'm really excited.
I mean, because of the greatpartnerships that I've been
working with, I've been able todo so much within the last year
and to serve as many parents aspossible.
And we started a pilot programin October of last year in 24, a
co-work with onsite childcareconcept where you leave your,
(13:50):
you bring your kid, your littlekid, like baby, to up to five,
basically like under elementaryschool aged, and you leave them
in this like playroom, and thenyou go to a different room next
door and you work and that's theconcept.
Melissa Joy (14:06):
And it's kind of like is it like I mean at the
gym where there's?
Ariel Wan (14:10):
Yeah, it's like, it's like the gym, you know you drag
your kid off in the play areaand then you go work out for an
hour or two and then you pickyour kid up and leave and you
know, and if your kid likeneeded you, they find you and
then you can like take care ofyour child.
And yeah, it's the same concept, except that you're working and
because of that, the becauseparents are on site we are not
(14:38):
limited and restricted by all ofthe childcare licensing fees
and rules and regulations, andthat's what really kills the
affordability aspect of childcare.
But because the parents are onsite and they are there to help
take care of their kids whenneeded, we don't need to do that
because they're there andthat's how we're able to make it
(14:58):
really affordable.
So the next step is I've signeda lease and we are moving into
a permanent space of our own tooffer co-working with child care
.
Full day, full time Amazing.
So it'll be Monday throughFriday.
The hours to start will be nineto four.
I hope to eventually openearlier because I know,
(15:19):
especially the parents of youngchildren they're probably awake
at 530 in the morning, theparents of young children,
they're probably awake at 5 30in the morning, and so they're
all looking to like, you know,like if I can get some work done
at 6 am or 7 am and be donewith my day by like 11 or 1,
like that would be wonderful,that would be so flexible and
that would be a really greatoption.
So we are, um, we're currentlyin the process of getting space
(15:43):
ready and we will be open inApril, so within like a month.
Melissa Joy (15:49):
Amazing Congratulations.
Thank you when you, when wetalk about so, since we're a
money podcast as well talk to meabout the economics of that
type of arrangement versus, youknow, full-time childcare where
you drop your kid off and leave.
Ariel Wan (16:09):
Yeah, so full-time childcare.
Like I was just looking at myown daycare bill, I have a
three-year-old in full-timedaycare and it is it's $317 a
week.
Melissa Joy (16:25):
And we're at.
Ariel Wan (16:26):
I was going to say we're at one of the most like
reasonably priced daycares, likeone of the lowest price
daycares, and it's still $317 aweek and thankfully my daycare
is one of those daycares thatlike never closes and they have
like their own generator, sowe're just so grateful.
But there's so many daycaresI'm finding that close on the
same schedule as the publicschool schedule right and the
(16:50):
public school schedule closeslike all the time.
Me, as a parent of like asix-year-old now, have learned
that they close all the time.
And then when they close, whatare you supposed to do?
You still work, um, and so,like little break.
My, my little break concept isgonna help parents of with older
kids too.
That they have like an option.
(17:10):
It's like a backup, asupplemental care, um, so, my,
um, my membership range, so mydaily, if you just want to drop
in that day, it's $50 and it's aday pass just for the entire
day.
Compare that to like if youlast minute needed a babysitter
to watch your kid all day.
That's like minimum $20, $25 anhour.
Melissa Joy (17:33):
Oh yeah, and you can't find one.
Ariel Wan (17:35):
Right and you can't find one last minute Exactly,
like, even if you had the money,the availability is scarce, um,
uh, so it's a 50 day pass.
And then, um, for those parentsthat want to either support us
more consistently or needsomething more consistent and
don't really want to think aboutit like do that daily, like, oh
(17:56):
, I gotta do this today, weoffer memberships and it starts
at there's two membership levels.
One is a $99 a month level,which gives you one free day
pass, and then subsequent daypasses are just $25.
And then the other one is $299a month.
So, basically, for $300 a month, you get unlimited access.
(18:16):
So, um, you just reserve aheadof time and then it's just free
after that.
And, um, there's so many otherbenefits to it.
I mean, in addition to beingpart of a wonderful community,
um, we also will have a parentsden, which is like a parents
only space for, like, grouptherapy, uh, venting together,
(18:40):
taking n naps, working on acouch, like you can do whatever
you want in this space.
And then we also are going tohave a support and therapy room,
which one of two things canhappen Either a provider can go
in that space and use it forone-on-one consultations or
therapy sessions, and if theclient needed child watch, we
(19:01):
have child watch during the day.
Or a member and a parent canuse that room for their own like
virtual, like telehealth orvirtual therapy or a couple's
therapy, and if they need achild watch during that time, we
have it during the day, and soit's just.
You know it's a parent centriccenter and so everything is
(19:22):
really focused on like, how canwe help you be awesome Because
you are now a parent.
Melissa Joy (19:28):
I feel like you're going to be overrun.
I'm assuming there are limitswhen you know like you have to
reserve in advance so you knowthat the headcount is right or
things like that, because snowdays would be like everybody's
on it right.
Ariel Wan (19:40):
yes, so we have max capacities and that's why we
were um, we request, we requireeveryone to reserve, and so,
like with membership, onunlimited membership, you get to
reserve like way ahead of time,um the 99 membership.
You can reserve um, like, Ithink, like one or two days
ahead of time and then, like thedrop-ins are just the day of I
(20:01):
love it.
Melissa Joy (20:02):
Um, you're filling a need that we have so much
there's.
There's just unlimited um demandand, yes, it, there are so many
compromises people make to makethe money of parenting work.
Um, we were discussing as wewere preparing for the call.
I really feel like women tendto be at that fulcrum point
(20:25):
where they are the ones who kindof give, whether it's less
career ambition or I mean,there's still the same ambition,
but just, you know, makingchoices that may limit career
expansion and thus theirexpansion of human capital,
decisions to switch fromfull-time work to part-time or
(20:46):
staying home, and there's nojudgment to that if that's your
plan.
But if that is a compromise andthus makes you more vulnerable,
you know, if there's a changein your relationship status or
you have additional needs whenit comes to caring for aging
parents and things like that,there's just so much you take on
(21:06):
that is just kind of there's noconversation, it's not a oh,
here's the trade-offs, it's justlike I guess this is what I'll
do.
And then we see that ongoingfor women who live longer than
men and then have, you know,diminished economic power in
some cases because of it, right?
Ariel Wan (21:24):
So I feel like you're giving space for more.
Right, yeah, it's like I.
I want to support you so that,if you feel like I want women to
be empowered, I want them tofeel like they have options and
that they don't have to makethese huge sacrifices that are
(21:45):
everlasting impacts on theirfuture life and their future
earnings because of it, and soI'm really hoping that this
nonprofit that I'm building willbe there to support parents,
support the women, so that theycan they don't they.
They just have more options andthen they can fully, you know,
be what they want to do.
Melissa Joy (22:05):
I love that it's it's it is all about options,
because there's everybody hasdifferent right fit for what
they choose.
But if you don't have options,that's just the tragic part.
Tell me a little bit aboutcause.
I have so many clients, and I'msure listeners too, who have a
dream or an idea and they'relike this really would be a
great to be a nonprofit.
(22:26):
Um, but there are so manylogistics when it comes to
running a nonprofit getting itoff the ground, how do you fund
it?
And there's a lot of theoperations are very, in many
cases, if done effectively,entrepreneurial.
It's like running a business.
So tell me about that journeywhat have, how did you get
(22:47):
started and what have been thesurprises?
Either positive or negative.
Ariel Wan (22:52):
Yeah, when I.
So when I when I first starteddoing this, it took me a bit to
realize that I was being anentrepreneur.
Like it didn't occur to me thatlike, oh, I started a nonprofit
business, like, oh, it's abusiness, like I'm still an
entrepreneur.
And then I quickly learned thatentrepreneurship is like
terrifying and exciting at thesame time.
Melissa Joy (23:11):
It sure is.
Ariel Wan (23:12):
It's a journey.
Right, it is such a journey andyou know that itself.
Also, I've found my communityof like other moms who are
entrepreneurs, so it's beenreally nice to like meet those
people.
But when I when first thinkingabout like this business and
what I wanted to do, decidingwhether or not it was going to
(23:33):
be a for-profit or anon-for-profit was a very big,
important decision, and I thinka lot of people, when deciding
on whether or not to create anLLC, like to create your own for
profit business or nonprofit.
The biggest thought, and I thinkthe differentiator, is like,
why are you doing this?
Like, why, what is the businessLike, what are you meant to
achieve?
(23:53):
And I wanted to create anonprofit because I wanted
something to last beyond just meand I also wanted it to be a
nonprofit because I wanted tomake sure that it was mission
first.
So I think philosophically, thedifference, the biggest
(24:14):
difference between a nonprofitand for profit company is
nonprofit.
Your main priority is to servethe people and then your
secondary.
Any secondary priorities arewould be to find the money to
serve the people, and afor-profit is your primary goal
is to make profits, and thenyour secondary, if you want to,
(24:40):
is to like, do good and like anddo good for your community.
But those are all secondary.
Your first priority is still tomake money, and I like the
nonprofit philosophy where Ineed to make money to serve
people, people.
(25:01):
And I think like when you startit with that right mindset,
we're going to be able to help alot of people.
But then the second part aboutstarting a nonprofit business, I
think is it would be reallygreat to have for-profit
business experience, because Ithink the biggest pitfalls in
nonprofit organizations andmanagement is everyone starts a
nonprofit organization with theright intentions.
They all want to do it becausethey want to help people.
(25:22):
There's like a need they'refeeling, so there's a lot of
passion.
A lot of times it personallyaffected them and that's why
they wanted to start thenonprofit um, and so there might
not be as much like businesssavviness operational like right
, like the, the nitty-gritty,like what actually runs the
(25:42):
business, and I and I encountera lot of non-profit business
owners who just want to do thework but, um, like the little
important, the little stuffthat's like annoying but like
really important and crucial tolike the future, like longevity,
longevity of your nonprofit,like that's the stuff that
they're not very good at and nordo they even want to do but
(26:03):
they struggle with like havingthe funds to pay someone to do
it versus them just kind of likedoing it themselves.
Melissa Joy (26:11):
Makes sense For your nonprofit kind of vision
over time, will you?
Obviously there's a people arepaying to do your services, and
then two other traditionalsources of funding for
non-profits are either, um, youknow, donation initiatives,
fundraising, as well as grantsum are you kind of going to be
(26:33):
all three legs of that stool oris more of the membership kind
of driving the revenue of theorganization what's yeah?
Ariel Wan (26:43):
well, the, the hope is that the uh co-working will
be the main revenue source forthe non-profit and that kind of
becomes the like hub and um.
I I plan on doing expansionsinto like opening up multiple
centers in like differentneighborhoods where there's a
(27:08):
lot of need, um, so, and then atthat center, then that center
becomes the mama's network hubas well, and so we will be
providing, you know, like thesame supportive services and
gatherings for the parents inthat area, um, and then so like
any kind of donations andsponsorship, those like
traditional fundraising is tofundraise for all of our
(27:30):
supportive services, making alittle break, more, even more
accessible, and reach evenfurther the parents that cannot
afford.
Like you know, we have parentsthat can afford it because they
work.
We have parents that arepart-time, so they know that
it's an investment.
But then there's also thestay-at-home parents that have a
really hard time justifyingtime for themselves, but they
need it as well.
(27:52):
So, true, and and like andsupporting them, and you know
there's a lot of likestay-at-home parents that want
to.
They're thinking about takingthat next step of going back to
work or, you know, doingsomething else.
But if that chicken or egg youknow it's like do I find a job
and then find daycare, or do Ilike get care and then find a
job?
Melissa Joy (28:10):
because you, you can't do it at the same time you
can't go to interviews withyour kid on your hip right like
right, exactly, and so like um.
Ariel Wan (28:16):
at our program here we had so many parents come in
to do job interviews, to dovirtual job interviews and
prepare for it, and then I wantto be able to provide that for
more and more parents and to doit for people that cannot afford
that $50 day pass, for example.
Melissa Joy (28:37):
Well, kudos for being an integral link in a more
healthy, holistic, welcomingcommunity.
I also love that you'relocation-based, because I think
so many things have and I'mdefinitely guilty of this, you
know kind of reverted to virtual, which I think is a blessing in
many cases.
But there is something to besaid about having that friend
(28:58):
that you can meet up for coffeeor book group.
I know you're facilitating thatwith the programs that you do
and there's so much emphasis onwell-being and your mission.
Ariel Wan (29:09):
Yeah, and another emphasis on is just like it's
all very chill, like I have asign whenever you come to any of
our events, the sign says yay,you made it.
Melissa Joy (29:22):
That's all you needed to do.
Just get.
That's all you need to do.
Ariel Wan (29:24):
You just needed to make it because like it's so,
like that's the hardest partabout this period of our lives.
With young kids it may not bedifferent, and the degree of
difficulty in many casesincreases in certain aspects of
life, when, wherever you are inyour journey.
You know like we'll always behere.
You know, there was a mom thatI haven't seen in months and I
(30:03):
saw her yesterday at one of theevents that I saw her at and I
was like, oh my gosh, I haven'tseen you so long.
She was like, oh, like, I hadsurgery, I had this.
This came up, that came up.
It's just been crazy.
And she's like but I finallymade it and I'm like, yes, you
did, and I'm so glad you're here.
Melissa Joy (30:19):
That's amazing and when you have that connection
you know you can always openthat door back.
If you have that chillexistence where it's not like
what have you done for me latelyit's more like I'm so excited
to see you.
Ariel Wan (30:30):
Exactly, and you know there's a lot of.
I think I also see there's alot of fear from like negative
experiences of pastrelationships where people have
just kind of like you've kind oflike lost friends because time
has passed.
But in like this journey oflike parenthood, like time moves
at weird speeds but like it'sjust really comforting for these
(30:51):
moms and these dads to knowthat like we'll always be there
for you and there'll always be afamiliar face and we'll always
welcome you in.
We're never gonna be oh, wehaven't seen you in a while.
Like time has passed, you'reout of the loop now.
Yeah, right.
Melissa Joy (31:06):
Well, and if I could just say, I think one of
the messages that I'd like ourlisteners to hear, for whatever
stage of life you're in,whatever your identity is,
whether you're a parent or notis investing in yourself has
rewards and it also in somecases, you may need to have a
conversation with a financialprofessional, with your spouse
or partner, with your community,to make that investment
(31:30):
possible.
Because, while you have amazingrates for membership, it still
is a cost.
But considering your money tobe a resource and knowing that
that resource is there not onlyto pay the bills but also to
invest in your own well-being, Ithink, is the modern money
(31:50):
concept that it's reallyimportant for you to understand,
because your well-being isprobably the most valuable part
of wealth, even more so thanwhat your bottom line is and
things like that.
Ariel Wan (32:04):
Absolutely.
Melissa Joy (32:06):
Ariel, where can people find you?
In the Mamas Network?
Follow along and or, you know,check it out.
Ariel Wan (32:14):
Yeah, so themamasnetworkorg.
You can also follow us onInstagram, which is the
mamasnetwork, underscore A2.
And Facebook and LinkedIn areboth the mamasnetwork.
Melissa Joy (32:25):
I love it.
So we're so excited to seewhat's next for the mamasnetwork
.
I know we'll be saying we had aconversation with you way back
when, as you're expanding andreally spreading this message of
acceptance and investing backin yourself to more families
over time.
Yes, thank you.
(32:46):
Thank you for listening to theWomen's Money Wisdom Podcast.
If you found value in thisepisode.
The best way you can supportthe podcast is to forward an
episode to a friend or leave areview.
(33:08):
Go to pearlplancom and thepodcast link to get all the
resources and links mentioned.
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