Fran Hauser [00:00:00]:
One of the most important things is to figure out, like, who are the right people to help you versus how am I going to get it done? Right? Because like, our default is like, I'm just going to figure it out because we're all very capable and of course we can figure it out and sure, we could do it. But I always think about, like, what is the highest and best use of my time.
Erika Hanafin [00:00:20]:
I'm Erika.
Amri Kibbler [00:00:22]:
And I'm Amri.
Erika Hanafin [00:00:23]:
This is Leaning Into Being the show that allows you to be your all so you can give your all.
Amri Kibbler [00:00:28]:
Brought to you by Hello Mamas and HeyMama.
Erika, I'm so excited for today's guest. It's Fran Hauser, one of our very dear friends. She's a best-selling author, a keynote speaker, a book coach, a champion of women in the workplace. So many things. But she's also just the nicest woman.
Erika Hanafin [00:00:51]:
I cannot wait, Amri. I mean, she has been an incredible supporter of both you and I, personally and professionally, and her work with women. And she's always got these exciting things that are coming up. I don't know how she really does it all. I know she's an excellent time manager and she has a new book coming out on time management, so I'm excited to hear more about that. But she's just such a warm person. I can't wait for us to dive into this conversation.
Amri Kibbler [00:01:24]:
Absolutely. This is actually her third book that she has coming out and a little birdie told me that she has an exciting announcement to make on our podcast today. So I can't wait to hear what that's going to be.
Erika Hanafin [00:01:38]:
Let's get started.
Amri Kibbler [00:01:42]:
Well, Fran, we always like to kick off by grounding ourself in our shared experience of motherhood. Can you share with us where you are on your motherhood journey right now?
Fran Hauser [00:01:54]:
So My boys are 12 and 14. They're in seventh and ninth grade. So it's interesting. I'm in that, like, tween teen puberty. And I was just talking to a mom yesterday who has younger children. I think hers are like 8 and 10. And I was saying, oh, I love those. I just remember loving those ages.
Fran Hauser [00:02:19]:
And she said, oh, it's so hard though. And I just feel like every stage right is like hard in its own way. But I also really love this stage because I love the conversations that I have with the boys. You know, I feel like they're really maturing and we get into these, like, really interesting conversations. I love being in the car with them, like driving them places because we just talk. So, yeah, no, it's a challenging stage, but it's also really fun.
Erika Hanafin [00:02:46]:
I love that perspective. Speaking about perspectives, you've been such an inspiration, both personally and professionally to Amri and I and to many women. You've had an incredible career working in Fortune 500 executive to best selling author. How has your view of work, life, balance, or this concept of having it all evolved over time?
Fran Hauser [00:03:14]:
Yeah, I think it's. It's evolved in a pretty meaningful way. Like, I. I feel like now the way that I think about balance is just. It's just like one day at a time, you know, and there may be days where I'm leaning more into work and there might be days where I'm leaning more into family or self care. And I think that's okay. Like, I think I just really try to give myself grace because, like, I know that I'm doing the best that I can. And sometimes it's not even like day by day.
Fran Hauser [00:03:49]:
Sometimes it's like 20 minute by 20 minute, you know, like for the next 20 minutes, like, what am I going to focus on? And the one thing that I've realized, especially with the boys, is that if I can give them a short amount of dedicated attention, that goes such a long way as opposed to like trying to spend a couple of hours with them, but I'm not really there, you know, like, I'm on my phone or so I think it's like these short bursts where you can like really be present with your kids. I just, I really, like, appreciate that. And I know they do too. So I try not to put like too much pressure on myself, you know, where I need to be spending like four to six hours with them and like six hours working. And it's just each day has its own kind of cadence and focus and sometimes it's even down to like, shorter increments.
Amri Kibbler [00:04:43]:
Absolutely. Like, Erika and I always, always talk about how it's quality over quantity. And when we're in work mode, we're here and then really soaking up those moments with our kids and feeling the energy and the excitement and really listening to them and being. Being present there makes everything happen. And we were talking about a little while ago all the things that you have going on. Fran, you always wear a lot of hats, but you especially have a lot of things going on right now. How would you say that your perspective on being a mom with a full plate has changed from the time when you were at Time Inc. To today?
Fran Hauser [00:05:27]:
Oh, gosh. So, I mean, when I think back to timing, you know, my kids were really little, they were young. And it's interesting because I remember feeling very supported. My partner, my nanny, my family, my friends. Like, it really does take a village. And I really felt like I had that. And I still have that. But I also remember back when I was a Time Inc.
Fran Hauser [00:05:54]:
Not feeling great about the amount of hours that I was spending at work because my husband and I worked so hard to have this family. You know, we adopted both of our kids at birth. And I just remember a moment of like thinking, okay, I'm not getting home until like 8:00 at night. They're sleeping, you know, so like, I'm basically just seeing them for like a little bit in the morning. And that was really kind of the moment when I realized that I needed to create a more flexible professional life for myself. And, you know, this was after being in corporate for, gosh, over 20 years. So, like, making that decision to leave and go out on my own and go into startup investing, which is what I did, I mean, that's really. When I met, when I met you and HeyMama, that was a really big decision for me.
Fran Hauser [00:06:45]:
And that was really all about balance. It was all about wanting to spend more time with my kids, wanting to be with them more. And that was like the best decision I ever made because I loved being in corporate. I loved it. I had some really big wins, I had some really great successes. I made, you know, amazing relationships, friends, all of it. But that decision to go off on my own was really important. And today, like, I see how much it's helped me, especially with my kids at this age, like, I want to be there for them more.
Fran Hauser [00:07:17]:
They need me more now than they did when they were babies. And that's the thing, like, I remember my sister saying that to me, saying, like, fran, like, when they're babies, they have like very basic fundamental physical needs. And now it's like all the social, emotional stuff. So I'm really happy that I've created this professional life for myself where I can throttle it up and down, you know, and I can like decide, you know, do I want to take that speaking engagement. It's going to be traveling and it's two or three days away. And it's during a time when I really think the kids are going to need me. Like, I can make those decisions because I'm working for myself. So I'm really happy, you know, I'm really happy with this life, this professional and personal life that I've created for myself.
Erika Hanafin [00:08:07]:
I love that I've got goosebumps. I mean, it's so true too, when you're really choosing that path for yourself, how much things start opening up and then you get such a calm but like, you know, real movement type environment. One of the things, obviously our podcast was called Leaning into Being. And we've been hearing both from women moms, you know, within our community and outward, this idea of leaning in, obviously. What does leaning into being mean for you?
Fran Hauser [00:08:42]:
First of all, I love the title of the podcast. I just love it. So, so good. Just because when you think of leaning in, you think of the opposite, right? You think of leaning into accomplishing and accelerating and scaling and doing. And so I love the title. For me, what leaning into being means is really finding those, like, small moments throughout the day where I'm very aware of how I'm feeling and I'm very aware of potentially the need to do something differently because I'm not loving the way that I'm feeling. And you know, that can mean literally just like walking outside and putting my face in the sun, even though we don't have sun today, or like stretching or just walking, you know, I mean, the other day I was like, really stressed about something and I just, I'm like, I just need to go for a walk and just like put the sneakers on and move and just change the energy in my, in my body. And I feel like that's what leaning into being means for me.
Fran Hauser [00:09:49]:
It's like just really being aware of when you need a change of pace, when you just need to do something differently. I mean, look in terms of rituals, I think the biggest one for me is the first thing in the morning. Like, I always wake up before my kids do. And that's really important to me because I need that quiet time. I need to, like, make my first cup of coffee. You know, if I'm in like heavy writing mode, that's when I do my writing. And I also just really, like, even if it's just five minutes, just spending five minutes feeling more connected to myself, you know, and that, that could look like lots of different things. It could be journaling, it could be just sitting quietly.
Fran Hauser [00:10:31]:
But I know that I need those few minutes before I look at my phone to just really ground. And that's something that I've been doing for a long time and I just find that to be so helpful and it's just such a great way to start the day. Like before, like, the kids are up and the, you guys know, you know, trying to get them out of the house. So that. That's a really important practice for me.
Amri Kibbler [00:10:54]:
We are nodding away over here because Erika and I are both just really. The morning time is so important. Everyone in my house knows that you don't talk to me before 7. I'm having my quiet time. I've got my journal. I'm going on my walk. But mostly it's just breathing and thinking and being. Because the rest of my day is dedicated to the support of other people.
Amri Kibbler [00:11:18]:
But my one hour in the morning is dedicated to the support of myself. And that makes all the difference for me because I know I've already done that and I've taken care of myself. So I'm like, okay, here, what do you need me to do? Oh, you forgot your trombone. Okay, sure. Here, let me go. Let me take that. Let me do it, you know, And I feel okay with it. It makes such a big difference.
Amri Kibbler [00:11:37]:
The other thing I heard you saying was I feel like you're leaning into your intuition a lot and really trusting yourself, which, to me, makes so much sense for you, because your brand is so much about authenticity and kindness. And I think about when you must have had this light bulb moment before you wrote The Myth of the Nice Girl, because you were already known as that, and how you were able to kind of take your own real, authentic self and translate that into such a powerful brand. And I feel like that was just something that was so different from everything I was seeing out there at the time. And you've continued to iterate on this and follow your own intuition and your own path.
Fran Hauser [00:12:22]:
Yeah. And I really appreciate you saying that, Amri, because when The Myth of the Nice Girl came out, it really was different. I mean, all of the books that were out at that time, like, this was in 2018, were more along the lines of, like, how to Play Like a Man and Girl Boss. And by the way, great books. These are all, like, amazing books. But there wasn't a book that was really about kind of leaning in to more of the feminine traits of leadership and, you know, kindness, warmth, compassion, empathy. And I do think it took a lot of courage on my end to even own that, because I felt like at that time, I was working in an industry where, I mean, just to be honest, like, there were a lot of mean girls. I mean, that, you know, there were nice girls, too.
Fran Hauser [00:13:11]:
But to be able to say, like, no, but that's not who I am. And I've been successful just being myself, you know, and how, like, there is really so much power in kindness. So I'm not gonna lie. Like, it took a little bit of time, like, to really own that. Especially when people kept telling me, like, you're too nice to get ahead, you're too nice to get to the corner office. You need to be a little bit tougher. That was always what was in my head, because that's what I was hearing from people. That's what I was hearing from managers.
Fran Hauser [00:13:42]:
But then I realized, but I've been really successful being nice, so I had to really listen to myself. And going back to Amri, like, to my intuition, like this, this has actually worked for me. And when you're yourself, you're so much more comfortable in your own skin, which means you're more confident, because when you try to be somebody that you're not, it just doesn't work. Right. I mean, that's my biggest thing. It's like the whole fake it till you make it. Like, I just don't. I don't buy that.
Fran Hauser [00:14:08]:
Look, maybe in sales, like, there might be right, like, a little piece that I could see, like, oh, we'll figure it out kind of thing. I'm gonna say we can do it, and then we'll figure it out. But when it comes to your values and the way that you show up at work and the way you show up for your team, the way you show up for people, I really believe that it is all about being yourself and being authentic.
Erika Hanafin [00:14:30]:
I love that. Let's double click into your journey as an author and the work that you're doing with women who are becoming published author. And you have another big, exciting venture on the horizon. Can you share a little bit more about that, Fran?
Fran Hauser [00:14:46]:
Yeah. So I guess it was two years ago now that I launched Bookbound. And the reason I launched Bookbound is because I had so many women reaching out to me who had ideas for nonfiction books, and they were looking for help, they were looking for advice. You know, book publishing can be very opaque. It's, like, really hard to figure it out. Like, there's all these different ways to publish your book. And do I need an agent or not? Like, when do I go straight to the publisher? Should I think about self publishing? So I realized there was, like, this space in the market to create a platform to help women get their nonfiction books published. So that's what I created last January.
Fran Hauser [00:15:32]:
And, you know, basically, it's. It's content, it's community. It's a little bit of coaching. Although I have to be honest, I don't really have the bandwidth to do a lot of the one on one coaching anymore. So it's really more content and community. Right now. It's the Bookbound podcast. It's the Substack.
Fran Hauser [00:15:49]:
We're doing this How to Read Like a Writer book club. Bethany Saltman and I are running it January through July, which I'm so excited about. Like, the idea is that we will study nonfiction books and that will make us better nonfiction writers. And it will also help us, like, think about how to package a nonfiction book. So that's been really fun. Like, I really, really enjoyed that. And the big news that you alluded to earlier, Erika, is that I'm opening a bookstore in my town in Bedford, New York. It's the first bookstore ever in Bedford.
Fran Hauser [00:16:23]:
It's something that I've wanted to do my whole entire life. And literally, like, I'm opening the store in my dream location. It's like the spot that I would always walk by and say, one day I'm gonna have a bookstore there. And so when the opportunity came to me a couple months ago, I was like, I just, I have, I have to do it. Like, if I don't do this, I'm gonna regret it. And it's like never the right time, right? We always have so much on our plates. But when it's a dream like that, that's like been with you for so long, you just have to figure out a way to do it. So I'm opening this bookstore in December.
Fran Hauser [00:16:57]:
I mentioned to you both earlier, 113 boxes just arrived yesterday, like filled with books. So, yeah, a lot of work to do. But I'm so, I'm just so excited about it. Like, it's surreal. I get emotional, like, every time I think about it.
Amri Kibbler [00:17:12]:
And you have so many other things on your plate. How are you going to get this bookstore open in a couple of weeks? Do you have a little team of elves in your back pocket that are going to come over?
Fran Hauser [00:17:25]:
Oh, my gosh. Well, so I have. I actually, I've hired people, which is great. I have like five or six people that are going to be working at the store, which is awesome. I hired a space planner who's done like the whole like interior design build out. I hired a great branding person. I really feel like I found like amazing people to support me in this. I mean, it's the only way.
Fran Hauser [00:17:49]:
My husband has been incredible. I can't even tell you. Like, he retired in June, and at PwC, you're forced to retire at a certain age. So he retired and he's been incredible. Like, he's There every day with me helping. And I don't know if I would have been able to do it, to be honest, if he didn't have the capacity to help me the way that he is. So I have all the support. I have friends that are coming over the next, like, five days to just help me unpack the boxes.
Fran Hauser [00:18:17]:
It's fun. I feel like it's something that the community is just really excited about and everybody's so, like, they want to help. They want a bookstore in the town. It's been really fun to see people's reactions, for sure.
Erika Hanafin [00:18:29]:
Your prior experience, your career, 20 years in career as an executive and also investing in women, female founded companies, helping with authors. You've just kind of outlined the importance of a network and a team. What would your advice be for somebody who is either starting a business and how important is that team in helping make sure that things are operationally sound and running and then getting you to that. To that next place?
Fran Hauser [00:19:06]:
Oh, gosh, it's everything, you know, like, it's having that support. And there's a great book, it's called Who Not How. Who Not How. And it's really about whenever you're starting a new venture, one of the most important things is to figure out, like, who are the right people to help you versus how am I going to get it done? Right? Because, like, our default is like, I'm just going to figure it out because we're all very capable and of course we can figure it out and sure, we could do it. But I always think about, like, what is the highest and best use of my time? Where are my strengths? I am not great when it comes to, like, space planning and interior design. That was the first person I hired, Meg Albert. She's incredible. And, you know, just knowing that I have an expert, I have somebody who knows exactly what she's doing that I can trust. Like, that just took like so much lifted huge weight off my shoulders.
Fran Hauser [00:20:00]:
So, yeah, I think it's like, it's so critical whenever you're starting anything, whether it's a business, whether it's a community initiative, whether it's something at school. I mean, it's like, who can you bring in to help? You know, who are those people? Whether you're paying them, whether they're volunteers, whether you're bartering with them, just all of it. There's. You can get creative. Especially, you know, sometimes when we're starting businesses. Budget is really a huge. Right. It's.
Fran Hauser [00:20:28]:
It's a huge consideration. So, like, getting creative around Bartering, I think, is also, like, really can be really helpful.
Erika Hanafin [00:20:35]:
Share more on that, because I think a lot of our listeners would want to understand what that means. And how did. Like, how do you have the confidence to, one, ask and then two, what are some ways that they can be creative in that bartering process?
Fran Hauser [00:20:52]:
Yeah, I mean, I'll give you a great example for the bookstore. The woman who did all of my branding for the bookstore, the logo, the color palette, everything, she has a nonfiction book idea. So she needed help really kind of figuring out, like, what is the idea and how do I want to get it published? And so we bartered on that. So she did the branding for the bookstore, and I helped her with her book idea. And my helping her, that's something that I normally would have charged for. Right. And doing the branding for the bookstore, that's something she would have normally charged for. But it just made so much sense that we would do that for each other.
Fran Hauser [00:21:32]:
So even, like, Meg, who's doing the space planning, because, of course, it's taking a lot longer. It always does than you think. Right. And she even said she's like, look, I'm definitely putting in more hours, but I would love it if you could spend some time coaching me on time management and social media. I would be happy to barter, like, the rest of the hours that I'm working. So I'm like, yeah, that's great. I'm all in on that. You know, I just think it's, like, such a great.
Fran Hauser [00:22:02]:
It's such a great solution. I mean, talk about a win-win.
Amri Kibbler [00:22:05]:
Absolutely. And I think all small businesses are watching their bottom line for sure. And you also just talked about time management. So I wanted to make sure that we have time to talk about your new upcoming book. Fran, I can't believe there's so many things that you're up to right now. So many exciting things. Coming up, Your upcoming book, Twenty Minutes is the New Hour: Diving Into the Challenge of Reclaiming Time. This is going to be such a hot commodity with moms.
Amri Kibbler [00:22:34]:
Can you share some of the strategies from the book that help women to make meaningful use of limited time?
Fran Hauser [00:22:40]:
Yeah. I have to tell you both, I am so excited about this book. You know, like, I do these talks all around the country, mostly to, like, women's ergs and, you know, at women's conferences. And it shouldn't come as a surprise, like, this is the biggest pain point for women. What I keep hearing from them is I want to network more. I want to work on my personal brand Right. I want to, like, focus on developing relationships and like, building my skills, but I simply don't have the time. It is the number one pain point.
Fran Hauser [00:23:11]:
And the other thing that I realized when I was thinking about, like, what this book might be is that 19 of the top 20 best selling productivity books of all time have been written by men. 19 of 20. So I really felt like, okay, we could use a female voice here and a female perspective. And the thing that I kept coming back to in all of the work that I've done over the years with women is that there's three kind of behaviors that are holding us back when it comes to our relationship with time, and they're people pleasing, perfectionism and procrastination. So I really kind of focus on like, helping women figure out, like, which one is it for them. Like, for me, it's people pleasing. That's always been my Achilles heel. Right.
Fran Hauser [00:24:05]:
It's like, I'm happy to help. I have a hard time saying no when that, like, email request comes in. I know that if I'm about to say yes, because that's my default, I literally have to stop and check in with myself and ask myself, am I saying yes for the right reason? Is this something that's aligned with my goals? Or maybe it's just something that I really want to do because it brings me joy? Or am I saying yes because I feel bad saying no? And if it's the latter, I have to turn it into a no. Right. And I give strategies around how to give. Like a, you know, is short and sweet. No, and, but, but I think this is a really important conversation because it's also, if you think about it, the default is always an hour. It's like you schedule a meeting, it's an hour.
Fran Hauser [00:24:50]:
You put something in your calendar, it's an hour. And then what happens is you end up filling up that hour with unnecessary, unproductive tasks. So that's why I keep coming back to like this idea of 20 minutes is the new hour. Because doing things in 20 minute bursts, you'll just be so much more productive and so much more efficient. So, like, the first half of the book is mindset. It's like really around those three P's and helping you diagnose, like, which one are you and, you know, some exercises to help you figure that out. And then the second half of the book is the real, like the techniques, the tips, the strategies, like, how do you get to inbox zero, you know, by the end of every day, like, I have this thing Where I only read every single email, I only read it once and I do something with it, you know, I either delete it, I respond right away. If it's really quick, I delegate it, or if it's something that's going to take more time and it's not urgent, I defer it.
Fran Hauser [00:25:48]:
So I use boomerang. I just get it out of my inbox and I say, like, come back in a week. If I see a lot of clutter in my inbox, it really messes with me. So I know for me, like, it's really important that I do that. And then, by the way, if I leave something in my inbox, then I'm going back and I'm rereading it and then I'm rereading it again and I'm wasting so much time. So this idea of just like, only read it once, do something with it and it's okay if the answer is this is just not something that I want to deal with right now, I'm gonna push it out, you know, and then literally I put time on my calendar to deal with it because I know it's gonna take time. So it's that kind of like thinking, right? It's like I go through like one of the extras. I could talk about this all day, but, like, having a to don't list is really important.
Fran Hauser [00:26:36]:
And it's something that I've always had and I swear by it. And it's just, it's really important to know. Like, if you think about right now, I do have a lot on my plate. So it's really important to be clear about the things that I am not going to be doing right now. I'm not taking on new board roles. I'm not doing startup investing. I'm not leading any committees at school. What are those things that you are not going to do? Because then when you get asked, it's really easy to say, you know, I've decided to not take on any new board roles this year.
Fran Hauser [00:27:08]:
And it comes across as more of like a strategic decision that you've made versus something personal against them, you know? So I'm obsessed with this. I'm obsessed with this topic because it's our most. Time is our most precious resource.
Erika Hanafin [00:27:25]:
It really is. It's definitely the most precious resource. And I agree with you, I have like OCD on the red on my phone. Like, I cannot see a red dot or that drives me insane. Which, to your point, like, I either deal with it or I'll save this for later. And then that later starts piling up and piling up and piling up. And so you're in that procrastination bucket because you have so much to catch up on that you're like, I don't even know where to start. So you've got to reprioritize your procrastination bucket, you know?
Fran Hauser [00:27:55]:
And you know what? And you really, like, I, what I find is like, every Friday I'm doing my week ahead planning.
Erika Hanafin [00:28:02]:
Sure.
Fran Hauser [00:28:03]:
And you know, I'm looking at my calendar and I always want to make sure that I have one day where I have just a couple of hours where I'm dealing with all of those emails that I have boomeranged. Do you know what I'm saying? So it's like, otherwise the email is going to come back and then I'm just going to defer it again. Again.
Erika Hanafin [00:28:19]:
Exactly.
Fran Hauser [00:28:20]:
So you have to put it on your calendar. Like, if it's not on your calendar, you're not going to do it, right?
Erika Hanafin [00:28:25]:
Yeah. You need accountability. You need to put that accountability for yourself on the calendar.
Fran Hauser [00:28:29]:
I have really shifted over the years. This has been a big, like time management thing for me. I have shifted away from a to do list and really towards like having everything on my calendar. Like, everything. Like, Even if it's 20 minutes to post on social media, if it's not on my calendar, it's not going to get done. And I really believe in like color coding. I mean, I have, when it's a meeting, when it's an appointment, it's one color. But if it's like work time, it's a different color because then I know that I can move that if I need.
Fran Hauser [00:29:03]:
Do you know what I'm saying? Like, that's movable. Just kind of color coding things really helps me. Even like content, like social media, I actually have like a separate color for that. So the calendar, I think could be like a really important tool. Because the problem with the to do list, it just keeps like growing. And then you just, you guys know, you just, you don't get to it.
Erika Hanafin [00:29:23]:
You don't get to it. And then you're like, wait, I spent all my time on this other thing that wasn't even on my list to begin with. I'm so excited to read this book. I can't wait. And you're right. I'm so excited also to have a voice for moms. I mean, this is our biggest struggle. And how incredible that you're taking that on and sharing these tips and best practices and really the one Thing I've always loved about your books is they're so actionable.
Erika Hanafin [00:29:53]:
It's not just, I'm telling you what to do. I'm going to actually tell you, like, show you, tell you, and then you're going to do it. So I'm so excited.
Fran Hauser [00:30:01]:
Yeah. And that's so important to me because again, we don't have time. So it's like, I want to make sure, like, if you're taking the time to read this book, that you're going to walk away with, like, so many different things that you can implement right away.
Erika Hanafin [00:30:14]:
Yes. Okay.
Fran Hauser [00:30:15]:
Before.
Erika Hanafin [00:30:15]:
I can't believe I'm speaking about time. We're almost at our time, but before we get to our last question, what is one thing, one message that you would leave to our community of moms, whether mompreneurs, aspiring authors, what would it be?
Fran Hauser [00:30:33]:
Oh, gosh, I think it would be to give yourself grace and to know that you're doing the best that you can and that you are enough. You know, it's something that I've really been thinking about a lot lately. I actually just recently wrote a post, I think it was for LinkedIn about this, that sometimes we get so attached to the brands that we're working for, the companies that we're working for. You know, like, that's how I felt when I was at People magazine. Like, that I felt like I could always get a call back because I was attached to People magazine and I was so afraid to leave because I wasn't sure if being Fran Hauser was enough. Like, was I going to get that call back? And guess what? It is. It totally is. And that's what I would say to every single person that is listening or watching that you are enough.
Amri Kibbler [00:31:24]:
That is so powerful. So we are at our last question, and we always like to ask this question. What is one time or moment that you can't believe that you survived or that you're still laughing about?
Fran Hauser [00:31:40]:
Oh, my God. So there was a moment. This was when the kids were like, they were babies. And I had this, like, really important meeting that I was going to at time, and I showed up to the meeting. My friend was looking at me in a. Like, she was. She had this, like, really, like, odd, like, expression on her face. She was looking at my pants and I was like, what's wrong? And she goes, those pants, like, it looks like the.
Fran Hauser [00:32:05]:
They're like, back pockets in the front. I was like, oh, no. So I put my pants on because they. They had, like, the elastic, but, like, they had the elastic, but they were on backwards. So I walked in and I was like, I was so proud of myself. Like, I got to the meeting on time after this, like, crazy hectic morning. And then, like, thank God she told me she was the first person that saw me. Like, ran into the bathroom and I flipped them around.
Fran Hauser [00:32:34]:
But that's like a moment that's just like, that's it working, Mom.
Amri Kibbler [00:32:40]:
That really says it all. It says it all. And you're like, yeah, I got it. I'm doing it. I'm here.
Fran Hauser [00:32:47]:
And then you're like the cutest Manolos on. Like, you don't even know. I was like, I had jewelry. I put jewelry on that day. You know, I really wanted to look good.
Erika Hanafin [00:32:57]:
But now, my gosh, it's so funny. I love that I've done that. When we were in San Francisco, I was running really late and I always, it was always make me, like, laugh that people would show up to the office in different shoes. I was like, I don't understand. Like, aren't you putting your shoes away in the closet, like, together? You know, mine are all organized. And I did exactly that. I showed up at the office with two different colored belly, like, flats on and looked down and, you know, one was brown and one was black, you know.
Fran Hauser [00:33:24]:
Amazing. Oh, my God, it's amazing. Well, of course they're both flat. So, like, you feel the, the difference. It's not like they were different, like, size, like heels or anything. Right?
Amri Kibbler [00:33:34]:
Erika, what about the one day when I got to the train station and we were hosting a big event and I went to get on the train and I only had one, like, high heeled boot.
Erika Hanafin [00:33:45]:
Very true. But you also have a very supportive business partner who went to Zara and started finding you boots in your size.
Fran Hauser [00:33:54]:
You went to Zara? I love that. Oh, my gosh, what a good, good business partner and friend. I know. You know what I've realized recently? I think, like, especially with the bookstore, that my love language is when I feel supported, right? Like, there's something like, oh, my gosh, like, I don't know, it makes me feel so good when, like, people are there for you and they're like picking up the pieces and you know, like when you're stressed, they're like, no, I got it. I got this for you. I'll take care of it. Right? There's like, nothing better.
Amri Kibbler [00:34:24]:
Nothing better.
Erika Hanafin [00:34:26]:
So true. In everything that you do.
Fran Hauser [00:34:28]:
In everything.
Erika Hanafin [00:34:29]:
It's so true.
Amri Kibbler [00:34:30]:
Yes, absolutely. And Fran, you do so much for other people, so. Absolutely.
Fran Hauser [00:34:35]:
Of course.
Amri Kibbler [00:34:35]:
You should have such a strong support system there for you.
Fran Hauser [00:34:38]:
Thank you. That's so sweet. Thanks for saying that. Well, I love my time with both of you. It went too fast.
Amri Kibbler [00:34:44]:
Too fast. We absolutely loved having time with you. As always. I could talk to you for hours.
Erika Hanafin [00:34:50]:
Yes.
Amri Kibbler [00:34:51]:
Thank you for listening to Leaning Into Being.
Erika Hanafin [00:34:53]:
To get connected and join the Hello Mamas and HeyMama community visit hellomamas.co. Let's connect, support and grow together in this journey of motherhood.