Transition Story: Stay-at-Home Mom to Oprah Guest
A couple of weeks ago, a producer from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” found Sarah Auerswald through her blog, Mar Vista Mom, as a potential guest on an upcoming show (which she did end up being on and which airs on April 27th).
It was a validation, to say the least, of the path she has been on for the last year, but for Sarah, the mother of two elementary school-aged boys, Charlie and Oscar, the journey started twenty years ago, in a world before blogs. Dare I say it– in a world before The Oprah Winfrey Show.
We caught up with Sarah recently to ask her about her two careers, before and after motherhood.
What was your pre-motherhood career?
I was a script supervisor, mostly on episodic TV, some movies.
Describe a typical work day at that time.
Arrive at work at 6am, assemble the day’s scenes for note-taking. Start prepping camera roll numbers and sound roll numbers with those departments. Watch rehearsals with the director and actors, do camera blocking. Make sure all departments know the scene numbers and take numbers as we progress through the day. Keep continuity on the actors’ movements and wardrobe and props. Relay all information regarding printed takes to the camera and sound departments and to the editors. And all the while paying rapt attention to the scenes as they are filmed.
We worked minimum six hours before a lunch break and then another six or more after that lunch break was over. There were moments of downtime, where I could get up and stretch, but mostly I sat in a chair and wrote down notes on what we filmed all day.
At times, I would have to negotiate personal politics when I performed my job duties, as some actors preferred not to hear when they had said a line wrong, and some directors preferred not to hear when what they shot wouldn’t cut together.
At the end of the day, I filed a report with the production staff to let them know how much work we completed and then I turned in all my notes to be copied for the editors.
Were you happy with it when you left?
No. Would you be? Did you read that list??? But seriously, no. I had become very burned out. I loved it when I started out, but by the end of 14 years, I was really done.
When & why did you leave?
I left in 1999 when I was pregnant with my first son. The hours were just too long for me to stay away from my son, and at the time I got pregnant, I didn’t actually have a job, so since my husband did, it made sense for me to stay home, on many levels.
When & why did you decide to return to the world of work outside the home?
Well, I started trying to make a business a few years ago, I guess about 6 years ago. I wanted a creative outlet and some income. We needed the money, as it had been a hard transition from 2 to 1 incomes. But that business limped along and I had another baby as well, so it didn’t get off the ground in the way I needed it to. It also needed so much hands-on time from me — I couldn’t keep up.
What do you do now?
So now I’m a blogger and a Virtual Assistant. I am so happy with them! I am so flexible now. I can do so much of my work whenever I can fit it in, the computer is very portable, not like a sewing machine. Much better! So actually, I mostly still work IN the home. I love blogging and the community I’ve joined on mom bloggers on the internet.
How, if at all, is it related to what you did in your previous career?
Not related at all.
Describe a typical day.
Get up, start the computer, check emails, see what needs to be done today. Get the kids off to school, then write and make calls, then I’m available for the kids in the afternoon for snacks and homework and hanging out and making dinner. I love being there for my kids AND being able to get blogging done. We all do our homework together now!
What’s the best thing about what you do now?
The flexibility.
What’s the worst thing about what you do now?
I guess it’s the fact that I have so much to learn about the internet and computers that I’m constantly being challenged to learn a new skill, like installing google analytics code, sometimes it hurts my brain. But a challenge is good. It’s better than being bored by it.
Where do you hope to go with your current career?
Writing can lead so many places. I haven’t seen that far in the future yet, but I do know I hope to make more money as I go. I’d love to be able to support the family with my writing.
Click on the logo below to visit Mar Vista Mom:
2 comments April 23rd, 2009