Thread by @ReannaKwrites

In launching my own website and trying to see myself as a brand (yuck), it's hard to figure out how vulnerable to be and how much of my personality to display.

In some ways, I need to see myself as my own client: What message are you trying to communicate? What will resonate with your intended audience?

In other ways, part of my vision for freelancing and career fulfillment in general is being vulnerable and authentic. I know I have valuable skills and talents that can make a difference for my clients, but I can't sustain a Snapchat-filtered persona.

It's a tough balance to strike when you're trying to convince people to pay for your expertise: Why would you project anything but perfect competence?

The conclusion I've come to is that I only want to work with people who want to work with a human being.

That doesn't mean I expect people to expect less of me. I intend to deliver on my commitments and help organizations achieve their goals.

But I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm still learning, that I'm tweeting while wrestling a baby down for a nap, that I'm perpetually tired and can't keep up with laundry.

Because this is my reality. This is what my "having it all" looks like.

This is the hardest my life has ever been, and I'm really excited to be doing the work I'm doing.

Working with a working mom isn't a gamble or an act of charity. It's smart and it pays off.

I've seen what my fellow #workingmoms are doing and it's not just "backwards and in heels." It's backwards and in heels with leaky boobs and 5 broken hours of sleep, but we are still doing amazing things.

So I'm not going to pretend it's effortless. That would be a lie that serves no one but the people who want evidence that working moms don't need more support.

You know the saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person"?

If you want a Big Something done, ask a busy person who has a vested interest in a better future.

By that, of course, I mean a mom.