Beyond Business as Usual: How a Bus Stop Moment Inspired Mary Kay Ziniewicz to Create a Platform for Empowerment for Working Parents

One entrepreneur is taking the perceived stigma against motherhood in the workplace and turning it into a superpower.

Bus Stop Mamas is on a mission. Its powerhouse founder Mary Kay Ziniewicz is passionate about connecting mothers with flexible, challenging job opportunities while at the same time helping companies tap into the tremendous value mothers bring as employees. Born out of her own family’s experience seeking both career fulfillment and ever-elusive balance, Mary Kay now helps other parents get introduced to hiring managers quickly, easily, and at no cost to them. We sat down with her to talk about her story, her passion for building mamas up, and her plans for the future.

Tell us about your own journey of balancing work and family.

I denied that giving birth would impact either me or my career – I was absolutely wrong on both fronts. While caring for my preemie baby in NICU, I responded to emails, took conference calls, and launched a marketing campaign. When I physically returned to work, I pumped every three hours for two years. I traveled while breastfeeding and brought my baby and husband on business trips. I recall being at a dinner cruise on Lake Minnetonka and thinking my breasts might explode. I cried all the way home.

It took me ten years to recognize the need for balance. My daughter is 15 now and I learn so much every day in my motherhood journey—including that the title of “mom” continually evolves, and that there is not a one size fits all mom story. This is why Bus Stop Mamas was born: to allow all moms to embrace their motherhood journeys in their own unique way.

“HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE” - MARY KAY ZINIEWICZ

What inspired you to focus your business on supporting parents in finding more flexible work arrangements?

My husband was the stay-at-home parent for our daughter for the first ten years of her life. Like many parents, he was grateful to spend time with Lily, but he also wanted to exercise his other talents, contribute to our household income, and be around adults. So, my husband went back to his career as a commercial sculptor, and I brought my (then) business consulting practice in-house. It was around this time that I got to stand out at the bus stop with my daughter, and I observed stay-at-home mothers who felt the same way my husband had. There were mothers who forfeited promising careers to care for their children, and mothers whose schedules changed and who desired to do more. 

Parents are all different, but a common thread binds us – we all want the very best for our children. Bus Stop Mamas was created to provide moms a full return on their investments, including both their college education investment and their family investment. There are many perceptions of “mom,” but Bus Stop Mamas is intended to challenge all of the perceptions and shine the light on moms’ supreme value to society, both to businesses and to family. No mamas, no people!

What prompted you to make the leap to starting your own business?

When I am told I can’t do something, when something is deemed unchangeable, or when I see injustice, I want to change it. All of these situations apply to Bus Stop Mamas. I was given advice by an HR director not to talk about being a mother in an interview; I was told by a smart business owner that the Bus Stop Mamas business model wasn’t needed; I was told that the name shouldn’t include references to moms or women. But, then the market shifted. There were not enough people to fill jobs. The MeToo movement happened. Women superseded men in college graduation rates and the fertility rate was at an all-time low. And I knew in my heart that it was time for Bus Stop Mamas to fly. 

Motherhood is traditionally a taboo subject in business. Consequently, 43% of women exit their careers after their first child is born. Yet today, women and moms have more clout than ever—businesses need female talent to thrive. In December of 2018, when my daughter was twelve, she and I were talking about my plans for Bus Stop Mamas. Lily asked me what I needed to make it happen, and I told her that I needed a website. A few hours later, Lily built the website, and Bus Stop Mamas was alive and kicking!

What do you think is the biggest difficulty mothers face in finding flexible, meaningful work?

Having the courage to ask for what you want, having the confidence to ask for what you deserve, and being compassionate in your delivery. Every morning, Lily and I pray for courage, confidence, and compassion. Having the perfect mix of all three is my goal. 

Know that you are needed. Know that you offer experience that is valuable to a business. Know that you can do whatever you set your mind to.

Every family situation is different, and I am not one to dish out advice – all I know is that anything is possible and that people want to help. So ask!

How do you counsel businesses who might otherwise overlook this valuable talent pool?

Now is the time for big-thinking, family-forward companies to take the lead in adapting flexible work practices that perpetuate and nurture the future of tomorrow. The followers will always follow. Bus Stop Mamas is a mission-driven, hybrid workforce model that delivers social and economic upswing with one-click. The quick-acting, super affordable, innovative technology is a win-win-win for the ecosystem of suppliers: business, family, community, and, most importantly, moms.

What’s your vision for the future of Bus Stop Mamas?

My hope is that every mom will join the network (it’s free!) We want to be a positive influence for women and families and have a solid national footprint within five years. As women, we learn very early on that being pregnant and having children makes us less-than. And we learn that children are a deficit to our careers. In truth, the opposite is reality. Women make the world go around. Our superpower is not a deficit – we are shifting perceptions together! 

 ZINIEWICZ FAMILY PHOTO

Learn more about Bus Stop Mamas, join the talent network, or post an open role at https://www.busstopmamas.com/.