Sharon Cesa

Name: Sharon Cesa
Age: 35
Company: PassedPresents.com
Email Address: info@passedpresents.com
Year Founded: 2007
Do you own a business?: Yes

Please tell us more about the business and when you started it (or would like to start it):

PassedPresents.com, an offering of fun, stylish presents that are thematically gift wrapped emerged from my love of shopping and giving gifts. After ending a decade-long career in marketing to raise my newborn daughter, I longed for a creative outlet. I wanted a career that would challenge and inspire me professionally, and enable me to be at home with my family. PassedPresents.com, launched in 2007, has been a perfect fit--it encapsulates my interests in marketing, design, shopping and gift giving, while enabling me to provide my family with hands-on love and support.

How many children do you have?: 3

How would you define yourself as a hybrid mom?:

A modern woman and mother who isn't restricted by the limitations of today's corporate world--a woman that defines success not by a title or seniority, but by achieving a blend of personal goals that reflect my dedication and passion for hard work, leisure activities, and family.

Share one personal or business ambition:

I would love to see my business grow into something amazing, something my family could be proud of. I'd like to be a good role model for my children, and inspire other moms to pursue their dreams no matter how difficult or far-fetched they may seem.

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?:

I never dreamed of what I was capable of before having kids. They challenge me and make me strong in ways I never could have imagined.

What one belief, factor or trait would you say has contributed most to your success (either personally or professionally)?:

My belief that you can have an enjoyable career without sacrificing the needs of your family. Before becoming a mom, I had always dreamed of having a "glamorous", high-profile marketing job. When after over a decade of hard work I finally began to actualize my goals, I was unfulfilled. Surrounded by high powered mom-execs who frequently sang their children to sleep from the office and berated nannies for inadequate lunches and incomplete homework, I realized that when my husband and I were ready to start a family, my current career path would not be one I wished I continue. After my daughter was born, being at home became extremely important to me, but I missed the feeling of professional accomplishment. PassedPresents.com has provided me a with creative outlet that encapsulates my love of gift giving, design, and fun, and enabled me to be a "hands-on" mom.

Feel free to tell us anything else you'd like... :

Life got so much better for me after I realized it was OK not to be supermom. After a very difficult second pregnancy and giving birth to twins, I take one day at a time, and have learned to laugh at myself a lot more. I know that some days will be better than others, and that every day my family is fed, cleaned, and clothed is a success, regardless of whether or not I have made a sale. I am thrilled to see there are so many other moms out there like me, pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams while raising families. Kudos to Hybrid Mom for bringing us together!

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