Empowering Women with Jill Duty Tran

Empowering Women with Jill Duty-Tran

In dedication to Mother’s Day our empowering woman for the month of May is Jill Duty-Tran. Each month we are collaborating with the talented Mike Aguilar Photography to show and feature the amazing women in our community!

Being a mother is just as empowering and even a harder job than any career that is out there. It is a full-time job with no sick days and no days off. You are a constant role model to your children, their support system, and the most important person in the world to them.

Jill is a mother of two beautiful boys and had recently stepped down from a full-time career to balance her work and personal life. Previous to her part time position at The University of Oklahoma, Jill was the Associate Director of Fraternity & Sorority Student Life for almost a decade. The decision to step down was very difficult due to her love for the job and her work family. But ultimately being a mother and being there for her family and kids was her top priority.

As a mother, Jill’s biggest concern was the health of her children. Her concerns were not only that her kids were eating healthy and consuming their daily veggies, but also the amount of chemicals that are in our everyday products including cleaning products to the detergent that we use. With these concerns Jill was on a mission to make sure that the products that were used with her loved ones were safe. She was invited to a neighborhood party where she learned more about Norwex, a company that offers chemical free cleaning supplies.

Read more below on how Jill transitioned from a full-time career to being a mom and making her home chemical free and a safe place for her family! To learn more about Norwex, please go to http://jilltran.norwex.biz/.

Getting to know Jill!

How did you handle the transition of having a career to being a mother? 

The transition was hard. I was torn between working and spending extra time with my boys. It took me awhile to get in the swing of the two worlds working together as one. I eventually was able to go part time and have a little more balance. It was the best decision and I’m very thankful to my work and husband for encouraging me to step into this new phase.  I hope that more companies work with parents when they transition with children.  It’s not easy for everyone. People have different struggles with the transition. I was lucky to have my mom watch my boys while I went back to work for the first year. Not everyone has the same resources and I hope one day our society will be more open to having dialogue about how two worlds can work together more fluidly.    

-What do you enjoy most about being a mother?

All the small moments that I get to share with my boys. I love spending time with them creating new memories. It is so fun getting to watch them experience the world and make sense of their surroundings. We are homebodies! We love to stay at home in our PJs or go on small adventures to our park. Those are the days and the moments that I love the most! Of course, their sweet little voices, saying I love you mommy, is up at the top of my list! 

-What are the biggest challenges for you when it comes to being a mother?

Having patience. Being patient. Did I mention, patience? I’m constantly changing my communication style to most effectively reach my children at their current age of life. They process the world differently and it’s really important that I can reach them at their level.  I’ll say a word and get a blank stare from them and then try to explain what that means. It can be challenging to deconstruct our language to help my little ones’ process through.  

-Why are you so passionate about chemical free companies?

I started reading articles (late night when I was sleep deprived with my newborn) and it astonished me how many chemicals are in our food, beauty, and household products. I then realized that many other countries have banned these chemicals from being made. I’m more aware of the labels and ingredients and what is in my food and what goes on my body. I still enjoy dinner out without asking about every ingredient in my food (not judging if you do or if you have to for health reasons), but I make sure that those ingredients do not step foot in my house. I made some minor changes and it took me a year to go through all the products in my house and pantry. I found some awesome companies and stores that are also chemical free. I try to utilize these stores and companies when I’m buying items for my house. 

-What’s Norwex and why do you sell this product?

As I was going through my cleaning out phase the last items I was looking for were household chemical free cleaning supplies. I went to a house party in my neighborhood and found this company that not only has chemical free cleaning supplies but that cleans most of your (really all of your) house with just water and microfiber towels, rags. This microfiber towel cleans 99% of bacteria and does not spread it to other areas of your house with just one wipe and water. I was amazed and started using the products and love them! It takes down so much of my cleaning time. I also feel comfortable when my boys are doing their cleaning chores and have a rag with water. They are not exposed to the chemicals and can help their mommy and daddy clean! It’s a win win for us! I also like their body products and it’s kind of a one stop shop for me.  I’m thankful for this company and so many others that have made a commitment to making these chemical free products. If you ever want to learn more about this company or any other awesome ones, feel free to reach out or browse my website http://jilltran.norwex.biz/.

-What advice would you give other mothers out there?

YOU ARE ENOUGH. Moms have so many external pressures to be perfect. When you become a mother, you receive so much advice, opinions, stares, some solicited and some unsolicited. Self-doubt kicks in and you start to question everything you do. I have to constantly remind myself that I am enough and I’m the best mom I can be for my two little boys. I’m not like anyone else and no one else needs to be like me. I’ve surrounded myself with a great support system that encourages me along the way but it’s so important to encourage yourself. When I start doubting myself or saying I could do this better, I try to stop and say, I AM ENOUGH. Give yourself credit even on the worst days. You deserve it!