Jessica believes children of single moms deserve the same opportunities and possibilities as other children. She believes it’s near impossible to empower your children if you are not empowered, so she turned this philosophy of empowering the children of single moms into a business to better serve single moms and those who help and support them. It all began with the unexpected.
Jessica Rector thought she was leading a great life. She was parasailing, skydiving, shark diving, living in Norway, and volunteering in Africa. With three college degrees, she started a coaching business in order to help women. While working diligently during the day, she waited tables at night in a fine dining restaurant until her business could be self sustaining, when the unexpected happened.
She broke up with her boyfriend, and three days later, in a church bathroom, found out she was pregnant. She quickly darted out of the church building, crying and thinking the career she was working so hard for was now over. She would have to get a “real” job, and she knew that’s not where her heart was.
After a few conversations with the ex, she realized she wanted more. She and her baby deserved more. She found herself alone and scared. Outside of her family and a couple of friends, she didn’t tell anyone she was pregnant. She didn’t want to hear the judgments and stereotypes.
After seven months of keeping her pregnancy to a close group of people, Jessica started a blog called A Clueless Mom in order to help other single moms who might be feeling alone, scared, or isolated. While writing through her blog, she received positive support and feedback which encouraged her to continue sharing her story.
The more people she met, the more she shared her story and something amazing happened. People didn’t judge or stereotype her. They greeted her with I’m a single mom, I know a single mom, or I was raised by a single mom. Everyone knows a single mom. The more Jessica was warmly welcomed, the more it gave her permission to keep sharing which in turn allowed the recipients to feel comfortable enough to share their stories.
Then Jessica’s first defining moment came. A few months after her son was born, Jessica attended a speaker summit, because in the past year since finding out she was pregnant, Jessica had applied to several corporate jobs and was never called in for an interview to any, even the ones she was overqualified for. At this summit, a guest speaker came on stage and asked, “Why do you do what you do?”
He received answers a variety of different answers. It’s my passion. I love it. I like helping others. Then he said, “This is why I do what I do,” and put a picture up of his kids.
Jessica immediately cried. She knew right then, she couldn’t tell her new baby he would do and be anything he wanted if she wasn’t doing it. So she knew she had to follow what was in her heart.
Jessica turned her A Clueless Mom blog into a business helping moms and kept getting frustrated, because she wasn’t able to find resources, information, or support to help her as a single mom. She knew if she felt this way, others felt the same way. Then she turned her business and frustration into The Single Mom Movement to educate and empower single moms so they can better empower their kids. She has dedicated the rest of her professional life to serving single moms and those who help and support single moms.
After in depth research, Jessica kept finding the same thing…articles blaming single moms and categorizing their children. Jessica says, “It tears at my heart that children of single moms face a more challenging life filled with health, behavioral, cognitive, and social issues and stigmas. We can’t begin to understand what single moms need without first understanding who they are.” She wants to give single moms a voice, while changing public perception so “The world finally starts seeing us for who we are and not for who we aren’t.”
Single motherhood affects everyone. Jessica’s goal is for people to become proactive in supporting the movement and to educate the public by showing how single motherhood really affects them…in ways they may not realize and how they can help.
After her son was born, Jessica recognized her shame around being a single mom, and how it manifested itself in ways she never imagined like not telling people she was pregnant due to shame. She dug deep about shame…uncovering what this meant in her life, how to overcome it, and how she can help single moms everywhere recognize it and become shame resilient. Jessica can teach single moms about budgeting, time management, and self care, but she feels that’s like building a roof to a house when you need a solid foundation first. In order to have that solid foundation, single moms must start with fears, shame, worthiness, belonging, and love.
Jessica educates the public by being an advocate and speaking on behalf of family bills at the Texas State Congress hearings and travelling around the world as a keynote speaker presenting about these topics to leaders, organizations, companies, directors, women, moms, managers, and many others.
Jessica knows what it’s like to feel alone and isolated as a single mom. She wants to make sure every single mom knew she is not alone in her journey. So Jessica established The Single Mom Movement Community where single moms support and help other single moms in their journey. You are not alone. This community gives single moms a sense of belonging and love. We are all in this together…when you receive the support and help from this community, the more you’re able to thrive, find fulfillment, and be happy.
Jessica also consults with companies, organizations, and people ( social workers, non-profits, hospitals, pediatricians, OBGYNs, counselors, and therapists), who work with single parents or the children of single parents, to bridge the gaps in communications, development, processes, systems, and programs. After working with Jessica, these organizations, companies, and people are able to work more effectively and efficiently with single parents so they can build a life of fulfillment, success, happiness, and abundance, allowing families to thrive, the organizations and companies save money, and all tides rise.
Join us on Secondwind with Joyce Buford, Tuesday, March 17 at 9 a.m. CST!
