Women's History Month 2023

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories

A personal story by our Consultant Engagement Manager, Helda Müller :

Growing up and to this day, I think of my mom, Helen Vosloo , as a super woman.?All I am I owe to my mother and attribute my successes, principles, intellectual curiosity, and resilience in life to the example she set. My mom is an extraordinarily dynamic woman with an unmatched resilience and drive. Empowerment and independence personified.

Not only is she accomplished in her professional career, but she is also an artist, musically talented, well rounded in her interests and hobbies with the ability to read a book on a subject, then execute perfectly within record time!

From an early age I can remember being in my mom’s office, playing underneath her desk, or being “set up” at my own desk while waiting for her to finish her long hours of work. She had her own business, one of the first companies to bring computers into South Africa. Being a woman in a man’s world meant nights on end working overtime, doing things others aren’t thinking of in an undying effort for equality. She created within me a foundation for hard work, interest in business, an inspiration to excel, innovate, support, and grow. Through all the ups and downs in her marriages and professional life, she provided for my sister and I. Navigating through abuse, embezzlement by a business partner and many more traumatic situations I won’t mention.?Through times of success and hardship always tirelessly working, reinventing herself and putting our needs and well-being before herself.

So talented is my mom, that as a teenager I could point at a photo or picture in a magazine, and my mom would make the outfits for me.?I never knew there were times of financial struggle, as she experienced being let down by many people in her life, professionally and personally. She always found a way.

Before becoming a mom to my own daughter, my priorities were completely different. Devoting my time to my career, time to pay attention to my interests and hobbies, time for spontaneous date nights with my partner and frequent nights out!?

Fast forward through 36 hours of labor and a natural home birth with no pain relief. I can’t continue without mentioning my truly amazing midwife, Marianne Littlejohn another extraordinary women I am blessed to have shared the most personal and life changing experience with.?She will forever be a part of our lives.

The moment you become a mother is self-discovery in its rawest form.?Becoming a mother could be compared to finding rooms in your house you never knew existed. The instant my daughter was in my arms, I experienced an overwhelming feeling of love, purpose, belonging and yet at the same time, I felt lost.?You are overwhelmed, overjoyed, emotional, recovering, learning, loving, and becoming something new.

Colic is one of those things you can’t possibly understand unless you’ve experienced it. An experience that was painful, raw, and I found myself vulnerably exposed. But what was revealed about me was transcending and transformational; invaluable and worth every painstaking tear.?Motherhood…slow at times, frantic at others, exhausting and exhilarating all at once.?No matter the circumstances, it is the most rewarding and most challenging experience of my life.

We all make mistakes. We learn from them, and then we make more mistakes. Some days I feel like a total failure as a mom, but then I remember how I looked at my mom on the days she probably felt the same way. Through my eyes, she could do it all. I saw no flaws. She could fix any problem, provide for us, protect us, inspire me to be strong, independent & kind, all before lunch time.

And now I find myself, getting to know the young lady that has changed my life, Luca Maulicino. She is my present and my future. She inspires me, surprises me, always with wonder in her eyes and a quirky sense of humor.?She has immense kindness, joy, compassion, and caring inside her, way beyond her years.?She teaches me many things about myself, at times she is a mirror reminding me to be mindful.?As challenging as it was when she was a baby, I don’t have even a day of trouble now, in fact I am the one that needs to keep growing, to transform and adapt to be the best I can be, aspiring to be the mom she deserves.?I know Luca will impact many lives positively going forward and can’t wait for her to keep sharing her stories.

#gsgconsulting #inspiration #motherhood #leadbyexample #future #kindness