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I Don’t Know How She Does It – Azadeh Hawkins

2013 February 26
by WWGD

azandkids

I first met Azadeh “Az” Hawkins when I was pitching the Viceroy Hotel Group with a colleague for their PR business. We won the account (yay us!) and in the end, I won a new friend as well. Az is one of those working moms who knows you can strive for the moon in stilettos one minute and then bake a killer homemade birthday cake back here on earth the next. She is kind and hard working and smart and funny and can talk preschool admissions and vaccines as easily as she can chat up a CFO in an earnings meeting. She calls West Los Angeles home to her brood which includes six-year-old Layla, five-year-old Shaymus, her husband Barrett and their dog, Rosie – bonus points to any working mom who also has a dog…seriously – but travels around the globe in serious style in her current role at Viceroy as AVP of marketing communication and brand management. Lucky for us, she found some time in her jam-packed schedule to show us how she does it:

What time does your day start and how?

I start around 5am (editor’s note: this is a pattern I am not loving…). I typically get ready for work then spend 15 minutes checking emails.  It helps me get organized for the day and prioritize any pop-up urgent matters.  I then make the kids’ lunches and prepare their breakfast. This is one of my favorite times of the day because I have some time to myself, the house is peaceful and I can get the day organized for the family. I then get the kids up and get them going. I try to do school drop off a few times a week.

What time does your day end and how?

If I’m awake after 10pm it’s a miracle. We put the kids to bed by 8pm and depending on the day we might get a tv show in (along with a glass of wine) before I go to bed. And I try to read before bed as often as I can.

Do you work from home or in an office? What is the set up like?

I work in our corporate office which is in downtown Los Angeles. I have my own office with tons of archived materials, samples of products and some mood boards that I post things up on for inspiration.

Do you see/speak to your kids throughout your work day? If yes, how/when?

I try to speak to them in the afternoon when they get home from school but sometimes the day flies by and before I know it I’m rushing home. If I’m traveling I call them when I know my husband is home and getting ready to put them to bed.

What is the best thing about being a working mom? Hardest thing?

One of the best parts is all the talented and inspiring people I meet. I’ve worked at Viceroy for 10+ years and have made some incredible friends, have been fortunate to have some unbelievable mentors and I get to do something I truly love. The bonus is that I get to visit so many amazing places in the world. The downside is that I always feel like I’m missing something important that my kids are doing. I dream about making both my worlds work in a more balanced way.

Be honest, what is one thing you envy about stay at home moms?

I do think that being a stay at home mom is just as hard as a working one. Having said that I do envy them being able to wear jeans when they want, taking a mid-day yoga class, and being home for all things kids related. I hate that I have to schedule in some things literally down to the hour and minutes. I guess it’s a juggling act either way.

Answer the question “I don’t know how you do it?” in ten words or less.

Hugs from my kids. Yoga. Wine. Most importantly an amazing husband. (eleven words ok?)

And because this woman always looks uber chic, here are her must-haves of the moment for she and she and he:

AzHawkins-WhatWouldGwynethDo

 From top left:

My kids love hiding places where they can stash their toys and play. I am constantly building forts for them and this Land of Nod play canopy is a great permanent solution.

These Pedro Garcia pumps are amazingly comfortable and the color is just plain awesome.

I love getting gifts from Books and Cookies LA and it’s a great spot to drop by when I have a few extra minutes to keep the kids busy.

I love the airbrush on these Kelly Wearstler Banksy pants and the fit is super cute. Can’t go wrong with anything KW.

The kids and I love to garden and spring is around the corner so we are getting the backyard ready for the big blooms with this Morgan Cycle junior garden set.

S.A.L.T. are the best sunglasses ever. They have the most amazing styles and are so well made.

I can’t live without this Neil George Indian Gooseberry treatment oil. It keeps my hair so healthy and it’s great for when you’re on the go and need a quick touch up.

Sara Happ’s The Lip Slip is a must-have for daily use.

This Trish McEvoy Blackberry and Vanilla Musk is a great every day scent.

6 Responses
  1. February 26, 2013

    Too funny, I was just thinking “hmmm…all these hard working Mom’s are getting up at 5am” and then you commented on the same…lol. That’s such an ungodly hour but then again if I was sleeping by 10pm then I could probably do it no problem. Perhaps there is really is something to the old adage “early to bed, early to rise”?

    • WWGD permalink*
      February 26, 2013

      Ha ha, I know! I started to feel really guilty about my 630am wake ups… 😉

  2. February 26, 2013

    I usually wake up at 6 so that I can write and hit the gym before going to work…seemed pretty great until I saw all these moms bounding out of bed an hour earlier and dealing with kids, too. Oof.

  3. larissa permalink
    February 28, 2013

    I love this series and am happy to see it return!!

    • WWGD permalink*
      March 1, 2013

      Thanks, Larissa! Me too!

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