The morning rush hour shuffle in Lisa Pittman's Houston home is much like the early whirl happening in most households with kids in the world. "It is basically a race to get up, get ready for work, get the kids up, get them to eat, to brush their teeth, to go potty, to put on their uniforms, check the backpacks, check my briefcase, and to please make it to school by 8," she says.

      The scramble out the door is even more challenging when Pittman, an attorney, has appointments at the courthouse. "If I have to appear in court it is even more stressful because one can not be late for a judge," she says. She and her husband, Leonardo, face hectic weeks juggling the obligations required by their full-time jobs and the commitments with their two children: 7-year-old Lana and 4-year-old Liam.

     Pittman knows many other moms who face similar daily demands, including her friend Suzette Tejeda, a consultant and single mother-of-two. The duo joined forces in 2012 to start the Executive Moms Society (EMS) using the social networking website LinkedIn. They joke that EMS may also stand for Exhausted Moms Society, but they have ambitious goals for the group. "We have amazing power to form relationships to support one another. We are already the movers and shakers, and as we rise to positions of power, we will be the dominant decision makers," Pittman says. "Through this group, we not only seek to create a 'good ol' girls' network and throw each other business, we hope to be a part of a nationwide change on issues so that families can experience both prosperity and progress with less personal sacrifices and hard choices."   

     Pittman and Tejeda were partly motivated by a controversial article in The Atlantic Magazine titled "Why Women Still Can't Have It All." Writer Anne-Marie Slaughter discusses the struggles of working mothers, what needs to change in the corporate world and whether work-life balance is a realistic concept.      

     "The truth is, I do not have balance right now," admits Pittman, "but that is what I am seeking to create through opportunities developed through EMS."

     The group is planning quarterly events where women can feel free to express motherhood-related concerns while networking, referring business, and promoting each other's companies. It also plans to host lunches where a plethora of professional and personal topics are addressed including professional advancement, leadership skills, parenting advice and school application tips.

     Tejeda says she is looking forward to the camaraderie and career counseling. "I think we are constantly learning from one another and I always feel empowered when I've been in the company of successful women and mothers," she says. "I would like to continue to pass on inspiration to other working moms as I've been inspired by many that have come before me. Mentoring is a wonderful thing."  

    EMS has hosted several successful events, and has received tremendous feedback from women in diverse industries. Tejeda says, "We all have issues we have to face. Mine are no more or less important than my fellow sisterhood, just different. We need to stick together."

     CLICK HERE for more information about EXECUTIVE MOMS SOCIETY Events and Membership  
  

     CLICK HERE to read the The Atlantic Magazine article "WHY WOMEN STILL CAN'T HAVE IT ALL"                                        by Anne-Marie Slaughter.