Lauren Cornea: The Mom That’s Doing it All
Lauren is a real estate agent here in Astoria – and that involves a lot of leg work. You need to be aware of constant trends in the real estate market, and each new client is a new project – a new chance to search and search until you find the perfect place.
“I’m a real estate agent – which makes me an independent contractor. My schedule is flexible, which is one of the reasons I wanted to be a real estate agent. As a single mom, I wanted a job that allowed me to make time for my kids – but also make time for my career.”
It’s not easy, Lauren tells us – there are a lot of rough spots.
“Recently, I had to change a few of my schedules to make things work. I felt too tired, and like I was being worn too thin – something I’m sure a lot of other single moms or even moms in general, can relate to.”
So, she moved things around – and made them fit.
“I started organizing and scheduling everything. I go to the gym super early, I’m usually there around 5:00 am, so I have time to go back home, get my children ready for school, and then take them to school. Sometimes, I’d leave the office early to take my son to basketball practice or my daughter where she needed to go.”
Fitness is another way that Lauren clears her mind and keeps everything balanced.
“I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant with my son. I lost most of it, but then gained it all back when I was pregnant with my daughter. I went from 112, to 192, down to 10, then back up to 203! I had gained 91 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight, and it was much more difficult losing weight the second time around. I found myself working out more, eating less, but I still wasn’t getting where I wanted to be – so I hired a trainer, and eventually I got the results I wanted. “
Besides her love for the fitness and corporate world, Lauren loves to volunteer. She makes it her personal goal to do more than just help her own children – she helps other children as well.
“More than anything, my favorite thing that I do is that I volunteer for Learning Leaders. It’s a group of volunteer parents that go to public schools and they volunteer their time with a student or group of students. I’ve been working with a student Richie for three or four years and I really enjoy it. It’s my time where I get to help someone. I give him stickers and pencils and it lights up his day – and that then lights up my day as well. I love being able to share my love for English and math with someone who’s struggling. He’s in the fourth grade now at PS 21, and I started with him when he was just in the first grade. To see how far and I started with him in the first grade. It’s so rewarding to see how far he’s come, and to realize that I played a part in that. It’s truly amazing.
It seems that Lauren is unstoppable – but that takes a lot of hard work.
“If I had to give advice to other single moms, it would be that you just have to do it – there’s no giving up. In my situation, I don’t have a lot of people to help – my parents work. I have to pay a baby-sitter, but I’m very much doing a lot on my own. I also make sure I spend as much time with my children as possible. You just have to show your children as much love and attention as you can when you’re with them. You never take out the stress of your situation on them – even though sometimes that’s an easy thing to do. When they get older, they’ll appreciate all that you do – and that’s when it all pays off.