What could possibly have been missing from the lives of 600+ successful professional women and mothers in Westchester County, New York? They had tremendous careers AND families.

But what they didn't have -- and now do, thanks to the amazing efforts of Second Shift Founder and President, Mara Weissmann, is a comprehensive community resource and service center and forum for education and networking among career moms and moms seeking re-entry into the workforce. These women come together to get educated on topics that are relevant to their professional and personal lives and share their work/life challenges, career obstacles and successes, questions and tips about work-related matters and childcare, their passion for community service. … and much, much more.

Despite the outward illusion that these women "have it all," they felt tremendous loneliness and stress. Their lives were spent traveling to and from work, competing in the workplace (and often facing the heroic struggle between work and family life) and caring for their children once they got home at night. They felt disenfranchised from their community, their peers and even their kids.

In 1998, Mara, a successful attorney and business woman, and mother of two, started discussing this common phenomenon with other commuting working mothers. She decided to take charge and planned the first networking dinner, exclusively for mothers who were balancing both jobs and families.

The turnout and feedback were amazing! And today, that small group has grown into a force field of more than 600 women just like them. The group includes part-time and full-time workers, doctors, lawyers, media figures, businesswomen, entrepreneurs, mothers, grandmothers, young mothers and single moms. They meet at events to network, learn new skills, laugh and cry together, plan valuable community programs and plan how they can continue to educate and provide support to others like them nationwide.

In June 2003, a second chapter of Second Shift was formed in Southern Westchester, New York and in January, 2007, a third chapter for moms contemplating returning to the work-force and moms in transition was formed.

Second Shift is taking its model "on the road" and is being replicated in local communities and corporate communities throughout the country. As one devoted member said, "the value of Second Shift to its members is that it provides a community within a community." The social and business structure of Second Shift fosters personal growth and professional development for its members, individually and collectively. In the end, human interaction and connection in a forum where people learn from one another, are what ultimately make people, women in particular, feel empowered.