There are some women whom I’ll meet only once yet find they’ve left a large enough footprint behind to have me think: “Hmmm, I want to follow her!”. This was just what crossed my mind as I waited for Chinthani Perera-Lunemann (Chini) this summer in an Upper East Side Irish pub which we had selected for my interview.
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Let’s just say Chini’s the kind of gal who will sit you down on first meet and dive in with: “Now listen here…!” whilst waving a waitress down for a glass of wine before kicking the conversation up a notch. UK mom of twin 6 year old boys whom she almost lost to TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome), Chini shared the nightmare she and her husband faced when fighting for their babies’ survival while in utero. I had never heard of this syndrome before, yet I thought if anyone could get through that ordeal, this was the woman the universe would choose to overcome it – she was a survivor.
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Today Chinthani Perera-Lunemann (Chini) is an assertive advocate of and partner with TAMBA – Twins and Multiple Births Association located in the UK. She has kicked off fundraisers and generously donated her time to the cause by making it her mission to support mothers around the world suffering through this high risk pregnancy. Hearing her story, I was floored by how this exotic petite and incredibly magnetic personality held two fetuses leaning on her spine for many months (forget the big belly, pregnancy is about back problems), braved every pregnant woman’s worst nightmare (baby complications) and spun it around to become the successful work at home mom she is today. What started as a charitable hobby turned into far more than she ever imagined.
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Ladies, I introduce you an empowering woman: Chinthani Perera-Lunemann founder of Manhattan based Mom to Moms Advisors – who is placing trusted childcare specializing in multiple births inside homes of families across continents (North America, Europe and Australia).
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Originally from Sri Lanka, Chini proudly shared her country owned the world’s first female Prime Minister. I thought: “This is what women are made of, sharing eachother’s success stories.“; I loved that she opened with this inspiring female tidbit.
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How do you manage to work from home with twin 6 year old boys?!
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I may work from home, but I keep office hours. I choose which days I want to work and set the clock boundaries (10 to 4) no matter what. I also fit my schedule around their activities. I work many nights and squeeze in as much as possible when they’re in school. When the boys are home and try to pull me away, I remind them “Mommy is not your playmate!”. I teach them to play independently; One day this will make a difference when they’re older.
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Did you have any experience in childcare before launching Mom to Moms Advisors?
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Growing up, my family has always been surrounded with nannies and domestic help from butlers and chauffers, to grounds keepers. I myself had a British nanny when I had my boys and have always been the go-to person for friends looking for trusted caregivers and advice when selecting a nanny. Professionally speaking I worked in a completely separate field as a financial executive in the investment banking world while in the UK.
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What started out as a natural desire to support other women, turned into something I could work at professionally. Had I not had my boys and been through TTTF while carrying them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Today 90 % of my clients have twins. I always say it all started with my twins!
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How did you market yourself when launching Mom to Moms?
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I embraced Social Media, it really does work! I Facebook-ed it, twittered, did Linked In, shared my story by blogging. Skype was and is very big for me. I use it to reach out and network as well as support other moms all the time.
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Tell us, what was your husband’s take on this endeavor when you first started out?
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This was definitely a shift away from what my husband was used to, being raised in Germany, nannies just didn’t exist there. Most of his friends’ wives are very intelligent and had college degrees under their belts. Yet after kids, they all just stopped working. So of course it was natural for us to talk about why I wasn’t following that charted path, especially considering what I had on my plate with the boys and after what we went through back home in London. As in any supportive marriage, we got through it and today he supports me. Together we had faced TTTF, so there was no question of my giveback to the cause which through my many childcare referrals later led to the start of Mom to Mom’s Advisors.
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Tell us about your friendships and how you make time for a social life living in New York’s ‘Concrete Jungle’.
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If you want the time, you make the time. I have dinner parties, I love cooking and wearing my domestic shoes; I”ll often throw mom’s night-in soirees and try to glam it up a little. One piece of advice my mother always reminded me of while growing up: “Keep up your friendships! Don’t ever let them go.” and to this day I never have.
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Is there any woman role model that you admire today?
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You know I wasn’t raised with many women role models. My father and brother were always the strong figures in my life. However today, I’d absolutely choose Hillary Clinton. Now there’s a woman who looked beyond the trees and saw the bigger picture. She stuck through her marriage because she knew that as a partnership they would go further despite the stigma of her husband’s infidelity. It took a lot of guts to do that.
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Key words of wisdom for In Our Shoes readers?
Surround yourself with people who believe in you. The attractive force and energy is astonishing. Follow your passion and find a way to make it work. Hire help. Challenge yourself. Work from home in the evenings and absolutely designate your office hours!
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How do you make time for your marriage?
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My husband and I date every week! Thursday nights is our time to get out, away from the kids and check in with eachother. Absolutely essential for working parents.
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You’ve now got Donald Trump’s attention. He’s given you space to hold your upcoming Manhattan event! Tell us about it.
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Yes , I’m very excited about this opportunity. It’s a free event for expectant moms in Manhattan where I’ll have a panel of my trusted childcare experts there to talk about that “Fourth Trimester”, what my agency brings to the table and overall empowering new parents, especially those with multiples on the way!
