MOM NEXT DOOR

LIVE mom next door

Chelsey Laborde Blankenship

BY AMANDA MILLER PHOTO BY LAUREN ASHTON LIGHTS DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY

OCCUPATION: OWNER OF CLB CONSULTING & CO-OWNER OF SOSIS BOUTIQUE HUSBAND: ROBERT DAUGHTER: CHARLIE JO, 3 1/2 HOBBIES: RUNNING, COOKING, GARDENING, AND BEING CREATIVE WITH SOSIS

AS the owner of CLB Consulting, Chelsey Laborde Blankenship is often dialed into her clients’ brands, providing them with content that best showcases who they are as a company. She can often be found shuffling through a variety of social media accounts, but when it comes to her personal life, she’s all about living a life with her family–her husband, Robert, and their daughter, Charlie Jo–offline. This little known fact about her comes as a surprise to many. For Chelsey, having a three-and-a-half year old is full of fun and surprises. Those surprises have taught her how to be adaptable in all situations while on her journey to raising an independent little girl who dreams big and knows that nothing is out of her reach.

What does a normal day look like for you?

CHELSEY: I’m an early morning person, so I wake up really early and try to just plan my day. I write down the top three of the day and maybe dive into part of one before Charlie Jo wakes up. Then, it’s getting her ready for school and all that good stuff and then out the door. I try to time block as much as I can because it is hard to juggle many different brands. Mondays and Wednesdays are my client focus days and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are my SoSis focus days where I’m in the store, planning marketing tactics and different things like that.

What are the joys of raising your daughter?

CHELSEY: It’s so much fun. I think I see four on the horizon, meaning I see more independence and I see more reason with her already. Yes, she still has her tantrums and can be a little unreasonable, but it’s getting few and far between. I’m lucky because she calls me her best friend. She’s very lovable and sweet, very affectionate. We’re working on her leadership skills and how to not be bossy. We don’t say that word a lot, but she has thoughts and she wants to share them, and I want to foster that to hopefully raise a strong girl, but I also want her to be empathetic and considerate of other people’s feelings.

Any challenges?

CHELSEY: 2020 was really hard. Schools closed, and being an entrepreneur, no one does my job when I’m not doing it. HavI hope to be the encourager and the mom who fosters imagination, because I feel like if a child is able to imagine, she can dream big.

ing a toddler at home really doesn’t lend itself well to a computer all day long. My husband and I are really adamant about low screen time, so it was really hard. I had a lot of feelings in my head like, “Well, the only way I can get work done is if she watches Daniel Tiger, but at the same time, I don’t want her to watch Daniel Tiger all day.” On the positive side, it definitely taught me to be more adaptable.

What do you like to do as a family?

CHELSEY: We love to go to the park. Swimming is a fun activity for us. Bike riding is a big thing. As soon as I could put her in a bike seat, I got a bike seat for my bike. Lately, we do a lot of arts and crafts. She’s really into painting and Play-Doh. I try to always have something on the kitchen table, so when she asks for TV, I can say, “Well, let’s build something.”

What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?

CHELSEY: It’s how great it feels when the love you pour into someone is returned to you. I know that that’s not going to be forever; she’s not going to always want to hug on me, so I’m trying to savor those moments.

What has parenthood taught you?

CHELSEY: It’s taught me that I’m not in control of really anything. You have to trust that if you work on raising a kind human who knows what’s right, what’s wrong, and how to treat people, hopefully things will work out and she will achieve things and do what she wants to do.

What do you love most about your jobs?

CHELSEY: With SoSis, I really love the freedom of creativity that I have. My sister and I own it together. I am free to come up with creative ideas and we can execute them without needing

approval. With CLB, I like working with small business owners around town. The things I learn from them are invaluable.

What has work taught you about parenting?

CHELSEY: When I was going into baby food with Charlie Jo, I was asking about getting her to eat broccoli. A client told me, “I never hid food in other foods. It’s important for them to see broccoli and be exposed to that food.”

How do you make time to relax?

CHELSEY: I’m still really working on that. I can’t lie and say I have that down because I definitely don’t. I run and that definitely clears my head. I’m trying to have social media free weekends. I’m a work in progress.

What type of mom are you?

CHELSEY: I would say I am not a disciplinarian. I hope to be the encourager and the mom who fosters imagination, because I feel like if a child is able to imagine, she can dream big.

Which family member has been your greatest role model in life?

CHELSEY: My mom. She’s a business owner herself, so I model what I know from her. She is my biggest cheerleader. When I need a little uplift, I call her.

Any advice for other parents?

CHELSEY: My pediatrician at our first appointment said, “A gift that Charlie Jo has is two parents who love each other and love her.” Marriage has its ups and downs and parenthood adds challenges, but we choose to love each other. I pray that we always give that to her. ■

Q&A

Before I go out, I always check to make sure I have…

my ID and my debit card.

Favorite cuisine...

Italian.

Favorite movie growing up…

It Takes Two.

I’m always laughing at…

TikTok and Reels.

My favorite television show is...

This is Us.

My favorite ice cream is…

Cookies and Cream.

My dream travel spot is...

Greece.