Fifteen years ago Lynne Zanowski had life all figured out. She had just had her first baby. The maternity leave from her company had ended. Childcare for baby Ben was lined up and she was ready to go back to her job as a sales rep. 

Yup. It was all neatly figured out.

That is until Zanowski's first day back at work. 

"I had a meeting where I learned about a new product announcement and a sales trip to Florida. All I could think was ‘I can't do this,' " recalled Zanowski. She considered quitting. That night she sat up with her husband, Peter, making pro and con lists.

She quit the next day and "never looked back."

Zanowski says, "Whatever I do I want to be all in. I want to be the very best that I can be. I knew I wasn't going to be the best mom and the best employee (at the same time.) And being the best mom was more important." She added, "But I do admire moms who can do both." 

It was a tough transition becoming a one-income family overnight. "Coupons became my best friend," recalls Zanowski. Sixteen months later, daughter Mary was born and though those toddler years were challenging, Zanowski enjoyed them. Since Zanowski was born and raised in Lancaster, she has many friends and connections here. Many of these friends were also having children and choosing to stay home. They proved to be an important lifeline to Zanowski.

"I remember my best friend, Julie, lived in Mt. Joy and Peter and I lived in Millersville. At that time a phone call to her was long distance but that was one expense I was not going to give up!" Julie also had very young children and would call Zanowski and ask, "Ok, how are we going to kill the day?" The two often loaded up the children and walked Park City Mall.

When her children started school at St. Leo the Great in Lancaster, Zanowski started volunteering there. That kept her skills sharp and she thought seriously about returning to  work. As her children got older she had more time to pursue her interests professionally.

One of Zanowski's passions is health and fitness. And she was able to find part time positions in those fields. She worked as a Community Health Educator for Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, where she was involved in public health campaigns for school children.  She also worked part time as a Body Pump class instructor at Gold's Gym in Lancaster.  

When Ben turned 15 and Mary,14 recently, Zanowski decided to start looking for a fulltime position. But she worried about that empty spot in her resume where she was raising her children. It shook her confidence. But one of her biggest encouragers turned out to be her brother, Jeff Ostrowski, who told her to get out there and create the job she wanted. She listed her years of being a stay at home mom like a regular job.

Zanowski tells other moms wanting to return to work to also find their cheerleaders - girlfriends, relatives -whomever. "Moms tend to dismiss their contributions," said Zanowski. "Let the people closest to you, who are your biggest cheerleaders ... who know you best and see the worth that you might not see in yourself, motivate you to be your best."

After listening to her brother, updating her resume, and digging down deep, Zanowski was recently able to land the position of Marketing Director for HARTZ Physical Therapy, a growing physical therapy practice with offices in Lititz and Lancaster. She is very excited.

"I'll be helping in referral relations. I love it - it's a great fit. This job involves all the things I love: sales and marketing, meeting people. And since HARTZ has a medically adapted gym, Zanowski's love of physical fitness is also met.   Then she added, "It's my first full time gig in 15 years!"

Zanowski has advice for other stay at home mothers wanting to get back into the work force: "If you've been an involved mom doing what you do for your kids...wear that like a badge of honor."  Zanowski explains.  "Just make sure you stay involved, stay active - and nothing will be lost.  Never sell yourself short." 

"Motherhood is something to be proud of. It's hard. If you can do that, you can do anything."
 
MOM DETAILS
Zanowski has five brothers. She is the fifth out of the six siblings.

Her favorite food:  "A good plate of nachos."

The best place to get those nachos? Tobias Frogg in Lancaster.
 
Other favorite food - Swedish fish.

Zanowski's secret on how to look so fit and trim while eating nachos and Swedish fish: "I am lucky. I do eat well the vast majority of the time and I do exercise."

Zanowski is not an animal person.  

Zanowski has been married to her husband, Peter for 17 years. Peter nominated her to be Mom of the Month.

Given the choice between the stairs and the elevator, Zanowski will always take the stairs.
 

When Zanowski gets nervous or stressed she laughs. She admits also to have "church giggles" and once started laughing during a funeral.

Zanowski says, "I'm average with household stuff. I'm not Martha Stewart."

Written by Maureen Leader, Special Features

Photo credit: Maureen Leader