WRAL: Meet this Mom: Stephanie Farley

Stephanie Llorente, owner of Restored, is a regular contributor to the WRAL-TV Go Ask Mom blog where she writes about relevant topics for working moms. We repost that content here.

It’s no secret that the Triangle is made up of incredible mothers who love their families well and keep the world spinning. I often have the pleasure of engaging with moms from all walks of life due to my role with Restored, and I count myself fortunate to be in their orbit. I most often cross paths with mothers who work outside of the home, and they often share their stories with me – their challenges, their wins, life’s roadblocks, kid dramatics, and even how their marriages are going. I get to hear what makes them tick…and what ticks them off. (For me, it’s the increasingly heavy traffic!)

Each month, I’ll profile a mother I’ve bumped into at the grocery store, been introduced to by a mutual friend, hoped to one day meet, or been friends with for a while.

Our first mom, Stephanie Farley, is the latter. I’ve known her since our oldest kids were in preschool together, and I’m sure you’ll love her just as much as I do. Here’s her story…

What’s your name, and in what part of the Triangle do you spend most of your time?

My name is Stephanie Farley, and I spend most of my time in Holly Springs and the greater Raleigh area.

Tell us a little about your family. 

My husband and I have been married 16 years, and he is the handy one that keeps our house and yard in order in addition to working for a large Clinical Research Organization as a nurse consultant. I keep the family organized, fed and active in the local community. We divide and conquer the extracurricular sports schedule. We have two active boys that love bike riding, swimming, soccer and flag football. My oldest is a rising fourth grader, and my youngest is a rising second grader. The boys keep us on our toes with non-stop curiosity, humor and mischief.

What is your favorite activity to do with your family?

My favorite summer activity is swimming at the neighborhood pool and enjoying time with friends and family.

Tell us about your current career and how long you’ve worked in that field.

I work full time for a large Fortune 500 company in the health care IT sector as a consulting senior director. I have had more than two decades of experience working with information technology deployments for our nation's largest health care providers. Currently, I support the success of our federal clients in the deployment of scalable clinical solutions that help them provide high quality care while meeting industry benchmarks. I have operational responsibilities, but I also get great energy for the job seeing my team interact with our clients and exceed their expectations. My family has been really supportive of my career goals and travel.

I manage a team of more than 130 associates. The best part of the job is growing strong empowered teams that work to transform the health care industry. I get energized supporting the Diversity Equity and Inclusion practice group as an executive sponsor. I also believe that culture is part of any high performing team’s secret sauce, and I co-lead a 2022 culture imperative and teach leadership courses when my schedule allows. 

What do you love about parenting as a working mother?

I love that my boys know that I work hard. From time to time as I travel, they can get to appreciate the "invisible work of mom" when I travel for work. They appreciate both the big and little things I do with these periodic work trips (even if the appreciation is temporary each homecoming).

Describe your employment journey to date.

I am one of those folks that has worked for the same company for more than 20 years. However, things are changing as my company was recently acquired by an even larger Fortune 500 company. I started my career in an entry level position and grew into an executive role. The way I grew my career was solving problems and finding ways to motivate myself (and others around me) to mobilize around analyzing and resolving business problems.

As I started to master my current job, I would look for larger and more complex clients and business problems to tackle. Each time I scaled to the next challenge, I would find new ways to apply what I learned in my prior job. I really enjoy working in the health care industry and overcoming challenges of scope and scale. I diversify my operational/technical skills by growing my leader toolkit. I enjoy taking and teaching leadership classes, mentoring, reading and being a lifelong student.

Tell us about a challenge you’ve overcome as a mother in the workplace.

Mom life doesn't stop when I travel. Although I have to deliver presentations, deliverables and interface with our clients when I travel, I stay engaged with family on the road. I communicate with the boys' teachers via an app they use at school and see how they are doing daily from the road. If time zones allow, we fit in video calls with the kids.

My husband and friends snap and share photos of kids in afterschool activities and keep me from missing out on key events. In some recent trips, I've had to schedule doctor’s appointments on the portal and work out emergency childcare and transportation from thousands of miles away. This wouldn't be possible without technology, supporting family and friends. I work hard to support a work culture that is family friendly, and my colleagues pay that forward in supporting my family needs.

What are you passionate about outside of work and family? 

I like to run at dawn and dusk when the world is still, and one can commune with nature. I enjoy swimming, cooking and being active. I appreciate a good book, but sometimes all we can manage are chapter books with the kids with an occasional professional development book or beach read in the mix. Family movie night, bonfires, wine nights and good friends help to bring some peace to the pace of life punctuated with red eye flights, deadlines, evening practices and overlapping schedules. I love dancing, music, and a good family dance party.

How do you incorporate self-care into a busy schedule?

Self-care is an ongoing challenge, but building it into a routine is key to success. I schedule a regular monthly massage two to three months in advance and schedule fitness classes via an app or try to run before my workday starts to avoid fire drills from interfering. Running outside helps me recharge with nature. Zumba or kickboxing can help to de-escalate frustrations and channel negative energy into positive energy.

To stay on track, I book time with my therapist when I finish my most recent appointment. I need to take a page from my self-care routine and put the next round of date nights and girls' outings on the calendar!

What is one book, podcast, article, social media account, blog or other resource you can recommend for moms?

I really enjoy Restored For Moms for the community and resources they provide, The Holderness Family videos for their humor and perspectives, and the WRAL Out and About section for great ideas on how to spend our weekends.

If you have a favorite go-to spot in the Triangle, what is it?

We love the greenways and local parks the most! Jack Smith Park is a favorite due to having both a splashpad and so much great equipment for all ages. We alternate between the great parks in Holly Springs, Apex and Cary! We can also be found at our local YMCA, Triangle sporting events, pool/golf course, museums and festivals.