Meet the Working Mom Who Manages Mesa’s Main Street Harvest

• Name and ages: Lacey Stapleton, 29
• Location: Mesa 
• Children: James (under 1)

Tell us about your role and how you got to this point in your career

I manage a community grocery store in downtown Mesa, called Main Street Harvest. This store was a passion project for the owners of Proof Bread and they asked me to join them in the new adventure. Previously, I worked for them at the Gilbert Farmers Market Proof Bread Stand, while I was still teaching elementary school. I made the transition with them full time at the start of the pandemic as I was ready for a career change! I taught for six years, and after earning an MBA at ASU, I was ready to try something new. 

Tell us a bit more about your current job title and the ins and outs of your day-to-day work.

The community grocery is a lot like farmer’s market, so we have individual vendors selling their products. I spend a lot of time communicating with our local vendors, managing finances, tracking inventory, and ordering. I also manage the staff and marketing here. It’s a pretty comprehensive role, but I’ll be delegating a bit more now that I have a baby.

Can you walk us through your typical workday? 

I am lucky enough to bring my baby to work with me, so all the while I am learning to juggle his naps, feedings and play time! I arrive at work in the morning to help open the store with our clerks. Each day is different, but I usually begin posting to social media and work on our marketing emails. Then I will roll with the punches depending on what the day brings. 

Tell us a little bit about your family!

Me and my husband have been married since 2016 and just had our baby on July 4th! My husband is originally from Chicago and I am from Virginia. We both moved here in our twenties and met at church.

How do you balance working full-time and being a mother?

I am learning to be a Lazy Genius– if you haven’t read the book or listened to the podcast, what are you waiting for? We are doing lots of meal prep, a load of laundry each night to keep the task brief, and taking advantage of curbside pickup.

Can you walk us through your daily routine?

I wake the baby up in the morning to nurse, and then my husband gets him ready for the day. I then pack my pre-prepared lunch and breakfast up to take into work. I will get dressed and ready my diaper bags afterwards. Then I kiss my boys goodbye and head into the office. Most afternoons, my husband drops off my baby. Once I take him home, it’s time for his baby’s last nap and we spend the evening together doing calming activities. We really love our swing set! After he goes to bed, I exercise, eat dinner, fold the laundry, and shower! It’s a jam packed evening and I am doing my best to fit it all in every day. Sometimes we don’t eat dinner till 9pm!

Can you share a few mom hacks you rely on to make things work in your day-to-day life?

I take an extra outfit to work in case he spits up on me. I also think meal prep is the hack to live by!

Tell us about transitioning to being a working mom. What surprised you? How do you make it work?

We are making it work as a family. Me and my husband share the parenting as much as we can and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to bring him to work here at Main Street Harvest. What has surprised me the most is how many accessories I have to lug back and forth! From the diaper bag to the breast pump parts, it is a lot to organize every day! 

Were you able to take maternity leave? Tell us about that experience.

I was able to take maternity leave. Main Street Harvest granted me 12 wonderful weeks with my baby. It was absolutely magical. I loved the newborn phase! I had family visit and lots of quiet time with my husband and baby. There was so much bonding and love to be had!

What are the biggest hurdles that you see for working mothers in America?

I think the biggest hurdle is childcare. If I didn’t have the opportunity to bring my child to work, I wouldn’t be able to work because child care is too expensive. We cant afford it as a dual income family, so I dont know how single parents manage!

As a working mom, how did you decide what childcare situation was best for you and your family?

As I’ve mentioned, me and my husband tag team and I take baby to work.I would love to be a stay at home mom, but I also love working at Main Street Harvest and Proof Bread. My work family is just as important as my home family! Working here gives me a chance to engage with the community and invest my time in small businesses around the Valley and it is very rewarding for me. Any less of a rewarding job, and I probably wouldn’t have returned!

In your experience, what do you believe are the key components in balancing your career, your relationships, and parenthood?

I think you have to give yourself grace because its going to be challenging and sometimes feel impossible. I try to focus quality time in each of my endeavors, whether it be career, relationships or family. I may not have a lot of time to give, but I guarantee the time I do have to spare will be my best!

What are the greatest challenges and rewards of being a working mom?

Time will always be the challenge. The rewards are every snuggle, smile, and laugh I get to share with my little one. Makes it all worth it!

For some fun chit-chat, now!

• Favorite East Valley date night activity? Head to Cider Corps and Myke’s Pizza in Downtown Mesa
• Coffee order? Caramel Iced Coffee
• Favorite restaurant in the East Valley? Caldwell County BBQ
• Greatest challenge in your career thus far? Navigating the transition out of teaching
• Most embarrassing mom moment? Putting my clothes on backwards because Mom brain is real!
• Best mom advice you’ve been given? Soak in every snuggle you can get!
• Last Netflix show you binged? Great British Baking Show