THE NEW NEW GIRLS’ CLUB
IN A SMALL LOFT SPACE in downtown New York City, 13 women sit cross-legged on cushions. A noise machine hums in the background. Small succulents and crystals line the room, along with overstuffed purses carrying laptops. At the center is Deborah Hanekamp—or Mama Medicine, as she is known—a healer-slash-entrepreneur in a muumuu who is guiding the women in her studio through an after-work meditation.
The space is calming, except for the occasional sound of women arriving a bit late, finishing up business calls on cell phones. As those in the group introduce themselves, we learn there is a gastroenterologist with a skin care line, a founder of an educational center for kids, a CEO of a wellness concierge service, and a number of others with impressive titles. What these women have in common—other than the fact that they are moms—is that they’re also entrepreneurs.
“For me, it’s all interconnected. I’m workin’ and mommin’, I’m mommin’ and workin’,” says Hanekamp, who is seated facing the group. “But sometimes I need to pause and call the elements in.”
There are a few smirks at the mention of “elements”—this is New York, not Los Angeles, after all—but for the most part, the women take it in stride. They’re here by choice: part of a group called Heymama, a network for entrepreneurial-minded women who are also mothers, and are navigating the
