Main Street Moms on the Move ~ September 2015

By Katie Moosbrugger

Moms are an amazing bunch, and today’s profiles provide a glimpse of just how dedicated, hard-working, and successful we all are. This month we feature a doctor, entrepreneur and business woman who are not only remarkable in their chosen fields, but also within the Triad and their own families. It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Barbara Eisenberg, Chrissy Freeman, and Laurie (Liz) Southerland. Enjoy!

Dr. Barbara Eisenberg

They say if you have a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. To Dr. Eisenberg, a 2015 TMoM Choice Awards winner for “Favorite OB/Gyn Doctor,” this saying could not be any truer.

When asked what inspired her to become a doctor of gynecology and obstetrics, she replied, “I truly believe that I have an amazing job. I am privileged to be part of some of the best and scariest times of my patient’s life, hopefully being able to make a positive impact. Whether it is delivering their baby, helping them through breastfeeding or postpartum depression, assisting them when they have heavy or painful periods, or treating them for their cancer, I really get to help women through all aspects of their lives.”

While the new era of healthcare has its challenges and rewards, it’s the simple things that Dr. Eiseberg, with UNC Regional Physicians Obstetrics & Gynecology, loves best. “It’s all about seeing the joy on parent’s faces when they hold their baby for the first time. Or the relief someone has when I see them back after a successful hysterectomy or surgery, and seeing how much better they feel.”

We asked Dr. Eisenberg to rank the most important things that we (as moms in our mid 20s to mid 40s) should focus on regarding health. She replied: Healthy pregnancies, paying attention to our own physical and mental well being, and staying on top of our screening tests (pap smears, mammograms, cholesterol, cancer, etc).

Although she is busy with her patients (and accepting new ones!), Dr Eisenberg can also be found doing something special around town with her husband, Scott, and their two children: Alexis, age 5, and Benjamin, age 3. As a busy family on-the-go, they love to visit Triad’s parks and “bounce houses,” as well as the Greensboro Science Center, ArtQuest, going out to dinner, hanging out with friends, hiking, biking and skiing.

Chrissy Freeman

I’m thrilled to introduce the local mom who made Triad Moms on Main a reality for us five years ago, and continues to help us make it better. Chrissy not only created and coded our original, as well as our updated, website – she is also the brains behind Consignment Mommies, another local site that is growing by leaps and bounds. If you’re not familiar, Consignment Mommies is an online national consignment sale and store directory that features more than 1,500 consignment sales, over 750 stores, and includes a blog, helpful ratings, reviews and tips from local savvy shoppers.

The idea for Consignment Mommies was sparked after Chrissy got her hands on a spreadsheet that listed local sales. She published a small list to a web site and received 30,000 hits the first month! She and her mom run the site together, and Chrissy says, “I love working with my mom… Though, admittedly, I think it’s just a secret ploy for her to get more time with my kids.  We have a great balance.  I manage all of the marketing and technical aspects while she helps sale owners make their seasonal updates.  She’s the reason we have a site and I’m the one that makes it happen.”

Chrissy became hooked on consignment sales after attending her first, and has been a cheerleader for consignments since. “Many people don’t realize you can find boutique items, new with tags and great brands!  I’m buying Ralph Lauren, Gymboree and Under Armour on a Target budget folks!”

A Triad native, Chrissy, and her high school sweetheart husband, Kevin, have three boys: Jackson, 6, Parker, 4, and Greyson, 10 months. When she is not busy with her Consignment Mommies clients (she changes 2,000 listings every few months so it gets busy!), Chrissy volunteers as chair of Kids Konsignment Sale, and she also lends her web and marketing expertise to other local nonprofits and fund raising programs. As a family, they love attending local sporting events and staying active outside.

Laurie (Liz) Southerland

Sometimes a little change is required to make a recipe perfect. The same can be said about life and motherhood, and no one knows this better than Laurie Southerland. A single mom to Nicholas, 14, Laurie has always worked full-time. Most of her career focused on software and development projects. But after 20 years in that industry, she traded in the travel and stress for the chance to build a family business. Today, she is VP of Online Sales and Director of Operations for The Stocked Pot Cooking School. Her fiancé, Andrew McMillian, is the CEO and President, and together they are focused on growing the business while also educating families how to eat and cook healthy on a limited budget.

This career change also allows her to spend more time with Nicholas. As a parent of a child with ADHD and anxiety issues, Laurie’s biggest challenges has been finding the right type of education focuses on Nicholas’ strengths. “It requires a lot of time and meeting with the teachers and counselors, constant follow up and negotiation to make sure my son doesn’t slip through the cracks.” Now every day that she spends with Nicholas is a reward in and of itself. “I am so proud seeing him grow into a wonderful young man. He is like my best friend—he makes me laugh and he knows that he can talk to me about anything—and he does!”

Originally from Alexandria, VA, Laurie moved to Greensboro when she was two, and she now resides in Winston-Salem. “I have traveled so many interesting places, and yet I always realize how much I love the Triad. We have a great mix of culture and diversity, as well as many options for schooling. I love raising my son in this ‘small-town’ atmosphere.”

Laurie and Andrew have been contributors to TMoM’s Tasty Table column for the past three months, and their delicious easy-to-make family recipes will be featured again in October. Click HERE to see their past Tasty Table posts!