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M ay 2022
A TRIBUTE TO WORKING MOTHERS D oing I t A ll
Michael and I were both raised by strong, independent women who pushed back against gender norms and cultural ideas of how a mother should behave. They both had careers and raised a family in a time when the two were seen as incompatible. This Mother’s Day, I want to take a moment to salute the working mothers who blazed a new path for all of us. Michael’s mother, Marilyn Manely, was a television personality in the Atlanta market, interviewing many stars throughout her career. She also did voice and radio. She was the first employee hired to join the Weather Channel upon its inception. It seemed an unusual career, especially for the time, but she was ambitious and creative. My mom became a trailblazer in her own way. Even wearing pants as a woman could be controversial in the 1950s and ’60s in rural Kentucky, but she spent 38 years working at Square D company, which makes electrical boxes for commercial and residential properties. At the time, women who worked — especially in a factory, as she did — were sometimes scorned and often accused of “stealing” jobs from men, who supposedly needed them more. Some people judged her harshly for working outside of the home when she had family and some even labeled her as a bad mother. Naturally, mothers who work don’t have as many hours in the day to spend with their children as those who stay at home, but they also pass along a sense of work ethic, pride, and accomplishment to their children. Due to our upbringing, Michael and I both have a lot of respect for working mothers. That’s especially true because I became a working mom and know firsthand the challenges women face. When I look back at my mother, I’m in awe of what she accomplished. Even though she worked full time on the factory line — and often overtime — I have plenty of memories of her in the home. She found time to raise a garden and cook, can food, and pickle all of her produce. She became a fabulous baker, always preparing jam cakes and coconut pies with golden meringues that stood four inches tall. I don’t know how she found all of the hours in the day, but despite what some people said, she made time to be both a worker and an excellent mom. Times have changed, but we still see vestiges of stigma against working mothers in the courtroom today. There are still judges who have the viewpoint that a woman’s place is in the home. Even when the bias is not outright, it’s lurking in the corners. A man
who regularly travels for work can be treated differently from a woman who does the same. Many people still expect mothers to do more nurturing and child care than fathers, and it may take a lot less for a mother to be labeled selfish or negligent. We may still be debating whether or not women can “have it all,” but women like my mother and Michael’s mother paved the way for those who would come after. Despite some lingering double standards, working women are no longer considered an oddity, and most people recognize that one can be an outstanding mother and have a career at the same time. To all of the past and present working mothers out there, I raise a glass to your perseverance and wish you a happy Mother’s Day.
–Shelia Manely
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Cal l for a Consul tat ion: ( 866) 245-5685
F rom W all C leaner to K id P leaser PLAY-DOH’S UNEXPECTED ORIGINS
Since the 1950s, Play-Doh has delighted children, inspired creativity, and made messes for parents to scrub. So, it’s ironic that the child’s toy was invented for a very dull and much tidier adult activity — cleaning wallpaper. In 1933, Kutol Products was not doing well financially. Cleo McVicker was tasked with shutting the soap company down, but instead, he saved it from collapse. When meeting with national grocery chain Kroger, they asked if Kutol could supply ready- made wallpaper cleaner. McVicker said yes, even though they didn’t carry the product. He promised Kroger 15,000 cases, with a $5,000 penalty to be paid if Kutol couldn’t deliver on time. Kutol didn’t have $5,000, so it was lucky that McVicker did have his product developer brother, Noah. Noah created the wallpaper cleaner from a well-known home formula — water, salt, and flour. The product turned Kutol’s fortunes around and helped the company to remain solvent. In the 1930s, people had a much larger need for wallpaper cleaner than you might imagine. Most homes used coal furnaces, which left black soot residue on walls. Worse, the wallpaper available in the 1930s was not water-resistant, so homeowners needed a means to dab the dirt rather than wash it away. Then, in the 1950s, many families converted their home furnaces to oil or gas. That was good news for anyone tasked with cleaning the house, but not for Kutol. Sales plummeted, and the company again faced ruin. This time, Joseph McVicker (Cleo’s son) took the advice of his sister-in-law, a teacher named Kay Zufall. She told him
that children loved to use the wallpaper cleaner as a craft product, and she even had an idea for its new name.
In 1956, Kutol created their subsidiary Rainbow Crafts and unveiled Play-Doh. Kutol didn’t have much of an advertising budget, but Joseph scored a meeting with Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo. Keeshan loved the product (and his 2% cut of the profits), and once Play-Doh made its television debut, sales skyrocketed. Despite the company changing hands several times, Play-Doh is now a childhood staple with endless color options, accessories, and playsets. It sells more than 100 million cans every year and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. That’s a lot of success for a company that just wanted to stay afloat without getting its hands dirty.
L ightening the C lient ’ s L oad MEET MELANIE MAYO!
Melanie Mayo is now a senior paralegal, but she never saw herself going into law. She worked for years in underwriting back in her home state of Indiana. “I thought I’d do that for the rest of my life and follow in my father’s footsteps,” she says. But then she moved to Georgia, and her new job wasn’t what she thought it would be. Melanie went to a headhunter, who found her a job as a receptionist in a law office. “I didn’t even know the difference between a plaintiff and a defendant,” she remembers. “It was just the first job they sent me to.” But Melanie was hired and became more interested in the legal world as time went on. She advanced to a legal assistant role and then went to school to become a paralegal. Twenty years later, she will soon celebrate her seventh anniversary at The Manely Firm. “I love family law,” Melanie says. “It’s the only kind of law I’ve ever done, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Michael Manely says that family law is a calling, and I think that’s true.” In particular, Melanie enjoys building a rapport with her clients and helping them through a
difficult experience. “Any kind of family law issue is very stressful on a client, and they need a lot of attention,” she says. “Many of them want to talk, and sometimes they just need to vent.” Melanie has a Pekingese dog at home, and her 25-year- old daughter has given her three miniature Australian shepherd “grand puppies.” She and her daughter spend a lot of time together and love binge-watching game shows. While she once thought she’d move back to Indiana, she has since decided that Georgia is home. “I’ll never leave,” she says. “We have a great team that works really well together,” Melanie says of the work environment at The Manely Firm. But making the most of the client’s journey remains her primary passion. “I like meeting them at the beginning of the case, explaining what will happen, and then seeing them at the end of the case once we’ve come to a resolution,” she says. “No one really wins in a divorce case, but we try to make the client as happy as we can with their outcome.”
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www.al l fami lylaw.com
Providing an Enhanced In-Office Experience
“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” —W illiam J ames
OUR MODEL FOR CONCIERGE-LEVEL SERVICE
When you’re feeling emotional or vulnerable, the last thing you want is to spend long periods waiting around in a hard plastic chair. Our clients are usually going through a difficult time, so we want to provide the most compassionate and relaxing space that we possibly can. That being said, we’re excited to welcome our clients back into the office after the pandemic. We’ve been seeing more and more people walk through our doors, and over the past few months, the space has become full and lively like it used to be. It’s such a pleasure to be back here in person where we can provide a comfortable space for our clients.
1. OFFER UNEXPECTED PERKS OR AMENITIES.
2. PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.
3. PROVIDE A SUPERIOR DIGITAL EXPERIENCE.
4. PROVIDE AN ENHANCED IN-OFFICE EXPERIENCE.
5. REMOVE CUSTOMER PAIN.
6. SERVE AS A TRUSTED ADVISOR.
S ummer S trawberry S pinach S alad
It feels like the world should stop when you’re getting a divorce or experiencing another family law dispute; unfortunately, it doesn’t. Work, children, errands, and bills don’t go on hold because we want them to. The people visiting our office generally come from one part of their demanding life to another. We know it’s not easy, which is why we’ll always greet you by name with a smile. We can’t change the difficulty you’re experiencing, but we hope we can slow life down for you just a little bit while you’re with us. To provide an enhanced in-office experience, we make sure that our staff is always there to welcome you with warmth and familiarity, and the office is a comfortable and inviting place where you can feel relaxed. We always have fresh coffee, cold beverages, and a selection of snacks, and we try to keep any possible wait times to a minimum. Everyone here has also taken steps to ensure that our office is safe from COVID-19 and other viral infections. In fact, our staff has received our Viral Protected Services (VPS) certification to learn proper disinfection practices and additional ways to keep our space germ-free. As part of this training, a facilitator visited our office to determine the maximum capacities for each room. We also have masks available for guests who would like them, and all of our in-office staff are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Our goal is to ensure that you feel comfortable, safe, and valued each time you enter our office. As we continue offering concierge-level service, we look forward to finding more ways to make you feel welcome and at ease, no matter what else may be going on in your life.
Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com
I ngredients
• • • • • •
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• • • • • • •
1/3 cup raw, sliced almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
5 oz organic spinach
1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
2 cups strawberries, halved
1 large avocado, sliced
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tbsp strawberry jam
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup feta crumbles
Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
D irections 1.
In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, and strawberry jam. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. 2. In a pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until they are golden brown. 3. In a large bowl, add spinach. Then layer on strawberries, avocado, red onion, feta, toasted almonds, and chopped pistachios. 4. Toss dressing in salad or serve on the side.
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Cal l for a Consul tat ion: ( 866) 245-5685
211 Roswell St. NE Marietta, GA 30060 (866) 687-8561 www.allfamilylaw.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
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Honoring Working Mothers
The Surprising History of Play-Doh Meet Paralegal Melanie Mayo!
How We Provide an Enhanced In-Office Experience Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad
Hate Souvenir Shopping? Let’s Make It Easy
P icking the P erfect S ouvenir
A way to preserve or share a piece of your trip is to bring home a souvenir, but choosing a souvenir isn’t always a stress-free experience. How do you pick the perfect souvenir and not just the first thing you see in a tourist shop? Here are some tips for picking a truly meaningful gift for yourself or your loved ones. WHO ARE YOU BUYING FOR? What are your recipient’s interests, or what do they spend the most time doing? If you’re buying for yourself and enjoy coffee, you might buy a local coffee blend to enjoy from home. However, if your recipient doesn’t enjoy coffee or rarely drinks it, that type of gift might not mean much to them. IS IT LEGAL TO BRING HOME? Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, there are many regulations that affect which souvenirs you can bring home. Even if you find the item in a tourist shop, that doesn’t mean it’ll be allowed into the country or even onto the plane. And the TSA does take this seriously. In 2012, two tourists were detained at the U.S. border for trying to bring home chocolate Kinder eggs — a specific kind that are illegal in the U.S. due to the potentially hazardous small toys inside. PURCHASE A HANDICRAFT. Handicrafts — items created by local artisans — are awesome souvenirs! But make sure you buy where artisans actually sell their own goods, such as an open- air market. Unfortunately, while some popular tourist shops may sell “locally made goods,” many souvenirs intended for tourists are actually made by cheap manufacturers in other countries.
KEEP SOMETHING FROM THE ADVENTURE. Bringing a glass bottle to take home some sand is a popular way of creating your own souvenir from a beach vacation. But you can do this with almost any item! Whether it’s stones, ticket stubs from favorite shows and activities, or a handmade item from a class, make sure to look out for souvenirs that’ll remind you of great memories and experiences.
We hope these tips will help you make the best choice. Bon voyage!
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