Meet a Mom: Rachel Helfman

How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
One smart and sassy daughter, Olivia. She is 2 going on 22.

How long have you lived in Hudson County? What made you decide to live here?
My husband and I have lived in Hoboken for 5+ years and we absolutely love it. It has a city buzz with a close knit community feel. With the easy access to Manhattan, it makes balancing work, personal, and social lives much easier.

What’s your favorite family activity in Hoboken?
Our favorite family activity is the Hoboken Harvest Fest or the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival. Both of those events have something for everyone. It’s a great way to connect with our community, while spending time together as a family.

Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?

 Oh — this is a tough one!! There are so many great places to shop and eat. I would have to say (one of) my favorite boutique in Hoboken is Brooke + Bel. We are a BIG pizza family, so we’re constantly visiting Johnny Pepperoni or Tenth St Pizza.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
That taking a chance on myself was the scariest thing I’ve done in my entire life. I can confidently build brands and marketing strategies within the corporate world, but when it came to building my own brand, I was terrified!

What are you doing to stay sane during Covid for yourself?
Staying Busy! I’m used to being on the go constantly, so being forced to stay at home has been quite the challenge. I’m channeling that energy into various things to continue to try and be the best version of myself. Whether it’s weekly pilates sessions at Elevate Movement and Wellness, creating business plans for Sweat and Glo, or just manifesting a future dream vacation, planning ahead makes me feel in control.

Any tips or recommendations for parents to entertain/educate their children during this time?
No tips…I just try to remember that we don’t have to be perfect. Some days feel really, really long, and if you need to turn on a little tv to give yourself 10-minutes of peace…that’s OKAY!

Too many people to thank, but really I love the Hoboken mom community. In my early days of motherhood, I was able to find so much support — and recommended local resources available to me — via the Hoboken Mom Facebook group. Women I never met face to face provided so much great advice.

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world?
I’m involved in many things! During covid, I followed my dream to open my own business. Sweat and Glo was Hoboken’s first infrared sauna studio and it brings so many health benefits to our community. I was able to leverage my background in Marketing and Brand Strategy to build an oasis for Glo-getters. Simultaneously, I lead an advertising solutions team at a Streaming Platform.

 I’ve met many female business owners who were juggling it all. It was so inspiring to see these boss-babes chase their dreams that I realized I had to take a chance on myself.