Work It, Mama: RHODubai’s Lesa Milan Hall on Entrepreneurship & Raising Multicultural Kids

Lesa could've used her background to do literally anything in fashion, but some time after she became a mom, it became clear that she was positioned to fill a hole in the industry. About six years ago, she launched a luxury maternity fashion brand called Mina Roe, where she's not only the founder but also the chief designer.

"I couldn't find really nice trendsetting maternity wear at the time, so I started my own brand," she tells us. "The brand has been super successful since then. We've recently expanded into non-maternity wear," she adds.

"We're trying to basically kill the snapback culture, because that's just not realistic for most moms. At least it wasn't for me. A part of my baby blues stemmed from body image issues which I feel I developed when I couldn't fit my pre-pregnancy clothes and jeans, and I'm not getting sleep, and I had so much going on," Lesa explains. "I wanted to fill that gap as well."

Speaking of her experiences navigating her ever-changing body throughout her three pregnancies and postpartum phases, like so many of us, Lesa recalls her confidence being zapped. She hopes that through her work with Mina Roe, she can help other moms get through those seasons of life with a bit more of their self-esteem in tact.

"Especially as a new mom, that's the last thing you need. You just carried a whole human being. What an amazing journey," she says. "You know a lot of us get lost in wanting to snap back, in wanting to fit our pre-pregnancy clothes, but it's not realistic."

When Lesa, who is married to financial expert Richard Hall, got the call to be on The Real Housewives of Dubai, she didn't hesitate despite her already packed schedule. The other cast members are mostly personal friends of hers, and she was sure it would be a positive experience. While filming, her routine was obviously a bit different, but for the most part, her days are very well planned out.

"I try to set schedules for everything. I'm not spontaneous, my days are not spontaneous. I know exactly what's gonna happen and how it's gonna happen, unless something crazy out of the blue comes my way. But I'm super-organized," she tells us.

After getting her kids up and off to school, she typically starts the day with a workout, and then she's off to the office. "Before last year, the earliest I've ever been to my office has been 12 o'clock, but my youngest just started nursery and it was the first time I went to the office at like 8 a.m., and everybody started clapping," Lesa says.

Alongside a handful of employees, Lesa spends a few hours designing, taking meetings and phone calls, checking in at warehouses, etc. She's also in the early stages of building another company, My Little Makers, which produces and sells early development toys and books, so she fits that into her work day too. Then she picks up her kids from school and starts the mom shuffle.

"Then I take them to soccer and cook dinner, and that's it. And then spend time with my husband on Netflix," she says.

"You know, people often ask me, 'How do you balance mom life and work life?' and for me, I always say, 'I don't believe in balance' because that's saying I'm giving equal amount of energy to different things, and I never do," Lesa explains. "I believe in integration as a kind of way to juggle and let things work."

But being there for her kids takes precedence over everything else. "I'm super hands-on with my kids because they're my priority," she says. "I know first-hand how fast they grow. I can't believe my 8-year-old is EIGHT. So I try to savor as much as I can."

She knows it's a trade-off, but it's one she'll happily take.

"My husband always says, 'You know your company can be 10 times bigger if you learn to delegate a little bit more,' but I don't wanna miss out on these precious times and moments in their lives. When they go off to college and start their careers, their families, Mina Roe will still be there, God willing, thriving."

Still, it all requires a lot of effort.

"I think the No. 1 thing is to be organized," she says. "I have dedicated slots for work, and when I'm doing that, I commit 100% to it so when I'm with my kids I'm not paying attention to my phone. I'm not doing 10 million other things. I can give them my undivided attention, and I think that really helps, especially with mom guilt."

Lesa is raising biracial, multicultural children in the Middle East. They are certainly global citizens, but it's her Jamaican heritage that's the foundation for how she lives life with them at home.

"Well, I was born and raised in Jamaica until I was about 11, and I think that was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, because I was able to experience culture, and that was my foundation," Lesa explains. "So even in my household, my kids, they eat 90% Jamaican food, and they love it. They go to school and they tell the teachers 'This doesn't have any seasoning on it,'" she tells us with a giggle.

"I have a more advanced, more modern way of thinking than my upbringing," she disclaims. "We have a very democratic but authoritative household. You know, we have rules, but our kids can express themselves. They can negotiate," she says.

"I love all of it. I love that I'm Jamaican. I love that I still have that Miami girl and that I bring all of that to parenting."

"Overall, I would say it's actually surpassed my expectations. I think it's been really great. Really positive. It's fun because I'm doing it with my group of girlfriends, but at the same time, it's more dramatic because I'm doing it with my girlfriends, because I'm doing it with people that I care about," she explains.

"Because I genuinely do care about some of them, I think it makes it more dramatic. So it's been a fun experience so far, but a bit dramatic as well."

Lesa, who ran track and was a cheerleader in both high school and college, fervently believes that working out keeps her sane, but she's also a big fan of taking some mommy me-time.

"I love a good little downtime, whether it's by myself with a good book or just going for a walk. … I love a little bit of downtime. A little bit of me-time, and that to me is like the ultimate self-care," she tells us.

Just like so many of us, Lesa does it for her kids. She wants to show her boys how worthy women are and what we are capable of bringing to the table.

"I'm a mom of all boys and I think because of that — being the only woman in the house, only female energy — I wanna show them that women are capable of being breadwinners, they're capable of being successful, they deserve respect, they deserve equal opportunities," she explains.

"Just getting up every day and being a great mom and being great at my business … I want them to see it firsthand, and that motivates me every single day, because I want them to, when they're adults, to look at their partner as equal."

Lesa tells us that as she continues to grow and evolve as a person, every time she's asked this question the answer is different. She's not static and neither is her reach, but she truly does want to represent and to inspire moms.

"I think independence is such a beautiful thing, and it's a must," she shares. "Even if your marriage lasts forever, just having that little side thing whatever it is, whether it's a sport, a job, I want to encourage women to live to their true potential. You can have it all. You can be a great mom, businesswoman, wife, friend — and still look bomb doing it."