Meet Beyond Mom, Julie Rottenberg, one of the geniuses behind TV’s most entertaining shows such as “Sex and the City” and “Smash”. Julie is an award-winning TV and film writer (with her partner Elisa Zuritsky) and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids. Julie is currently the Executive Producer, Show Runner and Head Writer for Odd Mom Out, Bravo’ s first original scripted comedy. Odd Mom Out depicts the sides of motherhood in NYC that many of us can relate to, perhaps more than we’d care to admit. But it’s humor and heart make it both entertaining and engaging. Odd Mom Out airs Mondays at 10pm on Bravo. Find out more about how Julie goes Beyond below!
1. What makes you a Beyond Mom?
It’s probably safe to call every mom a “Beyond Mom,” but I love the idea of recognizing that all moms go above and beyond — personally and/or professionally. To me, the only way I could be a mom was to keep doing what I’ve always done, which is writing for TV and film. We have a picture of me nursing my daughter Thelma while I was sitting at the computer, working on a script that was due weeks after I’d given birth. It wasn’t even a choice for me; it was just my life. The same thing happened again when my son Roscoe was born and another script was due, and it’s pretty much continued that way ever since! (Minus the nursing, thank God.)
2. What are the parts of you that have grown and expanded since becoming a Mom?
Being a mother has been SO humbling. I thought I knew everything before I had kids, and now I feel like I know nothing. I’ve never found anything as challenging as parenthood; it’s brought me to my knees! I now appreciate my mother and so many other mothers I’ve known in ways I simply couldn’t before I became one myself.
3. Can you share a collaboration/success story with another woman; what helped the collaboration become successful?
My writing partner is my best friend from childhood, Elisa Zuritsky. We’ve known each other since we were nine, and we’ve worked together for almost twenty years. It’s like a marriage (in addition to our separate marriages), and we’ve had to treat it as such. We’ve learned how to argue, how to give each other constructive criticism, and how to get through the years that have been really hard, professionally. The upside is that we’re best friends and getting to work with your best friend every day feels a lot like cheating! We have the luxury of built-in trust, love, respect, and commitment to each other, as friends and partners. We sometimes have to say to each other, “Okay, I’m talking to you now as your friend, not your partner…” And in a business as brutal as Hollywood can be, our friendship has been the rock that has gotten us through many hard times or job.
4. What relationships help you stay connected to yourself?
My husband Ben is so incredibly supportive of me and the work I do — which is saying a lot, because I work a ton! He’s also incredible at helping me think through a problem I’m having with a colleague, or a friend or family member. I rely on him so much, as someone with a lot more perspective than I often have. I also rely on Elisa, my best friend and writing partner, and my incredibly supportive network of friends, who have been with me through so many career ups and downs.
5. Do you have a “Beyond” dream that you are pursing? If so, please share…
I’m really hoping to direct a movie Elisa and I wrote together. It’s about a group of moms who hit a wall and go a little crazy for one day in New York. It’s near and dear to our hearts, and we’ve decided that rather than try to sell it, or let someone else direct it, we want to try to make it ourselves. It’s a scary thing to attempt, and definitely “beyond” anything I’ve ever done, but that’s the dream I’m chasing right now.
6. What wellness activity can you not live without? What is one thing you do daily that balances you?
The wellness answer is: massage! I love getting massages, and try to schedule one as a treat whenever I’ve finished a big deadline or finished a really hard script or shoot. As for exercise, I try to get to the gym a few times a week, even if it’s only for 20 or 30 minutes. And if I don’t do it first thing in the morning, it doesn’t happen! My husband and I alternate getting the kids ready for school in the morning so the other one can run down to the gym in our building. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, I feel euphoric. The one ritual that DOES happen every day is this: After the kids are asleep, and after Ben and I have done whatever work we have to do (inevitably, we both have to work each night), I prepare us an epic dessert spread: Ice cream with bananas and crushed cereal on top, plus a side of extra cereal for me, and my favorite chocolate from Varsano’s chocolate, plus a container of peanut butter for extra spoonfuls. If it sounds over-the-top, it is! Then we sit on the couch, catch up about our days, and watch something on TV while consuming this vast array of dessert. It’s become such a comforting, ritualistic part of my day. Even on the worst, hardest workdays, knowing I’ll be on that couch with Ben, eating dessert, catching up, and watching TV together, makes anything bearable.
7. How does style influence the way you stay feeling ‘Beyond’? Who is currently your favorite designer?
Fashion and design is SO not my area of expertise or even interest — which is funny, considering my first TV job was writing for “Sex and the City!” Mostly, I care about comfort, and any time I can be in jeans and a T-shirt, I’m happiest.
Favorite NYC Spots that Embody The Beyond Mom:
I love Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Before I had kids, I used to walk around the park almost every day. Now that I have kids, I rarely get to do that, but I do love taking the kids to the park, and going to the Farmer’s Market at Grand Army Plaza on Saturday mornings.
Beyond Cocktails and/or Food:
I love cocktails of almost any kind, but my favorites are Vodka Gimlets (which I’ve started making at home, which is really easy: squeeze limes, add vodka and sugar; shake or stir and yumm.) I also love martinis, because let’s face it: some days you need something that strong!
Beyond Shopping:
As I mentioned, I hate shopping for clothes, but I LOVE shopping for food! Specifically: Rossman’s in Brooklyn (great, cheap produce, best-kept secret in the city), Costco and Trader Joe’s. I could wander around a grocery store for hours and feel totally content and giddy.
