Hearing Exams and Hearing Loss Prevention with Dr. Ear Wax
August 7, 2023
The Roger MultiTalker Network
September 6, 2023Meet Lauren Mulenos, Hard of Hearing ‘Boy Girl Mom’
Becoming a mom of twins has changed Lauren Mulenos’ life in more ways than one. She now has a brand, Boy Girl Mom, which includes a blog and a recently launched podcast with her husband. And she was finally motivated to get hearing aids to address the hearing loss she’s had since she was a child.
Entrepreneur
The Texas native and Los Angeles, California resident began her first blog in college, around 2011. She has since rebranded several times, evolving into what has become more of a lifestyle publication than strictly fashion, which is what she started as. Her creativity is evident in the blog’s title, “LMents of Style.” As the “About Me” states, the blog “was created to be your hub of style inspiration. Whether you need insight on dinner parties, travel musings, or just outfit ideas, you’re in the right place!”
She first started the blog because people asked her questions, and it saved her time to provide a link. “I figured if people asked me questions like these, then other people might be looking for similar topics too,” she said.
The blog is an outlet. “It is often therapeutic – whether I’m talking about miscarriage, what to expect when you get a colonoscopy, or simply styling a pair of boots three different ways,” she said. “I often share what I wish I saw. Overall, it is kind of a public diary.”
Lauren was in with the original wave of bloggers before they were “influencers,” so she has kind of ridden the wave of “what is next.” In addition to her website, she uses Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube.
“I say no to collaborations more often than I say yes,” she said. “It comes from staying true to myself and my brand, which also came from a place of trust with my readers. There are certain areas I don’t knowingly enter, and they know that. I like to think they can trust me and my recommendations!”
Podcast
Lauren and her husband Nick launched their podcast (which can also be viewed on YouTube with captions) in April 2023. She was motivated by similar reasons as her blog. She has also wanted to collaborate with Nick for a while. People asked them parenting questions, so they figured a podcast would be a fun way to do the same on a broader scale. The boy-girl twins, Cyprus and Olive, who will turn two in October, inspired the podcast’s creation as well. “Though we don’t just talk about twins, we did see missing information for parents of multiples, so we address that here and there too,” Lauren said.
Lauren’s Hearing Loss Journey
Lauren has been hard of hearing for as long as she can remember, she shared on her blog. One of her earliest memories is failing a hearing test in elementary school. She was taken to the nurse’s office alone and rested. She failed again. Yet no next steps were taken.
Because of her family history of hearing loss, not being able to hear well was just her family’s “normal.” Over time, her hearing declined. Sometimes she honestly didn’t hear people and they thought she was ignoring them. This didn’t really bother her, because she didn’t know most of the time. “But I felt shame most often in the workplace,” she recalled. “Co-workers would (playfully) make fun of me.” She started to wear headphones all the time even if she wasn’t listening to music, so people had to go out of their way to get her attention.
It wasn’t necessarily about not accepting herself, Lauren said. She just didn’t think to get help.
After coasting for years with hearing loss, things changed when the pandemic hit. On top of that, she found out she was expecting twins, “and I kind of got panicky about being able to hear them after they were born,” she wrote on her blog. “That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, so I started researching hearing aids.”
She ended up really liking Phonak, and now has Phonak Audéo Paradise hearing aids.
Impact of Hearing Aids
The biggest thing since wearing hearing aids isn’t exactly a change, but more like an addition to her platform. “I’m outspoken about getting your hearing checked,” Lauren said.
“I’m outspoken about getting your hearing checked.”
Admittedly, Lauren said, hearing loss makes it hard to attend events. It’s much easier with hearing aids, but sometimes she forgets to wear them, especially if she showered or got ready right before the event. “I’m already somewhat shy, and when I can’t hear well, it is 100% worse,” she said.
Juggling Everything
It has been hard for Lauren to juggle everything. She even has trouble relating to people with twins, or specifically, toddler-aged twins, probably because she was super-efficient and productive before. People used to ask how she did it all, which she said isn’t really possible anymore. She does the bare minimum, which she used to feel guilty about. Now she’s learning to live a day at a time, which is better for her overall stress and health.
In her old life, Lauren got up at 4:30 am, worked a corporate job, dealt with her blog, and went to bed around midnight. Now she’s doing less, but she’s happier. “I love my family and what we have built,” she said.
