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When you think of a supermom, you might imagine a successful businesswoman who gives June Cleaver a run for her money when alone with the kids and pulls an Angelina Jolie in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” when alone with her husband. Running a fully sustainable home, balancing her duties as mom and burlesque expert and raising awareness of inspirational women throughout history are just bonuses. While not exactly a corporate climber, Leslie Zemeckis checks all these boxes and thus validates the moniker “unconventional supermom.”
So let’s get to know this glamorous, green bookworm – and learn the seven signs that show you’ve reached Zemeckis’ level of Mom-spirational.
Did you ever dream of becoming a renowned author? If so, writing about burlesque may not have been the first route to success that popped into your mind. For Zemeckis, however, exploring the life of striptease Lili St. Cyr was the perfect subject matter of her most recent book. According to her website, she doesn’t stop at simply examining St. Cyr’s six marriages, sex symbol status or reclusive later years. Zemeckis proved that she is one of the #WomenThatDo by highlighting the “complicated, eccentric, brilliant” woman whom many men loved but few people really knew.
If developing a green thumb is a future New Year’s resolution, you may want to take some points from Zemeckis. As ENTITY discovered first-hand during an interview, Zemeckis doesn’t just have an organic garden – she even tends her own bee hive (while wearing a bedazzled beekeeping suit, of course). Her home near Santa Barbara also boasts plenty of “green” features like solar panels, bamboo floors, drip water irrigation and even chickens that produce organic eggs. Thanks to inspiring women like Zemeckis, when it comes to #housegoals, green really is the new black.
READ MORE: The Truth Behind a Truly Sustainable Diet
Whether you’re a college student or a mom-of-four, everyone shares the love for Netflix … and if you’re anything like Zemeckis, you might even be able to stream your own documentary. In true #boss style, Zemeckis directed the 2012 documentary, “Bound By Flesh,” which won the award for Best Documentary in the Hollywood Film Awards that same year.
“Bound by Flesh” shares the life of conjoined Hilton twins, who become vaudeville stars during the 1920s. The film also follows the twins’ fight for freedom against various managers, who took their money and controlled the girls’ lives. By the end of the documentary, you might not know who impresses you more – the Hilton twins or Zemeckis for bringing their story to life.
While Zemeckis might be used to determining the ending of her novels, she isn’t interested in choosing her children’s futures for them. Besides Zemeckis’ own ties to Hollywood, her husband, Robert Zemeckis, is the film producer behind several of America’s favorite movies. (“Forrest Gump” and “Back to the Future” fans, here’s who you should be thanking.)
When asked if she would steer her children toward careers in the same field, though, Zemeckis says, “I would not steer them anywhere. I would try to instill in them a love of music, art and books.” Considering she reads five to ten books a month, leading by example isn’t a problem.
READ MORE: Meet the CEO of Write Brain Books and ‘Days of Our Lives’ Star: Meredith Scott Lynn
Everyone has their hobbies, but exploring the history of burlesque doesn’t usually land on the to-do list of a mother-of-three. Zemeckis, however, earned a reputation as one the world’s most knowledgeable experts with her 2013 book, “Behind the Burly-Q.” Her interest in burlesque began long before her book, though. In 2010, she produced and directed a documentary “Behind the Burly-Q.” She even performed a one-person live show called “Staar: She’d Rather Be a Mistress.” Her signature song? “Boobs.”
Why would a master researcher and writer-historian be intrigued by such a “taboo” pastime? According to Zemeckis, “I have always been drawn to people who are judged by their looks or livelihoods, for better or worse. Many times, these people do not have the opportunity to tell their real stories. The burlesque movement came and went, and nobody really asked or cared about the backgrounds of these women. Their lives — as mothers, daughters, divorcees, survivors — I thought they had compelling stories to tell, and many of the most revered and notorious burlesque performers are still alive. So, I set off to find them, and to listen.”
Are you the kind of woman who always keeps people on their toes? Then, like Zemeckis, you have some major mom-inspirational appeal. For her next documentary, Zemeckis is reportedly focusing on the world’s first female tiger trainer, Mabel Stark. While the publication date isn’t set yet, watch out for tiger claws lighting up the screen sometime in 2017.
When asked about how she chooses her unique subject matter – from burlesque to Siamese twins – Zemeckis had this to say: “I’m not interested in things everyone else is doing. I like things that the populace may reject or may not see value in.”
This mindset may explain her success as a writer. First, she writes about subjects previously neglected in the media, giving forgotten women the recognition they deserve. Second, she has learned to market the skill she enjoys most: researching a subject that interests her. “I wish I had known that you could make a living doing research,” Zemeckis says. “Back when I had a day job, it would have been a great gig for me.”
READ MORE: How 7 Inspirational Women Define Success
Although, looking at all of the accomplishments and adventures Zemeckis has had, I think many women – including those at ENTITY – are happy that Zemeckis took the mom-spirational route she did.
