Written by: Kathy K. Martin 
Memphis Woman Magazine Cover Story September 2007

Tran Bui and Kristen Landsgaard were both career-driven TV anchorwomen until the biggest story of their lives changed their priorities - they became mothers. Their life-changing new role made them re-assess their demanding jobs, which included long hours, constant deadlines and competitive races to get stories. However, even though they gave up their full-time broadcasting careers, they still work in the business part-time and even share a business, TV Moms, which gives them a chance to continue to do on-camera work, voiceovers, field producing and writing, while also organizing community forums. And ironically, both women are pregnant again now, Bui with her second and Landsgaard with her fifth.

Bui recalls how her career was always her number-one priority with its excitement and many challenges until after she had her first child. “When my maternity leave was up, I went back to doing what I loved doing for more than a decade, going after stories, writing scripts and being in front of the camera. Soon I missed my baby more than I missed my job.” She admits that she struggled with making a decision for eight months and then when she missed one of her son’s major milestones, sitting up on his own, she turned in her resignation.   

As she enjoyed the slower pace of her new life as a first-time mother, Bui also realized that she wanted to continue to use her professional skills. “I soon realized that being a stay-at-home mom didn’t mean that I had to give up my other interests. I discovered that there are many, many other women in the same situation.”  

One of those women was her old friend and colleague, Landsgaard, who had worked as a broadcast journalist for 11 years and met Bui when they were both reporters for ABC24 WPTY and UPN30 WLMT. She was also a driven journalist, but felt that when her first child was born seven years ago that the time seemed right to stop working full-time. “I felt like I had already done the career and it was time to go on to more important things. I also realized that I personally couldn’t be a 100% anchorwoman and a 100% mom too.” She did return to work part-time though, and for three years she worked in the sales department of the TV station as a writer and producer and worked two and a half days a week. However, after she had her second child, she decided to leave that behind too. 

Landsgaard approached Bui about working together and they formed TV Moms as a way to continue to use their skills while giving back to the community. They were both on the board of directors for the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children, so they decided to turn their first TV Moms project into a fundraising event for the nonprofit organization. “We held a breakfast forum made up of influential local women in politics,” explains Bui, “We received such a wonderful response that we organized a few more forums focusing on various topics and even brought some other media mothers on board.”  

In addition to their TV Moms business, Bui serves as media specialist for Girls Inc. of Memphis and as a freelance anchor/reporter, field producer, writer and media coordinator for many area publications and organizations. Landsgaard has her own commercial business, kristenterrel.tv, and serves as the TV spokesperson for Ashley Furniture Home Stores throughout the area. 

Even with their more flexible part-time jobs, both women still call motherhood their number-one job. “Being a mother has made me see what’s really important in my life,” explains Bui. “For years I based by success on the stories I uncovered, awards I won or people I met. But at the end of the day, those things are small in comparison to my greatest achievement and that is having a healthy, spectacular, beautiful child.” She enjoys watching her son discover new things, seeing his face light up when she gives him an ice cream cone and hearing him say that he loves her. “I now treasure the things we as adults tend to take for granted because we get so caught up in our jobs or society. Running, jumping, laughing, hugs and kisses. Those are the highlights of my day,” says Bui, who also notes that she has even found time to tackle arts and crafts projects and try new recipes for her husband, Scott, who also shares her enthusiasm for interacting with their son. She considers him her biggest cheerleader and that their life is a blessing that she doesn’t take for granted. “I’m fully aware of how blessed I am. My family escaped after the Fall of Saigon when I was three years old. I know my life would be very different if we hadn’t left.”        

Landsgaard says that her favorite part of motherhood is learning how to think like a child again. “The world is a wonderful place through the eyes of a child. As we grow up, we constantly wish to be older and we’re impatient to get to the next stage of life. A mother has the great gift of slowing down and enjoying childhood again,” she remarks “And I do hope that other mothers don’t let the chance of a second childhood pass them by.”

While a reporter in Little Rock, Ark. , Landsgaard worked on a story about Chinese girls who were abandoned by their families. She was so moved by the story that she and her husband, Pete, decided to adopt a baby from after they had their third child. They went through the adoption process, traveled to and ended up returning with a boy who had special needs such as a club foot that has been virtually corrected by wearing braces at naptime and bedtime. “We really felt that he was meant to be a member of our family,” says Landsgaard as she recalls all the interesting details and surprising coincidences that led them to him.   

Bui tries to remember the advice she received from other friends and to not try to be superwoman, please everyone and do it all. “It took me a long time to accept the fact that I don’t have to take on every project. It’s O.K. to say, ‘No’!” An organized person by nature, she documents everything, whether in her date book, on a Post-it note, in a journal or on her computer. “I try to plan each day, even every week.” If she finds that she has too many volunteer projects, board meetings or freelance jobs on her calendar, she starts to cut back. “I want to be the first person my children see in the morning when they wake up and I like having dinner ready for my husband when he gets home from work. I don’t like missing our family dinners together.” 

Landsgaard stays on top of her schedule by getting up every morning when her husband leaves for work. “I may go for a run or walk, do some stretches, answer emails or say my prayers and have some quiet time. I do better if I get up early, go to bed early and stay on a schedule.” 

The best news for these TV Moms is that whatever they choose to do, they have many options. One of those possibilities, says Landsgaard, is to one day develop a local radio or TV show that caters to mothers who work from home in many different capacities. Motherhood is the top news story, thanks to these TV Moms.