Sep 29, 2020
Am I a Bad Mom Because I'm Career Centered?
Balancing a career and being a mother is challenging. In this episode, we talk to Jenny Davis, who worked with large companies before starting her own firm. She is also the mother of five kids. In our discussion with Jenny, we will talk about the obstacles that can come from trying to have a career while raising children.
Balancing careers
Jenny has had great familial support during hard times in her career. At one point, she was laid off from Microsoft just as she found out she was pregnant. It wasn’t the best time for her to raise a child but it all worked out as her family rallied. When she worked for a start-up company the support of her family made it possible for her to juggle being a mother and a career woman. When she was pregnant with her 3rd child she was getting ready to purchase a publishing/event company. It was one of the most challenging times of her life as she navigated having a newborn and a new company.
Putting the head in the game
Time is an important factor in balancing a career with home life. Jenny’s career keeps her busy, but she makes sure that she knows how to prioritize the many needs. With her husband’s prompting, she decided to hire some help for the marketing and communications departments so she didn’t have to do it all. Jenny also makes sure to have time for her family and when she can, she brings them along when doing off-site visits. Downtime allows them to go to a park or do something else fun as a family.
Being interrupted
Throughout her career, Jenny has worked with different kinds of people. She learned that when interacting with people is challenging, it’s more about what they’re going through, and not about you. Jenny approaches these relationships from that perspective so she’s likely to get upset and it frees her to get things done.