So relieved that they could stay home and recover and I could mind them, shuffle a few meetings, charge their iPads (they’re 7 and 10 so it’s easier these days), handover anything urgent to my business partner Martina and team and essentially be there for my family.
I had to stop, care for my girls and ‘go to ground’. Which got me reminiscing ...
In the past, and like many couples I know, if the girls got sick there would be a debate of sorts across the breakfast table about whose meetings were more important and couldn’t be moved, and who in the family could we ask to help if all else failed. Essentially it was a battle of whose career was more important to the long term survival of our family - rather than who could provide the best care. It can also still be extremely hard for people to work from home for a day if their child is sick. Some people are expected to take a sick day or an annual leave day.
It’s not that you don’t care about your little ‘blessings’, even when they cover their bed and carpet with vomit for the 5th time in 24 hours, it's that you feel guilt. Guilt about your work and employer. You can feel like you’re letting the team down if you’re not there, not seen and not clearly working towards the one big, shared goal. Team work makes the dream work:)
Why do we not feel like that about our personal lives?
One of the reasons I started my own business was to regain some form of control and organisation for our family life, mine included. We don’t have a particularly busy, activity filled existence, like so many families I know, but even with a moderate amount of dancing lessons, school events and birthday parties to go to - it felt taxing and full.
In short, we were lacking space and time and I was feeling totally out of control should something unexpected happen outside the plan. With a tendency towards anxiety, and the need for life to be organised, this wasn’t a good way to live.
This is one of the absolute foundations Virtual Marketers is built on. Not just being family first but YOU being first. If someone in our team needs time, for whatever reason, they get it. No question. No conditions. It’s my experience that when I get the balance I need to function, I do great work. So this thinking flows through our company culture.
Does this work approach resonate with you? We’re always interested in meeting other marketers, clients and entrepreneurs who believe in this way of working or want to share ideas!
Contact me anytime to chat on fran@virtualmarketers.co.nz.
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