Behind "every" successful woman, there is a man (and kids)
Writing this on my 20-hour journey from New Zealand to Dubai…
I have been working in London for the past 2 months alone while the rest of the family lives in New Zealand. It has been very bitter-sweet. Being away from the kids, in particular, was difficult and there were certainly a lot of tears from me at the airport. Despite having a difficult decision to make, I count myself blessings to be able to do what I know is right.
Not everyone can make the choice of being with/ not being with the children in order to focus on work when needed. I am lucky but not because of luck. I am lucky with my career because I have a very supportive husband and amazing children who cheer me on along the way.
“Behind every successful woman, there is a (supportive) man”
Kudos to my husband… when we were talking about him needing to look after 3 kids all by himself in New Zealand while running his own new business, he has not thought twice about it. Back then, the New Zealand border was still extremely restrictive and the worst-case scenario was that I could have been gone for 5 months straight. Let’s be honest, the thought of looking after 3 children alone for months is scary to any mother/ father/ wife/ husband. As terrifying as the idea might be, my husband embraces the “of course, no problem” attitude because he truly respects my professional ambitions and cares about my wellness.
The past two months have been important to my work. With my team, we established a strong performance-based culture and clear directions into 2022 and beyond. I am very confident and proud of the progress the team has made so far, and it won’t be possible only because I have an extremely supportive and loving husband to back me up!
“Children are a catalyst, not a blockage, to a successful career”
It is not uncommon for women, in particular, to think that having kids means slowing down or even putting a stop to your career. That, I totally disagree. On the contrary, I think I can only be who I am now personally and professionally because I have three kids.
I treat my team as my work family. Just like my home family, I am committed to giving my full energies, attention, love, and care to support your work, growth, and success because, very selfishly, it gives me the greatest sense of accomplishment. My success so far is a result of my work ethic, open-mindedness, and good values; and I attribute all of them to my three beautiful daughters who give me a new perspective and purpose in life.
At work, I am not shy to say that I love my work. “Love” is a big word and I truly mean every ounce of it. Life is short and time is precious. Any minute not spent with my kids should better be spent on something I love and meaningful… and that’s where my “No BS. No time waster” approach to work comes from.
My kids are my biggest teachers who teach me about patience, empathy, love, and care. Most importantly, they give me a whole new perspective on life… it is no longer about making money or making a point (whatever point it may be). Rather, life is a privilege and it is about paying it forward. When you have good values and a good heart, good things will happen.
I love parenting and working and count my blessings if and when that goes the rest of my life.