GROWTH

The last time I was on maternity leave, I found myself at a similar crossroad. Granted it was an internal move; but when I returned to office I was taking on a new title, in a new department, with a new team and new set of clients. That was 3 years ago and wow, does time click by fast.?

There are so many professional/personal milestones, challenges, learning curves, heartaches, achievements and experiences that I’ve had in those 3 quick years.?

• I learned how to be a working mom. A tittle I’m super proud of and one I hope my daughter can look up to one day.??#girlsruletheworld
• I joined a team that not only focuses on the importance of micro details, but I stepped into a role that allowed me to flex into the macro of the portfolio. I helped produce work that was proactive vs reactive and it pushed me to look at the holistic impact vs what’s just in front of me. Those lessons I gained on project management I’ll carry with me for the remainder of my career.
• We lost my eldest brother to a tragic accident that understandably made me drop everything at work. It was easily one of the hardest experiences of my life as I tried balance my own grief, my parents heartbreak, all while being there for his 3 children and love of his life since he was 15. There were moments and decisions I was asked to make that will be forever scarred into my memory and ones that I replay more regularly than I like to admit. During that time, my team not only picked up the pieces while I was away (during the busiest part of our year), but they showed me extreme compassion upon my return. For that, I’m forever grateful.?
• The pandemic allowed our team and clients to get closer, stronger and more bonded then I ever thought was possible. What we thought was going to be a few weeks, turned into over a year. A year of being invited into each others homes, meeting family members, having face to face conversations every day and caring not only for the work but more importantly for one another.??It taught me that leading with compassion is key and prioritizing a persons personal life only benefits the net outcome of an overall project not retract from it.?
• My husband, toddler and dog lived in the mountains for. a. year! A YEAR! We always thought we were strictly city people (spending weekends bopping up to the Catskills) but we got out of dodge real quick and we were so thankful for our other home when the world seemed so uncertain. With that experience it showed me that it doesn’t matter where we live as long as we have each other.?
• The pandemic pushed me to slow down, figure out a balance, make and eat dinner EVERY night and be okay with a mid meeting interruption for the most delicious toddler cuddles. This forced balance allowed me to experience moments in my young daughters life that I would have other wise missed being a working mom.?
• I had a set of leaders that were not scared to have the “hard conversations” with me. The ones that were constructive while supportive in order to make me better and stronger. Those conversations pushed me to introspectively look at how I approach project management. It also drove me to revisit my appreciation for Dale Carnegie's - “How To Make Friends & Influence People” and damn is that book good.?
• I witnessed my team step up the plate in the most miraculous way. They were responsible, respectful, able to manage complex problems, act as supportive counterparts and most importantly friends to each other when times weren’t always easy (both professionally and personally). Their bond, the work they produced and their growth both individually and as a team was so rewarding to witness as their boss, mentor and friend. Massive love to my Wine :09 crew.?
• We had our second child. I am now a mom of two- my mind is blown. The “hustle” I’ve experienced over the last few months in keeping the house flowing has given me a newfound respect for the stay at home parents of this world. The ones that slave day in and day out. The ones that are ON 24/7. The ones with no “lunch break”, “quiet time on the commute home” or “alone time in the bathroom” - it’s legit the hardest job out there and those folks need their own award ceremony.?
• And lastly, we decided to put our condo for sale to capitalize on the market. Easy to say we like to take life in high gear as we’ve been packing up our lives, managing all of the corresponding logistics, and all while navigating the unseen curveball of our 3 year old contracting Covid (which shifted not only our plans but our universe). With that, and all of the complex challenges that have been tossed our way, my husband has been a rock- my rock. We’ve functioned as a team, made and followed excel plans to keep on track, pivoted to divide and conquer but most importantly, consistently focus on acknowledging each others contributions. He’s the most dependable person I’ve ever known and someone that I never thought I could deserve. We’ve slugged through a lot over our years together and while I know we still have a long road ahead, dang did I win the jackpot in finding him. #charmin4life (for the folks that know the inside joke).?

All of that said, these last 3 years can only be described by one word, growth. Beautiful, sometimes painful, uncomfortable, scary and amazing growth.?

In total, I’ve been at my company Horizon for just under 7 years. A company that I love. I've had coworkers that I've learned from, admire and now call friends. Had experiences that I’ll never forget and a culture that has yet to be matched.?

But with change brings further growth. So, a new chapter lays ahead and it’s time to turn the page. I can only hope this next chapter will produce continued growth- beautiful, challenging, uncomfortable, sometimes painful, scary and amazing, growth.?