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Wonder how successful moms create work/life balance? Here is a perfect example! 5 am Alarm rings, 1 snooze allowed then I'm up and at 'em. I sneak downstairs to avoid waking up the boys (7,7 and 2), have a cup of joe from my pre-programmed coffee maker and catch up on late and overnight emails.
I creep out the front door to pick up the Washington Post and NY Times (we're single-handedly keeping newspapers in business) and wave hello to my neighbor John, who is, mysteriously, ALWAYS walking his dog as I pick up the papers. I start working, checking items off my to-do list using Google Tasks. I send out contracts and modifications to clients, run background checks on candidates and get non-business hours work accomplished. Double check the day's events with my husband Ben, hand him his lunch and a to-go cup of coffee and send him on his way.
7 am Shut the laptop for 90 minutes, wake up the twins, dress the toddler and cook breakfast. Pack up backpacks, walk the big boys to the bus stop and drop off Anderson at the babysitter's house, which is oh-so-conveniently located across the street from the bus stop.
9 am Get on the horn, dialing for dollars. I love the convenience of email and social media but there's just nothing like picking up the phone to get deals done. I follow up on client leads, thank referrals, and check in to see how our contractor and permanent placements are faring.
I love hearing the feedback from both the hiring manager and the Momentum candidate, which are typically overwhelmingly positive. I honestly don't know which is more gratifying: having a client say "thank you for finding us such a terrific, affordable resource" or "thank you so much for helping me find a job that gets me home before the kids get off the bus."
10:30 mid morning gym break. I'm a big fan of yoga but have slacked on my classes this summer as I prepare for the Army Ten Miler in October. I still don't consider myself a runner, but my best ideas come to me while pounding the pavement...or treadmill.
Noon Meet a Partner for lunch. I'm a real believer in relationships. People do business with people, not other businesses, and without a relationship -especially in this market- your relationship is all you've got. I do about...
2-3 lunches per week and about the same for "coffee breaks." I find that coffees are a low-cost, low time-commitment way to connect with someone outside of the office.
1:30 Back on the horn, this time with candidates. Whether I'm conducting initial phone screens, discussing a potential opportunity with a current Momentum Resources candidate or just checking in on someone who's been in our pipeline for a while, keeping the dialog open is absolutely key.
We are very upfront from the beginning of our process that this is a partnership, that our candidates have responsibilities in their search, that we cannot and will not simply go out and find a job for them. To combat slow hiring cycles during this recession, we're helping our candidates re-tool their resumes to stand out in a crowded pile, prepare for interviews to stand out from the crowd and adjust their job search strategy for optimal positioning.
3:30 Pick up Anderson from the babysitters, the boys from the bus stop, and begin the crazy witching hour. Although these few hours are not terribly enjoyable on my end, it is really important to me to structure my day so that I can put the boys on the bus and pick them after school.
I help the boys with their homework (as a toddler runs through yelling, inexplicably "run, fast walk!"), start dinner, drop boys at soccer/lacrosse/swim team, play outside with Anderson, and ignore my office phone ringing off the hook. The last time I answered the phone between 4-7 pm I caught the high chair tray on fire. No one was injured in the making of this horrible working mommy move.
5:30 Dinner with the family, as my husband's new job allows for him to be home for dinner time (we previously had a "family breakfast"). All the research I've read points to family meals as a key to preventing a whole host of parenting nightmares, from drug use to pregnancy, so darnit we're going to eat together!
All three boys get thrown in the bath together, story time then lights out. People think we're crazy with the early bedtimes (6:30-7!) but it really works for us, our boys sleep 12 hours and we get a little grown up time in the evenings. About once a week I head out to evening networking events. Networking and building relationships is really the key to our firm's growth and although I'm tired and really don't feel like it, I head out.
7 pm Tomorrow's Prep. I find this to be an absolute must for leading a semi-sane life. I pack the boys lunch, my husband's lunch and clean up the kitchen from dinner. Consult the weekly meal plan (another must have) and thaw prepped or frozen food, chop necessary produce and have it ready to throw on the grill/stove/microwave the next day. Program the coffee maker, pack up the backpacks (permission slips, library books, etc.) and lay out my clothes for the next day.
8 pm One last look at work. I return voice mails left during the witching hour, wrap up any urgent work and most importantly, write my to do list for the next day, with a special section for my 5-7 work segment. Chat with husband for de riguer "how was your day" chat, fold laundry while we watch Countdown/Rachel Maddow and head up to bed.
9:30 Read (current book is a 1946 copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) until my eyes droop and lights out.
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