What I’m teaching my daughters as a WFH mom at a high-growth startup

Working from home isn’t new to me, and thanks to Covid, it’s probably not new to many of you anymore. But even before it became the norm, I spent the last 5.5 years working remotely, tailoring it to fit my growing family. Fast forward and I’m now the Senior VP of Growth at Visory Health, a rapidly growing healthcare technology company that’s improving access to affordable prescription medications through innovative technology—a mission I’m extremely passionate about. 

As a work-from-home executive, I realize that my two young girls, Adalyn (6) and Kinsley (3), can see what it’s like to be a working mom in a demanding role. And, thanks to flexible hours working from home, the lines between work and life get more easily blurred. Creating boundaries for myself has been essential, not only for myself, but to show my girls that it’s possible to be an involved mom, loving wife and ambitious woman (balancing these hats is something that’s a daily work in progress). Here are a few of my key takeaways from these last 5+ years in hopes you can use some for yourself too.

1. Harmony over balance 

Growing a career and fulfilling the role of wife, mom, sister, friend, aunt and any other roles you may take on is a continuous ebb and flow. This means that sometimes my personal life requires more of my attention and sometimes work does, and that’s OK. I have a great, supportive husband who helps remind me of the importance of harmony because it’s important not only to have the ability to be flexible in how I connect with my team and get my work done but how I keep the balance when it comes to family too.

I want to show my daughters this flexibility in how I can shift priorities with the hope that they’ll understand that as a woman, having a family doesn’t mean you can’t have a robust career. And vice versa. For me, I believe there’s a way to create both. I lean into the word harmony over the word balance when it comes to navigating work and life because it helps put mental parameters in place as they both blend together more seamlessly. 

2. Finding a career you enjoy gets you out of the game everyone else is playing

Since children pick up more than we realize and really early on! I do my best to teach my daughters that having a career you really enjoy is actually possible. I absolutely love what I do in my role at Visory Health focusing on accessible and affordable medication for everyone, especially women, caregivers and families. I relish taking on complex problems I know are truly making an impact. It’s important to find the career path that makes you happiest and not worry about the opinions of others. So even though my daughters see me working a lot, I hope they also see that I’m choosing to spend my time doing something that I genuinely enjoy too.

3. Prioritize key moments and be present for them

My position requires me to travel sometimes, which may mean I can’t be there 100% of the time but my husband and I have a rule: at least one of us will always be there. So whether it’s a school parade, meeting the teacher or participating in their classroom, our girls know that either myself, my husband or both of us will be there. I also always let my girls know when “Mommy has to go on a work trip.” My girls don’t like it when I leave, but I prioritize calling them in the morning and a couple times at night.

When I am not traveling I aim to be home for their events and to be present when they’re home. By working from home, I aim to give them the attention they ask for (which is good for all of us, and I know might not last forever) and still show up for work with some flexibility if one of them (or both) is sick. I try to remember that they’re only little for a short time. So during this time while my husband and I are their world, prioritizing our time with our daughters is something we work on every day.  

4. Organization is key 

Harmony as a working mom doesn’t come easily and without its hardships, but by implementing structure and organization into my days, I’ve made it work for me. Time blocking has been the best tool in my toolkit. Each day before logging off I look to the day ahead and determine two or three big activities I need to do and dedicate time in my calendar to make sure those items get done. Doing this allows me to move the ball forward. Afterwards I work to truly log off and spend time with my family.

Unplugging when my work day is over is something I have to actively practice and don’t get right 100% of the time, but by staying organized and sticking to a routine, the days are a lot smoother. My husband and I work hard to keep our family calendar up to date (and sometimes my husband helps me do that—having a great partner is key!).

Being a WFH mom has its challenges, but it has allowed my girls to see first-hand how rewarding being a mom with a career can truly be.