I was interviewed by Business in Vancouver and asked to share a life lesson. I chose one of my favourites that definitely changed my life professionally and personally.
“Make your business fit your life, not the other way round”.
Below is an excerpt from the Business in Vancouver Life Lessons article, December 2, 2013 and the full story is accessible from the article link. Enjoy!
In 2006, Sandy Gerber was a busy working mom based in Vancouver. She was in the midst of a high-flying career as a marketer who had worked with such high-profile clients as Molson Canadian (the “I am Canadian” campaign) and the British Columbia Lottery Corp. (PlayNow.com website).
“I was making six figures; I was flying all over the world,” Gerber said.
Then she had what she calls her “Rachel moment.” While on a family vacation, her son fell. Gerber ran to help him, but instead of reaching for her, he asked for Rachel – the family’s nanny.
“I was so blown away that that actually happened,” Gerber recalled.
Gerber had never seen herself as a stay-at-home mom – “When I was on mat leave I alphabetized cans of soup, I was so bored,” she said – but she felt she had to make a change.
She left her job and started her own company, Next Marketing Agency. She designed the company so that she could both spend time caring for her two children and run a business.