The Diverse Landscape of Working Women

Balancing career and family can be difficult. In fact, let’s not sugar-coat this complex issue. Balancing career and family is hell. No matter how much of a superwoman you aim to be none of us are perfect and often times we feel something is lacking in our lives when we try to do it all. It is this reason that many women strive to find creative ways to support their families while carving out work schedules that can fit in with their family’s lifestyle. Corporate America has made advances in honoring women’s, and men’s, desires to be available more often for young families by allowing flex shifts, 4 day work weeks and alternating schedules. However, the truth remains, that a typical 8-5 corporate America job comes up short for the majority of working women.

Eight years ago, I was a social worker. I worked in a domestic violence shelter helping women and children achieve abuse-free lives. I worked with a group of understanding, devoted women who didn’t bat at eye when one of us called in because of a sick child or a last minute school event. But, no matter how flexible my co-workers were, there were aspects of the job that I could not control. I couldn’t be available in case of an emergency when I was in court. I couldn’t walk out on an inconsolable woman just because my shift ended and I needed to pick my children up from childcare. It was moments like these that helped me make the decision to walk away from a stable job and become my own boss. It took a few false starts, but years later I am happy, my family life feels balanced (as much as it ever can be) and I finally feel in control of not only my family/work situation, but my financial situation as well.

Why am I writing about this to you? Working women are not just the women who put in 40 hours a week at a corporate job with an office and a parking space. Working women are the mothers who watch other working mother’s children. Working women are those perky, pleasant neighborhood women who sell direct merchandise to you at your friend’s candle and purse parties. The face of working women is diverse, rich in variety and passionate about their jobs as well as their families.

Please join me this week, and beyond, as The General Gazette introduces you to the lives of working women. The series begins this week with a collection of articles for the in-home childcare provider. Many women choose this route when their children are younger because of the convenience and flexibility. But, as a former childcare provider(it was one of my first ventures after I left my 40 hour a week job), I can attest that watching your own children and others children is a job and a half that requires planning, patience and persistence.  The four articles in this series are meant to offer advice and direction.

In the weeks to come, I will continue to write to you about other business opportunities and personal stories designed to empower you in your quest to balance career and family. As always, please feel free to share your experiences with us by using the comment section of this post, our interactive blog page or on our social media websites. Your participation is welcomed and wanted.