Have you ever heard the phrase “not all superheroes wear capes“? I imagine that was written by someone who had a supermom.
Truthfully, moms just get it. They are the queens of multitasking, the gold medalists of time management and the best bedtime storyteller there is. They don’t often wear capes, but they do incredible things every day.
As Mother’s Day approaches here in the U.S., we wanted to take a moment to spotlight some of the supermoms that we know, to share their stories, and to say ‘hey, thank you,’ because we know there is no one that can do what you do quite the way you do it.
SuperMom Bernadette
Our first supermom of two beautiful children, Bernadette, comes to us from the Metro DC office by way of New York via Chicago. (Yes, she’s traveled a bit!).
After growing up in Chicago and graduating from DePaul University, she began her career in Risk and Compliance with a large consulting firm in the Big Apple. In her work life, she focuses on Stress Testing and Capital Management, and her hobbies include traveling, cooking/eating, paddle boarding, skiing, golfing, scuba diving and continuous education. 7-year old daughter, Isla, and 4 year old son, Robin, keep Bernadette pretty busy, but luckily they seem to enjoy most of the same activities that she and her husband, Rob, enjoy. Like I said, SUPERmom!
I caught up with Bernadette to ask her a few questions about life as a working supermom.
It’s said that being a parent is the most important job in the world (and I’d agree!). What is your favorite thing about being a parent?
“There’s so many things to choose from! First, my kids seem to be inherently happy and optimistic. They’re always looking for joy, and they’re always laughing and making jokes. It’s wildly contagious. We are always looking for an adventure and have a hard time staying cooped up in the house. My kids love to experiment, grow things, get dirty and move. They also love to tell jokes. They have a hard time turning off and ending the day because they want to keep the fun going. It’s often exhausting, but always fun. I love that my kids have so much joy and have given us so much joy in life.”
Work/life balance is a big topic of discussion. Do you have any advice for other working parents on how you maintain balance?
“Work/life balance can definitely be a struggle, especially in a career where we travel so much. For me, balance has meant maximizing my utilization every single minute I’m away from my family. I’m not much of a TV watcher. So, if I have an hour or two on a flight or back in my hotel room, I open my laptop and respond to emails, catch up on administrative tasks or manage high priority requests. I try really hard to be very present when I’m home with my family, and I don’t want to feel obligated to be on my computer or phone when I make that switch to family time. “
Protiviti is a place where we work hard to support family. Would you be able to share any examples of how Protiviti has been able to support you?
“I’ve had both my children while I’ve been at Protiviti. I’ve definitely taken advantage of the benefits Protiviti has offered! I took maternity leave with both kids for 12 weeks. Over the years, the benefits structure has continued to change (for the better!). In some other companies, leave is unpaid, and I imagine it would be very difficult to rest and care for your very young child if you were constantly worrying about if you were able to afford to stay home for another week.
Is there any one person or group of people that has been extremely helpful to you as you conquer parenthood?
“The one person that has been the most supportive to me as a mother, and a woman in the workplace, and does more to raise our children than anyone else, has been my husband. I’ve been traveling for work since the first day I met my husband and he never once has asked me to slow down or stop, and he’s never insinuated that it might be easier to have me home more, or have the kids see me home more. My husband is a very rare breed of man that is able to make the kids lunches, drop them off at school in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon, take them to soccer practice, do all their homework, bathe them and read bed time stories – and still managing to work as an executive at a software company while I’m out of town for work.”
There is no doubt that moms wear many hats. On behalf of Protiviti and the Parents’ Network, I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to Bernadette for being an all-star mom and a wonderful leader!
Stay tuned as we feature more of our amazing moms and moms-to-be across the U.S. in anticipation of the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday this Sunday, May 13th.
-Cait
