In honor of the approach of Mother’s Day 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. Missed our first feature, Bernadette, yesterday? Don’t fret. You can see it here.
SuperMom Bethany
Our second supermom of the week, Bethany, hails from the great city of Dallas. Bethany graduated from Louisiana State University and has seven years of audit consulting experience between the Big 4, industry and Protiviti. As a Manager within IT Audit, Bethany is no stranger to life on the geaux (see what I did there, LSU fans?) but she did mention to me that her 11-year old son, Caiden, adds to her busy lifestyle, serving as her personal fitness trainer and softball coach. (P.S. – Caiden also plays competitive baseball and enjoys reminding his mom that he is better at the sport than her). Athlete and supermom — what a combo!
What is your favorite thing about being a parent?
“My favorite thing about being a parent is being the most popular, relevant, and coolest person on the planet in one little person’s eyes. I love the fact that my son considers me his favorite friend and wants to share every giggle, every outburst of laughter, every triumph, every defeat, and every part of his day with me. I often hear my son repeat things I’ve said when trying to share wisdom with others. Knowing that my words hold weight with him makes me very proud to be the person my son respects, values, and looks up to; it makes me want to be a better person each day just because I know he’s listening and watching. I literally need three more hearts to hold all the love I have for my son.”
Work/life balance is a big topic of discussion. Do you have any advice for other working parents on how you maintain balance?
“I’ve been in client-facing roles for quite a few years now and believe I have mastered the art of delivering exceptional client service. I try to make it a habit to provide my most important client (my son) with exceptional client service by planning for success. When considering my work schedule on a week-to-week basis, I build time into my schedule each week to have one-on-ones with my son over lunch at his school, or, during dinners at home, to obtain feedback and understand how I can best support him in his current initiatives. During our time together, my goal is always to understand what’s top of mind for him. This helps me set up milestones, action items, and checkpoints in future weeks so that I continue to show my son I care and that things that concern him matter to me too!”
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? Did/do you take advantage of any benefits that stand out to you?
“My teams here at Protiviti support me daily as I work to support my family. I volunteer at my son’s school occasionally and regularly attend school concerts and sporting events where he is involved. I’ve found that when I’ve communicated in advance a need to end my day a bit earlier or take a longer lunch to be there for him, my requests have always been met with eagerness to support. The key is proactive communication.”
Is there any one person or group of persons that has been extremely helpful to you as you conquer parenthood?
“Ironically, a few of my clients and our Dallas office HR Manager, Megan, who all live in the same community as me have been extremely helpful. I am fairly new to the Dallas/Frisco community, so these individuals offer tons of support in helping me find weekend fun for my son to engage in, summer programs, and rides to school on rainy and super cold days when I have to be in the office early. One of my clients often invites my son to social events that his kids are attending so that he can meet other positive kids in our community.”
Wow. I can actually feel the love seeping out of the answers and it brought a tear to my eye! As a daughter, I can say this confidently – Bethany, you are killing it! We are proud to have women like yourself at Protiviti, a true supermom. Thank you for being you and a very Happy Mother’s Day from all of us!
— Cait
P.S. – When we reached out to Protiviti Dallas Softball Captain, Jordan, he had this to say about Bethany’s performance: “Bethany’s exuberance and passion made her a valued team member that carried us all the way to the championship game! She made each and every game a fun time while contributing to the win column. The team wouldn’t have been the same without her.” Way to go, Coach Caiden!
