We took a quick moment to sit down with two of H&S’ newest moms, Director Lauren Monroe and Vice President Erika Lam, to talk about work-life balance, COVID, and more!

Finding the Sweet Spot with Work-Life Balance as a New Mom

What did work-life balance mean before starting a family, and how has that changed over time?

Lauren: Before having Avery, achieving work-life balance was always a challenge, and sometimes still is, but having a baby forces me to stop work at a certain time every day. The one thing I’m still working towards is getting a good work-out routine! My goal is to be consistent with workouts by the end of the year, even if I’m only getting in a couple days a week!

Erika: In many ways, it was self-centered, but in the best way! I would explore the city with my husband, splurge on retail therapy, take a workout class. It was embracing everything the city could offer and letting that inspire me during my off-hours. Now with a five-month old, my perspective has obviously shifted and every spare moment I get – whether it’s before work, at lunch, or after work – it’s to soak up quality time with a baby that’s growing up way too fast!

COVID all hit us pretty hard, but especially parents. What has this experience been like for you?

Lauren: This has been the wildest year. Luckily Avery is a baby so when daycare shut down, she was easy to handle at home. I have to admit that it hasn’t all been bad, in fact, a lot of it has been great. I had just come back from maternity leave when COVID first hit and then everyone was working from home. Like many people, my husband and I were furloughed from work, but the upside was that I got a few more uninterrupted months at home with Avery! Luckily, the agency picked back up after a few months and H&S was able to bring me back (thank you Elizabeth Harrison!), which I was very happy about. We’ve made the best out of every curveball thrown at us this year!

Erika: I was in my third trimester when the COVID peak hit, so the best decision for my family was to relocate to Maryland, where cases were a little more controlled and we would have family nearby. The agency was fully supportive of my decision and working remotely ended up being a smooth transition. It was a hard decision, and very scary to navigate all these “firsts” during a global pandemic, but the support of my friends, family and work family made it much easier.

How has the agency and your clients supported you in this new role?

Erika: Everyone has been so supportive! As a new mom, everyone has been accommodated doctor’s appointments, going off-camera to pump, and even the occasional crying baby in the backdrop of a TEAMS meeting. I always knew H&S would be a welcoming place for parents, but even when we were all put to the test with COVID, I really saw that firsthand.

Lauren: H&S has been so supportive of me being a new parent. Having people check-in on you and show support is the best feeling. I’m so grateful for my H&S family ❤.

Any advice for first time parents getting ready to come back to work and looking for tips on how to balance work and family?

Lauren: I’d say be patient and flexible. Having a baby brings you unpredictable moments every day and just when you lock in a routine, your baby might experience another moment of growth and change things up. Be kind and honest with yourself about what you can do, what you want to do, and what you need to do. You’ll most likely really enjoy getting to go back to work, getting back some moments of life before the baby, and then you’ll also really look forward to family-time.

Erika: I have to say, the anticipation of going back to work was worse than actually coming back! After a couple weeks, I felt like I had a pretty good rhythm. Lauren’s right in that getting back to work brings back feelings of your “old self” and inspires a completely different side of you. Plus, it makes your off-hours and weekends all the more sweet.