Julia is a Financial Controller at Sendwave based in Texas, US. Although the global pandemic has almost certainly made working remotely the new normal, here at Sendwave it’s the way we’ve always done things. Julia shares her experience as a working mom.
Taking on a role at Sendwave was the right fit for me because it fit both my personal and professional goals. When I first had my daughter I was in an office job — I worked in the hospitality industry as a financial controller for a fast casual restaurant chain in Dallas, Texas. I’d always been interested in remote work and my energy stems from the work that I do. I don’t necessarily need regular in-person meetings to motivate me. However, those jobs were pretty hard to come by unless you were an engineer. So after my daughter was born it was back to the office for me. With my return to work, my desire for a remote environment grew. Though I’d always wanted to be a working mom, I also wanted to be a present one. I truly believed remote work would help me achieve that.
When I finally came across the role at Sendwave I was ecstatic! Not only would it give me the flexibility I wanted to be more present at home, it also would allow me to make real impact. I would be helping thousands to continue to support their loved ones via instant digital remittances. My father was a retired ER doctor who now spends much of his time volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. He had instilled in me the importance of having a global worldview and working with a purpose. Being in the hospitality industry was fun, but it was fulfilling to know that I could do more at Sendwave than just focus on the bottom line.
Onboarding
Although I was taking on a remote role, I was able to meet my team face to face in Atlanta. Sendwave values these quarterly retreats, and they made the onboarding process a little easier. Despite this, starting a new role remotely was a challenge and I had a lot of insecurities at the beginning. First off, I’d never worked in the tech industry — ‘would I know what I was doing?’ In addition, it’s easy to feel disconnected in a remote environment. ‘Who would I ask?’ I found comfort in Sendwave’s value of being brutally honest. In practice, this means vocalizing when you need help and doing so quickly. Beyond that the team’s openness and friendliness put me at ease — I could ask what might seem like dumb questions and get an instant answer, with no issue.
Mom hacks
I don’t want to sugar coat it, so let me make a confession. Working from home didn’t automatically make me more present. In fact, it could have quite easily meant the opposite, particularly in a startup environment.
So it was important for me to set some ground rules…
- Be intentional. I block out time in my calendar for my daughter and me to attend our weekly library classes and do the things we love to do together. If I didn’t do this there would always be ‘something’ creeping up.
- Understand how you work best. I am quite a focused worker and need a completely dedicated working environment. That’s why I’m separated from my daughter whilst I work — she plays and learns downstairs whilst I toil away upstairs. That way, I take my breaks with no guilt and with my full focus on her.
- Most importantly — be very cognizant with your time and prioritize your work when you need to. This is where another of Sendwave’s values really come through for me. We are encouraged to focus ruthlessly on the most important thing. This allows me to prioritise what I need to and have enough time to spend with my family, guilt-free.
New beginnings
Late this year, our family will be growing by one more as we’re expecting a little one in December! The last year at Sendwave has given me the confidence to know that I’m in the best place to grow my family and develop personally while I continue to pursue my professional goals.
If Sendwave sounds like a place you could thrive, we’re growing quickly! See our job openings here
