Working from home offers flexibility but there are still challenges when it comes to finding time for both family and clients. Home-based Travel Counsellor Alison Stilson (Ontario) talks to The Hub about her work-life balance.
As life gets busier and busier it’s great to be able to take a step back and spend some quality time with those closest to us.
On Family Day I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy some quality family time with my husband, daughter and son. The day started with some great exercise while skating at the ice rink in the morning.
We had been treated by Travel Counsellors’ head office to some family cinema tickets, so off we then went to our local movie theatre in the afternoon for some entertainment and much needed relaxation. After some debate we settled on the animated family movie ‘The Nut Job’, and all thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really appreciate this ‘quality time’ with the family, and when making the decision to run my own travel business from home it was really important to me that I chose a company that reflected my own personal family values.
I suppose as Travel Counsellors is a company built on independent business owners there are many similarities to a family in the way the organization is run.
We encourage and support each other globally. We share in the ups and downs of life and work. Individually and collectively we care about our families, colleagues and clients and the relationships that we build along the way.
Don’t get me wrong – running my own business involves lots of hard work to be successful. There are times when I work late into the evening or on occasional weekends, mainly based on the needs of my clients.
The flip side of that, however, is that I am usually able to take my kids to and from school during the week. A typical ‘9-to-5’ structured work day would not allow me that kind of flexibility.
I am also able to get out into my community and be involved in the world around me. The fact I can achieve that balance while doing something I love and building a successful business not only for me, but for my family, is priceless.
