Post-Covid Series: A Return to a New Normal

Meet Tanya, or T, as she is referred to by those of us in the industry.

I first met T, at the Aldo Group she is dynamic, and an incredible communicator.

One of my great memories of T:

She was on stage, speaking in both French & English to over 1000 people from around the world. Making us all feel like we were her invited guest, part of a quaint get-together - with lights, camera, and a lot of action!

T, is an entrepreneur, a mother of 3 children, and a wife. She is driven and honestly has an incredible sense of humor with regard to blending life and career. Recently, T decided to leave her corporate life and start her own business, in her field of Communication and Marketing. She and her business partner have started Genre Humain.

MT: Thank you for your time T. We truly appreciate your answering a few questions for our community. What was your greatest challenge with regard to corporate life pre Covid? What do you miss?

TL: Hi Margaret! Thanks for including me in this series. The greatest challenge I had pre-covid life was being able to accomplish other projects other than work. I enjoy working. I love what I do, so naturally, work will always be something that will gravitate toward me. But I have other projects I wanted to accomplish, and other commitments that I want to make, but not having flexibility in my work-life, made it hard for me to accomplish some of those goals. I was constantly on this quest to find that "balance" but there was no balance, really. There was simply a re-prioritization of my personal/ professional to-do list.

My son was 6 and my twin daughters were only 4 years old when the world paused in March 2020 and pre-covid remote work was not as it is now, which we all can attest helps for flexibility. Back then, my husband did a lot of the heavy lifting at home with the kids, since his role was more remote. We also relied heavily on help from my family (because it definitely takes a village), and I really tried my best (not always successfully) to be present when I was home.

As for what I miss, I miss a lot of superficial things. The beautiful space I worked at, the trendy clothing I bought to keep up with my image, and the delicious lattés I would have every morning when I got to work.

MT: I often get accused of glamorizing corporate life, and honestly after my children went to college - it was incredible. However, my return to work post covid, had me wondering "have I learned anything" as I was running through Laguardia. Did you create any new habits either around family time or work that you hope to hold onto or rather keep practicing?

TL: Despite its bad rep, for me, Covid was actually a really special gift. It introduced flexibility in my life. It showed me that there are many elements of my life that are just as important as work. I have other personal and professional goals I want to achieve and working towards those goals is just as important as the "9-5" (whatever 9-5 is lol). So covid took away the hustle and bustle (temporarily), but that time allowed me to finally get to plan for those things on my to-do list that I was never going to get to do.

Am I busy? I'm a business owner with three young children, a husband, an aging dog, a big family, and loads of friends. Yes, I'm very busy! But I'm different busy. Professionally, I have great projects with amazing clients. We work on timelines together that work for both of us. This allows me to continue volunteering at my kid's school, where I'm Vice-President of the governing board. I finally started swimming again to train for that triathlon I've been telling myself I'll do one day and, I'm turning 40 this year, so this is the year to work towards completing one! Basically, I'm occupied, but allowing myself to be busier in many ways and finally accomplishing those goals I had set for myself.

MT: Do you have some advice for young women who are just starting their careers?

TL: Don't let anyone tell you that you need to pay your dues. There are currently four different generations in the workforce, and we can all learn a thing or two from each other. The working world is going through a crazy transformation at the moment, and we can all benefit from that mix of experienced workers as well as new thoughts and mindsets. So, propose your ideas and new ways of working, but be open to hearing the other point of view. It may not win everyone over, and you may not be right either, but it will definitely spark a conversation and make others stop, think, and perhaps eventually challenge the status quo.

MT: This is great advice T, thank you. We really appreciate your time.

If you'd like to learn more about T and her business, here is the link to the company she co-founded during Covid!

Thanks again readers, as we close out this series, feel free to share, comment, and send suggestions - what would you like to hear more of or learn more about...

#communitiessupportingcommunities #keepgrowing #postcovid #limitedseries #femalefounders