Laura
Betterly: Tips on Balancing Career & Family
If you are one of the lucky few that
loves your job and it is very secure, then you will never
have to consider a change in your career. But, if you are
like most other people, you will face changes in your
career several times during your lifetime.
"Prioritization, organization, and
delegation are key to achieving the balance that allows a
woman to enjoy a rich family life while also gaining
fulfillment from her career," says Laura Betterly, CEO of
In Touch Media Group, Inc. (www.intouchmediagroup.com), a
full-service marketing company that specializes in using
the Internet as a public relations and advertising tool.
"For women, balancing a career and family doesn't have to
be a high wire act - it just requires a bit of juggling."
Betterly knows whereof she speaks. With a husband and two
teenage boys, Betterly is among the 72 percent of mothers
with children one year or older who are in the workforce.
While acknowledging that her high-powered career allows
her to take advantage of services that aren't accessible
to lower income mothers, Betterly maintains that every
woman can develop the skills necessary to balance work and
family.
"Prioritizing is the process of realizing that you can't
do it all, deciding what's important, and not sweating the
small stuff," Betterly says. Although she likes to provide
her family with home-cooked meals, Betterly would rather
spend time with her sons than in front of the stove every
night. "I go to a place called Get Cooking Now, where I
can make twelve dishes in their kitchen all at once," she
says. "I bring them home, freeze them, and am able to give
my family good, nutritious meals without a lot of
preparation time or mess."
Betterly also carves out more family time by being
organized and streamlining other household tasks. "I do
all of our personal banking and bill paying online, and
use Quicken to track all of our expenditures and due
dates," she says. And, if you're on Betterly's gift list,
you can count on the fact that what's inside the box came
from an online source. "I utilize the Internet for gift
shopping, especially at holiday time," she says. "I can
find everything I'm looking for online, and I'd rather
spend time with my husband and sons than traipse through
shopping malls."
Finally, Betterly is a firm believer in delegation. "Each
member of the family has a list of jobs to do around the
house, like taking out the garbage, washing the clothes,
and doing the dishes," she says. "By delegating chores,
the boys have learned that their contributions are
important to our family, and that we have more time for
fun."
And what does Betterly, her husband Steve Blom, and sons
Craig and Chris do with their extra time? "We go to
movies, concerts, visit friends, and barbecue," she says.
"Plus, I'm getting pretty good at play the Digital Dance
Revolution video game with the boys."
Betterly concludes, "As women, we don't have to make a
choice between work and family. With a few skills and some
practice, we can juggle the two beautifully."
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