Goodbye Sleep ins đź‘‹
17th April 2021 — a day that I’ll always remember. From this point forward , I knew my long standing streak of missing the cut off time for McDonald’s breakfast would finally come to an end. I can’t recall a time where I’ve felt equal parts excitement and fear simultaneously, but my life was definitely going to change. My wife and I were super excited to learn we would be welcoming a new addition to the family, and we began counting down the days!
I was so eager to see how life would change, and everything I had known would be flipped upside down. As someone who has been intensely focused on his career for the past 10 years, the thought that this may no longer be possible and the uncertainty that produced definitely was unnerving. The good news is, six months later, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Propeller Family grows.
Fast forward a few months and I was so excited to share the big news with my team and with all the preparation in the world, I still wasn’t ready for their reaction. The best way to describe the noises that came from my teammates would be if you pictured being inside an exploding firework, during a Harry Styles concert, in a stadium filled exclusively with 14–17 year old girls. Needless to say, my unborn child already had minor hearing damage.
The excitement didn’t wane quickly. Every time a new person found out about my news, I was greeted with huge hugs, warm smiles and just general excitement. I cannot thank each and every one of them enough for making the journey so fun throughout! Every time a scan was needed or a doctor appointment scheduled, my team were everyday superheroes and made sure that my meetings were covered. This allowed me to focus solely on the health and well being of my wife and the little one. I can confidently say that the whole process ran so smoothly thanks to my legendary teammates supporting me each and every step of the way. Whether it was brainstorming possible names, or discussing the potential challenges of parenthood, my team kept my spirits high and gave me confidence that I could still kick butt at home and at Propeller!
The greatest hire I’ve ever made!
In recruitment, you often hear the line “New year, new career.” So it was only fitting that my daughter Charlotte would arrive on New Year’s Day. The flood of love from my colleagues was overwhelming, and I was so excited to have them meet the newest addition to my family and our team! A huge shout out to the world’s best colleague Chantelle, and the reigning manager of the century, Isobel, for making the transition to a dad such a smooth one.
Taking a few weeks off to focus on life and family can be stressful for anyone, but when you have the right company and team around you, it is made that little bit easier. They managed to keep my work moving along and even encouraged me to ease myself back into my normal work routine. My team has been accommodating to the weird hours that I keep, which I now consider as “awake time.” They have made me still feel 110% involved in everything that happens, even when I have had to juggle competing priorities at home and at work. Most importantly, they’ve reassured me that I can still focus on my career and make a huge impact at Propeller without missing the amazing milestones of my child growing up. I haven’t had to pick one or the other, and the team at Propeller has made that possible.
Through our supportive parent leave policies, flexible working arrangements or just genuine care and empathy from my team, I’ve truly felt like my daughter, Charlotte, has been wrapped in love from the first day. I cannot thank my team or Propeller enough for helping me find a balance so quickly, but I can say that I am forever grateful! They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I’m glad my village is with my team at Propeller.
