Women Achieving Work/Life Balance
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Julie McDowell from Pottsville Beach News in NSW holds her three sons aged 9, 7 and 2 as her highest priority. Two of her boys need to be driven 30 minutes each way to school and between them play Rugby League, Soccer, Aus-kick, T-Ball and swim – and this is outside of the extra curricular demands of school! With a resource-intensive two year old in the mix, Julie has had to develop some exceptional time management skills to make sure she achieves the perfect work/life balance. Julie works three shifts each week, allowing her time to be hands-on with staff: building displays, ensuring a good stock return throughout the store, managing magazine Returns and spending time with customers. Once home and the boys are tucked in their beds, Julie goes about her ‘other’ business: making school lunches and ironing uniforms! Then it’s working on rosters, banking, bill payment and business growth strategies, which currently include improving the newsagency’s loyalty club and taking on more local businesses and their stationery needs. In her limited free time, Julie trains for the Gold Coast half marathon; once a PE teacher, she believes fitness to be an essential component of her life. The benefits include a clearer mind, a feeling of achievement and satisfaction, and higher energy levels throughout the day. Julie was a top 3 finalist for the Women’s Health Woman Newsagent of the Year for 2008. |
