As we celebrate National Parents’ Day, we also honor the parents, guardians, and caregivers working at ActiveCampaign (AC).
Read on as one of our ACers shares her experience working at AC as a parent:
Caitlyn Delehanty, Mom and Manager of Customer Success
Happy Parents Day to my fellow parents! I’m not sure I knew about this sacred day until this year. And I can’t wait to see what my children have planned for it. (My bets are on a 5:45AM wake up call and Toy Story 4 on a loop for the day.)
My name is Caitlyn Delehanty and I am Manager of Customer Success here at ActiveCampaign. I work with our talented team of Customer Success Managers on projects that help our customers get the most out of their partnership with AC.
My other name is Mom—or Mommy, or Mama, depending on which kid you poll. I have two children, a two-and-a-half year old and a one-year old. They are two of the most energetic, sweet, mischievous, and wonderful kids out there. They love to go to playgrounds, chase their dog Lily around the house, eat mac and cheese, and read lots of books. They are a bit too young to understand that mom “goes” to work every day. But they have gotten to know many of my colleagues by making frequent Zoom cameos.
Handling pregnancy with a toddler in tow during a pandemic
I was about six months pregnant when the pandemic began. I suddenly found myself with a toddler at home while I worked on a computer all day. We pulled our 2 year old out of his home day care to be safe. My husband and I would tag team watching him while we tried to get work done. Some days—no, a lot of days—were really hard. I joke that Cocomelon raised my toddler for a good 3 months straight (if you know, you know).
It was pure survival mode for so many months. There was no help from the outside world and no line of sight to anything that felt hopeful.
But a source of light during that time was getting to log on and have a purpose each day. To know that we were part of something that was helping people survive such a dark time. I thought I would go crazy on some days. But getting to share the mom side of me—probably my favorite side of me—with my colleagues made me feel closer to them, even though we were all remote.
Being a mom first
What I love about working at ActiveCampaign as a parent is that I don’t have to defend that I’m a mom first. I’m trusted to do my job and to do it well, but I also don’t feel the pressure to give up precious moments to earn that trust. For all of the challenges that 2020 and beyond presented, I got time with my babies that I would have never had in the pre-pandemic world.
ActiveCampaign’s commitment to continued flexibility for all employees is giving parents so many precious moments with their children that they might have missed. I am so grateful for that time.
Connecting with AC Moms
About a year ago, I started becoming more involved in our “Moms of AC” Employee Resource Group. When I came back from maternity leave, my involvement in Moms of AC was such a source of support for me. I had a community of women who knew what it was like to be in my shoes. Connecting with them was so cathartic—even when we didn’t have all the answers about how to navigate through motherhood in a pandemic.
Bringing attention to parents in the workforce
I’m so proud of the attention the Moms of AC ERG brought to mothers and parents in the workforce. Over the last year:
- We created re-onboarding resources for employees returning from parental leave.
- We hosted a virtual DIY Floral Bouquet workshop to celebrate Mother’s Day (courtesy of our own customer, Poppy!)—celebrating motherhood in the workforce in a way I’ve never experienced before.
- We launched a session for managers across our organization to educate them on a “day-in-the-life” of a working parent.
- We hosted a “Moms in Leadership” panel. Moms in leadership positions across the organization talked about their journeys, challenges, and experiences.
- And, in true COVID-fashion, we hosted a virtual Bring Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day featuring a musical guest, story time, and a curated video of our kiddie co-workers.
If you know a parent who has trudged through the last year, trust me when I say, hearing a “you’re doing great” goes a long way.
If you are a parent, I hope you take some time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished, not only in the last 16 months, but since you’ve proudly worn your parent badge!
Happy Parents Day!