Just four short months into motherhood and the idea of freedom has taken on a completely different meaning for me. This transition into the biggest identity shift of my life has pressed me to think about my own freedom in so many ways. On a very basic level, I’ve quickly realized how unrestricted I was pre-Haley girl: to enjoy a daily shower, to leisurely run errands, to sleep in (or let’s be real, to sleep at all), to indulge in a haircut or a manicure...trivialities in the grand scheme of things, I know, but the loss of these simple freedoms feel pretty darn significant when you desperately need to wash your day 5 hair or find yourself in tears at 3 am from sheer exhaustion.
And on a deeper level, the all-encompassing nature of motherhood - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - has made me pause and truly consider the freedom, or sometimes lack thereof, we have as working mamas to fully pursue the lives we hope to live. Now that I’ve experienced firsthand that constant back and forth tug in my heart between wanting to be absolutely present for my daughter and also maintain a career that I love, it feels so incredibly stifling that many women aren’t offered the opportunity to fulfill both roles well and unapologetically - that the possibility of simultaneously being a present mama and a vibrant presence in the workforce feels like an unattainable, distant fantasy rather than a choice all women deserve. When the workplace suffocates our passions, it’s no wonder that so many people, women and men alike, feel like they’re simply toiling for the financial means to escape into the weekends.
In our small corner, we’re doing our best to push back against this narrative - to create a work culture that offers freedom from the purported drudgery of work and the possibility for women to have genuine vibrancy both personally and professionally. We believe that work is fundamentally a GOOD thing, not simply a means to reach a fleeting sense of freedom when Friday afternoon hits, but that it is possible and necessary for rest, peace, and vibrancy to be seamlessly interwoven into our days both in and out of the workplace.
One of Pat’s and my greatest privileges and priorities as business owners is to facilitate the means for our team to lead a life they love each day, that they would never feel shackled to their careers because it simply provides the financial means to live freely once they’re “off the clock,” but that their work is part and parcel of the beautiful, purposeful, and vibrant lives they hope to create for themselves. Our hope is that our time at work feels like a deep breath of fresh air and that we find + create community, purpose, and joy in the everyday. In this light, we hope to intentionally add to the shifting conversation about work and to celebrate the freedom we believe it can, and should, provide.
for freedom,
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