Cheers to the *right* opportunities!

Oddly, I spent this morning thinking about an interview I had many, many years ago.

That interview was just after I had gotten married. I was in a service industry job at the time. That job gave me a huge leg up early in my career. I managed people and a large facility and had won the opportunity to lead the opening of a brand new site. I was also exhausted from being “on” 7/7 and 364/365, and so had started to look for the next job that would allow me to continue to grow, but offered a little more sustainability and balance.

I found a job posting that looked like a great fit. It was in travel versus service. A transferable adjacency, but a bit more of a standard “desk job” with travel opportunities and upward mobility if you worked hard (or so they said), which is exactly what I was hoping for. Millennial catnip.

I was called for an interview and met with three people. Someone doing the job currently, a senior leader, and the CEO. It was a small, locally owned company and so this felt pretty right to me. My first two conversations went well and I was feeling confident. Enter the CEO.

About two or three questions in, he spots my wedding ring, and immediately asks something to the effect of, “Married, huh? I guess you’ll be having kids soon. How are you planning to do this job once you have a baby?”

I was floored. Like, really?

I didn’t want to mislead (and I’m the worlds worst liar), so I shared that while I did plan on having children at some point, I was sure I could handle both a family and the role. The conversion wrapped up quickly from there. A good start turned into a fairly swift ushering out the door.

Now the odd thing is that I haven’t thought about this interview in probably a decade. It popped up while hanging at the pool with my seven year old son during a family vacation. In that moment, I found myself filled with gratitude.

To *not* have been selected for that kind of job under that kind of leadership. [I would have totally taken it despite the giant waving red flag, if I’m being honest with myself.]

To have been the recipient of both the support I’ve needed to build my career and build a family, especially when it’s been hard to do just one - which can feel like a lot (all?) of the time.

And for the leaders and peers I’ve worked with who have moved beyond just simple support - colleagues who have taken risks on me and let me grow and stretch. The ones who support travel, time off, creative pursuits, and the necessary flexibility to manage the priority of the day.

I hope I pay it all forward. Cheers from the pool!