On this year's International Women's Day, we would like to show our appreciation towards the hardworking women of KWO who have worked tirelessly for not only the company but for their family members as well. Recently, we conducted an interview with our very own Associate Manager, Rowena Wong, in hopes that this interview will be able to inspire more full-time mothers to overcome the challenge of having to juggle both work and life.
We followed Rowena as she shared with us what goes on behind the scenes of her daily life, the routines she sticks to, and how she managed to keep everything together on a tight schedule without compromising her duty as a mother and a financial adviser to her clients.
What it is like to juggle between work and family
Q: Can you describe what work-life balance means to you?
A: For me, it's good income and getting to spend more time with my family.
Q: What are some key elements in your current job scope that allows you to have a greater work-life balance?
A: I think it’s the fact that I’m working mostly with high-net-worth clients whose budget allows for bigger cases.
Q: As a mother of two, how do you ensure that each child receives full care in their overall well-being while you are working?
A: I will arrange most of my meetings and have them in the morning to the afternoon. I try not to schedule my meetings in the evening or over the weekends unless the clients cannot meet the preferred timings.
Q: How do you find ways to ensure everyone in the family spends quality time together?
A: I would make sure that the family goes on at least two holidays per year, but this was before Covid. And I will also make sure that we always have meals together and exercise together.
Q: Is there anything you have learnt from building a relationship with your clients that has improved the quality of your relationship with your family or vice versa?
A: I have more senior clients who have teenage or adult children. They often share with me what to look out for and I happen to learn a lot from their success stories. And if it works for me, I can in turn share it with other clients with younger children so that they can be aware of certain blind spots.
Q: What does a typical Monday look like for you?
A: I start my Mondays by getting up at 6:20 am to prepare breakfast for my children and send them off to school. Next, I will spend an hour to do some household chores since I have no helper. Once that is done, I usually aim to set up at least 2 meetings for the day, which can be online or face-to-face meetings. And my meetings can start as early as 9 am.
After I’m done with my meetings, I will prepare a simple lunch for my family and fetch my daughter back from school. After another meeting or two in the afternoon, I will bring my children to my mum’s place for dinner. Finally, after I have sent my children to bed, at about 10:30 pm, I will look at the US market before I go to sleep.
Q: How does the work culture at KWO support your ability to spend more time with your family?
A: The company’s working style and schedule are very flexible. For example, these days we are holding office meetings online which saves me the time and costs for travelling. Next, we are also using CRM software to support our workflow and it makes follow-ups very convenient for me.
Q: Finally, in light of International Women’s Day, do you have anything to share with other full-time mothers who are seeking to achieve a work-life balance?
A: Pray for wisdom to manage your time better and work harder towards the breakthroughs desired. If necessary, make adjustments and think of ways to achieve the desired outcome. Do not be shy to ask for advice from other successful role models as they might be able to share some great tips with you!
As you can see, Rowena has certainly managed to strike a balance between her personal life and work regardless of how busy she is on most days. This shows that full-time mothers do not have to choose between work and family. With a job that promises flexible working hours and a work-life balance, mothers can finally rejoice as they can enjoy the best of both worlds.
At KWO, working as a financial adviser will give you ample time to focus on work and your family as well. Join us for an uncompromising career that ensures you reach your true potential today!