At Manning Global, we embrace the essence of being a family. Today, on National Working Parents Day, we celebrate the remarkable parents among us and applaud our company’s commitment to family values. Balancing a thriving career with the responsibilities of parenthood is no small feat, it takes resilience, patience, creativity, and above all, love. Let’s take a moment to see how our managers, leaders, and experts beautifully blend their professional roles with their family lives!
Parenthood as a Teacher
Roberta Pavlicek, HR & Business Specialist, beautifully reflects on the transformative power of parenthood: “I am a lot more calm than I was before! Helena (my daughter) made me realise that I will never be perfect and has helped me learn to be more patient and kind to others.”
Family as Motivation
For Zuni Dayana Vellejo Gonzalez, Talent Acquisition Manager, family is the driving force behind her success: “My family, especially my daughter.”
Davor Molnar, Senior Business Manager, shares his hobbies outside of work: “Playing with my daughter Matilda (I know all the popular games in the park!), plus long walks during weekends.” 
Finding Joy in the Everyday
Petronela Petru, HR Manager, enjoys a variety of activities that keep her grounded and happy: “I like spending time outside in nature with my family and friends. I especially love going to the seaside. I also enjoy listening to music, watching comedy series, eating good food – especially seafood – and starting this year, after a lot of lazy years, I started practicing boxing!”
For Tamara Rajic, Head of Sales, the best parenting (and life) advice is simple yet powerful: “Be present and enjoy the moment!”
Wise Words from Leaders
For Cherie Jones, Dating Concierge, parenting is both passion and purpose:
“Parenting! I am fortunate enough to have a 9-year-old daughter who is a master of keeping me curious and wanting to learn more about the child’s brain.”
Claus Raasted, co-founder of The College of Extraordinary Experiences, shares his own take:
“For me, becoming a father five years ago was an incredible and extraordinary experience. For someone with six kids, it’s hard to not imagine there’s a bit of “Ok, here’s another one!” feeling it…”
Expert Advice on Balancing Work & Parenthood
Even the most dedicated parents need strategies to create harmony between professional and family life. Here’s what our experts recommend:
Jamie Van Cuyk, Small Business Consultant:
“I find it pretty easy to balance parenting and working. I was fortunate to work for a department that had strong female leadership with most of the women being mums. Flexibility was a part of the culture because we all understood that allowing people to balance work and families was important to mums, dads, the kids, and the company.
My advice is first to define what a parenting / working balance means to you. Then make sure your current situation allows for that balance. If not, you might want to explore a career change or see how you can leverage your employees to get the balance you want within your own company.”
Laura Wingate, Founder & CEO of Meno Plan:
“Being a woman can be tough as we often have the pressures of caring for kids whilst caring for ailing parents, whilst maintaining a household, whilst holding down a full time job etc.
One of the best pieces of advice I have on this is to be a tiny bit selfish. Make time and put it in your diary. Maybe an hour on Sunday morning, or 15 minutes every morning that is your time. Make it the most important appointment you have in your calendar. Use that time to practice some mindfulness, or go for a walk. Anything that is just for you. Nobody else… Just YOU!
And if you don’t think you have the time, take a quick look at the screen time stats on your phone and maybe look at how much time you spend on that bad boy! You probably spend waaaaaay longer there than you think you do. What’s more important, you, or instagram? Put the phone down for 15 minutes and get some headspace. Your body and mind will thank you for it!”
To all the working parents out there, your strength, dedication, and love inspire us every day. Today we honour you, your balancing act, and the countless ways you enrich both your families and your workplaces. Here’s to being present, patient, and proud, both at work and at home!