Khoros celebrates work from home parents on Parents’ Day

July 24th is Parents’ Day — the holiday you may not have heard of, but one of the most important of the year! Here at Khoros we’re still mostly working from home after more than two years since the start of the pandemic, and nobody is better at fighting that battle than parents. Across the world, from our wonderful people in Austin, TX to our team in Australia, we have wonderful parents balancing their work with raising their families.

We figured the best way to celebrate them on Parents’ Day was to highlight them, and let them tell their own stories! So let’s hear it from them — three parents who work here at Khoros.

Meet Victoria Kearney. Victoria is a Senior Strategist on the Strategic Services team based in London. Her coworkers have nothing but great things to say about her: 

“Victoria offers valuable contributions to Khoros on a daily basis. One of the longest-standing members of the EMEA #StratFam, Vic has been an ever-present source of laughter and mentorship for the team.”

Here’s what Victoria said when we sat down to chat about her experience as a working parent.

What would you like to share with us as a work from home parent at Khoros?

Coming back to work in January 2022, after my maternity leave, was one of the toughest life experiences I’ve been through. Not only was the transition tough coming back to work, but with new customers and a new platform, COVID meant we made the tough decision to keep Aurelia at home with us. I can honestly say that working from home with a nine month old was not pretty!

However, I would definitely say I have learned a lot through that experience, most importantly the importance of setting boundaries for yourself and work.

Things today are so much smoother and Aurelia, now two, is at a local nursery. I really love working from home and the freedom and flexibility that come with it.

How are you planning to celebrate Parents’ Day?

We’re going to be spending it by the English coast, Devon, a place we all love and try to visit at least twice a year.

What’s something that people don’t realize about being a working parent?

I don’t think anyone realizes (or could possibly realize) how hard it is to be a parent with a full-time job. For me, not being a full-time working Mum was never in question as I love my job (honestly could not ask to work with a better team). However, working full-time with a child during COVID last year was tougher than I could have imagined. Thankfully a supportive partner, amazing team and understanding manager helped get me through.

Meet Rhiannon Gomez. Rhiannon is a Talent Experience Associate on the Talent/HR team. In her karaoke league, she was voted Rookie of the Year in her first season, then MVP the next. And her coworkers love her as much as her karaoke teammates:

“Working with Rhiannon is a pleasure. She is highly productive and eager to take on a challenge. Anyone that has worked with her can attest to her dedication of supporting employees. She is diligent, she’s easy-going, and she radiates positivity. Even with her head down working away, I cannot forget to mention how much fun she brings to the work we do.”

Here’s what Rhiannon said when we sat down to chat about her experience as a working parent.

What would you like to share with us as a work from home parent at Khoros?

I went from working full-time in a busy atmosphere to WFH in the middle of the pandemic — along with a career change! It was a shock to say the least, but the extra time I get with my daughter by just taking out the drive time is life changing. I never saw myself as a SAHM, but I’ll take the extra hours I get from working from home any day!

How are you planning to celebrate Parents’ Day?

Celebrating with my family every weekend. We call them “family days” and always try to get in an adventure together.

What’s something you’ve learned from working from home while raising your daughter?

It can be hard at times tending to my daughter and work. However, it’s taught both of us more patience and my team at Khoros is so incredibly understanding.

Meet Caitlin Berry. Caitlin is a Senior Strategist on the Strategic Services team, and she wholeheartedly believes that groundhogs are good omens. She saw six of them on the way to having her son. Her coworkers have this to say:

“Caitlin Berry is an incredible leader on the Strategic Services team as a strategic lead, product expert, and people manager. Her leadership style is grounded in her ability to empathize with team members through her own expertise, empower them to push to new heights, and prioritize work/life balance on a daily basis.”

Here’s what Caitlin said when we sat down to chat about her experience as a working parent.

What would you like to share with us as a work from home parent at Khoros?

I was so nervous to come back to work, nervous to not be as available as I’ve been in the past, nervous to basically be starting from scratch, since I was on parental leave just as long as I’d been in my new role. The Stratfam has been nothing but supportive and encouraging as I’ve onboarded onto new projects and gotten my strategic sealegs back. My team members are always asking about my son, even calling him by his nickname, which makes me feel like he’s part of the Stratfam too. I’ve also been able to connect with fellow parent Khorosians that I might not have gotten to know before, and it’s been so nice to know I’m not going through this alone.

How are you planning to celebrate Parents’ Day?

I’ll probably give my Bug extra snuggles and hugs, and play outside in the beautiful weather.

What’s something you’ve learned from working from home while raising your son?

Being a new mom, one of the things I’ve learned is that setting boundaries is hard, but so necessary. I’ve always been one of those people who found a lot of self worth in my work and struggled to set healthy boundaries for myself. In having a child, that got turned upside down, and I’m all the better for it! I’ve lost my guilt about not finishing my to-do list every day; I’ve re-evaluated my priorities to get things in order. Even if you don’t have kids, everyone should take a moment every so often to re-evaluate and reset; it will only serve you in the long run!

Whether it’s singing karaoke, finding groundhogs, working from home, or raising their kids, the parents here at Khoros are true all-stars. That’s why we’re so excited to celebrate them — and all parents — on this year’s Parents’ Day.