Kristina Butler is the CEO of KB Career Solutions. Like many of the working daughters we feature, Kristina feels most competent when she’s working.
Where and when do you feel most competent? I feel most competent when I am engaged in conversation with job seekers about best practices for the most strategic job search results. It is absolutely “my zone” and I can talk about it until I am blue in the face without losing passion or enthusiasm.
With what do you struggle? I am beginning to struggle with time management and part of that stems from not having the most effective organization systems in place. It is a new struggle that I expect to get in front of sooner-rather-than-later by connecting with organization experts.
What one thing do you wish you had more time for? I wish I had more time, quiet, and mental stillness to read while taking a warm bath with a glass of wine. I have been struggling to finish The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell. It is a great book so far with some amazing nuggets.
With what do you wish you had more help? There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish I had more help with childcare for my 9-year old old and general support for my parents. My mother refuses to hire a home attendant for fear of bringing someone into her home who doesn’t have her best interests in mind.
What is your best habit? My best habit is letting calls go to voicemail. I have fully accepted that I cannot be everything for every person in every moment. I simply can’t. I spend the bulk of my workday on the phone conducting interviews or on the Internet searching for candidates to fill my open positions. My little one arrives home slightly before my workday ends and I have to transition into giving her my attention along with after-school activities. I simply do not have the capacity to answer the phone every single time it rings. Allowing calls to go to voicemail helps significantly with time management, which is extremely important for those of us who are working mothers and working daughters.
What is your dream retirement? My dream retirement would likely include relocation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to either reside in a beachfront property or at Garza Blanca Resort. I will teach children English and continue to prepare women for employment opportunities. I might even blog about the experience. While Vallarta will be home, I will also travel quite a bit to expand on my exposure to different cultures.
What would you like to see employers do more of to help caregivers? Several years ago I worked for a major financial services organization that offered a certain amount of family care time off that could be used to take children AND PARENTS to medical appointments. You simply had to have documented proof of the appointment I not only used that time for my oldest daughter who was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, but also to spend time with my father when he was hospitalized. That is truly a benefit I wish more employers would consider offering as it removed the extreme feelings of guilt associated with having to make the choice.
What do you admire in/about other caregivers? I admire their perceived patience, which I admittedly don’t have. I am a tough-love kind of person and I want the focus to be less on complaining and more on problem resolution.
What is your motto? I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Caregiving: a blessing or a burden? As challenging as it is on some days, it is truly a blessing to still have my parents here to care for. I would always choose it over the alternative.
