Mother's Day at Merit
It is no secret that being a Mom is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs there is. This is in part, because of the many hats women wear when in the role of "Mom." Moms are our caretakers, teachers, chefs, detectives when they choose to be, and our best friends when we need them to be.
Our Principal, Tammy Birklid, recently switched her Mom hat for her Boss hat, as she welcomed her daughter Audrey to the team at Merit. We checked in with Tammy to get her thoughts on being a Mom, and working side by side with her daughter.
"I want to wish every Mom a very happy Mother's Day. It is the job I am most honored to have. When our marketing team asked me to share my thoughts on being a Mom, it felt like fun timing to share the news of Audrey joining me at Merit.
When I was younger, I had a lot of concern about being a Mom that also worked outside our home. I didn't want to miss out on any time with my kids but I also enjoyed my work. It felt like the two were in conflict and I think I had guilt when doing either that I was somehow short changing the other.
Fast forward a few years and Len (Zarelli) offered me a partnership opportunity, one of the greatest moments of my career. I now can't imagine having not been here at Merit. I am passionate about my work and committed to my people, and it really feels like something I was called to do.
This opportunity now, to bring Audrey on and introduce her to the construction world is kind of a full circle moment for me. I had worried about the time I spent away from her in order to work in her younger years, not knowing that my work at Merit would later allow me to share so much time with her as an adult.
Character is critical to our team at Merit and it's important to me that we lead with integrity. Already knowing who Audrey is, and having that rock solid trust built between us makes her invaluable and I am so excited to continue to watch her grow in this industry.
All this to say, to any Mom reading, I hope you find comfort in knowing that no one feels like they are getting it right all of the time. It doesn’t matter if you are working at home or outside the home, the point is that being a Mom is the most important work. The fact that I get to spend this time building something great with my daughter is an amazing gift and I love the fact that life found a way to meld the two together."