work/life balance – Andrea Arena

The holiday season is our time to shine!

Concierges are the season’s magical elves committed to making every customer’s dream a reality and this season was no exception. From collecting enough pine cones for a client to write a marriage proposal in the snow to making custom gift baskets for a someone described as, “strongly self identifies as a Jewish, Chilean Vegan”. We are the ones convincing the salesperson at a discount retailer to hide the designer handbags when they arrive and call us immediately as a matter of national importance. We include notes in our contacts with the names of our clients’ relatives and what we bought for Aunt Edna last Christmas. Please don’t get offended when we remind you of your spouse’s birthday or email you a simple, make ahead recipe for your neighborhood potluck. We just might keep you out of the “dog house” or save you a couple of frantic hours in the kitchen! We are the ones who drive across town for a friend who is under the weather, because we know that nothing has more healing power than receiving your favorite soup and a thoughtful note. Of course, we always include a small box of chocolate …. for medicinal purposes. We are driven to make the magic happen. I use the word “driven” because it is a calling. It is something deep within a true concierge. There is a delight that we feel when we make even the smallest dream come true. So, hug your concierge. This time of year, they are easy to spot. They are exhausted but have that satisfied look of a job well done plastered across their merry little face! We look forward to making your life better in 2019! http://TimeSquaredConcierge.com

Tags: concierge, corporate concierge, customer service, errand running, family, frantic, holiday season, magical concierge, TimeSquared Concierge, work/life balance, working parent|

My answer to “This is How Real Working Mothers Are Managing (It’s Not as Complicated as You Think)”

Laura Vanderkam’s article “This Is How Real Working Mothers Are Managing (It’s Not as Complicated as You Think)” states, “The math is straightforward. There are 168 hours in a week. If you work fifty and sleep eight per night (fifty-six hours per week in total), that leaves sixty-two hours for other things.” Of course, my first thought is that she was remiss in not mentioning the imperative that you outsource your personal errands to TimeSquared Concierge. My second that was the realization that my opinion on this matter changes with the day and, if I am truly honest, the difference is the lens through which I am viewing my life. If I allow myself to be hyper critical, I see the inside of the refrigerator that could benefit from a thorough cleaning. However, most of the time, I see the smile on my daughter’s face or hear her utter a clever statement that is decades beyond her years or catch the reflection of the two of us attempting to imitate dance moves that clearly should be left to the professionals. Sure, I could benefit from some “me” time and I have my share of “first world” challenges, but I am tremendously grateful for the life I have and the people I share it with! https://verilymag.com/2015/09/working-mothers-i-know-how-she-does-it-laura-vanderkam?utm_source=Verily%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=8bb79406ca-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e08a3e62a0-8bb79406ca-88944549

Tags: productivity, work/life balance, working mom, working parent|

Quality vs Quantity Time

Recently, I attended a speech on the topic of parenting. The speaker was great. I agreed with the majority of what he said, but his suggestion that parents increase the amount of time we spend with our children rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, it all sounds good on paper, but the reality is that most of us are trying to cram 30+ hours into a 24 hour day. If we plan to spend more time with our children and then fail to do so, it creates guilt or anxiety which is no good for anyone. With all the expectations put on us in our professional and private lives, we don’t need any more reasons to feel inadequate. I thought long and hard and, after much deliberation decided that it’s just not possible. I do my very best and give all the attention that I can to my family. In my opinion, what’s most important is the quality of time spent, not the quantity. Being extremely present in the limited time you do have with your family can go a long way. And if they could be doing something better with their time, who am I to prevent them? For example, I love spending time with my daughter Charlie, but I can't teach her how to do a pirouette. She must spend time with her ballet instructor to learn that. Its best to use your limited time together giving what only you can - unconditional love. The most memorable moments with my daughter happen when I am present enough to recognize and seize the opportunity. For example, one morning while driving my daughter Charlie to school, we saw a red fox dart across the road. I

Tags: connecting with kids, family, parenting, quality time, work/life balance, working parent|

Is Your Life Being Squeezed?

The answer to “Sandwich Generation” retention How do you retain your valuable employees who find themselves in the “Sandwich Generation” - a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children? Imagine an employee who leaves work 30 mins early to pick up mom’s prescription, then fights traffic for another 45 minutes to get to the daycare on time and avoid the exorbitant late fee. Once they are home, they whirl around the kitchen, trying to whip together a healthy meal for their family while struggling with the guilt from missed time at the office. I’m sure this is all too familiar for most of you. After all, the Pew Research Center, reported just over one of every eight Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for a parent, in addition to between seven and ten million adults caring for their aging parents from a long distance. These individuals are at war with themselves - struggling with demands from so many with so few hours in the day. They know the importance of putting family first, but they also know what is expected of them at the office. For the ones I know, their professional life is a safe haven. It is the place where they can give 100% and reap tremendous rewards with often quantifiable measures of success. It feeds their sense of accomplishment, pays their bills and hopefully allows them to financially prepare for their own “golden years”. That is unless it is totally derailed by the competing factors previously mentioned. Do you doubt for a minute that it happens? You know it does. The question isn’t IF it happens, but rather how frequently.

Tags: busy, work/life balance, working mom|

Cheer Loudly!

http://www.timesquaredconcierge.com/blog/ As the president of a company in the service industry, I am always a little anxious when a customer call escalates to me. Is someone less than 100% satisfied with our service? So, this was no different until the woman on the other line said, “This is the first time I’ve ever attended a game.” This customer went on to explain that, as a single working mother, it was all she could do to drop her son off then race frantically around town – to Walmart, Costco, & the grocery store – all the while praying that her son was not the last one at the ballpark when she returned to pick him up. But tonight was different because a member of our team ran all of her personal errands while she was at work. So, for the very first time she was going to be seated in the stands watching her son’s game. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she called to thank me. It was almost as if she couldn’t believe that it was happening – a dream come true. As we both fought back the tears, I said, “Cheer loudly, because the games where he looks up in the stands and sees you yelling his name – Those are the games he will remember 30 years from now. Cheer loudly!” What motivates you to do what you do for a living? I look forward to hearing from you.

Tags: concierge, corporate concierge, customer service, errand running, TimeSquared Concierge, work/life balance|