Achieving that balance isn’t easy, but every Mother’s Day we get a chance to recognize the hard work that goes into it. Dating back to 1868, Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure making it the second Sunday in May.
Fast-forward to 2022 and today’s moms face modern challenges during a time when millions of women exited the workplace due to job loss or child-care demands. According to CNBC, this mass exodus resulted in a loss of at least $800 billion in income for women in 2020 alone. As companies map out their plans for bringing employees back to the office, finding long-term remote work options may help bring back (and retain) more women in the workplace.
Managing a Fast-Paced Career
As Head of Sales, Southeast US for DB Schenker, Jan Jones joined the company in 2021 and oversees a team of 18 sales professionals in a variety of roles—from sales support to inside sales to field sales for a 9-state geographic territory. “I’m responsible for driving year-over-year volume growth in DB Schenker’s primary services of air, ocean and land,” says Jones, “plus customs brokerage, intercontinental supply chain (ISC), and contract logistics.”
Jones says the best part about working for DB Schenker is the supportive and friendly teams that she gets to work with every day—both in the US and globally. “It’s truly an honor to work for a company where we live and breathe the value of ‘One Team. One Goal,’” she said.
Being the mother of two teenage sons, Jones knows what it takes to operate successfully in a fast-paced, demanding environment. “Working in this fast-paced and often unpredictable field of logistics has conditioned me to be tough, yet flexible,” she says, “and to adopt the attitude of control what I can control and not to sweat the small stuff.”
For Jones, Mother’s Day is a day where she gets the pleasure of doling out more than the usual number of hugs for her two teenage boys, her mom and her sister. “Plus, here in Atlanta, the weather is beautiful in early-May and everything is bright green and blooming,” she says. “It makes the perfect setting for a walk in the park at the annual arts & crafts festival held in my community on Mother’s Day weekend.”
Handling the Day-to-Day Hustle
Ivana Gonzalez, Customs Brokerage Manager for DB Schenker USA, has been with the company since 2021 and is responsible for the oversight and supervision of all customs and other government agency transactions performed by the Miami ACC. She has a team of 10 employees and says the best parts of her job are DB Schenker’s culture and the people she interacts with daily.
“Everyone here is friendly and positive, which makes the day-to-day hustle much easier,” says Gonzalez, who says being a working mom has helped strengthen her multitasking skills. It has also helped her get pretty good at deescalating difficult situations quickly and effectively.
Gonzalez sees Mother’s Day as a time to celebrate mother figures and female role models in our lives, as well as a day to remember those who have passed. It’s also a time to reflect on past accomplishments and look toward a bright future.
“I think there is always room for growth and we can always push for the next best thing,” she adds. “Whether you’re pushing the limit to reach a new personal goal or pushing the limit to execute and exceed a client’s expectation, if we think it, we can achieve it.”
Working Toward a Common Goal
Justyna Mostek, Global Tender Management Americas for DB Schenker, joined the company as a member of the global ocean pricing team. That experience provided her with a strong foundation and the insights needed to excel in her current role as leader of the global tender management team.
Mostek says she likes working for DB Schenker because the company employs diverse teams; promotes accountability and growth from within; and has created a community where everyone counts.
For Mostek, Mother’s Day means taking the time to celebrate the most important and admirable women in her life. “It also means sleepless nights, toddler tantrums, a thousand loads of laundry and handprints on the windows,” she says, “and all while seeing my tiny humans grow and accomplish so many amazing feats. It’s a love so big you don’t know how you ever existed without it.”
Motherhood teaches you patience, she adds, makes you seek deeper empathy and understanding, and requires good multitasking all of the time—all of which are extremely useful in the workplace. Both at work and within her community, Mostek embraces values like walking the walk, pushing the limits and winning together. “We become better, both in our communities and at work, providing value towards a common goal.”
