My New Life as a Working Mom

In September 2021, 2RM’s Katie McClure and her husband, Nick, welcomed their son, Malcolm. We asked Katie to tell us what it was like being a first-time mom and full-time senior digital strategist.

I probably say this at least once a week, but I have no idea how moms, or parents in general, survived before work from home/flexible schedules were an option. I'm sure I'd figure it out, but I’m so thankful for the Two Rivers Marketing hybrid model.

Coming back from maternity was really hard for several reasons, including logistically. It meant figuring out an entirely new schedule for my husband, Nick, and me. Some of the challenges: What time did we have to get up to get ourselves ready and the baby ready and get out the door on time? Who was going to do drop-off and pick-up and at what times so that our 4-month-old wasn't sitting at daycare for 12 hours a day? Not to mention wanting to spend as much time as possible with him in the evening before his 7 o'clock bedtime. It took some serious project management skills.

Luckily, because of 2RM's flexible schedule, I'm able to log on to work a bit earlier in the morning while Nick does daycare drop-off. Starting work earlier means I can log off earlier and pick Malcolm up from daycare. It's what works for our family! That can only happen because 2RM lets us be flexible and not locked into an 8-to-5 schedule.

Not only does it work for our day-to-day schedule, but it also offers more flexibility for Nick and me to get Malcolm to the seemingly hundreds of doctor’s appointments that we've had over the last four months since starting daycare. (Parents with kids in daycare feel our pain, we know.) Knowing that 2RM and my teammates support that flexibility takes so much pressure off me and other new moms and dads who are trying to juggle being new parents and great employees.

In addition to having a flexible schedule, being able to work from home a couple of days a week as a new parent has been truly life-changing. I now use my lunchtime to do All.The.Things. Hello laundry, bottle prepping, cleaning … and sometimes I even squeeze in a quick 30-minute workout! That time I get back in my day from not commuting plus lunch is a serious lifesaver; it allows me to at least feel like I'm keeping my head above water — most days!

I'll say it a thousand times over: I feel very lucky to work for a company that supports its employees like 2RM does — they make being a working parent possible.

Along with Katie, in the past year 2RM associates Hanna Plants, Jenae Hommes, Allison Grettenberg, Jamie Fisher, Laura Sorenson, and Ethan Day have welcomed babies to their families. Cheers to growing families, harried-but-happy new parents, and the friends, family, and 2RM teammates who support them and can’t get enough photos of the super-cute additions.

Interested in the perspective of another 2RM working parent? Learn about Ethan Day's experience as a first-time dad.