Alignment between a job and personal life
This was the first in-region Product Day where I was given the opportunity to coordinate the entire event. This group is
1/8 of the global company. It was such a hectic week but I learned so much from others and myself, especially because it
reiterates the fact that my default community is not my only community—that I have the space to be proud of my
accomplishments without being labeled as conceited or ignored because of fragile egos, and I can fail without being
berated.
I've always sought after to enjoy the work that I do and how I live each minute of my life. I have a finite amount of
time, unsure of where I'll be in 1 day or 1 year, so I'm going to do what I can to embrace each day. My "day job" has
always aligned with that philosophy because I made sure to only do something that meets those criteria. It's not about
the job title or educational background—those factors are fleeting and can only take you so far. It's also about being
firm with your principles yet flexible so that you can adjust your decisions when needed, be confident but stay
grounded, and serious but have fun. When I look at it in that perspective, my job and personal life isn't all that
different from each other.
A company is just that—a company. The relationships you build and remaining true to your character, when temptation can
easily absorb you, matters more than a salary and job title. That's how you increase retention, at your company or in
your personal life, because people do care about these things even if they don't verbalize it, it shows through their
actions. People are only willing to be a part of the community if the interactions are genuine and I'm so glad that I
get to work with this fantastic group of people who love what they do and who do it with integrity.
The alignment between a job and my personal life will always be top priority because I believe that how you do one
thing, is how you do everything, and there would no longer be a purpose in life if you're unable to embody all that you
are and all the opportunity that life has given you.
Kelly Chau
Kelly Chau is a lifelong learner based in Atlanta, GA. When she’s not working on a project, she finds joy in
spending
time with her loved ones, cooking, playing a sport, reading, or simply keeping busy by finding ways to improve her
thinking or learning something new. She hopes to be able to share stories that will inspire others to learn
self-expression and find ways to give back to the community with the little time she has on this earth.