Joy Adan flawlessly manages a diverse career and motherhood, detailing her journey and methods.
Chat with Joy Adan, the agile Senior Thought Leadership Manager at Reward Gateway, who's built an unconventional 'portfolio career'. Hear her take on juggling diverse roles, the lessons learned, and how motherhood redefined her priorities.
In our compelling conversation, Joy unveils her journey through various industries, from content creation at World Youth Day to internal communications at the University of Sydney, always seeking her sweet spot, eventually landing in employee recognition and rewards.
When parenthood came knocking, Joy became vigilant about where she focused her energy, thus migrating to part-time opportunities that provided more purpose and balance. This shift led her to team up with Reward Gateway, creating insightful content, reports, and local research strategies in the employee recognition realm.
What's a 'portfolio career' and how did you find yourself on this path?
I didn't map out a portfolio career intentionally; it wasn't even on my radar until my twenties! My initial role, way back when, was crafting content and fostering communities at Australia's largest youth festival, World Youth Day. Subsequent stops led me to internal communications as a team lead at the University of Sydney's InfoComm Tech department.
When I embarked on parenthood, I became more mindful of my time, desiring to allocate it intentionally. I left my full-time management gig and transitioned to a part-time content and editorial role in a tech startup spin-off of The Big Red Group – thus my first steps on the portfolio career path. This move placed me in the world of employee recognition and rewards. My move from a leadership role to an individual contributor meant a substantial pay cut, but it opened up avenues to more meaningful work and a healthier work-life balance, a massive win!
I continued to spread my wings at Reward Gateway, handling local content production, case studies, reports, and developing our local research strategy while sharing insights with the HR community.
I relish variety and am always eager to explore interests and passions. I invest my extra time in volunteering, freelance projects, and other creative pursuits. I established Finding Joy, my creative outlet, and serve as a presenter for Enlighten Education – introducing tools designed to aid students in decoding limiting stereotypes, fostering confidence, and developing media literacy in today's digital landscape.
My days are far from monotonous – I guess you could call it a 'portfolio career'! Although my journey wasn’t planned, looking back, I discern a pattern in the roles I've undertaken, all centered on storytelling, creativity, and engaging the communities I work alongside.
How do you keep multiple roles aligned and manage your time effectively?
Mastering time management is crucial in managing multiple roles. If I don't manage my time, I'm not managing my energy – and that's not a sustainable way to live or work!
I've built systems to protect my time and remain on top of things. Employing various calendars helps me manage distinct work streams and commitments. I maintain a shared family calendar with my spouse, ensuring that everyone's informed about school drop-offs, pick-ups, sports events, and social events – and all the calendars are color-coded!
Employers providing autonomy in regards to work location and hours greatly help me. I can determine which days are ideal for teamwork, which are best for solitary tasks like writing or research, and which days I'm free to enforce my creative projects or focus on my other endeavors. Additionally, I utilize Google Calendar's "Out of Office" feature, which automatically declines meetings if I'm unavailable.
I usually allocate 15–20 minutes on Sundays or at the beginning of the week to review my schedule, assign practical tasks, and prioritize my weekly objectives. This exercise helps me understand the outcomes I strive to achieve by the week's end, identify key tasks, and recognize days requiring high energy or solitude. I find that when I don't allocate focus time, people often assume I'm available whenever my calendar seems free – though this isn't always the case.
Balancing work and motherhood isn't easy, so how do you tackle stress and maintain your wellbeing?
Finding a magic formula for overcoming stress and maintaining overall wellness would be fantastic! Alas, I have a few strategies that have served me well.
Being a mom taught me that I'm replaceable at work, but I don't want to be replaceable at home. I'm conscious about where my energy goes and try to stick to support resources offered by my employer, like monthly coaching and therapeutic sessions.
After consulting a nutritionist, I realized my stress-consumption habit was turning to fast food and unhealthy snacks. Meal planning on Sundays has transformed our family's eating habits for the better and reduced food costs.
Scheduling activities that encourage relaxation and creativity – such as calligraphy or painting – helps me de-stress. I often have an unfinished watercolor piece on my desk or dining table, so I can work on it whenever I feel overwhelmed.
I've carved out time for relaxation and reflection, so it's now an integral part of my daily routine. Creative interventions regularly help me find tranquility during those frazzled moments. I've also become comfortable declining invitations to social gatherings when it's necessary for me to rest and recharge.
Walk us through your morning routine and how it prepares you for a successful day.
My mornings vary; however, the non-negotiables include morning prayer, taking supplements for endometriosis, a quick hug with my kids if I'm at home, a short walk or mini workout if the time and location allow, and listening to a news podcast to stay informed on current events.
Earlier this year, I initiated Morning Pages, a creative exercise introduced by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way. This process involves free writing non-stop for 3 pages, which helps clear my mind and sharpen my focus. I enjoy it so much that I strive to start each day with 5-10 minutes of free-writing.
How do you carve out quality time with your family, and how do you unwind from work mode?
I view any time spent working, whether it's paid or volunteer work, as borrowed from family time. This mindset helps me maintain separation between professional and personal life.
Weekends are considered sacred family time. We enjoy simple pursuits like spending time at home, exploring our neighborhood, visiting the library or park, playing video games, or having an afternoon nap – yes, let's make that a trend!
My husband and I established a nighttime ritual for our kids when they were still babies, which included praying together, expressing gratitude, and reading with them before bed. We've continued this practice as they've grown older. During particularly busy days or when I'm traveling, I call or video chat with my family, engaging in the same nighttime rituals to stay connected.
Over the course of your career, what measures have you taken to support your health and wellness while balancing work and personal life?
Living with endometriosis has taught me the importance of mindfully balancing physical exercise with low-energy days to manage this condition alongside my professional and personal goals.
Flexible and hybrid work arrangements enable me to fit in walks, workouts, or time with my kids whenever it's convenient, whether it's in the mornings or afternoons, or if I need to travel or work late.
My employer offers various wellbeing benefits, such as a monthly coaching session, therapy sessions, and access to online resources and counseling services. I wholeheartedly embrace these perks to maintain my mental and emotional well-being.
Lastly, what game-changing habit or practice has significantly improved your work-life balance?
I've come to understand that rest isn't merely a reward – it's essential. Prioritizing my physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual wellness ensures I'm better equipped to give my time, energy, and talent to the people I care about. This shift in mindset required self-reflection, and it's something I constantly remind myself of. I even created a habit tracker in my journal to help me stay consistent.
The key to taking this mindset shift from an intentional effort to a sustainable lifestyle change has been those around me normalizing self-care and support. Proactive self-care or preventative healthcare can be challenging for many women, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds, so I'm incredibly thankful for my employers who spark open, honest conversations about wellbeing and provide practical support to help us place our health first.
No matter where I'm contributing on a given day, by normalizing support and fostering an environment that encourages health and well-being, I can show up as my best self and do my best work.
- Joy Adan, in her conversation, shared that her initial role was crafting content and fostering communities at Australia's largest youth festival, World Youth Day, which was her first step towards a 'portfolio career'.
- Juggling various roles, Joy found herself moving from a leadership role to an individual contributor in a tech startup spin-off of The Big Red Group, a step that resulted in a substantial pay cut but opened up avenues to more meaningful work and a healthier work-life balance.
- In discussing mental health, Joy revealed that after becoming a parent, she became more mindful of her time and desired to allocate it intentionally, migrating to part-time opportunities that provided more purpose and balance.
- To support her finance and career growth, Joy spent her extra time in volunteering, freelance projects, and other creative pursuits, including establishing Finding Joy, her creative outlet, and serving as a presenter for Enlighten Education.
