Transitions

on May 10, 2012
in All Posts

It’s the end of an era…

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Today is my last day working as the secretary at the clinic.  It’s bittersweet for me and my emotions are all mixed up. 

 

First, I loved, loved, loved working for the Husband.  Over the last two years, we got to spend an extra 25 – 40 hours a week together… or at least in the same building (depending on whether my mother-in-law was picking up shifts; my father-in-law is the other practitioner).  I also really enjoyed being by his side as his built up his practice and working on marketing strategies together.  And administrative duties really appealed to me.  I like doing office tasks like filing and organizing, and I’m good at answering calls and organizing the Husband’s and my father-in-law’s schedules.  Plus, I could write and do my own work in my downtime.  It really was a win-win-win.

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But, like all great things, it must come to an end.  I’m 33 days away from my due date! It’s time for me to step away and for my sister-in-law to step up – we hired her as the new secretary (we’re an entirely family-run business).  We’ve been splitting the schedule for a few weeks as she learns the ropes, but today is my last official day.  I’m sad but I’m happy.  It means the new chapter is almost upon us.

 

For more –> Six Ways to Have a Healthy Working Relationship with your Spouse

 

Had to get Thai takeout one last time.  I can’t remember what I ordered, but it was good.

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Would you ever want to work with your spouse?  Your family?  Your spouse’s family?!  Who do you think would make a better boss – you or your partner?  We always joked that the Husband gets to be the boss at work, and I get to be the boss the rest of the time. Winking smile

{ 43 comments }

 

  • Michelle May 10, 2012, 1:46 pm

    I worked with my husband when we were dating (he was my boss!), and then we worked for the same company, different divisions recently. I would never do it again. Too much work comes home, too many work discussions happen over dinner, and bosses expect you to be the ever understanding spouse (because you “know the business”) when vacations are cancelled, work days exceed 14 hours, and weekends turn into work days. Or, it could be that transportation is just a hard biz!

  • Xiomara @ Parkesdale May 10, 2012, 1:57 pm

    I currently work with my husband and yes we sometimes bring work discussions home. I still wouldn’t trade knowing that he’s right around the corner all day from me!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat May 10, 2012, 1:59 pm

    Wow, 33 days!!! Time has flown. I’m sure you won’t be bored once the baby comes though. 😉 While there are some family members that I think I could work with, there are some that I certainly could not!

  • Jenny May 10, 2012, 1:59 pm

    I’m currently working side-by-side with my husband. We own our own chiropractic office and I love it! We’re passionate about health and our community and it’s great to be on the same mission each day. Is it a challenging balance, yes!! But it’s worth it to us.

  • Corrie Anne May 10, 2012, 2:00 pm

    I would looooooooove to work with my husband so much. Or at least for us to work from home. Someday!! I guess technically we work for the same company, but in different buildings. At least we can swap stories!! Haha. I’d work with either of our families too, and love it!

  • Morgan @ Life After Bagels May 10, 2012, 2:10 pm

    I loved hearing about you guys working together!

    But once the baby comes I bet you are going to be so busy you’ll be grateful not to have to go to the office 😉

  • Amy May 10, 2012, 2:22 pm

    Jezum! Don’t start a post that way…I thought you were starting to go into labor!!!! LOL

  • Tara May 10, 2012, 2:23 pm

    My hubby and I met at work and continued to work for the same company for a year after we were married…it was great! We worked in the same department, but different areas so we got to ride to work together, hang-out during lunch, and sometimes we would actually work on work projects together. I loved it! I still miss it some days, but now we just appreciate our together time a little more!

  • Mary May 10, 2012, 2:31 pm

    Considering our current jobs and interests I would NOT want to work with my boyfriend. But, if we stumbled on a career path that we both found enjoyable, I don’t see why not. Especially if we were in a situation where we were able to control our own schedules and hours (as our own business). It would be nice to spend more time together.

  • Katie @ Peace Love and Oats May 10, 2012, 2:33 pm

    I hope you have a great last day!

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed May 10, 2012, 2:42 pm

    My boyfriend is thinking about applying at my company… we wouldn’t be working together or right next to each other, but I’ve still had a lot of hesitations about it. But between this post and the positive comments above, maybe I should just relax. And carpooling would be great 🙂

  • Laura @ She Eats Well May 10, 2012, 2:47 pm

    I don’t think I could work with a partner, ha ha. I do think I could work with my Mom since she’s so unorganized…and I’m very organized! Would be great to like, help get her stuff in order!

    I currently, by default, work with someone I used to date. And unfortunately, it’s a very difficult and uncomfortable situation…like having a ghost you see everyday. I wouldn’t recommend it.

  • Kristin @ Stop the Planet...I want to get off May 10, 2012, 2:56 pm

    I always tell my fiance that I would never work with him, unless it was the only job available to me and we really need the money/benefits. I think it would be too much time together and it would mess up his dynamic with his good friends at work, since he would feel obligated to take lunches and breaks with me. I also think we would always talk about work and it may end up in hurt feelings or resentment if one of us got promoted over the other. I like that we each of our own thing. I imagine owning your own business and having it completely family-owned solves a lot of those potential problems though :-p

  • Justine @ Life With Cheeseburgers May 10, 2012, 2:58 pm

    I think my hubby and I would work very well together. We have a lot of the same ideas but he’s very science-minded and I’m more of a creative thinker–a good combination!

  • Ali @SeeAliEatSeeAliRun May 10, 2012, 3:02 pm

    My boyfriend and I work in the same building but separate labs. We communicate frequently about our projects and bounce ideas off each other for experiments and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do now that he just graduated with his PhD and is doing a post-doc somewhere else!
    We met and fell in love working together-I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  • erica May 10, 2012, 3:30 pm

    i work for my parents (family business), and while there are perks, there are also the downfalls of being around eachother TOO MUCH as well. i don’t think i could work for them if i lived with them too. lol.

    i don’t think i’d want to work for/with my husband. he’s a stickler. ;p

  • Jess May 10, 2012, 3:32 pm

    I would never work with my partner! I love him, but we would probably implode. I do teach in the same school that my aunt in law relief teaches in, and that is enough family contact for me!

  • Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) May 10, 2012, 3:34 pm

    I love working with my husband! I have my own thing of, but I still do all his administrative stuff and travel with him when he sells his art. He is my best friend and I enjoy every second with him!

  • Anna May 10, 2012, 3:37 pm

    I’m so impressed with your ability to work at the clinic! I have never worked with family before but I think communication is key!

  • Lindsay May 10, 2012, 3:58 pm

    My husband and I used to work for the same department of the same theme park. We would carpool which was nice for our wallets. The only drawback was that work conversation happened at home, including all the things that frustrated us (work politics). Oddly enough, we moved to a different state where I got a job first. But just last month, he got a job with a differently company… that is on my floor! Because our jobs are less stressful, we really can “leave work at work” and enjoy our off time.

  • Laura May 10, 2012, 3:59 pm

    I work from home full-time (I work for a non-profit consulting firm) and I adore days when my husband works from home instead of going in to the office. It’s not exactly the same as working together since it’s two different companies and types of projects, but it’s nice to pop in to say “hi” and eat lunch together in the middle of the week!

  • Ali May 10, 2012, 4:01 pm

    It was my last official day at work today too! I had a really hard last couple of days with a whole range of emotions. It’s good because I’m moving on to a better job, but I love my coworkers and I’ve been at that job for three years. I thought I would have been skipping out today! Instead, I almost cried! Totally feel for you!

  • Jan May 10, 2012, 4:03 pm

    I met my husband at our old job and i loved workin with him! People think we are weird bc we never tire of being around each other. We have seperate interests that we do on our own but we just prefer to do a lot together 🙂 now i could never ever ever work for my in laws! They drive me crazy no joke almost upon sight. I feel bad and i dont tell my husband but they are crazy hoarding cat people who bicker and constantly lay guilt trips on their kids. I would have no hair and fatally high blood pressure having to be around them at my job! Just the thought alone is enough haha

  • Laura O. May 10, 2012, 4:16 pm

    I’d work with my spouse, not so much his family. If it was his family’s business, then I’d be more inclined to deal with it. I’d just love the (assumed) flexibility that would come along with it, especially if I could make my own hours and not have a major commute. That would rock!

  • Kristin @ wounded fawn May 10, 2012, 4:29 pm

    I would love to work with my boyfriend. That is our ultimate goal. I hadn’t really thought who would be boss though. He is very business oriented and has much more experience in business, but I think I would definitely have to step up and make it as equal as possible. I don’t think either of us is the boss at home either although I have more say over expenses than he does but that is what we have agreed on.

  • Maura @ My Healthy 'Ohana May 10, 2012, 4:43 pm

    It’s so good to hear that you and your husband have a great working relationship! I love secretarial jobs too 🙂 Enjoy your “maternity leave”!

  • Alison May 10, 2012, 5:45 pm

    My husband and I work together and have done so in 3 different jobs for the last 10 years. And, funnily enough, as we make the big transition to moving overseas for teaching positions we’ll both be working in the same school as well. So, for the foreseeable future we’ll be working together still! We absolutely LOVE it, and we would prefer to have it this way. It gives us so much understanding for what the other is going through and we’re a great support for one another. I recognize it wouldn’t work for everyone, but we truly love it.

  • Annette@FitnessPerks May 10, 2012, 6:08 pm

    I love that you guys work together 🙂 My husband and I are pretty close-and we works in close proximity to me (not necessarily right with me), but I get to see him a lot on breaks. I LOVE it!

  • kathy May 10, 2012, 6:23 pm

    i would never ever work with my husband not ever unless it was the only job available. I would have to be crazy to ever work with my inlaws. After been married over 23 years i would be happy to live in another town and only come home on weekends.

  • briana May 10, 2012, 7:04 pm

    From reading your and Kath’s blogs, I’ve found myself secretly wishing the boyfriend and I could work together, especially at our own gig. But, I’m in academia, he’s in finance, and I don’t see us meeting in the middle anywhere anytime soon! His family, NEVER. Mine, most likely not, though I do occasionally collaborate with my dad on particular projects–a much different thing!

  • Lindsay May 10, 2012, 7:56 pm

    I actually DO work with my family. My brother owns his own business and as a favor, I do a number of things such as Accounting and Organization, my mom also helps with advertisement and finally my dad is an investor. I am SOOO proud of my brother and I am glad that I can support him in his adventures!

  • Heather May 10, 2012, 8:12 pm

    My parents have a small business and I worked there growing up. My husband and I have actually worked for the same organization on a number of occasions and it is nice.

  • Nicole May 10, 2012, 8:29 pm

    I get why people still use it, but I just find secretary to be an antiquated and somewhat offensive term! It’s from an era gone by when all women could be were secretaries.

  • Jen May 10, 2012, 8:45 pm

    I worked with my husband for 18 years building a very successful small business. Unfortunately we forgot to take time out for “US” ultimately ending our 23 year marriage with divorce. Always remember to take time for each other away from the business world. It’s so important for a happy/healthy marriage.

  • Laura May 10, 2012, 9:15 pm

    It’s so crazy to see you with a flat tummy again-I’m so used to seeing your pregnant belly!

    • CaitlinHTP May 10, 2012, 9:23 pm

      hahah I KNOW. I feel the SAME way, trust me.

  • Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy May 10, 2012, 11:23 pm

    Today was my last day at work, as well! I chose to quit to move on to something else. It’s a little bittersweet.

    My fiance works for a family business, but I’m not sure that I’d want to work with him, because I like having different things to talk about when we see each other in the evening!

  • Jen May 10, 2012, 11:25 pm

    I don’t think I could work with my hubby full time, only because I don’t like the idea of having all the family financial eggs in one basket, so to speak. He is self employed and does pay me a “salary” (for tax reasons) for the typing/accounting stuff that I’d do for him anyway at home, but I like going off to my own 9-5 every day and coming home with new stories to share. And I just like coming home to see his face! I feel like we’d get tired of each other if we worked/lived together 24/7!

  • Jen May 11, 2012, 1:10 am

    Awww…so bittersweet! Glad to hear that you were able to find a replacement and “keep it in the family,” though. 🙂

    I am getting insanely excited for the baby, especially since I don’t even know you in “real” life! 🙂

  • JenATX May 11, 2012, 8:09 am

    LOL yall are such dorks in these pics, but very cute. i assume he is scolding you in the first pic?

  • Megan May 11, 2012, 1:46 pm

    I can’t imagine working with my husband. He’s a cop. And while being a cop always interested me, I actually wouldn’t be ALLOWED to work WITH him per SOP. The Sheriff’s office wouldn’t want a husband and wife in the same zone or district. Just imagine if the wife was dispatched to a stand-off for instance. The husband would probably be worried about his wife. He wouldn’t be able to to his job effectively.

    If I were to ever cross over to law enforcment (and with the same Sheriff’s Office), they would put be in a totally different district of the county.

  • Amber K May 11, 2012, 2:31 pm

    I think people who have a great relationship and good communication could make it work. I could do it with my husband, but I don’t know so much about other family members… 😉

  • Chelsea May 12, 2012, 8:43 pm

    I work with my boy-friend and I love it! We’ve been together four years and actually met at our place of work. He’s not a boss but a co-worker and it works out perfectly 🙂 We’re both very work focused so when we get to work we focus on the task at hand and little hugs and hi’s here and there haha.

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