After receiving her master’s degree, Julia Allen landed a job at Accenture and Bank of America as a human resources generalist. While she loved her career, Julia decided to take a six-year break and raise her children from 2003 to 2009. The wife and mother would have never suspected that returning to the workplace after being a stay-at-home mom would be such a task, especially considering her education and experience. With no luck in the job market, she was forced to start from the bottom and take a job at the mall making $7.50 an hour. The experience was humbling, to say the least, as Julia was initially embarrassed to update her LinkedIn profile because of the “unsuccessful” impression.
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With the spirit of a fighter, though, Julia kept up her job search and eventually found work at several banks, including Sun Trust, Wells Fargo and Certus Bank—where she’s still employed as a manager. Just as things were lining back up for Julia, however, she suffered two heart attacks last year. But in the health scare, she unpeeled a new layer to her purpose. Now, the survivor and working mom and wife travels as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, sharing her career and health journey with people all over the country. Read what she had to say to BlackEnterprise.com.
Being able to break from your career to be a more hands-on mom is such a rewarding experience. After struggling to find work, though, do you regret taking that time off to raise your children?
I don’t regret taking the time off. The time I had with my kids through early development years was valuable to me. I cherish it and in no way do I regret my decision. However, I do wish I would have had a mentor to help me understand and navigate the repercussions of breaking from my career for the length of time I did. When I tried to return to work, no one wanted to hire me. In the past I had offers to choose from. This was a new experience for me, and I struggled with feelings of rejection and being cast out.
I applied for hundreds of jobs, only to receive the infamous “You’re overqualifiedâ€; “We’ve hired withinâ€; “We’ve selected another candidate†responses. If I had clearly understood th
at taking that time off meant I would be giving up everything I had worked for, I would have made a more informed decision. Perhaps I would not have taken off six years, or spent more time investing in keeping my skills current through training or volunteerism. Networking is also key during that period. Build and nurture relationships in your industry while breaking from your career.What was the best part of being able to raise your children full-time?
The best part of being able to raise my children was not missing out on the small moments, like sitting in the middle of the floor and coloring pictures, camping out in the backyard, hanging out at the pool all day, pajama day, pancakes for dinner. Being there when they got home from school, seeing the excitement in their eyes, and giving them that big hug—it’s priceless. I didn’t feel rushed through my day. I had the benefit of taking my time doing unplanned activities with them. It gave them a sense of security and comfort in knowing that I would be there. It also gave me focused and intimate time during such foundational years.
How did you overcome the embarrassment of working part-time at jobs that underutilized your skill and experience?
I wouldn’t say I was embarrassed. I would say I was frustrated. I had a master’s degree and over 15 years of experience. I felt like I had let my parents down. They invested a lot of time and money in my education and cultivation. There were a lot of people—my church, younger family members, schoolmates—looking to me to be the example. What I did know is that I had to start somewhere and apply myself until greater opportunities opened up. You dig your heels in and work hard. Keep yourself challenged through educational opportunities. I wanted my career back, so I was willing to do whatever necessary to thrive in the workforce.
Find out how Julia bounced back from two heart attacks on the next page.
What triggered your two heart attacks, and what improvements did you make in your health?
It was a culmination of several factors over time such as family history, poor eating habits,
being overweight, and stress. These factors were not made a personal priority. They were last on my list and everything else took precedence. Since surviving two heart attacks, my family has agreed to make dietary changes, get more rest, and carve time out of our busy schedules to get more exercise. My husband and I have structured our day to day activities to support balance and reduce stress. You have to make very deliberate choices to change a lifestyle, but you’d be surprised that small changes make a big difference. The more consistent you are with the small adjustment, they develop into larger lifestyle changes.How did you discover that being an American Heart Association spokesperson was a part of your purpose?
The dots began to connect. Sometimes doors shut to pivot you into a new direction. We have to learn to embrace new seasons. As I began sharing my story, I saw tears in many eyes and saw that something resonated with them. So many have opened up to me about their similar lifestyle experiences. People are stretching themselves to the limit and ignoring their well-being. We need balance and healthier lifestyles to support living in our purpose.
My story is a wake up call to action. It’s fulfilling to challenge and empower others to take an honest look at their lives and put themselves first, especially busy career women. I’m pleased to share my story so that others can be liberated by using it as a resource for preventative health. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we won’t be our best to take care of others.
You started a campaign called “Take Care of Your Beautiful Self.†Tell us about its mission.
The mission is to empower everyone to see their life worthy of a healthy investment. Women are nurturers by nature and need to put themselves in that equation. Give yourself permission to treat you well—without the guilt. Career Moms, if your house isn’t perfect or you miss one out of 10 kid events, it’s really okay. We have one body and a beautiful privilege to be good stewards over it so that purpose can be fulfilled.
What can women who are juggling career and family do to reduce stress and put their wellness first?
As obvious as it may seem, take the journey to discover whether you love and value yourself. Our choices are simply a reflection of that. Affirm your greatness by making a decision to treat your mind, body and soul well.
Plan. Think through how you’re going to execute and make your demanding lifestyle a healthy one. Work your busyness around the core priority of health, not the opposite.
Make deliberate quality time alone. Figure out what you enjoy that helps you relax, defuse, focus and release tension. Don’t stress the small stuff and quickly let go of things that don’t matter in the end.
Don’t skip the regular check ups. Be in tuned with your body. Don’t put off tests and screenings, and follow through on the advice given.