When Chad Olds (he/him) joined Anchore in February 2020 as VP of Sales-Americas, his goal was to build a collaborative, high-performing sales organization. The first year was filled with many unexpected challenges, most notably a global pandemic. This led him through an action-packed year beginning as a “team of one” and ending with an incredibly talented team of Account Executives, Solution Engineers, and Sales Development Representatives.
When the pandemic hit, Chad learned quickly how much work is involved with raising three children and being present as a parent while balancing a demanding career. It completely changed the expectations and needs in his household.
“What I learned, even before the pandemic, is that taking care of the kids is a lot of work, and it is absolutely unfair for me to think that my wife, Brittany, who owns a small business, should be expected to take on full parent duties 24/7.”
Chad knew how important it was to participate and share in the demands required in caretaking, and finding a way to balance the ownership and responsibility was a priority.
With a career in sales spanning 15 years, Chad’s focus was aligning himself with a company that understood the importance of finding an effective balance between work and life. At Anchore he found a sense of trust in managing personal schedules that flex with an individual's needs. It’s not always possible to predict needs or delegate work to others at a start-up, but he knew that with proper planning and prioritization, he had the support to make it happen.
“I changed my work schedule to help take on more of the morning responsibilities for our family. Things like help make breakfast, get the kids dressed and hair brushed. Essentially help them get ready to start the school day, which, for any parents out there, can attest that this alone can be a day’s work!”
Chad realized that even with the adjustment of helping with the morning routine, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to support his wife in having more time to herself. “I started blocking time during the week to spend time with my kids while Brittany was able to take the time she needed to stay balanced and healthy. It was fantastic for both of us! One of the things I appreciate about Anchore is that I don’t feel the need to hide spending time with my family. It’s something that our leadership team fully supports.”
Being able to show up at work and contribute at the highest level involves having a life outside of work - whatever that may look like to each person. Chad believes that burnout can happen quickly, especially at a start-up where the workload is vast, and the pressure is high.
“I want my team to really know their friends and family. I want them to enjoy what they do every day. It’s about working smart, and prioritizing early and often to ensure you’re able to get done what you need to get done, while also being able to show up in other areas of your life fully, without distraction. It is incredibly meaningful for me to not only give that support to my team in achieving what is most important to them, but to receive that level of support from my leadership as well.”
You can keep up with Chad and his series Colds Unfair Advantage on LinkedIn.
