Q2 Professional Updates

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This 2nd quarter has been expectedly different from normal. The middle month of Q2 (May) was my due date for son #4, which means the first month of the quarter was the stressful lead up to labor (April) and the final month of the quarter (June) had the sleep-deprived weeks of life with a newborn. With these unmovable realities of my quarter, I knew this season would be different.

As a big fan of the Lazy Genius, I decided to heed her advice to ‘live in your season’. This meant having reasonable expectations and celebrating small wins. It also meant simply saying no at times. Regardless, I still set out to achieve something. I find work very fulfilling, so it is not hard to motivate myself to make progress even in the face such a huge change. Light work actually makes me feel more balanced in the chaos of parenting small children. In past seasons of having a new baby, the newborn months were made better by a little work on interesting projects with flexible deadlines (and no need to present myself in person). While I do not think all people should try (or be expected) to make progress professionally while on maternity leave (I do understand the argument against that!), this is just who I am. The older I get, the more comfortable I am with acknowledging who I am and what makes me happy.  A little work helps me thrive in times of change.

With that said, this post-baby season ended up my hardest. It included not only a newborn and post-birth recovery but also a struggling toddler who responded to the change by boycotting sleep and two school age kids with an intense end of school to-do list of baseball practices, field trips, school activities, summer camp prep, playdates, birthday parties, and the overall ramp up of summer energy. Needless to say, my list of achievements is very modest.

But even small achievements add up to something. With low expectations, stuff still happened that kept me connected to my professional dreams. I am sharing them, no matter how small, to stay motivated for the third and fourth quarter of the year. Anyone else staring down a season where they need to have low (but not zero) expectations, I hope reading this helps. Some seasons of life are just monsters. But we do not need to completely sideline our dreams. We can instead aim for small, achievable progress. We can be proud of what does happen and content with what doesn’t. Happiness can come from appropriate expectations and kindness to the ebbs and flows of life. That is the mantra I've reminded myself of often this quarter.

Full hands these days.

What I did manage in Q2 (April, May, June) 2025:

​1. Wrapped up work projects in my Advancement Director role in anticipation of maternity leave. It was tough to figure out where and when to step away in the month leading up to leave. This is my first maternity leave where I'm not a PhD student or professor with clear breaks at the end of terms. Preparing to leave for three months was different (re: more difficult) this time around. Luckily, I have a very competent team. I did what I could but walked away confident they could handle what I could not wrap up in time. 

At my office, preparing for maternity leave

2. Discussed/agreed to start teaching again. This quarter I discussed teaching opportunities with three institutions: Eastern Oregon University, University at Buffalo, and St. Lawrence (the former two for virtual classes). Turns out I miss teaching (more than I anticipated) so I was glad to be asked to jump back in.  I did say no to new course preps, only agreeing to classes I’ve taught before. This was a kindness to future me. Updating a class is much more doable than creating a brand-new one.

 3. Said goodbye to a long-term contract with Educational Testing Services. In April ETS very suddenly terminated all contracts with outside guest lecturers (like me). I suspect the types of projects we did are doable with AI now, or else they could not stop people from submitting AI-generated content, which they could create themselves.  What was surprising was the speed at which the contracts were cut. I signed my annual contract in January, submitted a project proposal and outline by the end of March and had it accepted. By early April, I received notice that my contract was cancelled, effective immediately. They graciously paid me for my incomplete project, but I now no longer have this option as a means of freelance work. This ends five years of working with them. This was not particularly crushing, I didn't do a ton of projects with them. But its noteworthy. Freelance and consulting work is unpredictable. A consulting contract will be terminated much more quickly than a full-time position will be eliminated. This is my first experience with this truth but unlikely my last. 

 4. Had a debriefing on my bid for a state contract. In Q1 I shared how I met my 2025 goal of writing a bid for state work. I had an interview but was unsuccessful at landing the contract (which was unsurprising). They offered the chance to receive feedback in a debriefing which I jumped at. The only option was a call one week after labor. I managed to get my ragged self onto that Zoom call and it was WELL worth it. The feedback was specific and insightful. I know my proposal was not very strong this first time around but now I know why. Writing the proposal was a great learning experience but the feedback is what made it a huge step forward in the possibility of landing state work in the future. Notably, I learned I scored the highest (of all applicants) in cost. I scored so high because I was the LOWEST bid in terms of my price. Knowing where to price is hard, knowing where I compare to others is helpful.
 
 5, Drafted a new microcourse for Ralph Wilson Park. Using the template from "5 Birds to Find this Winter," I created "5 Days in History at the Park." We have not launched it yet but I am looking forward to doing so, hopefully soon!

 6. Finalized 2 pieces for Ralph Wilson Park. These were all started in Q1 in anticipation of maternity leave, so work in Q2 was light - editing, approving, and sharing. This was doable while waiting for labor/sleep-deprived.  The first article, A Legacy of Trees, and the second, An Investment for Buffalo’s Kids, highlight the heritage-building happening at the new 100-acre park on Lake Erie.

Image from my article "An Investment in Buffalo's Kids", a review of the new park's features for kids (like these awesome heritage-inspired playspaces)

7. Wrote about my coming decade. Spent a peaceful birthday afternoon at a coffeeshop thinking through my coming decade (I am not there yet) and sharing what I want to achieve in it. I find immense value in reflecting on the past and dreaming about the future through writing. Rather than stressed about the coming milestone, this makes me feel excited about what's to come.  I think I can achieve many of my personal and professional goals in this new decade (which will NOT feature any maternity leaves)!

Writing set-up for my birthday reflection.

8. Did a little research on new directions. I would like to try out some new work under my consulting LLC and am interesting is some professional development opportunities I discovered this quarter. This type of speculative research, often done on my phone while nursing, made me excited for the future.

9. Said No. I also consider it an achievement that I said no to several opportunities this quarter. It was hard. I love saying yes, so this was an honest-to-God challenge and achievement. 

Well, that’s all. This quarter was filled with many personal wins as well: my oldest kids finishing kindergarten and second grade, my toddler (slowly) accepting his new role (NOT youngest), and my baby sleeping more and more at night. I was able to spend time with family and friends who visited us to meet our newborn. I planned our annual end-of-school adventure (this year to Old Forge), keeping our tradition going even though this year proved difficult. I have lost much (but not all) of the baby weight. I have enjoyed many spring walks and joined a CSA.

Of course, there were plenty of failures too. Days I wish I did better, moments when my sleep-deprivation or stress got the best of me. I did not always parent well, eat well, feel well, or put my best self forward. Some days, I was downright my worst self. Adjusting to life with 4 kids is certainly a challenge and some days are without a doubt better than others. All said, I survived the quarter and made a little progress I am proud of.  I continue to dream of what I can do when my energy returns and my family has adjusted to life with our cute new addition. I am wholeheartedly looking forward to Q3 and all the possibility a new quarter and season can bring.  ​

Sending everyone love and wishes for a successful 3rd quarter,
Katie