Finding Fulfillment: Jess’s Path to a Balanced Life
This blog is the final piece in our three-part series spotlighting each guest speaker from our “Female Leaders in Retail & Consumer Goods: Stories of Success, Failure, and Strategies to Bounce Back” event. Each offers unique insights into their inspiring journeys and learned perspectives on leadership. Catch up on the first two blogs of the series:
“Insights from Alana Bennett on Career and Values Alignment.”
“Insights from Angeline Achariya on Reframing Failure and Authenticity.”
Jessica Low, General Manager at Jo Mercer, shared her journey of rediscovering her professional identity. She opened up about the challenges of balancing parenthood, adapting to lifestyle changes, and managing the pressures that come with it all. She offered relatable insights for anyone seeking a more balanced and fulfilling career, through stepping away from a high-pressure career to design a life that truly works for her.
Career Trajectory and the Strain of Balancing Parenthood and Career
Jessica’s career path has been a whirlwind of high achievements, fast pace, and pivotal reassessments. Looking back on her early days, she shared: “All I know is to do high turnovers, have amazing teams, make a huge impact… but that’s not me anymore.”
Acknowledging the weight of her ambition, Jess realised that her professional identity had become unsustainable and needed to be redefined. She sought roles that aligned with her shifting values and lifestyle, especially after becoming a mother to three kids. While this realisation was challenging, it became essential to build a life that truly worked for her.
Sally King, COO at Sharp & Carter, echoed this idea in her blog, “Insights from Sally King on Navigating Your Career”. Sally identifies how life happens, plans change, and priorities shift. Both Sally and Jess’ stories remind us that success isn’t a fixed destination; it grows and transforms alongside our circumstances.
Parenthood was a turning point for Jess, fundamentally reshaping her career decisions. She described a wake-up moment:
“I started minute counting… I’d get up at 6:00am, get to work at 7:30am… and only see my son for about 45 minutes to an hour.”
This stark realisation spurred her to pursue roles that offered the flexibility she craved. Jess didn’t want to be the mum who missed her baby’s first steps or her daughter’s school concert. She needed a career that allowed her to be present for her family:
"I needed a job that let me drop my kids off in the morning and still achieve what I needed to."
After holding various roles in the retail sector, Jess found her fit as General Manager at Jo Mercer. This position has given her the flexibility to balance her family commitments while allowing her to achieve success on her own terms.
Resilience During Career Breaks
As parenthood brought new challenges and lifestyle changes, 2022 marked a significant year for Jess. With three children to care for, including her youngest Mabel, who was not yet one, Jess returned to the workforce, taking on a demanding global learning and development role with Lovisa.
Eventually, balancing the intense pressures of her job and life as a mother of three became overwhelming. A pivotal moment came during a 3am work conference call with the team in South America when Jess realised the role wasn’t the right fit. This epiphany led to a courageous decision to step back and take a career break:
"What was meant to be a short three-to-six-month break turned into four years... it really shook my confidence," Jess shared.
Though the journey was emotionally taxing, the time away gave her the space to recalibrate her goals and values. With the support of mentorship and career coaching, Jess rebuilt her confidence, highlighting the transformative power of a strong support network during life's transitions.
Jess’ Playbook: Tips for Work-Life Integration
Jess’s busy life runs smoothly thanks to her detailed approach to balancing career and family. Her tools for staying organised and grounded include:
Advice For Navigating Challenging Times
When life throws curveballs, it is impossible to give 100% to every area. Jess emphasised that trying to be “everything to everyone” is not only unsustainable but can also detract from what truly matters.
Jess outlined a compassionate framework for coping and working through these inevitable life hurdles:
Accept Imperfection:
Jess underlined the importance of acknowledging life as a balancing act, not a pursuit of perfection.
Once you understand that “You’ll never be 100% at anything in your life...” you will find peace in focusing your energy on the areas that need it the most.
"I have to take from some of these areas and spend it where I’m needed most, whether it’s work, family, or friends." – Jessica Low
Letting Go of Guilt:
Rather than striving for an unattainable ideal, Jess learned to let go of guilt when she couldn’t meet every demand perfectly.
"Just saying it is enough for me to then go, OK, that's done. I don’t need to pretend anymore."
This approach helps Jess navigate life’s challenges with grace and focus on what really matters.
What Truly “Fills Her Cup” :
Jessica’s experience as a female leader is one of transformation, resilience, and authenticity. Her experiences remind us that leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about staying true to your values and adapting to life’s ever-changing demands. As she so poignantly put it:
“I just wanted to be around people, inspire them, and help them.”’
Stay Connected:
As we wrap up our mini-blog series, we hope you have gained some tangible advice and tips from our brilliant guest speakers.
As we enter 2025, it is crucial to keep your well-being and happiness at home and in the workplace top of mind to ensure that you feel fulfilled and balanced—a key message throughout the series' blogs.
Visit the Sharp & Carter Retail & Consumer Goods landing page to connect with our expert consultants and learn how we can support your career or business in this sector. With significant growth across HR, Retail, Business Support, and Supply Chain at a national level, we are well-equipped to assist with all roles within the Retail and Consumer Goods industry.
#sharpandcarter #womeninleadership #careergrowth
