My name is Chrissie. Most know me as Christine.

I have two wonderful sons, a supportive husband, and two cats (one mischievous/one sweet as pie).

I was born and raised in Ohio, but now reside in Delaware.

I have worked since I was able to muck stalls in exchange for riding lessons. I’d say “old enough”, but the labor laws are a little gray.

After college I started my career as a Structural Engineer. I am a licensed P.E. with my MS degree, as well as my MBA. A masters degree while building your career? Hard. A masters degree while raising kids and building a career? Even harder. Emphasis on that “supportive husband” I previously mentioned.

In 2013, my first son was born. I took 12 weeks of maternity leave and returned to work, surprised to learn how hard it would be. Leaving your heart behind, missing him every day, and being exhausted when we were together. We pushed through and made it work.

In 2014 I accepted my first formal leadership role. Already a year into motherhood, I was scared but determined to make it work. It was hard to imagine more on my plate, but I wanted to have a chance to carve a path for the parents who would come after me.

In 2017 my second son was born. Again, another 12 weeks of maternity leave then back to it. This time, I had a baby who didn’t love sleep. I still managed to push through, and received a promotion in the process. At work, I owe it to my team. At home, I owe it to my husband, my Mom and my Sister, the later two traveling miles to come watch the kids in a pinch. Any proper structural engineer knows the importance of a strong foundation, and my family and my team has always been mine.

By 2019, though, I had burned the candle from both ends and a few spots in the middle. I was so focused on my family, my career, and everything in between I ignored myself. As I sat in my annual exam with my midwife who delivered my second son, she asked me “How are you filling your own cup?” I said the usual Mom things; time with my kids, being recognized for a good job at work, time with my husband… but she reminded me “Those are for them, not for you. What about YOU?”

I broke down in tears and sobbed “I don’t even know!” I couldn’t tell her what I did for myself that brought me joy.

That is also around the time my body started to find ways to tell me I needed to make time for me. I found OrangeTheory and started taking classes 3-5 times a week (that was painful at first). I learned more about nutrition, and paid attention to what made me feel like a kangaroo and what made me feel like a sloth. I learned that filling my own cup did NOT take away from my ability to pour into others, it enhanced it.

Then 2020 came, and well, we all remember that year. My dream of being able to be with my kids all day, every day, suddenly came true. My entire team was sent home to work remotely and I had to learn how to lead them in this new format, but I also had to do that with a 3 and a 6 year old boy in my house. My husband, a professional pilot, was “grounded” at the time and took on full Dad duty. I realized I was privileged to have that kind of support as I connected with co-workers over video calls and heard them share stories of trading work hours with spouses to manage the kids throughout the day. That is when I had a chance to found a mentor circle for parents, my small way of supporting them. That is when I listened, really listened, and learned that we had a chance to redefine what work life balance looked like for all of us.

That is when I found my voice.