Relationship Manager Jessica Campbell on International Women’s Day

International Women’s day is a chance to celebrate women’s achievements. The question is how do we define what an achievement is? To me, this isn’t limited to having a successful career or any specific ideal of what a successful woman should be, but it means celebrating all the ways that everyday women contribute to the world we live in and the lives of the people around them. It’s about celebrating women from all walks of life, those who are running a successful business, or climbing the corporate ladder, those working two jobs to provide for their family, those who are caretakers for friends/family, those who take a back seat to let their partners thrive or beat the odds to follow a dream… all women can be strong, successful and inspiring in their own individual ways.

I am proud that I have managed to still excel in my career and juggle a young family. I began my career in Real Estate when I was just 18 years old and have had to work very hard and grow a thick skin in order to get to where I am today. I have been thrilled to continue finding new avenues to grow and learn in an industry that I love. As a self-confessed goal junkie, it is not the awards that I have won over the years that give me my greatest sense of achievement, but it’s the small wins, ticking things off and getting tasks done every day.

After having my two children I had another goal in mind- to be the best mother possible. My own mother has been a huge influence in my life and an incredible role model, as a young single mother her hard work and sacrifice put me through private school! There is a saying that “Women need to work like we don’t have children, and parent like we don’t have a job”- this is a perception that we need to change as it puts a lot of pressure on women in both our work and personal lives. I think we can start by putting less pressure on ourselves and what I have found to be really helpful is having honest conversations with the people around us, especially our employers.

I have been blessed with employers who have been incredibly flexible and supportive allowing me to do my best at work and at home. FEC also has a great selection of incredibly talented and motivating women both career-wise and personally; Lauren Sheldon our National Sales and Marketing Manager who is so driven in absolutely everything she does and Minny who stands her ground in a very male-dominated department as a project manager.