“I want to be able to be a really great mom, but also not have to give up my career in order to do that. And I think Hudl’s a really great place that supports me in that journey.”
Being a parent while working full time is the situation for many of our employees, at all levels of our organization. VP of Product Michelle Henry knows all about that arena, and has experience and advice to share. First up? Be present.
“A lot of people talk about work-life balance. I don't really believe in that. I really believe in presence. So when you're with your kids, be present; and when you're at work, be present. Because if you don't, you're just going to be 50% at both of those. And that becomes really stressful.
“What's nice about Hudl is I feel like I can do that.”
Watch Henry’s full interview below to learn more about her journey at Hudl, the product team at Hudl and how she juggles parenthood and a successful career.
You're going to hear ‘no’ a lot, and it doesn't sound like ‘no,’ it's going to sound like ‘you don't have enough experience’ or ‘you're not strategic enough’ or ‘I need you to think bigger.’ And you have to be able to get through those roadblocks.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Representation matters.” And Henry can confirm it’s true.
“As you're coming up and you're early in your career, being able to see someone like you in a leadership position is really helpful. It gives you something to look forward to.”
Having those examples to follow can make you better prepared to blaze your own trail. But being ready to take the next career step doesn’t mean it’s not nerve-wracking. Especially when, like Henry did, you have changes happening in your personal life too.
“I felt like I was on a really good path to become a product director. But I knew that this big life event was coming, and I really wanted to lean into that and be a mom for the first time, but obviously just worried about the effect it would have on my career.
“And I remember John Wirtz, who's our co-founder and chief product officer, kind of sat me down and was like, ‘What do you want to do when you come back from maternity leave?’ Because obviously I was leaving for three months. And I was really nervous heading into that conversation.
“He's like, ‘I wanted to ask you about this other opportunity that we have, which is becoming a Product Director of Capture and Watch,’ and being able to have that conversation before going out on maternity leave just made it so much easier. So I became a product director before leaving.
“It was pretty incredible.”
Through a lot of changes, including leaving Hudl in 2019 and coming back to Hudl in 2021, Henry has learned what sets Hudl’s product team apart.
“We have a lot of autonomy here, so we set really big, lofty goals across the business and really rely on our team to help us understand the best way to get there. [...] That's how we set up our product team.”
And then, of course, there’s the swag.
“We have really good swag, [...] you know, nice Lululemon jacket, some good Nike dry fits. It really feels like you're part of a sports team.”
We’re hiring. Visit hudl.com/jobs to see our open positions.
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