By: Liliana Remus

Founder and General Director

REMUS & ASSOCIATES CONSULTANTS

Having a fulfilled professional life, leaving a good impact, besides being a full commitment parent and spouse, and a spiritual person should be something achievable for everyone. I have seen too many people sacrifice

a part of themselves thinking is impossible to have it all. There is a moment when we think we have to decide one or another, especially being a woman. I faced that moment some years ago…

I was raised in a family that taught me to work hard and take all the opportunities to build my future. I was encouraged to study as much, and as many useful skills as possible. Following that path, I have studied all my life and worked hard since I was 16 years old. I have enjoyed all the different aspects of life. It has been challenging, but it has been possible.

I studied psychologist dreaming of working in a charity foundation, giving therapy, teaching, and doing social research. When I finished college, I look for a job in many associations, but no one hired me. Instead of that, I had a job offer in a company. I accepted thinking it was going to be a short time, but I ended working there for 13 years. Even when my plans were so different, I found that everywhere there are many opportunities to contribute to the world. I worked in the Training and Total Quality department, so I could organize scholarships, many different kinds of development programs, integrations events, continual improvement processes, recognition programs, and many other interesting things.

I loved my job, so I absorbed myself in it. I became an executive when I was very young. It was exciting, very challenging, and full of learning. There were a lot of great experiences, and also some very difficult ones. I faced a strong mobbing situation, which was hard and painful, but with the time, I became stronger. For several years, I was completely focused on developing and learning, and I deeply enjoyed it. In 2004 I suffered an accident that led me to be in bed for a few months. During those months in bed, I continued working. That time made me realize that working from home was an excellent option and could allow me to fill several roles at the same time.

When I became 35 years old, I was traveling for business around 50% of my time, and if I wanted to keep growing professionally, I had to change my residence. I had a few years married, and I wanted to become a mother. Besides, my father had passed away, so my mom was alone and depressed. My career was very important for me, but also being a present mother, supporting my husband ́s career, and taking care of my mother. Keep traveling at that rate and changing my residence did not seem to fit. I looked at many options, but I did not find what I needed, so I decided to create it. I ceased working in a multinational company and started my consultant firm. Stopping having my monthly salary, benefits and the support of a big company was scary, but the vision of the future, and my husband ́s support, gave me the strength to do it.

The decision of what type of company to create was clear. An experience that had marked my life in my youth was during camping trips, invited by University Pastoral. The breeze at my face, the music, the sunsets, the challenges, the creativity, and lateral thinking… learning through experience, was my passion. Since I was 17, I became a teacher to small children. From that on, facilitating learning and development had always been part of my life: I gave group therapy and workshops to elderly ladies, I have taught at high school, college, master’s degree, and Ph.D. Also with abandoned kids, in remote towns as a missionary, and many others scenarios. All my professional life has been about education and development, and I truly believe that is the best way I can contribute to the world. So, starting a company of experiential learning, boosting the well-being, the effectiveness, and the success of people and organizations, was the thing to do.

So finally, in December 2006, Remus & Associates Consultants was born since the beginning, very important companies had trusted in us, as Continental Corporation, HP, Intel, Siemens, etc. As I had already discovered before, I was successful working from home whenever I was not in front of a group. In the beginning, I was executing a big percentage of the processes, so I kept traveling as before. Eventually, my dream of becoming a mother came true. So I decided I wanted to be most of the time with my baby. I kept working very hard, designing, creating, organizing, but I decreased the programs I delivered personally, by inviting consultants that I have already worked with before. Going backstage to conduct the orchestra was an excellent decision; it not only allowed me to be a fully present mother and enjoy all the development of my baby, but it was also great for my company. That year, it grew in a very interesting way. I kept that path, and in few years, we were already 50 consultants, working with more than 300 companies, in all of Mexico and other countries. I was always there for my daughter. It was not easy, but home office allowed me to do it. My daughter always has seen me in virtual meetings, working on my laptop, in conferences, but always there for her. Frequently I was working outside of the ballet classes, or in a corner of a children’s party, or an excursion.

My husband and I have shared different responsibilities; his active paternity, his presence in our daughter ́s life, and the help of my mother have been key ingredients to running a successful company. It has been very demanding, it has required all my physical and mental focus, and often a lot of effort, but it has allowed me not to give up any of the most important areas of my life. Now, besides my husband and mother, the help of my daughter is important. I have learned so much from her. Instead of or a burden, they are a great support.

How has my company grown?

I have never kept the knowledge to myself. I have shared all that I know with my team. I have invited very talented people whom I respect very much, and together we have created a group of continuous growth and learning. We are always truly and deeply interested in helping our customers to be better, more effective, and more successful.

We have already 15 years of learning, growing, and success. There has been a lot of great times, and of course, some very difficult ones. Many things had worked very well and others I would have liked to do differently. But at the end, I have had the opportunity to do what I dreamed of: teaching, therapy processes, research (I am author and co-author of some books) and collaborating in different ways with different not profit institutions.

In summary, 9 ingredients has been key to our growth:

•  TALENT AND PASSION: Doing what we love, what we believe in, and what we are good at.
•  EFFORT: Trying to give our best; not being afraid of commit- ment. There is always something in our control and it is impor- tant to find it and use that power.
•  LEARNING: Keep learning always, from every person, every si- tuation, and every mistake. We are never fully done.
•  SELF AWARENESS: Recognize our strengths, weaknesses, emotions, motivations, fears, and mistakes.
•  ENJOY: Focus on enjoying every step of the way. Observe all the good things and celebrate even little achievements.
•  TRUST: In our self, in others, and in life.
•  KINDNESS: Trying to be good with ourselves, with others, and with the environment.
•  CREATE: If it does not exist, we create it. We had made things happen, by using our lateral thinking and remembering where there is a will, there is a way. Never giving up… even when it has been hard.
•  RESILIENCE: Becoming stronger while facing difficulties and challenges.

And at the center of everything, there is synergy … the help of God, my family, my team, and my friends, all of it has been fundamental. Wi- thout them, I don’t think none of this would have happened.

So, having a fulfilled professional life, besides being a full commitment parent and spouse, and a spiritual person, requires a big effort but is possible, and for sure, it is worth it. If we don’t find the opportunities, let’s create them, for us and for others!.