I’m excited to share that I’m back at work after taking three months off for health reasons.
The past year has been a whirlwind for me. Repeated unexpected challenges threw my life off course. I am very much a part of the overly squeezed sandwich generation; responsibility for teenage children, aging parents and a challenging career are competing for my time on a continually stretched to do list.
I then personally had a number of health issues in the second half of last year which was effectively the last straw, and led to me needing to take some time off work.
This was a hard decision to make and I hadn’t even thought that taking time away from Fry & Brown would be possible. In my legal recruitment career spanning over 20 years, I’ve never needed or really wanted to take time out before so neither did it feel comfortable. As we are a boutique recruitment firm, centered around just 2 directors, Tracy Brown and myself; we are very much the two faces of the business. The pull of ongoing professional responsibilities felt strong and facing sudden health issues wasn’t easy, in fact it was daunting! I found myself needing to prioritise personal well-being and moving away from work as it was necessary. So, with Tracy’s full support, I decided to step back from the business for 3 months.
During my time off, I had the space to focus on my health, and reassess and prioritise the most important things in life. It has given me the chance to reflect on the importance of work-life balance and self-care, and I’m more committed than ever to encouraging a healthy, supportive work environment for everyone I partner with. I have realised that you never know what is round the corner, and that good health is by far the most important thing that can never be taken for granted. It is also crucial for professional success and fulfilment; everything else rests upon it.
I am now more grateful than ever for key relationships both in my professional and personal life. One of the most important of these is my partnership with Tracy Brown. When we founded Fry & Brown seven years ago, we wanted to build on our complementary strengths as specialist legal recruiters to the financial services sector and to provide a personal approach that can only come from a smaller firm. I’m confident that we have succeeded in that and I’m more enthused than ever to continue building our successful but small business in 2025. I’m incredibly grateful to Tracy for holding the fort and keeping the Fry & Brown flag flying.
This time away has given me a fresh perspective and renewed energy, and I’m now eager to dive back into helping financial services companies find the best talent and supporting lawyers in their career journeys.
I’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch with any tips you have for maintaining a healthy work-life balance or share your own experiences with taking time off for health reasons.
I’m currently catching up with lots of our clients, so please send me a message if you would like to arrange a coffee or call to discuss attracting and retaining talent in your team, or your own career path.
Feb 2025
