It's working for Gabby C
New York, NY
2 children
"I have fun with my kids. I have fun at work, I try and bring the joy wherever I go. Life should be fun.”
A Soul Cycle VP and Mom of Two Knows How to Be Present Wherever She Is
Gabby Etrog Cohen knows what it means to be a busy person.
“It’s not about I’m so busy, I’m a mom of two and I work. It’s about prioritizing things in a different way, you are much more efficient. When I am getting my eyebrows waxed, I am grocery shopping on my phone.”
The mother of two and VP for Public Relations and Brand Strategy at Soul Cycle has a demanding schedule yet still makes time to be with her kids. “When I am home, I really try to be home. I put my phone down. When I’m at work, unless it’s an emergency, I’m not checking in with my kids or dealing with home stuff, I’m really focused where I am and present.”
Gabby admits,“It’s a challenge sometimes and it doesn’t always happen,” but overall she’s found a way to balance her time between the work that she loves and the people that she loves.
She was working at Soul Cycle when pregnant with her daughter, and decided to take six weeks maternity leave. “It was more my choice than theirs,” Gabby explains. “In retrospect, I should have taken more time. I was anxious to get back to work, at the time work felt like doing something for myself. My brain felt like it slowed just being a mom. For me. I never want to say that in general. For me I missed the edge of being at work. Now that my kids are older, it’s easier. At the time, infants aren’t doing that much. it feels like a very one-sided relationship.”
She also took six weeks maternity leave with her son. “But when I was home with my second one, I spent a lot of time with my first. I wanted to make sure she felt good and wasn’t pushed to the side. It was about making sure that she was happy. It meant to a lot to her, as opposed to my son who didn’t notice as much.”
Her advice to other moms: listen to your body. “Literally, listen to your mind and physical body and don’t push yourself. It’s always hard: being at home is hard, being at work is hard. Find the best in between that you can. Don’t judge yourself. Just be. It’s okay. Your decision is okay and try not to let other people’s opinion of what you are doing ever affect you.”
Gabby feels fortunate to work for a brand she feels supports her working-parent lifestyle. “Our brand is so experiential and the product is incredible, and I am so connected to that experience. I can get on that bike and work out my anxieties.” She encourages other busy moms to make time for themselves during the day, whenever possible.
“Just do the very best you can,” she says. “And have fun. I have fun with my kids. I have fun at work, I try and bring the joy wherever I go. Life should be fun.”