Life, 24/7

Does Super Mom even exist?

Dr. Ashly Cothern – dentist by day, mom of four young children by night.

“That question of balance is forever on the table,” Dr. Cothern says. “When I had zero children, my life looked a little different. Now I have four children, and all along the way it changed. When I used to work 4 days a week, it felt unbalanced. Now I see patients typically three days a week.” The reduced schedule helps Dr. Cothern rejuvenate between work days.

Kevin Caskey, Dallas City Center, believes flexible hours are the reason many women are attracted to real estate. “It’s a business they can work around their families and still be successful,” he says, and then adds, “Men do real estate for that reason too. They want flexibility around their family and their other interests and events in their lives.”

Vicki White, whose real estate business has grown even during the lean years, says, “Balance is something I’m still working on. I still take real estate calls seven days a week, and I still do real estate every single day of the year.”

To help ease her work load, two years ago White hired a full-time assistant, Karen Peeler.

“She is making my life bearable,” White says. “If I didn’t have her I couldn’t do this.” The results of having a good assistant has had surprising effects, because together the two women are two times as successful as one. “It’s made my business bigger,” White says. ■