SUPERMOM

BY LIESEL SCHMIDT

As someone who has worked in the commercial real estate industry for 18 years in various capacities, Heather Peoples knows the ins and outs of the industry intimately—a strength she most recently brought to the role of Development Coordinator at Hix Snedeker Companies in Daphne. “Working with property owners, brokers, land developers, city officials, third party vendors - architects, civil engineers, environmental engineers, and others to entitle and permit approved sites for development and construction are all part of this role,” explains Peoples. She volunteers with Hire Heroes USA and served on the

Community Impact Committee at HSC. Recently, she was awarded the 2022 Karl Landreneau CCIM Scholarship by the Louisiana CCIM Chapter to assist in her pursuit of the CCIM designation.

“I do a lot of research and coordination. Communication is huge, and attention to detail is a must to make sure we maintain our intricate timelines, and everything is in order for us to close on the property. Then we ensure we have all necessary permits in hand so that the construction team can get to work, meet deadlines and turn a store over to the customer on time.”

As high pressure as her work is, being a mother comes with its own pressures, but Peoples loves going home to the two children who call her mom. “Being a working mom can be challenging, but I feel like it enriches my children’s lives by them seeing me then and now,” says the 39-year-old, who shares parenting duties with her husband, Jeremy, an active-duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard. “They are seeing that truly doing something because you enjoy it and being able to walk away from it when the workday is done matters. They also see that it’s important to find something you excel at and enjoy doing, so you can really live out the cliché and never work a day."

“My most recent role, prior to Hix Snedeker, became draining on me—I was finding it hard to spend my days, sometimes long days of answering to ‘Heather can you help me,’ and then having anything left to give to my family after work,” she continues. “I struggle with being a perfectionist. Being in a position where it was my job to specifically help others and to try to solve the problems they were experiencing was a huge burden that I struggled to leave at the office when the workday was done. Being remote and working from home made it hard to step away and blurred the lines for when the day truly ended. While I had the flexibility so that I could come and go as I needed with two young kids in school and multiple activities, and still work full time and part time, I was burning the candle at both ends—never sleeping, always stressed, becoming the true definition of hot mess. In December of 2020, I came to terms with the realization that I was not healthy, and my priorities were not in order. The way I thought, the way I parented, the way I worked-everything was wrong. I realized that learning to focus on myself first and practicing self-care is really important.”

As her kids grow up, Peoples hopes that the example she set for them teaches them a few things that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

“I want them to remember that I’m human, that they’re human, and that each day we’re all just trying to make it,” she says. “Also, that it’s so important to have compassion for others and give 100 percent in everything they do. If they do that, they’ll be just fine.”

Knowing and connecting with her kids is important to Peoples, so she’s established an evening ritual with them to help keep that connection strong.

“In the evening, I make a conscious effort to ask each of the kids how their day was,” she says. “Not just a passing ‘How was school?’ I want to know what they did, how they felt, did they learn anything? Struggle with anything? It helps us have open communication.”

Naturally, raising children has taught Peoples a few things, as well. “From babies, I learned that my kids are both individuals, each with a mind of their own,” she says. “Each processes things differently and enjoys different things. And even though they are independent little creatures, they are not grown yet. They still need me—I’m the oxygen to their fire.”

Heatherpeoples

Eastern Shore Republican Women welcomed members, elected officials, and guests to Provision to celebrate the holidays. Checks were presented to the Mental Health, Drug, and Veterans Courts for Baldwin County as part of the Caring for America Program. The event featured live music, door prizes, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and a special appearance by Santa.