ANISSA: Some joys for me: most importantly, it’s being present for my children-- for their milestones, events, and whatever is happening in their lives. The challenges come with balancing my career with my family and my husband. I’ve developed tools to help manage that. I prioritize showing up for my family and checking in with my spouse throughout the day, despite our busy schedules. At the end of the day, what remains is that my family is my main priority. I look at the bigger picture, even taking on these events and taking on these clients; that’s why I choose how many clients I want to take. I don’t have to take every client that comes through here because I want to be present during these times. I’ve seen it in a professional realm where I’ve had some vendor colleagues who rethought their careers because now their kids are growing and they missed so much. I make it a point to be present. I really, really, really do feel like that’s what I pride myself on because I don’t get those moments back. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTING STYLE? ANISSA: I lean more into traditional values. We have rules, we have manners, respect for others, and [self-respect]. As a family, we do attend church together; that’s very important in our home. I strive to create a safe space for my kids to be healthy and great humans, and not have to be stressed and overwhelmed with day-to-day happenings at home. We do make mistakes, but [my motto is] how we learn and how we recover. If I’m not here, my husband and I have instilled enough in them that they could lean on themselves to navigate life. I want them to have the best quality of life. WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS OF YOURS DO YOU SEE IN YOUR CHILDREN? ANISSA: For my daughter, [she’s] nurturing. She’s so good with kids. Every time she’s around kids–especially little kids–they gravitate toward her. I call her the baby whisperer, because she’s always holding someone’s baby, and they’re going to sleep in her arms. That’s how I was as a child. I loved to be around kids and babies. My son is a little bit like me because I find him to be a little bit more outgoing. He is like a little social butterfly. He is that part of me, just because that’s who I am. Even though I have introverted qualities, I’m in an area where [if] you drop me in with a bunch of people, I’m usually very outgoing, and it’s easy
to talk to people. So I see that in him. Both of them, overall, I would say are compassionate and caring individuals. They’re always thinking about other people. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE? ANISSA: At some point, you have to turn it (work) off. I do use the “Do Not Disturb” feature. I find that really helps with that work/life balance. It separates being at work and being home. When I’m home, I really try to be home, unless I have deadlines coming up, or things that I have to do that there’s no way around it. I give that credit to my husband because when I first started event planning, it was in the office at home-- I never shut it off. Ever. He brought it to my attention, and now, when I find myself at home, I’m home ; I don’t want to do any work. Before, I used to be in front of my computer all the time. Or, I would always have a phone in my hand or something like that. Like I’ve mentioned earlier, my family, my friends, and my clients respect my evenings. I have a jam-packed day; I’m pulled in all kinds of directions. So, I let people know that early on. I just really want to be present. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER PARENTS? ANISSA: There is no rulebook for parenting. The biggest thing is that our children watch everything that we do. So I try to model my behavior, so that they see what I do. Most importantly, cherish the moments that you have, don’t rush through the process, and just be present. Because time goes so fast, and that’s what it has taught me with this 17-year- old. I think, “ Girl , I was just taking you home from the hospital!” Quick Q’s Guilty Pleasure …....... French fries Favorite Date Night …............... Spa day and dining out at our favorite restaurants Favorite girls night out …..... A nice, quiet dinner or trip Something that makes me laug h.....… My family-- they are always full of adventure Something I’m looking forward to ...… All of my children’s future milestones and the day they become parents themselves
NOLAFAMILY.COM | SEPTEMBER 2024 15
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