the stars aligned to meet
There are moments in life when the stars align and someone you instantly connect with crosses your path.
I picked up the phone one spring day and the voice on the other end of the receiver sprang alive. Gabriela Proctor’s Spanish accent sang-sung along full of enthusiasm as we talked very, very fast about job sharing. We had shared experiences of how much we depended on and enjoyed working with our partners. Not only that, but we discussed how we learned from and were better because of our job share partners. And finally, we commiserated about why more industries didn’t utilize job sharing since every job share we knew was a top performer.
The last thing Gaby said to me was, “I support you completely, whatever you need.”
Months later we would finally meet face-to-face, and I would meet her partner Gabriela Mercado. Their interview was scheduled for my birthday. Once I found out Gaby P’s birthday happened to be the day before, it felt meant to be.
I support you completely, whatever you need.
The week before our interview, I received an email signed “GX2” from the job share team; it was then I knew the duo rocked the job share and business world. You see, job share’s take it as a sign of success when stakeholders consider them interchangeable. As a result, many go by a combined name to make it easy to see them this way.
In fact, GX2 say they love telling clients, “There is always a Gaby there,” ready to create marketing solutions and take their businesses to the next level.
considerations & how gx2 executed their job share plan
GX2 knew there were Univision job sharers in other markets but they weren’t sure quite how to make it happen. In addition, they worked through several preliminary concerns they had about job sharing. First, how would their co-workers, clients, and managers feel? Second, the breadwinners considered how would job sharing affect their income. Third, the pair were friends at work and outside of work. Though they felt they could work together successfully, they did worry it might impact their friendship.
According to Proctor, “Our lives needed to be more balanced, Mercado had just had her second baby and I was pregnant with my third when we realized it was time. We had talked about it for years, but never had the right moment to jump into it.”
“Our lives needed to be more balanced…We had talked about it for years, but never had the right moment to jump into it.”
the superteam’s success path
In order to job share, they each had to give up 40% of their list which meant 40% of their income, in order to work three days a week with one shared day.
It was a big decision, but the two had 3 key elements to success:
- Personality traits needed as committed, high performers who trusted one another,
- The right job share partner, one compatible with complementary skill sets, and
- A supportive manager in Andy Olivera who believed in the job share leaders.
Olivera says of his experience of working with GX2, “These ladies are the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
The two quickly made up the lost income and more. Not only are the senior marketing professionals top producers, but they motivate one another in their personal lives. After they each had their last child, they even started running and now run triathlons together!
Olivera says of working with GX2, “These ladies are the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
GX2 have job shared for years together and in their words, “plan to job share forever.”
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This interview is part of a series from sales and marketing job share leaders Gabriela Proctor & Gabriela Mercado.
Musings written by Gabriela Proctor & Gabriela Mercado:
- We’re BFFs But You Don’t Have to Be: How to Find Your Job Share Partner
- 8 Ways to Conquer Your Fear of Asking to Job Share
- 7 Ways to Teach Stakeholders to Work with Your Job Share
Melissa Nicholson job shared for nearly a decade and is the Founder & CEO of Work Muse. Work Muse drives the adoption of job sharing in business as a source of competitive advantage while helping individuals find work-life balance. Join the #JobshareRevolution here.