Highlights
- Mums' participation in the workforce has increased slightly with 53.4 percent of mothers actively working.
- Balancing family, career, and business is a challenging task.
- Super mum, Eilene Joy Brazil shares how she achieves work-life balance amid her ever hectic lifestyle.
Eilene Joy Brazil is an engineer, entrepreneur, online personal shopper, mother of three kids, and a loving wife.
Ms. Brazil and her family migrated to Perth, Western Australia in the year 2012 with the hope for a better future.
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A woman wearing multiple hats
Ms. Brazil landed a job as a senior instrument and control engineer where she received awards and commendations.
While she admits that it was not easy to work in a male-dominated industry at the start, her fearless and positive attitude kept her going.
"Most of the time I accept the challenge that is being given to me. I tell myself that I can do it."
While working in a very competitive industry, Ms. Brazil also opened up an online business where she sells handbags and shoes. This eventually opened an opportunity for her to become an online shopper for Filipina celebrities like Heart Evangelista and Kathryn Bernardo.
At the height of the pandemic, she also started to venture into franchising. She owns three Kamiseta stores in the Philippines, four potato corner franchises in Perth, and a multi-brand boutique selling proudly Filipino products.
On the side, Ms. Brazil managed to study a few business courses to improve her skills in business management.
How a mum juggles career, business and family Source: Eilene joy Brazil
My husband is my biggest supporter
Ms. Brazil reveals that the person behind her success is her supportive husband.
"My husband who is also an engineer is my biggest supporter and rock. I cannot do what I’m doing without him. "
Ms. Brazil says that she and her husband, Mr. Godfrey Brazil are a perfect tandem.
"We've been married for twelve years and when I'm busy, he fills in what I cannot do for the family. He helps me with raising our children. I can’t survive without him."
While there is no such thing as a perfect family, Ms. Brazil admits that they also go through family challenges specifically in raising their kids.
"We have different opinions in raising the kids but we talk about it and learn from those challenges."
Despite their hectic schedule, they make sure that weekends are spent for the family.
"During the weekend, our priority is family. We take the kids out for brekky, go to the park and go to the church."
Super mum juggles family, business and career Source: Eilene Joy Brazil
Work-life balance
Juggling the demands of family and work can be very tough, but Ms. Brazil says when you get the balance right, it will be easier.
"I think I have mastered time management and multi-tasking. Whatever I can do at this very moment, I do it. If I am not able to do it, I don't stress about it. I just do what I can do."
"Treat every day as if it's your last day. Give your best every day. Do your work properly, be competitive."
"With family, if you love them yesterday, love them more today."
On achieving success
Ms. Brazil shares that her hard work is all for her family that's why she still feels the need to do more.
"I’m not at that level of success yet. I always think I'm just starting. I think it’s a good mindset. If you think that you are just starting or aiming for a goal, it will motivate you to do more. You need to grow every day. Every day is a challenge, every day is an opportunity to grow."
'Love Down Under' is SBS Filipino's podcast series which features love, relationship, and family stories.
