Celebrating Motherhood and Work-Life Balance: A Conversation with Nadia Potgiesser from QWIC

Celebrating Motherhood and Work-Life Balance: A Conversation with Nadia Potgiesser from QWIC

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Today, we’d like to take the opportunity to celebrate the hardworking and dedicated mothers who also happen to be a part of the QWIC team. We sat down with Nadia Potgiesser to chat about her role at QWIC and how she balances work and motherhood. 

 

Hi Nadia! Would you like to introduce yourself?   

I am 34 and have been working at QWIC for about a year and a half now. I work in Customer Service as an Inside Sales Agent. I live in Diemen Noord and have a 4-year-old daughter named Jackie.  

What is your job title and what do you do at QWIC?   

I work in Customer Service. I mainly take care of arranging all things for RDW (all administrative matters for our QWIC bicycles). I also make sure that all refurbished bikes are entered into the system with the correct documentation. I do the same for our speed pedelecs, which are registered in the customers’ names. This is an extra service we provide for our dealers because not all dealers are specialised in this and/or have time for it. 

How does a typical working day at QWIC look like for you?   

As a mom, it takes some organising skills to keep up with my schedule. My daughter is almost 4 and goes to daycare for 2 days. She has to be there at 9 a.m. but my workday starts at quarter to 9. Fortunately, my team coordinator is very flexible and supportive.   

At Customer Service we always start with a daily kickoff, which I always follow while taking my child to daycare. During the daily kickoff we basically discuss the most important topics for the day.    

After cycling to the office, I often start by finishing up pending cases and then go into the phone line for two hours. After lunch, I take care of pending matters again before going back into the phone line. I really appreciate that my workday is divided into four blocks, this ensures variety, I am not exclusively on the phone and also have enough time to focus on the cases. 

Around quarter past 5 I finish work, depending on the workload. There is a very pleasant and open-minded working atmosphere in our company and I really appreciate how that is reflected in the work pressure. 

After work I return home to pick Jackie up, go grocery shopping and make dinner. Very often Jackie is already taken home, we usually get her at around 1 to 3 pm. I also sometimes pick her up around these times and then make sure I can work from home during the afternoon.
I arranged this with my team coordinator, which is great because it allows me to be there for my daughter and be able to work.   

How do you balance work with motherhood?   

Sometimes it is difficult to balance, but often it can be done. Recently, we had a King’s Day event at QWIC and I really wanted to be there too, so I took my daughter with me.   

How do you handle working at home and working in the office? 

I like being surrounded by people. Working at home is nice at times because you can be with your child. I also like to work in the office so you can focus on work and not get distracted. There are pros and cons for both.  

How do you feel about motherhood?   

At first, I found it quite difficult! I am a work-a-holic and like to work a lot. When you have a child you spend a lot more time at home, I had to get used to that. So, I was very happy when I was able to combine both. After a while you get your own life back and you add a new life, how beautiful is that! 

In what way is your daughter similar to you?   

She looks more like her father in appearance, in character she does resemble both of us, but may have some more traits of me. She is sensitive and always tries to help others. She is also very good at naming emotions, which makes me happy to see. I always try to pass on things from my own parenting to her.   

What would you like to pass on to your daughter? 

Above all, freedom. I try to teach her that everything is allowed, and everything is possible. She can say anything and have her own opinion. If she wants to travel around the world later, she should do so! Everything she wants, she can learn through trial and error, and she will learn from that. And if things go wrong, of course, she can come to us for help. 

What tips do you have for working moms?  

It is crucial to pursue work that you genuinely enjoy because motherhood already demands a lot from you. In addition to being a mother, it is important to find a work environment where you feel comfortable, as it contributes to maintaining a healthy balance. When work becomes stressful, it can be incredibly challenging. Naturally, when you return home, you already bear the responsibility of caring for a child and completing various tasks, making your work an outlet for you. 

 

To all the mothers out there, we want to thank you for all the hard work and dedication you put into your families and careers. Happy Mother’s Day!