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Stumble It!A Balancing Act: Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins
Samantha: At what point was it hardest to balance your career and your home life?
Jane: The hardest balancing act occurred during my very long, contentious divorce. It was clear to me that I could not bring my troubles to the office and that I had to switch gears from a situation where emotions ran very high. This helped me to become a very even tempered boss. I have counted to 10 more times than you can imagine.
Samantha: What was your support system like as you were going through the toughest part of your balancing act?
Jane: During this time, I had a strong partner who became a father figure to the boys. Jeff Stone influenced them greatly and instilled a sense of morality and maleness. For this I am eternally grateful. (He also naturally filled in for me at times when I was not available both at school and at play.)
Samantha: There is a lot of talk about the "mommy wars" between working and stay at home moms. Did you feel that tension when you were raising your boys?
Jane: I did not let the discussion about "go to work," "stay at home" bother me. I felt I was creating the correct situation for my immediate family. I come from a very traditional extended family, and I was sniped at by some of my uncles, but c'est la vie.
Samantha: Were there any events you missed in your children's life due to work? How did you handle them?
Jane: I tried to do it all. I was Class Mother. I was Soccer Mom. I attended all the Cello concerts, etc. there were a few times when I was out of town on business or just unavailable. (By the way, I always felt guilty when this happened.) But Jeff (and my mother) were great stand-ins when necessary and almost always accompanied me when I did attend.
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