Ever heard of calendar jenga? We can assure you, it’s a thing. In our latest episode of the #wholedamnpie, wife, mom of four, and owner of G6 Retail Renovation, Sheree Gibson gives Amalia a lesson in doing it all. Listen in for tips on motherhood, careers, and having the whole damn pie.
Wife, mom of four, and owner of G6 Retail Renovation — wow does Sheree give Amalia a lesson in doing it all. Sheree has become a master at playing calendar jenga, managing work, being a mom, and volunteer projects (among other things we’re too exhausted to list). Amalia and Sheree touch on the expectation that moms are the superheroes in the home while also juggling their own careers. Listen in for Sheree’s tips on motherhood, work, and having the whole damn pie.
If you enjoy listening, be sure to follow us so you're the first to know when we add new episodes. While you're there, please leave us a review — we’d really appreciate it.
Sheree: [00:00:00] Even to this day, you know, David was, when things started to get really, when I started working very early, I was like, all right, you're in charge of the kids in the morning, but I still found myself like prepping. It could have gotten done, but as he would say, but not to Sheree standards.
Amalia: That's Sheree Gibson. She's the owner of G6 Retail Renovation and works with local companies like Bloom Coffee Company, Bright Spot Design, and Hello Robin, and was previously the Director of Operations at Cafe Ladro in Seattle, Washington. She's also a wife and a mother of four. And as households everywhere have always known, when it comes time to make sure everything inside and outside of the home is running smoothly, it's better to go straight to the boss. Mom.
Sheree: So, there was a lot of that he made these efforts, but at the same time I feel like I was still prepping, cause I just, that's my role, right? Like, I'm mommy, like, okay, but mommy, daddy's gonna forget. Can you please? And I was getting all the permission slips, like I'm the only one who knows how to sign a name. Or knows our insurance carrier. Oh my God. The permissions. We get those at night. Like you're, you walked by dad and came to me. Yeah. What's that?
Amalia: Yeah, I know.
Sheree: I would be like, you know, horizontal, in bed.
Amalia: I can definitely relate to Sheree’s experience, since I'm also a mom. There's this complicated mix of emotions when discussing our careers in motherhood, because we want to be moms. This is the life path we've chosen. And it's really validating to be asked by our children in the middle of the night to sign a forgotten permission slip. But the other side of the coin is that women are expected to be superheroes in the home. It's exhausting to always be the only one asked.
I'm Amalia Martino. And this episode goes out to all the moms who just want a damn break. That's why I started this podcast. It's a place where we can speak frankly about getting what you want and more out of life because we all deserve more than just a slice.
Welcome to the whole damn pie.. Cherie started parenting at a young age.
Sheree: [00:02:15] but I did have my oldest at age 19 and my second at 21 and my third at 24. Yeah, 24. And then I had Madison when I was 26.
Amalia: Okay, so let's back up a minute because we're both moms. And mine is 19.
Sheree: I mean, we're both young moms. So, I also felt like my entire, I remember, especially when Isabel was little, I had to prove myself because moms would look at me like, Wow, you have your hands full.
I was like, yeah. Okay. Um, [00:03:00] so I, I always felt like I had to prove to myself that I was a responsible mom, that they could allow their child to come over to my house, you know, and play and it was going to be safe. I wasn't going to, you know, Like, I, I always felt like that was, they just kind of looked at us, not only that and being, you know, a brown person in a very predominantly white area.
Like, it's, you know, I felt like I had to double prove that, uh, I was responsible. I don't know. It was, and I didn't think about that really. The how much effort I was putting into that, but now that I'm older and wiser, I definitely am like, yeah, I tried really hard. I tried really hard to make others feel have confidence in me. It's fucked up.
Amalia: But it's, it's the reality. And I think you and I've had a lot of conversations about that, or just, yeah, some different cultural communication styles, and expectation of our children and other children. [00:04:02] Okay, so let's pivot. You work as a Director of Operations now. What is the job of a Chief Operating Officer?
Sheree: Essentially, managing all of the operations. So, retail operations, down to, you know, the back end administrative, building systems to help. ensure the bottom line is there. I kind of feel like as an operations person, it's where my brain sits best because I'm constantly thinking of the next thing and how to improve. And you know, I'm a big numbers person, but I'm also a big people person. So, I feel like it's the best of both worlds
Amalia: But when your kids were smaller, what did you do?
Sheree: I stayed home with the kids to get them to school and everything. And then, you know, then we had Surprise Maddie. So, I was definitely staying home for a few more years. So yeah, I, and I just, I love being a mom. [00:05:00] So, it was just like, okay, how, you know, I was always, like, ripping apart cabinets and trying to, like, organize something, trying to make a better operation flow in my house.
Amalia: And you have a home based business too.
Sheree: David was working with his brother. We started G6 Renovation. So in 2006, we sort of started deciding. We moved north and decided, all right, we need to build a customer base here. So, he kind of went back and forth and then 2012, he really bit the bullet and was like, all right, this is, we're doing this and we're going to be official. So yeah, we built that business and my piece of it was organizing. So I would go into homes and rip apart cabinets and I had a blog for a lot of years just talking about organization and food prep and. I did whatever I could to support him and help advertise him and you know let people know. Yeah, so I was kind of just the big support and utility player. I was just there to help whenever I could.
Amalia: [00:06:00] I ask that because I know. The amount of work that you put in for that. And I know David's very good at what he does. He's done work at my house. But I also know, like, the amount of late nights, QuickBooks, promotion, client management, scheduling things. And I think we do this a lot as women, as there's a lot of shit going on behind the scenes. And it's sometimes we don't give ourselves all that credit.
Okay, so you mentioned when your kids were younger that you really kind of threw yourself into being a mom. And I think when I met you, you were the school mom for like the school musical
Sheree:. I'm just gonna say this. And my kids know this, but not very many people do, but I actually hate musicals. But my Yeah, she would, yeah, she would be like, what, how could you? But, but she loved them, and I loved the joy it brought to them. So, they needed a producer. [00:06:59] Producer is basically the ops person behind the scenes. And I took it on. I was like, let's do this. I did that for four years. So and then when I started working for Cafe Ladro, I continued to do the play.
Amalia: I mean, you were balancing the demands of four children, which I can't even imagine. I have one. And, that impacted kind of like your career choices while they were younger, and it sounds like your career choice when they were younger was Supermom.
Sheree: Yeah, I, you know, gosh, David's gonna kill me if I say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. We had, in 2010, we had these family photos done, and it was a photographer coming out, so we're springing money. Right? Like money that we didn't necessarily have, but we got to capture the memories. And we had this conversation about like, Oh man, you know, sure you got to work. And you know, you can't just be a volunteer of America. That's not a real job. And I remember looking at him like.. [00:08:00] And now we had to go take these family photos. And smile and, and smile and love each other and, you know, for the memories and but he has not yet lived that down. I will always remember when you said that I was a comment to America. But it was, it was one of those things where it was like, that's what, that, that comment, it was pivotal because it's like, that's what built the resume. I mean, I. When Madison was in first grade, I was like, you know, I want to make some coffee. Just want to do something while she's at school. And so, I was like, I'm going to go, I'm going to apply at Cafe Ladro. Like, I'm just going to be a barista. So, I started as a barista at Cafe Ladro and I just wanted some fun.
I mean, I was like cash tips. I was like, yes, I got secret coffee money. I got target money and [00:09:00] I realized their director of operations was leaving I was at a soccer practice and Bob Oley who is the CFO and partner of Café Ladro was like, you thinking about applying? I was like, no. He's like, you should!
I was like Alright, so I applied and got the job, but I was like, and the volunteers, all the volunteer things I did have built me for this. I set an alarm for about 3:45, but I don't get out of bed till about 4, and I go, I try to be at work by 5pm or 5:30pm. So that was kind of the way that I worked, even as always as director of operations. I wanted to be in the office. There was a time that I used to come in the office at five. But I, I really liked those hours because I could get a lot done. Before people came into the office, before stores were fully opened and, you know, people were working bar shifts, so I didn't really get pinged until like mid-morning. So, I got like five hours of work done. And then I would work till [00:10:00] I had to pick my kids up. So, Café Ladro offered a lot of flexibility with that. And so I was able to pick up my kids from Madrona at you know, I was in the school parking lot at 3:30pm and have social hours with whomever wanted to sit in the car with me while I picked my kids up.
And then yeah, we would grab a snack and then we would head to play practice and I would manage that until whenever I come home, cook dinner and, you know, work on the play stuff and catch up on work emails. And I would generally go to bed about, I don't know, after cleaning up and all of that, I would, it was probably like eight and then I would catch up on emails.
So from like eight to 10:30pm and then I would. Yeah, I'd probably be asleep about 11:30pm, 12pm after I showered. And then just and then do it all over again.
Amalia: What do they always say? If you need something done, ask a mom. Right?
Sheree: But, that's interesting because what I heard you say was that there was a [00:11:00] time when money was tight and David was like, you need to get a job because all of this stuff that you're volunteering isn't actually providing income, which doesn't mean it's not valuable.
Amalia: Yeah.
Sheree: That's not how I felt in the moment, but yes, the reality was, I wanted to be a mom forever. I was like, how dare you ask me to go to work? He's like, not now, but like, you know, when the kids go to school and I was like, I have so much napping time to catch up on and like real housewives to catch up on. How dare you put me in this position? But that set you up for the next opportunity, which is how life kind of works, right?
Amalia: So now you have, you're making coffee, you apply for director of operations, you get operations. How old are your kids at this point?
Sheree: Isabel was, gosh, so she was 13. So then that means, yeah, trickle down.
Amalia: So now there's a new dynamic of not just balancing volunteer opportunities, [00:12:00] which I'm sure you quit. All of them at this point, right, Sheree?
Sheree: I quit none of them. I was still producing a play. I was still managing chess club. I was still managing the soccer teams. I was just managing three soccer teams at that time. It was fine.
Amalia: Okay, so maybe a little bit overwhelmed? Did you feel it, or did you just feel like this is what I'm supposed to do as a mom?
Sheree: I really felt like this is what I'm supposed to do as me. I didn't know how to function without those pieces, and I wasn't willing to give them up.
So if anyone's listening and would like to volunteer, you can contact me. And I'm not managing any soccer teams. David kicked me out of managing. There's only one child that he coaches now, so. But yeah, no, just mostly work.
Amalia: I feel like there's one thing that we don't talk about enough as moms, which is like, [00:13:00] The 40 year old plus mom, right? Like, the young mom juggling all these things. The schedule that you're talking about is one thing. And it's a real thing. And it's been my own experience that like, you go head first, deep into it, and then you like, you like pick your head up like 10 years later, and you're like, oh. Once your kids kind of get some independence, right?
So once they get their driver's license, it's the best thing ever. Because for me, it meant not, well, spending, I don't know how many hours in the car, driving from school to practice to practice. Because like you, I was working, operating a business from my house. So I could have the flexibility of picking up after school and taking to wherever, but that meant a lot of work, emails, meetings, like, in my car, [00:14:00] while kids, while I'm waiting for school to let out, or, like, trying to, like, play that Jenga with your calendar of, like, can I get from here to there by this time with traffic so I could be ready for this call and not be a crazy person? I mean, I don't want to make any broad, general statements, but I feel like that is a woman thing. I don't see a lot of men doing this dance. That epiphany was made to me when I read Pete Carroll, who's the coach of the Seattle Seahawks book called Win Forever. And there's a chapter in there about like all of his career bump arounds, right from like just out of junior college or whatever to today.
And there's a point where he talks about like, you know, but I did all this, and, but my wife did all of this with me, and was the one responsible for, like, changing the kids school and getting the doctor's appointment, and then I [00:15:00] was like, must be fucking great to have a wife, like, I want one of those, like, can somebody do all that thing for me, well, so I can focus on building this business? So one of the things that we talk about a lot here is, is pivoting and part of like the whole damn pie, my experience has been making space for new things. So, you know, taking those volunteer things off your plate to make room for something else
Sheree:. I think I definitely think of Ross. And he's asking everyone to pivot.
Amalia: Pivot!
Sheree: Yeah, I use the word often with a retail store. I was like, the great things that you guys are going to learn, adaptability and how to pivot.
Amalia: What are some of your pivots? Like, maybe pivots that have impacted your career or your life as a mom. Something that maybe was intentional or reactionary that you didn't even have control of.
Sheree: My daughter, her first year of college, she was diagnosed with bacterial [00:16:00] meningitis. Just out of the blue, I left Cafe Ladro. I was working for Seattle Coffee Works. And, celebrating a year there, and I get a call that she's in the hospital. And I end up in Spokane for a stupid amount of time in the middle of winter.
It's like February. And we didn't get back till the end of March. So I found myself, like, in this weird time where my, you know, my employers were kind of like but what does this timeline look like? And I was like, I don't know. I, I don't know, and, um, I need the time to be with her and I actually left Seattle Coffeeworks so that I could take care of her. So that was a pivot in my career and as a mom, and I was kind of left with like, shoot, what do I want to do? Like, I was director of operations at Seattle Coffeeworks and was diving into coffee, took my QCreator course and did all these things [00:17:00] and I was like, Oh, man, this sucks. Like, I was just kind of hitting that high point in that, being with the company, but obviously kids come first, so, there was no way that I was going to be able to leave her because she was, she had a PICC line, so she needed intravenous antibiotics, and then all the complications that come with this, and working with infectious disease doctors, like, there was no way that I could have done all of that.
So, yeah, we just had to pivot as a family, and we had to pivot the career, and I had to leave and I was very fortunate to pick right back up at Café Ladro. And now pivoting again, I'm in this weird stage where I have two kids in college and I have a son who's a junior and he's getting ready to go to college and I think it's a little time for me and what Sheree wants and I think Sheree wants to drink champagne in a different state. So anyway, so here we are, the next pivot.
Amalia: Alright, what about advice for moms with older kids? As you're like, [00:18:00] entering into this space.
Sheree: Letting go and just trying to be there for them and listening. You know, I think, and sometimes I just forget that I don't need to like, shell out the advice all the time. I just need to listen. And my sweet daughter, Isabelle, has taught me that. “Mommy, I just need you to listen. I don't need you to fix it.” I was like I was like, okay, so I'm done listening. Do I get to say how I feel now? Can I share my opinion? And she's like, no, goodbye. Love you. So letting, trusting the process. Knowing that you've put all you can into your kids and letting them go, and I mean, I'm a little biased, but I do think the little baby adults I have are pretty phenomenal.
Amalia: They are phenomenal.
Sheree: And they are just, yeah, I'm proud of them. They're doing great.
Amalia: What about taking care of yourself? How do you take care of yourself through this journey of working momism?
Sheree: [00:19:00] I think the best thing I ever did for myself was the friends that I've had for 20 plus years and those relationships mean a lot to me. And, you know, I think just building those relationships and doing things with my friends is really fun for me. I love our monthly brunches, and I'm so glad that it holds us having a calendar appointment, holds us accountable.
Amalia: Okay, Sheree, my last question for you is what does having the whole damn pie mean to you?
Sheree: I think it's really rare in life that you get to sit back and just be joyful and that would be the definition for me. And I think just work, doing what I want, watching these kids grow. Like, that's joyful. Like, it's fun.
Amalia: Talking with Sheree, it really resonated with me that relationships are so important in life because you just don't know, like you can have the best laid plans. [00:20:00] You can have a five year plan, a 10 year plan. You can have your life plotted out to, I don't know, the month, but you really don't know where life is going to take you and what opportunity leads to another, you know, where you say yes to one thing, and it might end up changing your whole life. You say no to something else and that might be the best choice for you. But that's what the whole damn pie is about. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to know your whole life plan. You just have to actively show up, work on being joyful, and the rest will come.