One of our missions with the Best of Both Worlds podcast is to show how real women manage work and life. People thrive in all sorts of careers, and Sarah and I particularly enjoy sharing the stories of women in more unconventional fields.
Today we’re delighted to bring you Lauren Kuratko as a guest. Lauren is an Episcopal priest in suburban New York, and is a mom of three. In this episode she shares how she chose her career, and what being a religious leader looks like in terms of a weekly schedule. The hours can be unpredictable (of course) but she also has some flexibility in how she meets the needs of her congregation. She shares how she decides where to spend her time, and some of the strategies she’s come up with to make time for fun and adventures.
Please give the interview a listen! In the Q&A, Sarah and I share our thoughts on personality tests. We both have an “if it’s helpful” attitude toward them, though Sarah notes that she has surrounded herself with INTJs like me (what is your “type”?).
Our Patreon community is thriving and has welcomed a lot of new members over the last month. We post multiple discussion threads per week, and some get as many as 80 comments. It’s a great social media alternative for those looking to connect with other women combining work and life. Membership is $9/month – more information here.
I found your interview with Lauren Kuratko very interesting! I am a pastor’s wife and it’s definitely not 9-5. I also have an INTJ husband-did not know it was rare! Love your work!
@Kim – thank you! Definitely not a 9-5 job but meaningful for sure.
Very interesting episode! I am a pastor and it was really nice to hear someone on this podcast with a similar job. The split shift is something that works for me too. And also during both my pregnancies the congregation was just happy for me. Maternity leave was not something negative. And of course, what is 2 times 4 months absence during a decades long career.
As of personality types: I really struggle with planning and structure and building habits, so that’s why I keep on listening and reading. Thank you for all the inspiration!
@Annemieke – glad you liked the episode! Yes, the split shift does seem to work for this sort of work – pastors have a lot of evening commitments but they could probably manage late afternoons off.