Client Service Manager

Work from home Momma part 2: School begins

Kassy Hunt — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:47:21 +0000

So I just dropped my son off at Kindergarten. After 5 and 2/3 years working with him by my side almost every day, now I am here in the quiet.

It is surreal.

Before his existence was known, I knew I wanted to avoid sending him to daycare. I wanted him to grow up more like I did, with a stay-at-home mom. In today’s world, that is a rarity if not downright impossible for many. Even I could not do it without being a working mother. One of the primary reasons I joined MainStreet was because I could work from home and give him something resembling my upbringing.

The first few years were actually the easiest, the years where you can put the baby down and they stay where you put them. Frequent naps helped a lot (both for him and for me).

He was my little secret at work. Very few clients knew my son was at my side while we were on the phone.

Then the pandemic came and changed almost everything. My job did not change at all during the pandemic, but everyone else’s did.

Suddenly, a lot of people were working from home with their kids right next to them. James did not need to be a secret anymore. I loved that. People got it when I said, “Hold on a sec, my son is destroying something, I need to check on that.”

After a time, most people’s lives went back to “normal” but I kept working with James by my side.

It got harder the older he got. I did not anticipate that as much as I should have.

The mom guilt was heavy. James wanted me to play with him all the time and the words “Can you play with me yet?” are very hard to hear all day.

He is my world and I am a very large part of his. Balancing his needs and my job was super stressful.

But you know what?

I would not change it.

I did it. I achieved my goal of avoiding daycare and giving him the best preschool years I could.

Through a pandemic, a divorce, and a move, I did it. I did not do it perfectly, but perfect parenting is a pipe dream anyway.

Today my office manager went off to school for the first time. I cried a lot. Thankfully I could hold it in until I got outside, and he could not see.

I know this is the best thing and the right thing at this time in our lives. I will be able to work while he is in school and give him more attention when he is home because my work will be mostly done.

I can’t help but mourn the loss of my little baby as he grows into the kid he is and will be. But that’s what happens with kids. They never stop growing and I have loved and will continue to love every version of this tiny human I helped create.

I am also very proud of myself for doing it. 5 and 2/3 years went by so fast and slow at the same time. That chapter has closed, and now we open the next chapter.

I gotta say though, it is too quiet here without the office manager….

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Work from home Momma

Kassy Hunt — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:57:42 +0000

Like many folks, I have been working at home with my son.

Unlike many folks, I specifically chose this. When I first came to MainStreet, I was trying to have a baby. The ability to work from home was a huge draw for me. The cost of daycare is outrageous and almost makes working pointless, so I figured I could keep working and take care of the baby while I worked.

Turns out to be one of the best and hardest choices I ever made. My son is sitting next to me and he’s now almost 4 years old. Many of you look forward to the pictures of him I include in my emails and I often refer to him as my office manager.

When he first arrived and I went back to work, I felt like he was a dirty secret. I would worry so much if he made noise while I was in a meeting or on the phone.

Fast forward to “The Covid Years.”

Just about everyone has had to work from home now, and those with kids are now in the same boat I am. For me, that has been awesome. James is not a secret now. Most parents have been in my shoes and I can talk about him or say “Can I call you back in a minute? The office manager needs a diaper change.” The fact that having him home was my plan all along makes this plague easier on me and him. No closing daycare, no scramble if he gets a cold – just things as normal.

It is not all a bed of roses, but I am allowed to talk about it now and share my experiences and not feel alone in this challenge.

I was reading an article about this the other day, and it resonated with me. There was little information on this topic in “the before times.”

It talked about how very hard it is to literally do 2 jobs at the same time. It’s hard enough to be a mom or an employee, but both at once can be brutal.

Just recently I was on the phone with a client for about 40 minutes. As Murphy tells us, things would not go smoothly. During the call, James was very distraught (toddler life is hard), I missed a call I was supposed to have with another client, and I got an urgent work message that one of my coworker’s kids had a fever and she needed to go get him.

It was awful, but we survived.

I tell you though, the mom guilt is so hard. Trying to balance my responsibilities is hard. Being a good employee is hard. Being asked to play while my inbox is full and my to-do list is a mile long breaks my heart.

I would not change a thing.

I spend every day with my favorite human. I try to remember to ask myself, what will I care about in 20 years? The email I answered late? The phone call I missed? Or my little guy saying “Play with me, mommy!”

Spoiler alert, it’s my son. He is only going to be 3 years, 10 months, and 11 days old once.

While my job is important, I can do it after he goes to bed, or at nap time. This is not brain surgery, most times, things can wait.

My advice? Cut yourself some slack, prioritize, build in the playtime, find a routine that works for you and try to stick to it, while giving yourself permission to break it when it is important.

Set strong boundaries with your job like not opening your laptop after quitting time if the kid is still up or being non-negotiable about phone calls or meetings during lunchtime. Set aside time for you and your kid(s) every day so you can at least say “in 20 minutes, I can help you build the car track.”

Forgive yourself, listen to your heart, breath, and don’t forget to eat.

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Team Member Spotlight – Cynthia Flannigan, CFP®

Kassy Hunt — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:24:13 +0000

Meet our employee spotlight of the month: Cynthia Flannigan!

Cynthia is part of the financial planning team here at Mainstreet, and we’re so lucky to have her!

See her full bio here

A few fun facts about Cynthia:

Favorite book or movie?
I love the book and movie “A Room with a View.” This is one of the Merchant Ivory movies based off of an E.M. Forster book. It played at the movie theater I worked at in high school, so there are parts of the movie I’ve probably seen 100’s of times. I’m drawn to pretty much any Edwardian period drama, especially if someone is brooding.

Tell us about your family:
I have one older sister, one younger sister, and a younger brother, and used to feel very much the middle child I am! Of course, I also have my dad. We’ve become so much closer after my mom died, and I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to get to know him better now. My family tends to be the inspiration for a lot of my articles on the website, especially lately. So many wonderful and sometimes not-so-wonderful things are happening, and I’ll always have my family’s unwavering support.

What is one item on your bucket list?
I’ve always wanted to go see the big heads (moai) on Easter Island. After seeing Stonehenge and Ardgroom in Ireland, I got on a monolith kick.

Cynthia brings tremendous knowledge to the MainStreet team in the areas of pre-retirement and retirement.

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Team Member Spotlight – Kassy Hunt

Kassy Hunt — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 17:32:52 +0000

Kassy Hunt joined the MainStreet Financial Planning team in April of 2016.

Kassy brings over 20 years of client service experience. She began waiting tables at 16, and has been helping people in one form or another ever since. Kassy has managed both music and videogame stores, been an Associate Financial Planner, and has even overseen a pirate bar. This widely varied experience, along with growing up around the world as a Navy brat, has given Kassy the ability and the desire to get to know and help, all kinds of people.

Check out her full profile here.

We’ve asked Kassy a few questions to get to know her a bit more!

MainStreet Team: What has been your favorite project at MSFP, or what are you looking forward to?

Kassy: I enjoy it when we complete a project for a client and they let us know how much we helped and how much stress we took off their shoulders.

I also enjoy when clients notice the changing pictures of my son in my emails. Many of our clients have watched him grow up.

MainStreet Team: Do you have a favorite book or movie?

Kassy: I have many favorite books. The Dresden series by Jim Butcher comes to mind first, but the Hobbit was the book that made me the avid reader I am today. I cannot sleep without reading first.

As for movies, growing up in Japan, we only had a handful in English and they definitely impacted my life and personality. Some of the best are Blazing Saddles, YellowBeard, Young Frankenstein, Monty Pythons The Meaning of Life, Airplane, and the Muppet movie.

MainStreet Team: Favorite ice cream flavor?

Kassy: Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough with fresh strawberry, blueberries, coconut, and gummy bears.

My first Job was at Friendly’s and we came up with some pretty crazy combinations.

MainStreet Team: If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one thing you’d bring with you?

Kassy: My son James. I am obsessed with him

MainStreet Team: Where were you born?

Kassy: Honolulu, Hawaii

MainStreet Team: Tell us about your family.

Kassy: I am lucky enough to still have my Mom and Dad, sister, and brother close by. We were a Navy family so we are very close.

There is also my son James age 3, often referred to as my office manager. While my grandmother has passed away, she is with me every day.

MainStreet Team: What is one item on your bucket list?

Kassy: Revisit Japan

MainStreet Team: Favorite bumper sticker?

Kassy: Tailgate me and roll for damage

MainStreet Team: Tattoos?

Kassy: 9 including a pumpkin on my leg

MainStreet Team: Hobbies?

Kassy: Dressing in Pirate clothes and going to Faires and Festivals with my friends.

I also make fresh pumpkin pies out of actual pumpkins every fall, hence the pumpkin tattoo.

If you have worked with MainStreet in the last few years, you have worked with Kassy. She is our master coordinator, advisor wrangler, and a perfect mix of snark and sweetness. Kassy, you’re the glue that keeps this remote team together and we are forever grateful!

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Inclusive Financial Planning: A Resource Guide

Kassy Hunt — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:17:32 +0000

Last updated July 2, 2020

The current climate is both heartbreaking and at the same time, inspiring. MainStreet stands in solidarity with those trying to make the world a more fair and just place. But stating our support isn’t enough. During these trying times, it’s important to remember that we’re all in this together!

We are working in conjunction with organizations in the financial planning profession to implement inclusive solutions, develop resources, and increase accessibility to fiduciary financial planning.

We’ve curated this Inclusive Resources List to provide you with beneficial information to learn more about the wealth gap in the U.S., identify ways that you can help, and share some of our favorite content to increase your own financial literacy.

We’ve broken our resources into categories depending on the type of help you’re looking for.

Ways to take action

Consider using this browser add-on that identifies whether you’re supporting a brand that is aligned with your values
Donate your money
Donate your time (sign petitions, make phone calls, participate in protests)
Educate yourself on the history of injustice faced by these communities
Support BIPOC/LGBTQ+ businesses
Invest in socially conscious investments