Joel Westman has been a Staebler broker for more than seven years and has experienced a fair share of challenges and growth over the years. However, what Joel has experienced in the last eight months, has been the biggest challenge yet!

Joel, along with his wife, Colleen, are raising their first child, all while balancing work, family, friends, and the other demands of life.

» This blog is a part of our Staebler Employee Experiences category.

In Joel’s words, the growth he has seen from his newborn daughter has been nothing short of “amazing”.

“Watching [Abigail] grow, learn and become so curious about new things,” Joel said. “She is sitting up on her own and now onto learning how to crawl which I am sure she will master soon. Watching her personality start to shine through has also been amazing.”

After Staebler’s office reopened in March 2022, a Remote Work Policy that allows for hybrid work environment for employees was instituted. This allows for greater work-life balance and for a new parent like Joel, that’s been a game changer.

“It has definitely been easier for our family that I am working from home the majority of the time,” says Joel. “To be able to help my wife out from time to time so she can get some things done or even take a quick break has helped immensely. I can take small moments to spend with Abigail and those small moments are so important.”

Overall Joel and Colleen felt that they were pretty well prepared for the new challenge. But one piece of advice Joel offers is “take more time during the beginning. It’s important and precious.”

What’s one thing Joel and his wife think they’ve done well?

“Taking her different places and bringing her around people to get her comfortable around others. When she was born, there were still some COVID restrictions in place but everything is pretty much back to normal now so exposing her to as much as possible has worked out well. She has met many people and we have traveled quite a bit already.”

They’re learning that it’s all about balancing with your partner. For much of the workweek, it’s Colleen who’s taking care of the baby business so Joel can focus on working from home. But in the evenings and on weekends, it’s his turn to roll up the sleeves and take care of Abigail by feeding, bathing, or just playing together before bed.

“My wife has been away a couple of weekends with her friends which is a great time for Abby and I to connect and spend time together.”

Like anything, there have been challenging moments but it’s been a very rewarding experience for the new parents.

“What has surprised me is how quickly she is growing and changing. I am loving every minute of it.”

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Be Wise. Staebler Insurance is a general insurance broker specializing in auto insurance, home insurance, small business, and commercial insurance. Staebler brokers proudly serve Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, Listowel, Fergus, Elora, Wellington County, Perth County, Waterloo Region and southern Ontario. Get started with a free quote today.