Amanda Rubin: Approaching Wall Street and Life Like the Marathon

Posted: February 26th, 2010 | No Comments »

At 45, Amanda Rubin was exercising, but definitely not running massive distances. And yet, she decided a mere six months before the New York City Marathon that this was her year to do it. With a lot of support from her husband and two beautiful kids, Amanda finished the marathon, a bit stronger and a lot more victorious! And throughout her training, she managed to be an active mom at school and a totally focused executive on Wall Street. Turns out the marathon wasn’t a huge stretch – it’s how she lives her life!

Job: Marketing Vice President, Goldman Sachs

Age: 45

Family situation: Married with two kids, 9 year old boy and 6 year old girl. Just welcomed a labradoodle puppy into the mix last year.

How do you make sure you feel good every day? It’s pretty simple.

• I get up at least 45 minutes before the kids wake up to have an uninterrupted cup of coffee and read the paper.
• I put my kids on the school bus and wave to them as they pull away. Then I feel I can begin my day on a high note seeing them waving back.
• I try and sit down with my kids for dinner every night (it usually works out 3-4 times).
• If I can, I like to run, but given my schedule, it is not something I can do every day.

What inspires you to do the work or lead the life that you do?

• I try to be a role model for my kids. I want to show them that they can do or be whatever they want to be, but it takes hard work and sacrifice. I want them to always be proud of me.
• I like being part of different communities on a daily basis. It gives me perspective. Raising two kids in New York gives me one perspective, working in my industry gives me another.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? It just was instilled in me by my parents. I am very lucky. I have great parents with whom I am extremely close. My mother has had severe rheumatoid arthritis my entire life—but growing up I never thought of her as sick, because she never made it her life. She never complained, she just got on with it and was a great Mom. My dad taught me to make and to live by my decisions. It’s funny, because they never told me these things, they simply lived them. So I just try and live by them too. I always knew I had their unconditional love and support no matter what I chose to do. That’s a big safety net.

What’s your approach to nutrition? I like it all! I spent my younger years trying to diet and not eat the stuff I really liked. It always backfired and I would go on some food binge and have a vicious food hangover the next day. But in all honestly, since I had kids, for me it’s all about keeping it really simple. Now I still eat what I want, I’m just really mindful of portion size and not overeating. So I try to eat healthy and keep a huge bowl of fresh fruit on the counter.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? I can handle pretty much anything as long as my family is okay. Nothing seems that terrible when you come home at night to your kids. I also focus on getting to the other side of the challenge versus being stuck on the approach. I think of the satisfaction, relief, and pride that comes with that.

What do you do to stay in balance? I’m pretty clear on my priorities… family comes first, followed by work, then friends and fitness. In the past, I have made a lot of mistakes trying to juggle many different things. Now I just focus on a few things at a time and it all sort of falls into place. One thing I think has been helpful is that I now get up VERY early in the morning and get as much done as possible. I have also come to accept that I never really achieve “balance” and that’s now okay with me.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? Hagaan Daz chocolate peanut butter ice cream, an afternoon with my sister having lunch and a seeing a sci-fi or romance movie in the theater, or sitting on the beach at sunset with a glass of white wine.

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? “Having it all” really means different things to different people. For me, it means being the best Mom and Wife I can be while having a career that continues to challenge me and where I can continue to contribute. I don’t think the two are mutually exclusive, but I do think you need to realize there are sacrifices and trade-offs that need to be made. Life is not a race, it’s a marathon. Sometimes you need to take it a bit slow, so you can give it your all at other times.

Any other thoughts? Don’t take yourself too seriously. You need to be able to laugh at yourself and at some of the situations you’ll find yourself struggling with as a working mom. Having a sense of humor is key. I can’t tell you how many times I would have lost it if I did not just laugh it off.