Passion and Balance

by JoNelle Sood January 11, 2022

Stepping up to help our ohana

A few years ago, I realized that I could no longer ignore my passion and desire to support the success and professional development of my fellow Pacific Islanders. Many people don’t know this, but Pacific Islanders are a community who’ve silently been at the margins of success and progress in the US for too long. We’re under-represented across all industries and professions, and our quality of life suffers because of this.

I felt the best way I could contribute to the success and development of Pacific Islanders was to start a nonprofit that focuses on three pillars-Education, Perpetuation of Culture and building a Network Community. But, I also knew I couldn’t start it while working full time and meeting my family’s needs. With much introspection, advice-seeking, and a life-changing event, I decided to leave my corporate job and pay attention to my dream.

The Ho’omau Foundation is born

We launched the Ho’omau Foundation in May of 2020 with hard work and community support. Ho’omau Foundation provides scholarships to Pacific Islanders who are active in the Pacific Islander community and attending a 2-year or 4-year college.

Recipients are matched with mentors to help with the transition to college and they become part of our growing professional network. We are building this professional network with them and for them. Today, the Ho’omau Foundation is a team of five smart, talented, and loving individuals, and I’m proud to call them my comrades, friends, and trusted advisors.

So far, we’ve awarded a total of 13 scholarships in less than two years and we’re so grateful for the generous donations and faith from our supporters. They’ve shown how much they believe in us and in our cause, and it’s humbling. We are deeply honored to champion these students and to be a small part in their journey toward success, while shedding light on the challenges our community faces.

Why I chose Postman

After the launch of Ho’omau Foundation, I decided to step back into the workforce as a Talent Acquisition Advisor, and Postman was one of my clients. Postman provides a platform for API development, simplifying each step of API-building by enabling and streamlining collaboration so you can create better APIs—faster.

I first joined Postman as a consultant to protect the time I spent on my nonprofit and with my family. But after a few months, I grew to appreciate and believe in what they were doing. More importantly, I saw first hand how much Postman empowers their employees to strike a healthy, sustainable balance between family and community needs, and Postman.

As a full-time employee, I can actually maintain and achieve a true work-life balance at Postman. For me, this means helping to manage a nonprofit that is making a real difference in our community, while delivering for Postman to help grow their success and fulfill their mission. Postman’s core values were developed by the employees and the values are more than just words. They are a behavior that our executives and employees embody.

The path to true work-life balance can be through Postman

Postman values curiosity, honest communication, embracing constraints, own and deliver (taking responsibility and making changes where necessary), and winning as a team. It’s a safe place to try things, make mistakes, and iterate. And there’s one more value that’s not really discussed, but implied: flexibility.

The leaders at Postman insist that we spend quality time with our families, volunteer for causes near and dear to our hearts, and care for our mental and physical well-being. Postman allows me space to be strategic at work, to produce exceptional results, and Postman offers a wide berth to focus on my nonprofit, all while being a mom.

And my work is meaningful. Today, I’m helping to set up the People Operations for scale and growth, and I’m having a lot of fun working with intelligent, compassionate people. And here’s what I also love: I don’t feel guilty when I invest time for my nonprofit, my family, and for myself!

It’s truly a different kind of work environment that is stimulating and provides opportunities to do your best, not just at work, but in life.

Postman’s values are important, they are real, and I truly feel empowered to be effective in all the many hats I wear personally and professionally. And, with all that the world has experienced, I hope more and more people find the same balance that I’ve been blessed with, where meaning at work co-exists with meaning at home and in my community.

Here’s to finding balance!

Article on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/balance-passion-jonelle-sood