News anchor/reporter, mom, wife and community advocate Melissa Andrews on juggling work and life.
Every now and then you meet a superwoman--a woman who does it all--and Melissa Andrews is exactly that. Andrews works full-time, holding hours from 2:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., yet still makes time to greet the kids at the bus, help with school functions, and volunteer with nonprofit organizations.
Andrews only sleeps about 5 hours a night, going to bed before 8 and rising at 1:30 in the morning. She arrives at WTOL within an hour of waking, and she is live with the news from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
While these hours may seem brutal, Andrews clarifies, “For me, there are no better time slots. My schedule allows me time to volunteer in school and to get the kids off of the bus, which is important to me--I was a latchkey kid. I can offer my kids dinner in the crockpot or we can work on homework or they can run down the street to play with the neighbors.”
“I sacrifice personally with sleep and social events with friends,” says Andrews, “but they’re succeeding because of my sacrifice.”
She continues, “A lot of parents take that sacrifice to keep those morning hours for ‘promotion.’ In our business, you strive to be the main anchor. You would never think you’d turn something like that down, but my work/life balance is more valuable. I did not bring these three kids into the world to not see them. We just make it work.”
Andrews says juggling all of this is only possible because of her husband, Ryan. Andrews explains that her husband takes the three kids, Reece (8), Drew (6), and Rory (2) to daycare and school each morning. The two eldest are in 3 sports each, and Ryan takes them to all of their events and also coaches.
“We have a good division after several years of doing this,” summarizes Andrews.
Andrews adds that her husband never watches her on TV because it’s “not a big deal to him.” She clarifies, “It doesn’t phase him at all; we don’t talk about my work, and I like that. My kids don’t watch me either. I don’t think of myself as anything extraordinary.”
Journalism was always in the cards for Andrews. “I was the type who would sit down in front of the mirror and read the newspaper,” reminisces Andrews. “I would give the news to my sorority sisters and ask them to read in their best news voice. They would just laugh at me. I have always loved the writing and the telling of the stories.”
Struggling to maintain a successful work/life balance has taught Andrews many lessons. She advises other mothers to “Quit saying to yourself that you don’t have time for yourself. If you take that time, you’d be amazed by what that can do for you. I’m a better mother because I take the time for myself to exercise.”
“But you have to slow down and learn to say no. It’s hard for moms to do that. You’re a community advocate, friend, wife, mom. Say no and prioritize. I thought at one point this job was going to kill me, but something changed in my schedule, and it ended up being the best thing that could have happened.”
Sidebar Questions : What's your favorite activity to do with your family?
-Cuddling up and watching a movie.
Best holiday memory you have from when you were a kid?
-Going to church on Christmas Eve
What's your go-to activity when you finally have a few minutes to yourself?
-Hot bath Describe your life in five words or less.
-Crazy. Hectic. Full. Grateful.
What is your favorite Toledo hangout?
-Good Mudhens game or any place downtown. And I love Core Life Eatery.
Describe Toledo in a sentence?
-Toledo is, to me, a mini-Cleveland. It offers so much of home on a smaller scale.