By: Julie H. Kirchner
Jessica Bertsch married her “Coastie” (that’s U.S. Coast Guard) husband, Fritz, 14 years ago, and as a family, they have moved six times. Only now, each time Jessica moves with her husband’s career, she takes hers with her—a blessing that she worked hard to create for herself just over seven years ago when she started Powerhouse Planning. Jessica’s Powerhouse has since grown to become an unwaveringly talented freelance team at the forefront of providing virtual workforce solutions for client businesses.
Jessica and Fritz have three children, including Quint (8), Gracie (4), and Auvie (3). When Fritz is underway with the Coast Guard, Jessica handles the household and the kids, along with keeping her business running successfully. She definitely doesn’t want to make this sound like it’s all a piece of cake, though—and that if you’re not doing it all and still feeling “balanced,” then you’re doing it wrong. No way. Jessica remains firmly rooted in the reality of the hard work and the personal resolve involved. “My husband has been at sea over a quarter of our marriage, so I’ve done a lot of parenting, and a lot of building a business, solo,” she says.
“I want people to be excited about where they are in their journey and to always be improving.” – Jessica Bertsch
Founder and President, Powerhouse Planning, LLC
This month, Powerhouse is focusing on the topic of self-care for freelancers and business owners. So, how does a CEO, military wife, and mother of three take care of herself?
Jessica says, “I feel like I’m the healthiest that I have been since I started Powerhouse, but it is ongoing. I have done everything you read about. I’ve set office hours—I used to be the lady who took the laptop to the couch when we were watching TV and relaxing. I set more realistic expectations for myself—the other side of this is that I value other peoples’ time and space. It’s okay to slow down, because of the way our culture is. Because of the way our virtual workforce is.”
Jessica also works to practice self-care by staying true to her boundaries, and she starts off every morning by reading a devotional to “get started on the right focus every day.” When asked if she uses reminders or time organizers to help her keep the most important things in focus, she laughs, “Yes! All the things. People would be overwhelmed if they saw my life, ‘for real.’ I am crazy organized, and I have to be, because of how our life is.” She also gives credit to her mom, who flies in and helps out when Fritz is at sea.
What other self-care habits help Jessica feel balanced, healthy, and put together? “A girlfriend once told me, ‘Jess, you’re kind of a “yes” person.’ And I am. Because someone told me that and called me out on that, I’m kind of aware that I don’t have to volunteer for everything,” she says. And now, Jess says, “I take a moment, whenever I do say ‘No,’ to feel proud of myself, because I’m being balanced on my priorities.”
Jessica believes that the more we’re honest, the more we can grow. “You see all the CEOs and authors who coach you, and they seem to ‘have it all together.’ Be honest with where you are on your journey. Ask for help when you need it. Let people know when you’re thriving. Let people know when you’re just surviving. It’s almost doing a disservice when you look like you’ve ‘got it all together’ and behind closed doors…you’re a hot mess.” Jessica took a few minutes to talk through some of the often high image expectations surrounding leaders and CEOs, giving her take on these “goals” in a very real manner.
Balance.
“I will always fight with balance. Always. Because I always want to be growing. I want to be an amazing wife and mom. I’m balance-aware. I’m being present with my children. I’m leaving the phone to focus on their toddler years.”
Resilience.
“What keeps me feeling resilient? I don’t think it’s ever been an ‘option.’ I started a company because I wanted to be a freelancer myself, and then it just took off and grew. I’m just the type that I figure it out, every move. Each time we move, I need to refile with the state we live in to stay legal and keep up with the rules of “1099s” (freelancers). I’m resilient, because I have no other option. If I want to have Powerhouse, and be a good mom and wife, I have to do these things.”
Humility.
“Who keeps me grounded? Totally my husband. He keeps me grounded. We always joke…my husband is doing very well in his career, but I’m the first to tell him that ‘everybody goes to the bathroom.’ We say that, because it’s the way we remember that people are just people. When we celebrate closing a contract, he reminds me, ‘That’s great—now let’s see if they re-contract.’”
Generosity.
“What keeps me feeling generous? When I eat, sleep, and breathe ‘sharing the goodness’ (a well-known Powerhouse mantra), it brings me complete joy and passion. My husband says, ‘Jess, you really should’ve started a non-profit.’ ‘Sharing the goodness’ is what makes me happy, and I love giving back.”
Curiosity.
“What’s next for me? Do I take time to dream? I do. I think it’s healthy to take time to dream. I have two sets—I have legit ‘going-to-acquire’ dreams and ‘maybe-never-going-to-acquire’ dreams. I really try to harness my dreams. I’ve been around with Powerhouse for a long time. I’ve seen a lot of companies come and go. I think it’s because they get so excited about their dreams that they forget what was important when they started. For me, it’s my family and my faith. I don’t want to dream to a point that is detrimental to me. I need this flexibility. I need to have this time that I can pick and choose projects.”
Jessica shares that she loves quotes. “In my office I have quotes posted all over,” she says, “and one of my favorites is, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,’ by Eleanor Roosevelt.” Jessica reaffirms, “Yes, I dream…but I’m only going to take on the ones that are healthy right now.”
Jessica conscientiously harnesses her dreams and remains true to the values that led her to start Powerhouse, both for her health and, therefore, ultimately the health of her business. “We have, over the past seven years, been a small business—and we will remain small. We will stay intimately small for a long time, because that’s healthy for me. We’ve been this ‘consistent’ over time. People know that if you work with Powerhouse, you’re going to get a legit team. You’re going to get a project manager who is more than likely me. There are just these norms that come along with us.”
It’s surprising, then, to hear Jessica illuminate a new challenge she faces. We asked Jessica, if she had one big “ask,” what would it be? She answers, “For me, the biggest ask would be to ask people not to give up on military spouse virtual workforces.” She explains, “Other virtual workforces have come along…companies that are like us. These are virtual workforces that are hiring people left and right. These other companies are struggling because they’ve grown so fast. People are starting to get a yucky image of virtual teams. I had my first conversation last week of someone saying, ‘I’m very scared to work with you.’ And that’s never been a conversation I’ve had to have before.”
Jessica speaks passionately about her team at Powerhouse. “These other companies don’t have our values and our consistent processes and procedures. Over 60% of our team have been with us for three years or more.” Jessica candidly restates her request, “If it’s a fit for your organization to give a military spouse virtual workforce a spin, then you should. It’s scary that other companies are giving potential clients pause about hiring.” She resolves, “That just means we have to work harder. What does make us different than anyone else out there is that we’ve held true to everything we’ve always said that we would: (1) We’re small. We will remain small. (2) We will have an 80% or more military spouse workforce. (3) We work to, and really want to, retain our team and clients.”
Go to powerhouseplanning.com for more background about Jessica and the exceptional team solutions that her company provides for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes. While you’re there, take a look at Powerhouse’s free business resources and follow the Powerhouse blog for timely and helpful industry topics, such as this month’s focus on self-care for freelancers and business owners.
