We had the good fortune of connecting with Bobbi McKee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bobbi, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
A mentor of mine once told me that there is no such thing as work/life balance. I tend to agree. Balance implies that you have two objects that are completely independent of one another, weighted equally to the point that we (the balance) can hold both effortlessly.

How many times has either life or work swayed you a little more to one side or the other? Even further, how ridiculous would I sound if I told my family or my work, “Sorry there’s a fire, but I have to give balance to my work and life so I can’t put more than X effort into helping you.”

The word vocation comes from the latin word, vocari, meaning, calling. When you find your true calling, It’s something you find joy and meaning in. You want to share it with everyone, from the people on the streets to the intimacy of your home. It’s not a hat that you can take off at the end of the day, but an energy that fuels you to support and cultivate the world around you.

The term that better describes how to hold all the things and support the people is work/life harmony. Unlike Balance, harmony allows you to intertwine the things you love. There will be times where work feels like a burden, but being able to talk with my spouse about those things makes me a better boss. Likewise, being the parent of a toddler can be exhausting, but I also have the opportunity to learn from a lot of really amazing moms who work for me.

A common message I have given to many of my employees over the years is, you have to do what is win-win for your life. Sometimes our harmonies don’t align. The employee needs a higher wage, more flexibility, etc. It’s my job as the employer to meet their needs within my means while being fair to all my employees. After that sometimes the employee adjusts, they stay, and it’s great. Other times they leave. But when these employees leave it is often easiest, because once you’re humble enough to admit you’re a bridge for some and not the end game, you can still watch them thrive outside of your walls. Even in moments of high turnover, seeing the pure joy of these people makes it worth it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My parents founded Downsize Farm in 2006 to fill a community need for my younger brothers, who both have Down syndrome. When my parents saw the options post-education for adults with disabilities, they wanted more than widget making and coloring books for their kids so they started an adult day program. The program was built on the 4-H premise of learning by doing, and offers individuals a full life experiences of learning to cook, bake, work with animals, make crafts, volunteer in the community and much more. Today, Downsize Farm provides a variety of services to individuals with developmental disabilities including day and vocational services, job coaching, and residential services.

In 2020, my dad retired and I took over as CEO. Working through the season leading up to the transition was very difficult and my dad and I had likely the lowest point in our relationship. I know there were aspects that led him to believe I wasn’t ready, Even though I believed I was ready, there were also aspects of the CEO role that I simply couldn’t understand until those burdens were solely my responsibility. My dad must have had some faith in me as it was the height of the covid pandemic and I was six months pregnant when we finally transitioned roles. Today I love talking with my dad about aspects of the business. He is also thriving in his “refirement” as he calls it, with involvement in many local programs helping others in the community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
FIrst, I would invite you for Coffee at my coffee shop, the Spotted Cow Coffeehouse! We have great coffee and breakfast, and we also employ individuals with developmental disabilities.

Some of my other favorite places to visit include:
Dinner at Cafe Paradiso
Drinks at the Urbana Brewery
Church at the Urbana Nazarine
Clothes Shopping at The Mustard Seed
Community Saturday at Longroad Crossfit

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Duane Hammer- Owner of Dogwood Business Development. Duane has been a great mentor and friend to me for the past seven years.

Website: www.downsizefarm.com

Instagram: @myrhee4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownsizeFarm

Image Credits
Profile Photo-David Lindley

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