What made you choose Arbtech?
The two most important aspects of my life are my family and my career. Working with Arbtech gives me the confidence that I do not have to make sacrifices in either and succeed in both.
The ability to work remotely and flexibly means that I can simultaneously strive to be both the best ecologist and the best mother.
What do you love most about the company?
I love the level of communication and the welcoming nature of the team.
From the moment I was offered the job, I have not once doubted that the support and opportunity for growth within the team at Arbtech are abundant.
What do you do when you are not in Arbtech?
When not in Arbtech, I spend my time either making memories with my family and friends or on one of my many hobbies.
A typical weekend for me might involve walking my dogs with my husband and daughter, taking my daughter fruit picking, baking a cake, going for a coffee with my mum, having a barbecue with friends, painting with my husband, doing projects in our house, or starting a new crochet toy.
We also love camping and going on long adventures as a family. We first took our daughter camping when she was eight months old, and she loved it! I cannot wait to take her on her first mountain hike next summer or her first adventure abroad.
What is the biggest tip to achieve the most in life?
Honesty.
I believe that if you are completely honest with yourself and the universe about what it truly is that you want from life, then you can have it.
This will look different for everyone, but there is no point in pushing yourself towards goals that you aren’t passionate about purely because society has made you believe that you should be following a specific path.
If you know what it is that you most want from life and unapologetically make all of your decisions based on this goal, then it will be yours in no time.
What is the best social you’ve been on at Arbtech?
I have yet to be on a social with Arbtech – as I have only recently joined the company – but I have heard loads of positive things about them!
I am very excited about the Christmas party coming up soon, especially as it will be a great chance to meet all the colleagues that I have not yet had a chance to talk to in person.
Where do you want to travel to next?
My husband and I decided not to take a honeymoon and instead are saving up to go on a few bigger holidays in a couple of years when our daughter is older.
Ever since I was little, I have always felt drawn to South America. I am fascinated by the continent’s diverse ecosystems – particularly their diverse range of bat species.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In all honesty, I no longer like to set goals with time limits. Instead, I like to continuously focus on moving forward at a rate that I find attainable.
After massively overachieving in my goals of buying a home and starting a family, it has made me realise that anything is possible if I apply myself.
I believe that settling goals with a timeline may cause me to become complacent and slow my rate of progression if I find myself ahead of schedule. Therefore, my future is open and all I hope for is the ability to look back and be proud of how far I have come from where I am now.
What is a goal you have for the future, in or out of work?
Having recently become a mother, my career has understandably been put on pause due to the limitations of a difficult pregnancy and nine months off on maternity.
I am a very stubborn individual and – since returning to work in May 2023 – I am very driven to make up for lost time and prove that we women can still have it all if we aren’t scared of a little hard work.
My next several months/years in work are going to be spent putting in as many hours as necessary to gain my protected species licences and learn as much as I can about ecology.
Outside of work, I am working on saving up to upgrade our home to a larger, more rural property. I would love to own a property that comes with a couple of acres that I can manage as a wildlife haven. Once moving house, I would also love to expand my family through adoption/fostering and hopefully make my husband a stay-at-home dad.
All in all, I cannot wait to see what the future holds both inside and outside of work!
Leah joined Arbtech in October 2023.
