Page 70 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2023

story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Kimberly Aguillard and by Madeline Simpson
Kimberly Aguillard.
Successful women manage to get a lot done while keeping many balls in the air. Kimberly Aguillard, 33, HII corporate media relations manager at Ingalls Shipbuilding and Christen Duhé, president and executive director at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, share how they do it. Aguillard, a wife and mom of two little girls, was at the Mississippi State Port Authority for eight years before joining Ingalls. “I believe in planning and organizing as much as possible. Every Sunday evening I look at my week ahead and take the opportunity to review what items will be a priority for me at work and what the schedule looks like for my children,” she says.
She buys a planner at the beginning of every year and carries around
a notebook for notes. “Those two things keep my life somewhat together. I believe in setting yourself up for success early and often because it never fails an unexpected event will happen that will pull me away from what I had planned,” she notes. “It may be something at work or a phone call from school that one of my kids is sick and needs to go home. It’s
all about knowing how to pivot and adjust priorities quickly.”
Duhé, 40, has been with the Community Foundation for just
10 months, but previously was
the associate vice president of Institutional Relations at Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community College where she also served in other positions for 10 years.
Duhé stays on track by being a huge believer in making lists and having everything on her outlook calendar. “If it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t exist! I also carry a notebook with me everywhere I go to jot down any new ideas or tasks that come up,” she says, “ and I utilize the notes app on my phone.”
Thinking about work/life balance, Duhé jokingly asks, “Is there a balance?” but switches to a more serious tone. “I think this is a struggle for most people. Sometimes you’ll have to put in more time at work, and sometimes personal things must take precedence,” she said. “When I was younger and heard about work/life balance, I associated that with having to split time between your job, family and friends, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that it also means making time for yourself. It’s important to make yourself a priority or sooner
or later you’re going to burn out and then everything will suffer.”
Aguillard says balance looks different for everyone. “I try to keep in mind that I am the creator of my life and to extend grace to myself whenever it is needed. I owe a lot of thanks to my husband and family for stepping in when my work obligations need to take the front seat.”
Christen Duhé.
70 | September 2023 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living