How Six Years of Caregiving Sharpened My Skills for Hospitality, Advertising, and Nonprofit Work

Let me start by saying, no one told me babysitting would be the ultimate bootcamp for all my future jobs. When I first signed up for the gig, it seemed straightforward: watch the kids, keep them alive, feed them, and maybe sneak in a few life lessons. What I didn’t expect was that over the span of six years, the things I learned from being a full-time babysitter would mold and sharpen skills that would serve me in ways I never imagined—from hospitality in Chicago, to crafting campaigns at Arc Worldwide, to working for communities at Main Street America.

Because let’s be real: you don’t spend six years babysitting without learning some hardcore survival skills.

Step One: Sobremesa and the Art of Hospitality (Or: Why Toddlers Are Basically Tiny Food Critics)

My journey from babysitting to hospitality started with Sobremesa Chicago, a place where I learned that serving food is only half the job. The other half is knowing how to create experiences people will remember. And trust me, nothing teaches you patience like a kid in a full-on grocery store meltdown. AB might not have had a picky eater phase, but oh, the tantrums. I still remember those moments right in the middle of the aisle—usually near the checkout line, because timing is everything, right? The best part? I couldn’t help but laugh internally because these little firestorms of emotion were over something as small as cereal choices.

Working at Sobremesa taught me that people are a little like toddlers (stay with me here). Customers also have their expectations, quirks, and moods. They not throw themselves on the floor screaming over Captain Crunch, but managing emotions, curating experiences, and offering a sense of comfort are universal skills. In hospitality, it’s not just about the food—it’s about making everyone feel at home, even when things don’t go as planned.

And if AB’s “Where’s Moana?” phase taught me anything, it’s that the details matter. If I sit through 300+ showings of Moana without losing my mind, I certainly manage the quirks of restaurant guests. Let’s just say that “You’re Welcome” became my unofficial mantra, whether I was serving a tripleta or managing a crying toddler.

Step Two: Arc Worldwide and the Advertising Hustle (AKA: Turning Chaos into Strategy)

Transitioning into advertising with Arc Worldwide was like going from toddler wrangling to managing full-grown toddlers with bigger budgets and tighter deadlines. In advertising, much like babysitting, adaptability is everything. When things get chaotic—whether it’s dealing with a last-minute change or navigating a brainstorming session that feels like herding cats—you learn to pivot and keep moving forward.

One thing I learned early on? Time management. In babysitting, there’s no such thing as a set schedule. Snack time turns into naptime, and naptime becomes, well, who knows? That same flexibility served me well in advertising. Deadlines change, meetings pop up out of nowhere, and you’ve got to juggle it all with a smile (or a silent scream).

And then, there was the word “indulgence.” I swear, there was one client who used it 33,333 times. It was like playing a game of word bingo—except, I always won. If you can keep your cool through that and still deliver, you’re golden.

Step Three: Main Street America and Nonprofit Work (Or: Why Being a Babysitter Prepares You to Advocate for Change)

Now, here I am, working for Main Street America, a nonprofit that empowers local communities. The stakes are higher, but the lessons from babysitting still apply. Kids have an incredible way of reminding you what matters most: consistency, showing up, and listening even when things are chaotic. With nonprofit work, much like babysitting, you’re navigating complex emotions, advocating for change, and hoping that your efforts make a lasting impact.

Remember how I mentioned AB’s tantrums? Well, replace that with navigating community stakeholders, grant applications, and event planning, and you get the idea. Just like calming a grocery store meltdown, working in nonprofit requires patience, empathy, and a commitment to seeing things through—even when the path is anything but easy.

Nonprofit work, much like babysitting, is also about building trust. Whether it’s with a child who’s having a rough day or a community trying to revitalize their local economy, people need to know you’re there for the long haul. And hey, after six years of showing up for AB and LF, I’m all about the long game.

Babysitting Lessons That Shaped Me

Looking back, I never would have guessed that babysitting would be the foundation of everything else. But the truth is, those years spent wrangling toddlers, negotiating screen time, and figuring out how to feed picky eaters taught me more about life and work than any class or corporate training ever.

• Patience is priceless. Whether you’re handling a temper tantrum or a difficult client, staying calm is the key to survival.
• Adaptability is everything. When things don’t go as planned (and they won’t), being able to shift gears is a superpower.
• Listening is an art. Whether it’s a child or a community, people want to be heard. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to diffuse a situation.
• Creativity is your best tool. Whether you’re sneaking veggies into a meal or coming up with a campaign, thinking outside the box is crucial.

So here I am—six years later, with experiences that have shaped me in ways I couldn’t have predicted. From food service to advertising to nonprofit work, it turns out that babysitting was the best training I could have ever asked for.

And to my two pillars in this journey, Annabelle and Liam: thank you for teaching me more than I ever taught you.

Happy 14th birthday, Liam ☺️❤️‍🔥

Thank you for reading,

Génesis