Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Holecek.
Hi Christy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I used to be the ‘I could never’ woman. The one gripping white-knuckle control over everything I could control, so the uncontrollable didn’t feel so big. And when you have 3 kids within the span of less than 5 years, the uncontrollable list is pretty long. I worked in education for 15 years but Covid took a toll and I left the year after and started working from home. I thought it would be the best of both worlds. I could still pursue a career, but I could also be present more with my kids, and have more time to manage a household of five without being constantly burnt out. Being physically present just meant I could see everything that needed fixing, all the time, so the bar went up instead of down.
I also live in a neighborhood full of stay-at-home moms, which sets an impossible standard if you’re comparing yourself to it. There’s an ‘in mom’ and an ‘out mom’ in every neighborhood, and I’ve been both, and neither one is winning. That comparison, plus a psych degree I wasn’t using for much besides diagnosing my own perfectionism, is basically where @christyunraveled started.
I post about being the default parent, the one who carries the mental load nobody assigned her, and I share resources to actually hand tasks off instead of just complaining about carrying them. I’m not the expert who figured it out. I’m still doing it, badly some days ,and posting about that too. That’s kind of the whole account.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! Honestly, I thought it would all come naturally. I talk about and help my friends with these things daily, and yet, translating that to an online audience is such a different beast. There are literally 100’s of 1000’s of creators out there in the same space. You have about 1-2 seconds to make someone stop and listen and that is an art form I’m still learning. Finding a community that’s living my reality, and offering support, or relief, or simply the comfort of knowing they’re not alone, is worth every cringe moment up the mountain.
And the obstacles aren’t just related to the climb. Despite my history of finding spaces I can feel confident in, imposter syndrome creeps in more often than I’d like to admit. The comparison game is a hard one to avoid but I try and use it as fuel for growth, instead of evidence of failure. Learning what resonates with my community and adding my own experience so they can see themselves in every version of it is the whole point.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Professionally, I’m a Business Catalyst at a consulting firm, supporting client projects that range from PowerPoint decks to full event planning. Across every job I’ve had since college, logistical and event planning has been the actual throughline. VP of Membership running recruitment for my sorority, then VP of Recruitment for the whole university’s Panhellenic Association, then years traveling as a consultant in college student affairs. Different titles, same skill set the whole time.
When I interviewed for this role, I told my now-boss something true about every job before it: I’d always been the leading actress, my ideas, my motivation, my follow-through, carrying the whole thing. This time, with a 6, 5, and 2-year-old at home, I specifically wanted to be the best supporting actress instead, someone helping another person shine, not the one whose whole identity was riding on the outcome. It’s been the right move for this season.
What I’m actually most proud of isn’t the job title, though. It’s doing this creator thing at all. I’m an Enneagram 3, an eldest daughter, a perfectionist, three things that do not naturally combine well with ‘post something imperfect on the internet where strangers can react to it.’ Figuring out how to put myself out there anyway, when my own expectations are the highest bar in the room, has been the real challenge. And weirdly, the fun one.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
That’s easy, sleepovers at my Grandma’s house with all my cousins. We were very close to my dad’s side of the family growing up. Both my parents came from big families but my dad’s siblings all lived within a 45m drive of everyone else. We’d all pile into my Grandma’s 1000sq ft home with 1 actual bed and have sleepovers all the time. My favorite place to sleep was the long coffee table. Sounds ridiculous, but we all had our place and Grandma would wake up early (as they do) and start making her coffee and I loved to just watch her sit in her chair looking over the neighborhood lake while the house was full of sleeping kids.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stan.store/christyunraveled
- Instagram: @christyunraveled
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christyunraveled
