London England | Article Excerpts "Architect Russell Peterson used to say that waiting at tables and cleaning a combine harvester were the hardest jobs he had ever done. Then he became a stay-at-home dad. “It far outstrips those,” he laughs. “It’s a tough job.” Fifteen years ago he sold his share in the thriving architectural practice he co-founded to look after his two young children. Both Mr Peterson and his wife, who live in Minnesota, had “high-level careers, spending hours at work” and struggled with the feeling that other people were bringing up their children. So they made the decision that Mr Peterson would stay at home, while his wife went out to work... “There’s a predisposition towards guys that we are driven by career success. It has to be a linear path showing success,” he remarks. “So few people value the role men play at home.” This was highlighted two years ago when Mr Peterson tried to get a job. “It was brutal,” he says. “I hear women complain about going back to work [after time out caring for children] and think ‘multiply that by five if you’re a guy’.” No headhunters were interested in the skills he had gained in the domestic sphere. As an architect, he felt he understood the home and family needs far better than when he worked full time. Despite going after more junior roles — and pay — than he had been used to, recruiters told him they wanted to see 15 years of continuous experience. The fact that he had kept his hand in by working on the occasional design project as well as maintaining his skills seemed to count for nothing. “One of the biggest areas of discrimination,” he says, “is towards dads coming back to work.” Ultimately he decided that forming his own company was his best option.... Mr Peterson’s advice to fathers considering a career break is to “stay connected” to industry contacts. Although, he concedes, “it’s hard to do when you have one kid in diapers and the other running around the house”. Despite the difficulties, he maintains that the experience of being a stay-at-home dad was valuable not just to his family but also his work, improving his understanding of how people relate to the built environment. “Being at home has helped my job. I’m a better (architect) worker.”
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Fifteen years ago I had one of the most successful small architecture firms in Minnesota: Johnson/Peterson. My clients included big name retailers, corporations, schools, and private executives. I provided creative solutions, personal service and successful branding. My family forward thinking designs for Life Time Fitness moved them into a dominant player in the fitness field helping them with a recent $4 billion capitalization. I'm proud of the work I did.
Then I chose to sell my company back to my partner and stay at home with my children as an at home dad for a decade and a half while supporting my wife in her professional career. If you think being an entrepreneur is hard, trying balancing screaming children, manipulative parents, the educational behemoth, and maintaining a house. There is a reason many don't travel this path. While I was serving my children and learning about how families interact with the world my architecture college classmates were forging ahead building their careers, networking, and leading some very prominent companies in Minnesota. To say I was jealous is an understatement. But I've learned patience is far more than a virtue. As my kids grew and became independent it was clear that I could once again have a career in architecture. One of my brilliant classmates, Marcia Stemwedel, who forged her own less traveled path accumulating experience at a variety of firms including an engineering and testing company specializing in forensics was in private practice for herself. So we teamed up and started a new firm together: Clever Architecture. In less than 9 months after strategic planning and building systems we already have more work than the two of us can handle and are looking to expand. Why do I think our new firm will be successful? "Because taking the path less traveled and patience are two of the most important traits in an architect." So we begin anew. Clever Architecture launches with the following projects: The Charles Eastman Trailhead and Education Center, SRF Consulting Group Interior Office Expansion, Sunburst Chemicals Lobby and Conference Rooms, Health Center Seclusion Rooms, Chiller Replacement at the University of Minnesota, Mechanical Redesign for Saint Paul Public Housing Authority, and a Cabin For Photographers Family On Howard Lake. Clever Architecture | Forging new paths with patience. Russell Peterson | ALA CID | 07 July 2015 Copyright Clever Architecture LLC All Rights Reserved Architecture | Interior Design | Entrepreneurship | Leadership | Creativity |
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