Alison Cizowski
Manager in Client And Market Growth, Deloitte Services LP
People story | August 2024 | Read time: 2min
Support as a caregiver and professional
For me, being a parent to a child with complex disabilities is a tricky thing to navigate on its own. Throw in a fulltime career, and things can get complicated fast. But coming to Deloitte showed me that I can do both, with the support of my colleagues and a people-focused culture.
I gave birth to my son while working for a previous employer. Six weeks postpartum, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome, news my family didn’t know how to navigate. This came on the heels of my dad’s serious car accident, which put me in a new, unexpected caretaker role, at the same time navigating my own journey as a first-time mom. When I returned to work, the reality hit hard. I didn’t know how to cope and was unknowingly dealing with postpartum anxiety and PTSD from these traumatic events. Balancing my role as a new mom, caregiver, and professional felt overwhelming, and I was purely in survival mode. That rollercoaster of a year was a wake-up call, making me realize that I needed to find a balance between my family and my career.
During this time, I heard from several of my former colleagues who had gone to work at Deloitte and spoke highly of their experiences. The day I decided to join Deloitte, I knew it was the right choice for me thanks to their focus on well-being. When I joined, it was immediately clear to me that I could feel like a high-performing employee, pursue my career goals and development, and keep my family a priority.
At Deloitte, I feel that I can be my authentic self. This means that I can have an open dialogue with my co-workers about my experiences instead of hiding them, and when I do, I’m met with empathy and support. My leaders and teammates are extremely supportive and flexible when I need to step away for my child’s appointments, emergencies, or hospitalizations. I’ve seen people lead by example – I feel that my team understands that I am human and have a family and needs outside of the workplace.
When it comes to my son’s healthcare, I also have felt very supported. As a parent of a child with special needs, I can tell you that the day-to-day life of multiple complex diagnoses can be hard. It’s even harder for me when I feel like I can’t get my child the care or supplies that they desperately need. That is why I’m so grateful for Deloitte’s incredible benefits team - whenever I have issues or need to resolve anything with insurance, they’re always willing to help. Having worked in places where that support didn’t exist, I can tell you it’s a game changer for me– it helps allow me to clear the stress (financial and emotional) from my mind and focus on my work and being the best mom I can be.
I feel that, as a working mother and caretaker, I’m not expected to pretend that I don’t have children or obligations outside of my role and responsibilities at work. I feel that I’m trusted to balance them in a way that works best for me and my team. This makes me feel valued and accepted for all the roles I play in the office and at home.
A passion for positive tech
I fell in love with technology in the late 1990’s when I visited my cousin – who lives with cerebral palsy and is non-verbal – at her school. Her teachers and therapists demonstrated a new computer application to my family that allowed her to communicate with us by attaching sensors to her face and having her use her eyes to select words. This was the first time I ever had a two-way conversation with her – and on that day, my life was changed.
This is when I realized that I wanted to blend my love of writing with technology – and many years later, found myself in technology external communications and public relations. Even more full circle? My own child is non-verbal and uses a tablet for adaptive communication, so I am passionate about the positive impact that tech can have on people’s lives. It has given both my cousin and my child a voice – something I couldn’t imagine living without.
Today, I help lead public relations for Deloitte Consulting LLC’s Business Innovation portfolio. I love this work because this is where many of Deloitte Consulting’s new, emerging businesses begin, and I feel so lucky that I get to see and help shape how we talk about what’s new and next. I’m grateful to work in a space where my personal passions are so closely linked to the work I do, and that I get to make a difference in this exciting, emerging field.
A focus on my own well-being
After many years of being a caretaker, I learned the importance of taking care of myself. When I came to Deloitte, I was stunned to feel encouraged to do this. I feel that well-being is prioritized, whether, for me, that means walking outside during meetings, taking time to meditate, going to therapy, and more.
I began running shortly after my second child was born in 2020 to get outside, have some alone time, and challenge my physical fitness. I quickly learned that having the space to clear my thoughts away from my desk helps me find creative solutions, brainstorm new ideas, and feel mentally and physically stronger. I started entering smaller races, and completing my first half marathon in 2023, I applied to run a marathon in 2024 with a number of charities and was thrilled to be selected by an organization which supports individuals and families living with autism.
This experience changed my life – while I thought that I would run the marathon and raise money to help others, it helped me in more ways than I could ever articulate. As one of my son’s diagnoses is autism, I was inspired and uplifted by my adaptive teammates with autism and made so many new friends who have had autism touch their lives in some way. With the support of my team at Deloitte, I was able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate my training schedule, which I feel helped me be a better runner, but also a better, more clear-minded professional. I feel that Deloitte’s support of my well-being helped enable me to successfully finish the marathon, give back to a cause close to my heart, and achieve a huge personal goal in the process.
When I joined [Deloitte], it was immediately clear that I could be a high-performing employee, pursue my career goals and development, and keep my family a priority.Alison Cizowski (She/Her/Hers) - Manager in Client And Market Growth, Deloitte Services LP
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