Coming of Age with Andrew Santos
006: Coming of Age Through Parenthood with Andrew Santos
Get ready for a wild ride with Andrew, a former Pochi employee and super dad to four kiddos! In this episode, we chat with Andrew about his crazy journey balancing work, family life, and being a young adult all at once. Listen to how he tackled the challenges of parenthood head-on and managed to keep everything (mostly) together while working at Pochi. Tune in for some hilarious anecdotes and heartfelt moments with Andrew with this special episode!
Juggling Jobs
Parenthood can be challenging for anyone, but supporting a family of five while working two jobs can be even trickier. Andrew shares his experience working at a boba shop while simultaneously working as a banker, and how the environment and coworkers differ drastically from place to place. At Pochi, Andrew was surrounded by like-minded, younger individuals who share the same interests as he does, compared to his banking job where he had to wear a more professional hat. Although it took sacrifice and a lot of energy, what kept Andrew at Pochi, despite having another job, was the positive energy that exuded from the workplace, and being surrounded by coworkers who are now some of his closest friends.
While working at Pochi Andrew explains many ways in which he would combat challenges, maintain a level head, and maintain a father-like demeanor for those around him. His drive to compete with himself in combination with his developed at-home team-work skills as a dad, helped his connection with his team at Pochi. He claims that the energy the team carried brought out his youth and lifted his spirits.
When working two jobs, Andrew admits that this didn't always come easy, it took hard work and time management to make sure he was putting food on the table and getting to spend quality time with his wife and kids. In the end, he is willing and happy to do anything and everything for his family.
Full-Time Work to Full-Time Dad
During his time at Pochi, Andrew took on the role of a full-time working dad, while his wife Erika stayed at home with their kids. Now, their lives have been completely swapped and Andrew has taken on the role of the stay-at-home father while Erika pursues her new place in the workforce. From working a 9-5 to waking up at 5 to take the kids to school, Andrew’s world has done a complete 360 from the life he had been living before.
He notes that he’s happy that his wife now gets to experience what he’s had while being in the workforce, such as making amazing new friends. Before Erika joined the workforce, her 8 years at home would leave her with little time to socialize and make new friends. Andrew loves that she is making new connections that he knew she would. After the 360 swap, he also shares that being a full-time parent is, on its own, a full-time job. From getting the kids up and ready for the day to juggling everyone's school, sports, and development schedules, it's not easy work. Sometimes what it takes is to just wing it! The best way he describes it is “As long as the family's happy and we're moving I think that's the best thing I can ask for.”
Although life can get busy, Andrew mentions that communication is key in a relationship and how prioritizing his bond with his wife has helped his marriage flourish even in the hardest of times. Without that genuine connection with each other things could have been a lot more difficult.
Friendzone to Endzone
Not all love stories are perfect, and sometimes even the happiest of endings start off sour. Andrew shares his story about how he first met his wife Erica in high school and was even crushing on her while she was in a relationship (gasp!). But to his surprise, playing the long game eventually paid off and won her heart in the end – nice guys don’t always finish last! “For all you simps out there, I’m telling you, stay with it and be consistent,” Andrew shares, lifting up people that were once in his position and letting them know that all hope is not lost! Despite the waiting game, everything fell into place and now it seems there's a new addition to the family each year we have known Drew! In the end, things were meant to work out between these two which shows how true love will always find its way.
We’re so happy to host Andrew on an episode of Spill the Tea! His energy is infectious and his presence lights up every room he walks into. Thank you for for tuning in to another episode of Spill the Tea, Pochi Fam!