Meet Deborah Lee: Writer, Photographer, Movie Critic, Avid Reader, Mother and Friend

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deborah Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deborah, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I must admit that achieving work life balance was extremely difficult as a young mother, it seems like it was a different time, a different era and yet it feels like yesterday. Earlier in my career you didn’t receive any passes, if you were a mother and you worked you were still expected to do your job without any excuses of motherhood. Things changed over time in that if you were a mother that worked it was no longer frowned on when you asked for time off to go to your child’s play or have lunch with them or if you needed to take your child to the doctor or if you just took a day off because you needed it. In the past you were scrutinized for doing any of those things but today it is encouraged that you do this when needed. It has been discovered that by doing this we become better versions of ourselves, able to continue on and do our jobs more efficiently. I applaud the change, this balance was long overdue.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career has led me down a number of fascinating paths. I’ve worked in various fields, Drug Enforcement Administration as a receptionist, I was a bank manager, office assistant of a real estate company, office assistant of a carpet company and document control specialist II of a large oil company. In each of these companies I worked for a number of years and brought dedication, loyalty, reliability, eagerness to learn, and a willingness to do whatever was needed to perform the task correctly. The early years in my career were the hardest, I was a mom to two young daughters and working but many firms back then didn’t care about anything other than you putting their company first so I did what I had to do…work, work, work. What I know now that didn’t come easy to me then is to just set boundaries, family must come first, there has to be a compromise. The thing I’m excited about is my last job, I no longer felt guilty of a decision to take a personal day off nor was there a need to give a reason, if I needed a day off I didn’t abuse the rules but I totally felt free and okay with taking that time off. It was here that I met and have maintained a friendship with many people. I finally felt eager to go to work, felt needed and most importantly wanted. What I’d like the world to know about my writing is that I’m sincere and honest about it and I take nothing for granted.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For breakfast: We’d have to grab coffee at my favorite coffee spot @throughgoodcoffeec where we can enjoy a nice serene atmosphere while having a nice cup of coffee and some great taco’s from the @soultacohouston truck located onsite and we can’t forget about the donuts hmmm I can taste it now. Another good and widely known breakfast spot is The Breakfast Klub where we’d get our down home cooking from, catfish and grits, fried pork chops, fried catfish, seriously we’d be alternating between these two for breakfast everyday. Brunch: My favorite place for brunch is Graces @gracesonkirby, the shrimp & grits are amazing, don’t forget about their cocktails, one of their signature cocktails is a Bloody Mary it is so good. Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine @eugeneshouston is amazing, they have a live band and the food is breathtaking For lunch: We could go to Gatlins BBQ @gatlinsbarbecue, one of the best places in Houston for BBQ. Burns Original BBQ Uncle Julio’s Mexican food from Scratch is the best For dinner: Taste of Texas @tasteoftexas, OMG, the steak here is amazing! Pappasito’s – Mexican food Pappa’s Seafood For enjoyment let’s take in a concert at one of the many venues here in Houston or take in a Comedy show at Improv Houston, there are lots of shopping places we’d have to visit and let’s not forget one of my fav’s, take in a good movie! We could take a trip to Galveston or Kemah, both are nearby with lots to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My initial shoutout would certainly go to my mom the late O’Linda Brock who constantly gave me encouragement to be true to myself and be the best at whatever I did. She allowed me to realize that I have a voice, that I deserve to be heard and that I truly am enough! Shoutout to my daughters Ebony Sargent and Meagan Sargent, these two are what I’m most proud of, they truly are the best part of me! They truly believe in me and constantly push me to be whatever I want to be and to do the things that truly bring me happiness, which has led me to start doing things that I’ve always wanted to do but were to busy trying to make a good life for them to do (writing & photography). They are my constant cheerleaders, they are my true loves.

Website: deborah.lee8385@gmail.com
Instagram: deborahlee247
Linkedin: deborahlee2
Twitter: @DeborahLee247
Facebook: Deborah Lee (Twelve)

Image Credits
Deborah Lee