To say he’s adjusted to pandemic conditions and carried on business as usual is an understatement for STM Wollongong Branch Manager, Daniel Goodwin.

When the pandemic really hit, and we were all forced to work from home, in hindsight this was a sign from up above for Daniel to be home with his pregnant wife, Veronica.

For not long into the whole working from home venture Veronica, heavily pregnant with twins, went into labour 8 weeks prematurely.

To be close to their twin boys whilst they were in emergency care Veronica, Daniel and Warren the Australian Bulldog relocated from home into a hotel near hospital, then into a larger apartment with a nice big terrace for Warren, where they are still residing.

The great news is Niall and Seth are doing great and putting on weight despite their early entry into the world. The proud parents are close by and can’t wait for the day they can take their sons home.

In the meantime poor Warren is getting very confused over the new-born smells on mum and dad when they come back to the apartment but there’s no baby to sniff 😊

There’s no stopping the strata industry

When you are forced into change, and time is of the essence, there’s no stopping what you can achieve with the power of teamwork and an adaptable company behind you.

When the signs were evident and businesses were shutting down to protect staff, all STM offices closed their doors too with staff moving into their own loungerooms, dining rooms, studies or wherever they had space to carry on with their management duties.

Equipped with technology and everything possibly required to carry on with business as usual, staff made the most of their makeshift home offices and rallied together to continue delivering services to apartment owners and residents who were also feeling the effects of pandemic stresses.

For Daniel’s clients, they were none the wiser that not only was he working from home, but he had in fact moved home, and was the proud new father of twin boys that required medical treatment for the next few months.

Balancing his work and new parenthood like a trouper, Daniel adapted to the conditions and handled himself professionally and with enthusiasm.

“It’s been quite different and fairly challenging for me, but it makes no real difference to my colleagues and my clients,” says Daniel.

“I’m extremely fortunate I’m able to provide Veronica the support she needs whilst being close to the hospital to visit the babies when we can. Working remote I can take my phone and laptop with me everywhere so I’m never really offline, only when I need to be.

“We were glad to have found a place to stay that is pet-friendly. Warren’s our first fur child and it was important to both of us that he be with us as well. He’ll be a great big brother to Niall and Seth.”

If anything, this pandemic has brought the team and clients closer together as they work through the stresses of covid-19 together.

Afterall, we are only human and together we can conquer anything thrown our way.

If you’re looking to build your career in strata management with an employer that supports you, offers flexible work conditions, attractive staff benefits and the opportunity for growth, contact Rebecca Henwood, Senior Business Partner-People and Culture at Smarter Communities.