Whether she's at work or at home, single mom Karrie Claytor, a
relo-ca-tion manager for the international consulting firm Accenture,
keeps people moving—including herself! The Kentucky native assists some
of the hundreds of employees each year who require transfers. It's a
position that demands strong organizational skills, a knack for
problem-solving and the ability to keep your head, no matter how
stressful things get—the same qualities that serve her well as a
divorced mother of two.

From her office on the eighteenth floor of Accenture's Chicago offices,
Karrie's days are spent helping colleagues transition smoothly from
city to city. But back at her suburban Arlington Heights home, it's all
about moving her kids, Caitlin, 12, and Colin, 6, comfortably—even if
not always seamlessly—between their homes at Mom's and at Dad's, not to
mention to and from school and their numerous activities.

Karrie and her ex-husband, college sweethearts, were married for 11
years before drifting apart and finally splitting in 2004. She credits
her friends, many of whom made daily phone calls to her during this
period, with helping her get through the split. "When you go through a
divorce it obviously takes its toll, but I'm very proud of the way we
handled it," she says, explaining that her and her ex-husband's
priority was to ensure a nearly equal distribution of custody and
assets. Their willingness to rein in their lawyers and play fair paid
off in an amicable postdivorce relationship. She and her ex also make a
point of never speaking ill of one another in front of the kids.

Colin was only 3 at the time of the divorce, but Caitlin, who was 9,
had a lot of questions. "She sat quietly for a while after we told
her," Karrie says. "Then she wanted to ask all the pertinent questions.
We wanted to make sure she understood it wasn't anything she had done.
And she got to hear what we thought were the pluses, such as the fact
that she'd have two houses to go to. She handled it so well that it
helped me." Karrie got her kids involved in setting up their new
households so they felt a part of the process. "We wanted them to feel
comfortable with their new surroundings," she says, "not as if we were
forcing them into a new situation but that we were giving them some
choice in it."

Karrie and her ex share custody of their children. He has the kids
Sunday through Tuesday; she gets them Wednesday through Saturday. As
emotionally difficult as it has been, it's an arrangement that Karrie
has worked hard to make the best of. On the days when Caitlin and Colin
are with their dad and stepmom, who live just a mile away,

Karrie handles the more mundane tasks of keeping up a home on her
own—things like mowing the lawn—so that she has more time for her
children when they're with her. That's also when she goes on dates with
her boyfriend and takes time for her own activities, like tennis and
playing the French horn with a community orchestra.

When Caitlin and Colin—who have widely divergent interests—are with
her, however, everything revolves around them. "Being a single parent
has taught me that the relationship I have with my kids is so very
important," Karrie says. "The four days a week that I'm with them, my
priority is making sure they know they're understood and appreciated."
Karrie also does her best to accommodate the individual interests and
temperament of each child. While Colin is very physical and loves to be
outside playing or practicing soccer, Caitlin prefers to be indoors,
close to Mom. "It's a balancing act," Karrie says.

When the children are home, Karrie's usually awake by 5:30 a.m., doing
some quick sit-ups and push-ups before grabbing a bowl of cereal.
Occasionally Caitlin will rise early to exercise with her mom, but the
children generally don't drag themselves out of bed for at least
another half hour. Karrie tries to ease the mad dash out the door by
packing lunches, making sure the kids are bathed and taking her own
shower the night before. But even the best-laid plans don't always
ensure a flawless exit—just like in the moving industry.

"There are certainly times when the wrong outfit is on, the tennis
shoes are missing or a book isn't in the bag," she says. "We try to be
proactive, but it doesn't always work."

Karrie drops off Caitlin and Colin at before-care by 7:00 a.m. and then
catches a train to Chicago. It can be difficult for her to be away from
her kids all day. "I do feel a bit odd that I'm twenty miles away in
downtown Chicago when the kids are in school and someone has a cold,"
she says. "I feel guilty that it takes me an hour to take the train to
get home." When the kids are sick, Karrie can often work from home or
get babysitting support from her boyfriend.

Karrie's commute, though long, can also provide some needed downtime.
"That's when I find my forty-five minutes to myself," she says. "Most
of the time I listen to music and relax." From the train station it's a
brisk walk to work, which Karrie loves because it gives her another
opportunity to keep herself moving.

She arrives at her office around 8:00 a.m., working alongside about 20
others in the Relocation Management Solutions division.Her job is
similar to customer service, she says, "but taken to the eleventh
degree." Not only does she patiently guide employees through the
paperwork and ensure they receive their benefits, but she's also the
person they call when their movers don't show up. Or if they miss a
flight. Or when their cat gives birth in the back of a moving van en
route to their new home.

"Transferring is an emotional thing for anyone," says Karrie's
supervisor, Julie Grover, international mobility leader for the United
States. "I've heard Karrie on the phone with her counselees, and she
takes the time to walk them through the process."

Before joining Accenture in 2006, Karrie honed her skills for 13 years
in the relocation business. Accenture's flexible work policies were a
huge draw for her as a single mom, especially since she didn't have the
option of telecommuting in her previous jobs. Now she works from her
home two days a week and sets her own schedule on days when she heads
to the office. For those nights when she has a late meeting, or on the
rare occasion that she does need to travel, she calls on her
ex-husband, her in-laws or her boyfriend for backup. Generally, though,
she's out of the office by 4:30 p.m. and has picked up her children
before 6:00 p.m.

The evenings she has her kids are filled with activities like the
children's church choir rehearsal, soccer games (both her son and her
boyfriend play) and the French horn lessons that Karrie gives on
Thursdays. That means dinners are simple and quick—either a premade
frozen meal (chicken cordon bleu is a family favorite) or something
that cooks in minutes, like shrimp. Before bed, both kids join Karrie
in their home gym or hang out and watch TV with their mom. It's a lot
to squeeze into a day, but that's all part of Karrie's strategy. "I
don't feel like I'm missing anything," she says. She credits her mom
for her positive attitude.

"My mom has done a lot of work with the homeless," Karrie says. "She'd
pick somebody up and say, 'Do you have kids? I'll take you shopping and
I'll buy them gifts.' She'd go above and beyond." Like her mom, Karrie
goes above and beyond at work and at home. "Giving to others gives you
a positive outlook," she says. "It helps you to be happy with what you
have."

Karrie's Tip