Our Team

Julie Armstrong

About Julie

What are your roles at Five Q?

I am currently serving as the Lead Project Manager, and also assisting with writing and Search Engine Optimization projects.

Where do you live?

I currently live in Raleigh, NC, but am originally from the Washington, D.C. area.

What did you do before coming to Five Q?

Just prior to coming to Five Q, I served as the Website Manager for AnGeL Ministries, the ministry of Anne Graham Lotz. I also worked closely with the Resources and Marketing Director, providing analysis for sales, donors, and website analytics. Also in my professional past is a strong history of research, writing, and analysis across a multitude of subject matter areas, including social issues, military history and case studies, and national defense systems, tactics, and doctrine.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am married and have five children, so much of my outside-work time is family oriented. As a family, we are into all things sports, we love the beach, and we enjoy watching 80's sitcoms on Netflix together! Personally, I am a musician and have the privilege of leading my church in worship each week from a keyboard and mic alongside an awesome group of friends and co-musicians.

How does a "mother of five" balance work and family responsibilities?

Rather than a science of scheduling, I believe work-family balance is an art form of maintaining motion at a sustainable pace. The desired "pace" of that motion may vary among individuals and families, but the underlying principle required to maintain it is the same: Every time you say "yes" to one thing, you must say "no" to another...and it requires constant motion.

Recently, I've been trying to teach my six-year-old how to ride a bike. She wants to balance it while sitting still and turning the wheel ("because that’s more fun!") before she starts pedaling. I am trying to convince her that part of what enables her to balance is simply focusing on getting the bike moving. It's the energy of that basic forward motion that actually makes it easier for her to achieve balance. Then, if she notices she begins to fall one way, she can make just a slight adjustment in the opposite direction until "Voila", she's riding the bike!

The same is true for achieving balance between family and work. It's about making choices. I teach my children, "Everything can’t be a 'Yes'". We all have our "life basics" that stay in motion whether or not we plan for them: work, school (if you have kids), home and financial responsibilities, and family together time (not activities, but togetherness). But, it's when we add work habits and family activities on top of the pace of life basics that we can get out of balance.

Right now, my life is in motion at a sustainable pace. But, when another opportunity (in either work or family) comes along that I want to be a "Yes", I am going to have to choose something on the opposite end of the scale to become a "No".

Just like riding a bike, I find myself making constant adjustments to maintain our life's motion at a sustainable pace.