The epitome of a working mom, Nikki Grossi oversees a workforce of 700 employees and also loves spending time with her two affectionate boys at home. Grossi, who commutes to Arlington for work several times a week, has tips on decompressing after a long day and making sure she incorporates family time into a busy schedule.
Grossi holds a bachelor’s degree in science and bioengineering from the University of Maryland. She lives in Annapolis with her husband, Dominick, their sons, Dominick, 8, and Wyatt, 5, and her mother.
What do you do for work?
I am a managing director at Accenture, an IT company. I focus specifically on federal government agencies, mostly here in [Washington,] D.C. I lead various complex technology implementations across different domains, and I oversee a workforce of about 700 employees. Sometimes, they’re broken down into multiple programs delivering innovative solutions driving this outcome. Our goal is to streamline processes within the federal government.
Have you always been interested in technology?
To some degree, yes. When I was in college, I knew I was interested in science and math and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). In my undergrad, I wanted to be an engineer. I decided I missed the biology piece of it, and I majored in bioengineering, and then I sort of landed in technology when I got out of college; I fell in love with it. I love the problem-solving aspect of it, and I like helping our clients figure out solutions to their day-to-day problems.
How do you balance your job with your parental duties?
I don’t. (laughs) It’s hard; I don’t balance it at all. I ask for help when I need it. My husband is a police officer, so we both have demanding schedules. Fortunately, my mom lives with us, so she’s able to help out with the kids as well. I have great nannies and babysitters on speed dial to help with that; I don’t pretend I can do it all.
When I find myself expecting too much of myself, I take a step back and reflect on what’s important to me in life. What do I need to prioritize in this moment? Do I need to prioritize work for a specific reason or, more often, I’d rather prioritize my family because my kids are young right now, and I love spending time with them.
What advice do you have for your kids?
You can be without limits—the limits you feel are placed upon yourself, and with gratitude and the right perspective, you can do anything you want in life. You need to recognize the beauty of everything around you and feel the joy in small things. I really like the fall [season], like the sound of the leaves crunching, the colors, the smells, the tastes, the crisp air—I find joy in that, and I put positivity out into the world. I want them to know to do that as well because I believe that you get back what you put out. So, spread positivity, respect others and you’ll get good things in return.
What does family time look like for you?
Cooking together. Family time is 5:30 [p.m.] each evening. I try to preserve the evening hours when my kids are home from school, not playing sports or at an event. So, that could be doing homework together, eating dinner together, watching movies together. We love, on a Friday night, watching movies, popping popcorn. Sometimes, we’ll do an outdoor movie with a projector outside. Playing games—my husband’s not that big into games, but I’m very competitive. I love having children that love to play games with me.
How do you spend your free time?
I enjoy reading. I enjoy doing yoga; I try to prioritize wellness and find time to relax and decompress because my day-to-day job is very stressful, having two small children is stressful, my husband’s job is stressful. I try to find time to be by myself and be quiet. I commute from Annapolis to Arlington a couple days a week, so I use that commute to either listen to podcasts or listen to music and just let myself think, because that is really important as well. That’s how we come up with creative ideas, allowing ourselves to be quiet.
Family Favorites
Meal: Crabs. We’re from Maryland, so we love steaming crabs ourselves and loading on the Old Bay.
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookies
Family activity: Swimming in our backyard pool
Local spot: O’Loughlin’s Restaurant in Arnold
