Cox Enterprises Work-Life Balance & Wellbeing

When I log off for the day from my job as senior director of product strategy at Cox Automotive, I step into an entirely different world: my very own farm, Whim-Wham Art Farm in Canton, GA, where soil meets soul.

I’ve always believed that work-life balance isn’t just a tagline — it’s a blueprint on how we should spend our days on this Earth. Thanks to the flexibility and support I’ve found here at Cox, I get to live that truth every day. It’s more than PTO policies or hybrid schedules (although those are great, too); it’s about how Cox empowers me to chase my dreams, nurture creativity and find meaning beyond the Monday-to-Friday routine.

What I love most is how my life at Cox gives me room to breathe, dream and dig deep, literally and metaphorically. On weekdays, I help drive innovation and research within our product organization. On weekends, I harvest flowers, create bouquets for the farmers market and manage all things social media and branding for the farm.

That duality isn’t a juggling act; it’s a privilege. And it works because Cox doesn’t just talk about employee experience — it truly invests in it. I’ve felt the difference in how leaders support flexibility, how teammates cheer on each other’s passions and how everyone encourages authenticity — in and out of the office. At the end of the day, whether I’m presenting in a team meeting or planting the next season of crops alongside Nicole, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
 

For Renee Whaley, a senior scrum master, flexibility has been essential during a busy season of life. As the parent of a high school senior, she’s been spending extra time helping her son research colleges, visit campuses and navigate big decisions. 

“When I had a conversation with my manager that I’ll be taking more PTO days than usual to support my son, she said, ‘Oh, I remember those days,’ reflecting on when she went through the same stage with her own child,” Renee recalled. “That moment reassured me that she supported me not only at work but in my personal life, which meant a lot!”

At the end of 2021, Amanda developed a cough that persisted for six months. A chest X-ray revealed that Amanda had interstitial lung disease, a group of lung disorders that lead to inflammation and scarring of the lungs.  

This diagnosis meant that Amanda needed a lung transplant in order to survive.  

Through months of consultation, testing, waiting on the transplant list, surgery and physical rehabilitation, Amanda undertook a frightening journey that few of us will ever personally experience. She did so with grace, determination and the support of her family, friends and colleagues at Cox.  

“Nobody expects to go through something like I’ve gone through, but I found that Cox literally helped me up the entire time. Being at Cox was exactly where I needed to be for myself personally and professionally.”