Industry - Consulting

A Little Bit About Our Family

Having young children, the pandemic added another layer to parenthood and forced us to think critically about what was most important, what we wanted life to look like and what our career goals really were. There’s lots of coordination, handoffs and teamwork with my husband. That partnership has been integral to making that work. I also think it’s important for my kids to see that while they are our priority, we also really enjoy our work, and it’s important to us. If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that the “work-from-home” model has shown to enhance productivity. When people can better integrate work and life and not feel like they are constantly having to sacrifice between one and the other, they are happier, thus more productive and effective in their roles. That’s why I think the work Mom Mastermind is doing to elevate working moms is so critical, not just for the moms and their families, but for companies and industries.

A Lot Can Change Over Time

I have my own consulting practice, and I work mostly from home with some travel to clients (Pre-pandemic).  During the pandemic, I chose to homeschool my children, which meant I had to cut back on work. I recognize this is a privilege. My husband was able to make up for the loss in income. Though I didn’t want to stop working entirely, I was no longer able to take on initiatives that required me to be available for calls and meetings throughout the day. That got me thinking differently about my career and the future, what I’m most passionate about, and what work-life balance could look like to me. As a result, I had to get laser focused on what work I loved doing most, and how I organized and delivered that work in a way that aligned with my personal priorities.

Balancing Career and Motherhood

Balance takes a village, really! My husband is a great partner and my parents live nearby and helped out. We had au pairs early on and great daycares. My clients are amazing and value work-life balance, which also has a big impact on my own work-life balance. Still, I really struggled with balance early on. I loved my job, but I also traveled a lot before kids. For a while I felt like I had to choose between a career I loved, that required travel, and motherhood. What I learned is when it comes to work-life balance, I really need both. I need to be able to do work I love without sacrificing my personal priorities. I learned that the hard way when I took a no-travel consulting job so I could be home every night. I was bored to tears. So, rather than just jump to another role, I had to rethink what I wanted my career to look like, what I wanted my life to look like and then start making that happen.  

 I decided to start my own consulting practice focused on physician strategy and alignment, which is the work I really loved. I traveled very little to do it. It was a risk, but my husband was all in on this plan too, and it proved to be the right decision from a work, family and financial perspective. During the pandemic, though, I had to cut back in order to homeschool. Even then, it was important to me, for my mental health, to continue to work through the pandemic. So I restructured what I offer and how I do my work so that it requires less of a rigid work schedule, while still allowing me to serve my clients.

Final Thoughts

The experience of transitioning my career when I became a mother felt very isolating at the time. I was 39 at the time, and at a senior level. There were no other senior level women at the firm with young children. There was no one to talk with, relate to or even share ideas with. It was taboo to even mention your family. No one bats an eye when dogs are heard barking on conference calls, but if a baby cries or a child’s voice is heard, it’s an instant blow to a mom’s credibility. And it was not the same for my colleagues who are fathers. Sadly, this is when a lot of talented women exit firms. That model needs to change because there’s a lot of valuable experience we miss out on when we lose mothers, not just in the workforce, but specifically in the roles where they excelled. Again, that’s why the work you are doing is essential and so valuable.