Listen Now

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin continue with their two-part series on an issue that working parents in all careers, roles, and industries struggle with: how household labor gets divided.  In the second part of this series, Lori and Jason are excited to have an amazing dad, Sergio Rosario, joining them to carry on the conversation about the important, emotionally-charged, and controversial topic of who does what in the home!  Sergio was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Nine years ago, his life and work brought him to Virginia. He met his beautiful wife, also from Puerto Rico, and a US Army officer, seven years ago. They live in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but they will soon be moving back to Virginia. Sergio is a social worker, musician, educator, fatherhood advocate, the founder of Soy Super Papa, and the course coach and lead for Mindful Return’s Spanish Language Working Dad Course. Sergio and his wife have a five-year-old daughter named Stella. In this episode of Parents at Work, Sergio dives into what makes household labor a critical topic and why it is so full of emotion. He offers some excellent advice to help couples start a conversation about household labor and avoid allowing emotion to interfere with our discussions about chores. He also talks about the benefits of good communication and explains how he progressed towards taking responsibility in his relationship.  Stay tuned to today’s conversation to hear what Sergio has to say about finding common ground around a healthy division of household labor! Show highlights: When he met his wife, Sergio knew that he would have to make some lifestyle changes! (5:08) Sergio explains what motivated him to start helping parents communicate better. (9:03) Why does Sergio think household labor is such a critical and emotionally-charged topic? (11:55) Sergio and his wife approach their household labor as a common goal with no gender roles assigned. (12:37) Sergio offers some advice to help people avoid becoming emotional around household tasks. (14:07) Sergio describes the systems that he and his wife use in their home. (15:35) How Sergio and his wife progressed in their relationship around issues related to household labor. (21:42) How Sergio and his family have benefited from having good communication. (24:28) Lori randomly draws a birthday celebration card from Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play deck for Sergio. They talk about birthday celebrations to see what comes up around the division of labor on that topic. (27:10) Sergio explains how partners can start a conversation about household labor. (32:37) How to address breakdowns in the division of labor. (38:11) The importance of having conversations about gender roles. (41:04) Links and resources: https://mcusercontent.com/ce5f549395234febf46aa4ac6/files/201bb852-e042-6945-5f39-59826fb2a7b5/MR_Flyer_Version_en_Espanol_Papas_que_trabajan_.pdf (Mindful Return’s Spanish Language Working Dad Course)  http://soysuperpapa.com/ (Soy Super Papa)   Mentioned in this episode: Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the book, Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch. https://parents-at-work.captivate.fm/relationshipbook (Ready Set Launch Book)

In this episode, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin took a detour from their usual pattern of interviewing moms and dads in different industries and sectors to discuss an issue that all working parents struggle with - how household labor gets divided. They have created a two-part series of special guests to dive into this important, juicy, and emotionally-charged topic!  Today, Lori and Jason are delighted to welcome Eve Rodsky to the podcast. Eve is a mom and a working parent celebrity. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling book Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). She is also the author of the brand-new book, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World.  Eve is a lawyer, and she has done extensive work in family mediation, strategy, and organizational management. She is married to Seth, and they have three children. Zach is thirteen, Ben is ten, and Anna is five.  In this episode of Parents at Work, Eve unpacks the relationship evolution that takes place in a marriage after the children come along. She shares the Fair Play origin story, explains the power of having systems in place, and plays a game with the Fair Play cards to help couples understand how baggage and assumptions make things emotionally charged.  Tune into today’s conversation to learn about the value of systems and find out how couples can share household chores without triggering each other. Show highlights: Eve talks about her first job as a bar mitzvah dancer. (4:16) How Eve started helping parents communicate better. (7:24) Eve explains why things become so emotionally charged in the home after the children start to arrive. (12:38) Eve plays a game with her Fair Play cards and explains what they represent. (14:10) Playing with the Fair Play cards helps people understand the baggage that tends to get caught up in the division of labor in the home. (23:46) Fair Play is an ownership mindset and a no excuse zone. Eve explains how it started to work in her home. (24:07) It is vital to understand the context of why people do things. (26:45) Why are systems vital in the home? (30:00) How to unlock the secret formula for boundaries, distance, and communication and start the conversation. (36:49) What allowed Eve to feel that she had started to make progress with issues around the division of labor in her home? (39:47) How to reframe or replace toxic messages and create a new way forward. (43:40) Eve talks about the Fair Play documentary. (48:44) Mentioned in this episode: Provide an Employee Benefit for Moms Returning After Maternity Leave Join over 75 companies who currently provide an employee benefit course to new Moms. Mindful Return is a 4 week course that will help your employee retention at this critical time in your employee's life. https://parents-at-work.captivate.fm/for-employers (Mindful Return Course Ad)

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin continue with their tradition of interviewing moms and dads in different industries and sectors. In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori and Jason focus on the narrow yet important niche of dads in executive search and interview the dynamic dads, Julian Ha and Patrick Gray!  Julian has been an Executive Search Consultant for more than fifteen years. He is a former corporate attorney, venture capitalist, and investment banker. He is a partner with Heidrick & Struggles, based in Washington DC, and a member of the firm’s CEO and Board practice. He leads the firm’s global Government Affairs and Trade Association work and co-leads their Professionals of Color Employee Resource Group. Julian has been married to his wife, Annette, for almost twenty years. They have two teenage boys, a ten-year-old daughter, and a rescue dog called Blake. Patrick is a former US Army Intelligence Officer. He has been an Executive Search Consultant for almost twenty years. He established the DC area office in the Aerospace and Defence practice at Raines International, and he leads their Industrial practice. Raines is an executive search and leadership advisory firm with nine offices.  Patrick has been married to his wife, Megan, for 24 years, and they have four children. Aiden is 21, Colin is 18, Rylan is 15, and Tristan is 13. Today, Julian and Patrick share candidly about their lives as working parents. They talk about what it is like to be dads in executive search and dive into workplace flexibility, support, normalizing paternity leave, and shaping the conversation around working parenthood.  Stay tuned today to hear Julian and Patrick’s uplifting working dad stories! Show highlights: Patrick’s working parent story started in graduate school. (3:31) Julian and his wife, Annette, wanted their kids to have an American suburban experience. (6:26) Julian likes to be an equal partner. He is very involved in raising his kids. (8:57) Working in executive search, Julian has found more flexibility to do pick-ups and drop-offs and be more involved in his kids’ activities. (9:59) Evolving technology in the executive search business has allowed Patrick more flexibility as a working dad. (10:56) Julian is fortunate to be part of a firm that is conscious of being collaborative, and in which parents are encouraged to support one another. (13:33) Patrick talks about the financial benefits available for families and the changing conversation around fathers taking parental leave. (16:04) Julian describes the pro-active support provided by his firm to allow fathers to take parental leave. (20:40) Parenthood has helped Patrick become more patient and empathetic over the years. (22:20) Being a parent has taught Julian time management skills and adaptability. (23:55) Patrick and Julian talk about their roles as dads in executive search to shape the conversation around working parenthood. (27:24) What can candidates do to work better with someone in executive search? (32:52) Patrick advises working parents to become resilient and learn to bounce back quickly! (39:04) Julian feels that flexibility is vital for working parents! (44:20) Links and resources: https://www.heidrick.com/en/ (Heidrick & Struggles) https://rainesinternational.com/aerospace-defense-and-government-services/ (The Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services at Raines Internationa)l https://www.aesc.org/ (The Association of Executive Search Consultants) https://www.blinkist.com/ (Blinkist) https://dailydad.com/ (The Daily Dad) Books mentioned: https://amzn.to/3vF0tOj (Relationships to Infinity: The Art and Science of Keeping in Touch, by Jason Levin) https://amzn.to/3F9SvzC (The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss) Mentioned in this episode: Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the...

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are happy to be back after a winter hiatus! In this episode of Parents at Work, they pick up on their tradition of interviewing moms and dads in various industries and sectors. Today, Lori and Jason talk to two inspiring moms, Christina Cary and Debbie Tang, both professionals in executive search.   Christina is a partner at Heidrick & Struggles. Her search work focuses on functional roles in human resources, including CHRO, CPO, divisional and regional heads of HR, and centers of excellence leaders in talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, HR operations, total rewards, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Christina is a member of the Georgetown University board of governors. She is a former president of Hoyas Unlimited, Georgetown’s annual fundraising arm for athletics that supports excellence across all the university’s 29 intercollegiate sports.  Christina’s most important job is being a mom to her son Benjamin and daughter Abigail. Benjamin, known as Ben, Bennie, or Bubba, is a funny, curious, and loving little boy who will turn five in June. Abigail, also known as Abby, is a rambunctious, smiley, fearless little girl who will be two in April. Christina is married to Patrick (Pat), and the Carey family resides in Bethesda, Maryland. Debbie Tang is a partner at Bridge Partners, a black-owned executive search firm focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Debbie leads global executive searches in both the private and public sectors, from Fortune 100 companies to universities, non-profits, and government agencies. She recruits diverse senior executives across all functions, including CEO, CFO, General Counsels, Chief Legal Officers, Board, and regulatory leaders, in a wide variety of industries.  Debbie is actively involved in the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the District of Columbia. She is also on the board of the Washington Project for the Arts and the Norwood School. She received a BA degree from McGill University and a JD from Washington and Lee School of Law, where she served on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. Debbie has a nine-year-old son, Ben, and a six-year-old daughter called C.C. In today’s conversation, Christina and Debbie talk openly and honestly about being parents in executive search. They share their struggles, talk about workplace support systems, and get into finding the right work-life balance. They also discuss the value of developing relationships with colleagues who are also parents and the support systems they would like to have in the workplace.  Stay tuned today to hear Debbie and Christina’s encouraging accounts of their lives as working moms. Show highlights: When Debbie started working crazy hours as an associate in big law before she became a mom, she used to wonder how the female partners with kids did it. (4:13) Christina has experienced a lot of parent flexibility in the executive search world. (7:55) Christina found the unpredictable world of executive search an excellent training ground for becoming a parent. (10:52) Now that Debbie has kids, she finally understands why high-powered executives sometimes make million-dollar career decisions based on their children. (13:08) Debbie explains why she found it easier to be a parent in executive search during the pandemic, when travel demands were reduced. (13:35) There are days when Christine feels that she is not doing what she needs to do in any area of her life - as a mom or at work. (14:25) Being mentored by a colleague who is a father of five has helped Christina immensely. (15:53) Heidrick & Struggles has recently implemented a formalized employee assistance program for anyone experiencing mental health issues. (17:00) At Bridge, they have two partners working on every search. That has made a world of difference to Debbie as a working parent. (18:01)...

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin continue with their tradition of interviewing moms and dads in various professional roles.  Today, Lori and Jason talk to two amazing CEO dads, Bob Spagnoletti and Charles Bonello. Bob serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the District of Columbia Bar, and Charlie is the Co-founder and CEO of Vivvi, a provider of childcare and early education for children of all ages.  The District of Columbia Bar is the largest integrated bar in the United States, with over 110,000 members practicing in fifty states and more than eighty countries. Bob also serves as the Executive Vice President of the DC Bar Pro Bono Center, an independent 501(c)(3) affiliate of the DC Bar. The Pro Bono Center recruits, trains, and mobilizes volunteer attorneys to take pro bono cases, serving individuals living in poverty who are at risk of losing their homes, livelihoods, and families. Bob and his husband, Bernard, have been together for twenty years. They have two boys, Hunter and Anthony, and one grandson. Vivvi has programs across the country, including on-campus, in-home, in-office, and virtual tutoring. Vivvi partners with employers of all different sizes to make child care more accessible and affordable to provide parents with peace of mind and allow employers the most powerful tool for recruiting retention and productivity. Before co-founding Vivvi, Charlie co-founded Grand Central Tech and was a venture partner at RTP Ventures. He is a graduate of Tufts University and currently lives in New York with his wife and their three children.  In today’s conversation, Bob and Charlie share their respective journeys as working fathers who also happen to be CEOs. Bob talks about his and his husband’s experience of fostering and then adopting children as a same-sex couple. Charlie describes what it was like to go from an academic exercise in childcare to needing childcare in real life. They also discuss what it has been like, day-to-day, being both parents and CEOs, how their parenting experiences have enhanced their careers, and how their careers have helped them become better parents. Stay tuned to hear Bob and Charlie’s inspiring stories! Show highlights: Bob talks about how his older son, Hunter, came to him and Bernard, as a foster child, in the mid-90s. (3:52) Bob and Bernard adopted Anthony many years after Hunter came into their lives. (4:58) Bob worked the whole time, and Bernard, a special-ed teacher, took time off work when they had Anthony. (5:45) Charlie got to see first-hand the impact that child care had on working families and their employers. That inspired him to go out and make things happen! (8:40) Although it took a lot of juggling, serving families in need of childcare during the desperate time of COVID motivated Charlie and his wife, a nurse, to keep on going out and driving their programs. (10:05) Being both a parent and a CEO can sometimes feel all-consuming. Charlie explains how he manages to cope with both roles successfully. (12:34) Being a parent and a CEO has sensitized Bob to the parental concerns and issues that members of his staff are facing. (15:01) It was helpful for Bob to have a diverse executive team, great work colleagues, flexibility, and the power to make operating decisions when he became a parent. (17:34) Offering free childcare to all his employees has proven to be the most impactful and effective recruiting, retention, and productivity tool ever for Charlie. (20:47) The DC Bar now has a policy in place that allows moms, dads, and adoptive parents to take time off after the birth of their children. (26:40) Back-up care is an essential resource for working parents. (30:21) Bob feels the need to jump in and fix things that are broken. As a parent, he has worked hard to figure out who needs to be addressing a problem before jumping in. (32:55) Parenthood has helped Charlie improve his communication and how he...

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are back after taking a break to take an 8,153-mile car trip across the country! In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori and Jason interview Christian Nunes and Radhika Patil, two inspiring CEO moms.   Christian Nunes, MBA, MS, LCSW, is the National President of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She has been the National President since August 2020. Before that, she was appointed Vice President by the board in May 2019. Christian is the second African American president in the organization’s history, the youngest person of color, and the youngest president of the organization in more than 40 years. Christian leads the organization through an intersectional lens and brings together a diverse affiliation of grassroots activists to work against structural sexism and racism. In addition, Christian is the founder of a behavioral health and consulting practice. Her mental health expertise assists her in understanding the constituents’ experience. It also helps her understand where policy and legislation are disconnected from the real experience of the people. Christian lives with her 2-year-old son, CJ, near Washington, D.C. Christian and CJ love taking short day trips to parks, outdoor festivals, zoos, and farms in the DMV area in their spare time. Radhika Patil is the co-founder and CEO of Cradlewise and mom to a 7-year old and a 4-year-old. Cradlewise is a baby tech company based in Silicon Valley. Their first product is a smart crib for babies with an integrated contactless baby monitor that automatically starts rocking along with music to soothe the baby back to sleep, just like a parent, at the first signs of wakeup. Since building the crib for her babies, Radhika has been on a sleep fitness mission to help other parents. Radhika’s husband is the other co-founder of Cradlewise. In her spare time, Radhika loves to hike, garden, and read books with her kids.  In today’s conversation, Christian and Radhika give open and candid accounts of their experiences as working parents who also happen to be CEOs of organizations. They talk about the workplace supports they enjoyed after becoming parents and those they would like to have had. They also discuss the career-related skills their parenthood experience helped them develop, recount parenthood-related micro-aggressions they have experienced, share their best advice for navigating life as a working parent, and much, much more! Stay tuned to hear the motivating and encouraging conversation with these two amazing working moms! Show highlights: Having her child later in life has made Christian’s journey interesting, fun, and challenging. (4:33) There is more acceptance now than ever before for taking time off for kids. (7:10) It is sometimes hard for Radhika to separate her work from her personal life. (10:05) It can be challenging to find a healthy work-life balance while taking ownership of your life in the process. (14:02) Sometimes, you need to take some time to do things for yourself. (14:55) Christian’s infant son went with her when she had to travel for work. (16:24) Since becoming the president of her organization, Christian has added extra support for working parents. (17:19) Having daycare on site where she worked would have been a game-changer for Radhika after her baby was born. (23:31) Having a toddler has helped Christian understand people’s mood changes a lot better. (28:15) Coping with micro-aggressions and shaping the conversation around working parents. (32:01) Figuring out your goals as a CEO and as a parent. (36:44) Having a schedule is vital for working parents. (42:48) Links and resources: http://www.carer.com/ (Carer.Com)  http://audible.com/ (Audible) https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Your-Childs-Brain-Conception/dp/1608199339 (Welcome to Your Child’s Brain) by Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt https://cradlewise.com/ (Cradlewise) https://now.org/ (National Organization for...

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin interview Mark Versen and Dale Wright. Mark is the Chief Development Officer (CDO) of the Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. In 2020, he set a record for total annual fundraising by hitting $7 Million including the largest gift in Lutheran Family Services history of the 128 years of $3 Million while surpassing 22% growth in total number of donors. Mark is a seasoned professional with experience in private and public higher education institutions and executive leadership in the health and human services non-profit sector. He’s a firm believer that philanthropy changes lives. Mark and his wife Jesse have two children and they reside in Louisville, Nebraska. Dale is the Associate Dean and Chief Advancement Officer for the Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He’s responsible for the strategy and operations on fundraising and constituent engagement, and he’s the campaigns director for the college’s $550 Million goal in the With Illinois $2.25 Billion comprehensive campaign. As of today, the college is at 109% of its goal. Over the last 20+ years, Dale has held a variety of alumni and fundraising engagement goals in higher education. He’s an active CASE volunteer and also holds membership in organizations such as the African American Development Officers Network and The Association of Fundraising Professionals. He’s also involved in other non-profit work as well including serving on the executive committee of the board of directors for the American Legion, Boys State of Missouri. Dale loves his family and knows he wouldn't be where he is today without the support of his wife and his four daughters.  It’s going to be a really interesting episode as these two dads talk about the most exciting things in fundraising, how they look at things from a completely different angle in order to change advancement, the power of integrating ones family into their work, and the working parenthood challenges they’ve successfully navigated all through their careers. Tune in and get inspired. Show Highlights Dramatic ups and downs Mark went through when he unexpectedly fell into his working parent journey (03:36) The value of having an incredible community of 120+ helpers (07:01) How Dale and his wife were able to navigate being first time parents and working on their thriving careers (08:48) Learning to turn off the fundraising mode whenever it’s time to go be a parent (15:41) Mark’s experience with being a parent who works as a fundraising professional (19:00) Parental workplace support systems that they have benefitted from all through their careers (25:13) Moving away from the previous way of doing things in fundraising to focus more on relationship building (29:59) Finding a way to shut things off in a constantly connected world (33:49) Why we should be mindful of the habits that we pick up (35:33) Links and Resources https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 (Good to Great By Jim Collins) https://www.amazon.com/All-Labor-Dignity-King-Legacy/dp/0807086029 (All Labor Has Dignity By Martin Luther King Jr.) https://www.mindfulreturn.com/freemie/ (What's a Freemie? A genius invention for working parents) https://readysetlaunch.net/ (Jason's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlevincareercoach/ (Jason on Linkedin) https://www.mindfulreturn.com/ (Lori's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimihalichlevin/ (Lori on Linkedin)

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin interview two amazing working moms who are leaders in the fundraising profession, Pradnya Haldipur and Kara Barnes.  Pradnya Haldipur is the Vice President of Development at Code.org, where she leads fundraising and philanthropic strategy. She has more than 24 years of development and management experience in a myriad of national and international settings. She went to Code.org with experience from prestigious academic medical institutions such as Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC, Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, and Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as think tanks, global development organizations, and the arts. Over the course of her career, she has raised more than $145M to support research, capital projects, endowment, operations, and programmatic projects.  Pradnya was born in Mumbai, India but grew up in New Jersey. She resides in Silver Spring, MD, with her husband Joe Clemons, their children, Mirza Cate (age 8) and Xavier Anant (age 6) who are avid Code.org users. Kara Barnes is the Senior Director of Planned Giving at American University in Washington D.C. where she helps donors structure gift arrangements that create a meaningful legacy at the university and positive change in the world. She has over 20 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, with a focus on major gifts and planned giving. She has served in development positions in the arts and public media as well as higher education. Kara is a proud mid-westerner and lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Dave and son Lewis. Pradnya and Kara share the tensions and benefits of being working moms involved in mission-based roles that they are very passionate about, and how they manage to stay committed to their work and families while maintaining good physical and mental health. You won’t want to miss this truly engaging conversation about boundaries, relationship-building, and passion.. The lessons to learn are unmatched. So stay tuned! Show Highlights Being a mom while moving the mission forward at work (03:15) Kara’s working mom story: Integrating her love and passion for fundraising into her family life (05:11) How to go about boundary setting between work and family (09:11) The lack of more extensive maternity leave policies and the harm it causes (12:15) Anticipated changes in non-profits that will be geared towards better support systems for their employees (17:02) Changes happening in the fundraising industry that will affect working parents (21:32) How having children has made these leaders more successful in their careers (25:20) Forming great work relationships from the authenticity of inviting who you are and your family life into your work related interactions (28:14) Kara’s way of staying grounded in her work and family life (32:12) Adopting a mindset of loving both work and home life while using technology to achieve balance (35:37) Links and Resources https://pepparent.org/ (Positive Encouragement Parenting) https://www.mindfulreturn.com/freemie/ (What's a Freemie? A genius invention for working parents) https://readysetlaunch.net/ (Jason's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlevincareercoach/ (Jason on Linkedin) https://www.mindfulreturn.com/ (Lori's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimihalichlevin/ (Lori on Linkedin)

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin interview Jewelyn Cosgrove, a government affairs professional in Washington D.C. Jewelyn currently serves Melwood, a 501(c)(3) organization serving people with disabilities, as the Vice President of government relations, bringing with her 15 years of experience in public policy, lobbying, and advocacy. Outside of work, Jewelyn is passionate about elevating the needs of mothers and families and serves as the treasurer of Raising Our Future Political Action Committee, a PAC that’s aimed at electing congressional candidates that prioritize the needs of families.  Jewelyn’s work has been focused on promoting and empowering parents to negotiate and advocate for their needs. She lives in Asheville, Virginia with her husband Greg, two children, and their two amazing cats. She is an alumna of the Mindful Return program and continues to serve the program as a coach to new mums. Jewelyn shares how Lori’s program, Mindful Return, helped her with her career and motherhood and highlights the fact that being a working mom, especially with more than one kid, means more work and a bigger family that you'll want to keep happy and strong.  Organizational skills become more important than ever when you mix in growing your career, and Jewelyn has learned to manage “balancing” her time on a weekly basis, instead of getting obsessed about day-to-day work-life balance. You’ll want to join this lively conversation to learn more about life as a parent who works on Capitol Hill, the challenges of working in government affairs and parenting at the same time, navigating challenging conversations with your kids, and most importantly, how to figure out your own effective way of successfully parenting your kids while growing your career. Show Highlights Parenting her 5 and 2-year-old children (03:08) Finding Mindful Return and how she was able to recreate and reimagine herself and her career (03:43) Thriving at balancing things over a week instead of being too focused on work-life balance on a daily basis (05:13) What it’s like being a parent in a government relations role (07:46) Explaining her workdays to her kids in an age-appropriate manner (10:34) How she applies her skill in managing disagreements on the hill into managing disagreements with her kids (12:26) The most fulfilling thing about her work with Raising Our Future (15:54) Having a wonderful boss who supported her in her needs both as a parent and career woman (18:12) Support that she expects parents to get from their workplaces in this day and age (21:02) Working in the environment of uncertainty and new ways of doing things brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic (25:09) Remembering who “The Enemy” is when the going gets tough (29:32) How Freemies changed her working parenting life (32:32) Links and Resources   Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff What's a Freemie? A genius invention for working parents Jason's Website Jason on Linkedin Lori's Website Lori on Linkedin

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin interview two working dads who work in government relations: Clif Porter and Jeff McNichols.  Clif is the Senior Vice President of government relations at the American Healthcare Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), which represents more than 14,000 for-and not-for-profit nursing homes, assisted living residences, and facilities for the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.   He has been married for 31 years and has three children (Chanel, 28, Christian, 25, and Clifton, 22). He has served in various leadership positions within his local church and has been actively involved in several professional and community organizations. Jeff is the Director of the Alliance for Congress at the Partnership for Public Service, a new program committed to strengthening the institution of congress to better serve the American public. His career in government affairs began in 2004 when he left the Navy to work as a congressional staffer. Subsequent opportunities took him to the Department of Defence and the Boston Consulting Group. Jeff has been married for eight years and has two children (ages 5 and 3) The four of us dug into the life cycle of a government relations career, what it’s like to work as a congressional staffer, the adjustments to make when one has to constantly travel for work to ensure that they still stay engaged as a parent, creating a work environment where parents feel that their family life is considered, thriving at raising kids while building a successful career, and so much more. Cliff and Jeff’s candor on their experience as working parents in the government relations space was not just incredibly insightful but inspirational. Stay tuned for more. Show Highlights Clif’s “Quarterback and running back” working parent story (02:56) Being an older dad: John’s joyous experience as a working parent (05:27) How working in government service has been beneficial in achieving work-life balance (07:42) Why working as a congressional staffer is a “Young person’s game” (09:00) The parental friction and challenges that Jeff had to overcome when his government affairs career started picking up (11:45) Adjustments to make when you have to travel for work and need to stay engaged in your parental role (13:17) Having an honest conversation with your boss towards helping you achieve work-life balance that will support your parenting efforts (16:35) Leading employees who are parents and being sensitive to their needs (18:07) Workplace supports that Jeff found helpful as he became a working parent (20:07) Transitioning into the non-profit sector from government relations, at a time when the federal government is so far behind in providing support structures for working parents (22:00) Current changes in government relations that are affecting working parents (26:52) The broad impact of the merger of working life and real life (29:25) Best piece of advice from Jeff for navigating life as a working parent (31:20) Valuing coordination between parents and how powerful it really is (34:17) Flying the Kite: Achieving big things by celebrating small victories (36:14) Links and Resources Win the Day By Dr. Mark Batterson Jason's Website Jason on Linkedin Lori's Website Lori on Linkedin

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin interview Nedra Pickler. Nedra is a partner at the global public affairs firm, Finsbury Glover Hering, where she advises clients on communications strategy, including crisis communications, reputation management, thought leadership, and brand awareness. She brings deep perspective from inside the media after 17 years at The Associated Press and as a commentator on television and radio. Nedra covered the George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidencies, and the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns.  Nedra is a single mother to two amazing young boys and has successfully managed to thrive in her career despite the numerous challenges and bumps in the road that come with juggling the two. From constantly travelling on the campaign trail as a journalist covering presidential politics to dealing with different working parent challenges in the different roles she’s held throughout her career, Nedra has always found ways to make sure that she strikes some kind of balance between work and parenting her boys.  In this conversation, she talks about the advantages of working in public relations as a working parent and expresses her concerns about the issue of paid leave in America. At the end of this episode, you’ll have learned so much about how you can make it work as a working parent in a way that suits you and your kids, so don’t miss out. Show Highlights The working parent challenge of being on the campaign trail as a journalist covering presidential politics (03:01) How her mum “The Granny Nanny” enabled her to thrive in her career (04:16) Transitioning from journalism into government relations and some of the positive surprises that came with it (05:21) Why working in public affairs and government relations may just be the best job for you as a working parent (10:10) Types of workplace supports that were helpful for her as a parent (11:56) The value of having the one day a week work at home day and the need for paid leave in America (15:17) Why you should get the Gizmo Watch for your kids (18:53) Making sure you spend quality time with your kids, not being too hard on yourself and lowering your expectations (20:40) Links and Resources Why the White House Isn’t a Place for Mothers to Work, But Should Be Jason's Website Jason on Linkedin Lori's Website Lori on Linkedin

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori welcomes to the podcast her husband and new co-host, Jason Levin, MBA. Jason is the founder of Ready Set Launch, LLC where he helps organizations, professional associations, executives and lawyers with career transition and business development needs through outplacement, individual coaching, training and webinars. Jason comes on as a guest to share his own experience with parenting (during a pandemic!) while also holding down a job and working for himself in his own business.  Jason shares some empowering and actionable tips on everything from how to thrive at working from home with kids in the house, to how you can get your employer to be more accommodating of your needs as a working parent, and so much more. Tune in for a jam-packed 20-minute episode. Show Highlights Jason’s personal working parent journey: Working for someone and also going out on his own while being a parent (01:47) Setting clear goals on what you need to get done and how working for yourself goes back to sales (03:45) Concentrating on work when working from home especially during the pandemic (06:08) The Wall: How he created space for himself so he could focus more on achieving his work goals (08:30) The number one career tip for working parents as they ease back into the post Covid-19 vaccine world (09:50) How to recenter yourself throughout the day to be consistently focused (10:54) Navigating a world where the industry you worked for or your career was turned on its head by the Covid-19 pandemic (12:11) How to approach and negotiate with your employer to keep you while enabling you to parent better (18:07)   Links and Resources To Sell is Human By Daniel Pink Jason@ReadySetLaunch.net https://readysetlaunch.net/ (Jason's Website) Jason on Linkedin https://www.mindfulreturn.com/ (Lori's Website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimihalichlevin/ (Lori on Linkedin)

Being a working parent can be a long and intimidating journey, but we are fortunate to live in a time when there is an array of resources to support you on your path. Today’s guest is none other than Tom Spiggle, founder of the Parents at Work Podcast and Spiggle Law, an employment law firm. Co-host Lori Mihalich-Levin interviews Tom about his inspiration for starting the podcast, as well as his own personal journey as a working parent. Join Lori and Tom in this conversation for tips on how to navigate your working parent journey and to say farewell to Tom in his co-host role. Show Highlights:  Lori shares the story of Parents at Work  Tom shares his personal working parent story  Why Tom chose to educate people on the prejudices that happen in the workplace  What sparked Tom’s interest in employment law  Key take-aways from Tom’s book, You’re Pregnant, You’re Fired  Tom shares his experiences being a podcast host Consistent themes Tom’s seen throughout his interviews Tom talks about why he started the “I Got Fired” podcast  Tom’s favorite working parent technology and resources The importance of acknowledging the passing in parenthood Closing advice for the audience and Lori      Links:  https://www.spigglelaw.com https://www.mindfulreturn.com   Contact Lori:  Lori@mindfulreturn.com   Resources:  https://www.google.com/calendar/about/ https://www.paprikaapp.com https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/All-Joy-and-No-FunJennifer-Senior/1114315283?ean=9780062072269

In today’s episode, Tom Spiggle and Lori Mihalich-Levin interview two engineer dads about their experience as working parents. We are joined by Matt Jensen, Business Owner and Senior Project Manager at Kimley-Horn, who has been an engineer manager and structural design specialist for over 20 years. We were also joined by Paul Andrukonis, Director of Personalization for Citi’s US Consumer Digital organization.  Both dads share what it’s like to be a parent in the engineering field, as well as the cultural shifts that have been happening in the workplace. They discuss the importance of empathy and how client relationships have been impacted by developing a more common understanding, along with tangible tips on how to utilize a more flexible schedule. Join Tom Spiggle and Lori Mihalich-Levin in this interview to learn more about what it’s like to be a working dad in the engineering field.    Show Highlights:  Matt and Paul share their experiences as working parents  Having clear expectations of tasks is vital to successful co-parenting, when you’re both working parents  Matt and Paul share what it’s like to be a working parent as an engineer  The ability to work remotely and having a supportive community are huge benefits to working in engineering  Having parental leave for fathers and shared messaging are two work-place supports Paul wishes he would have had  Having easy access to work within your schedule can help you be much more efficient as a working parent  Back-up childcare is a great benefit for companies to offer It’s okay to ask to have flexibility with clients and to do things at home  Being grateful for what you have and trying to be understanding of others is important to help build empathy and be an effective working-parent  Matt and Paul share digital resources they use to make parenthood easier  Finding time for self-care is important to be your best self    Links:  https://www.spigglelaw.com https://www.mindfulreturn.com Contact Lori:  Lori@mindfulreturn.com

What is it like to be a mom in a field where only 15% of practitioners are women?  In this episode of the Parents at Work Podcast, we interview Dhruva Lahon and Victoria Hills, who share what it’s like to be working mom engineers.  They talk about the experience of being managed, of managing others, and of parenting during COVID.  They also share how they found supports in this male-dominated field, along with how they leaned on family and friends and adopted flexible hours.  Join Tom Spiggle and Lori Mihalich-Levin in this knowledge-filled and inspiring conversation.    Show Highlights:    How having children changed Dhruva’s work life  Victoria shares how having children changed her work life  What it’s like to be a parent in the engineering field What it’s like to be a woman engineer  Beneficial work supports that Dhruva had as a new working parent  Work supports Dhruva wished she had  Work Supports that improved Victoria’s working parent experience  Why extended maternity leave improves the working parent experience and is an excellent retention tool How AI and technology is impacting working parents  Why you should utilize support from and for other moms in your workplace  Resources to navigate life as a working parent Why you should take life one day at a time    Links:    https://www.spigglelaw.com   https://www.mindfulreturn.com   Contact Lori:    Lori@mindfulreturn.com     Resources:    https://www.google.com/calendar/about/

Being a working parent looks different for every career, every family, and every parent. In today’s episode, Robin Smith, licensed marriage and family therapist shares his experience as a working dad in the mental health field. He shares wise insights, including the self-inflected pressure that can occur as a parent from having heightened awareness as a mental health professional, the shifts happening due to COVID-19, what it looks like to have grace and compassion for yourself and your children, and the many elements of being self-employed. Join Tom Spiggle and Lori Mihalich-Levin in this interview for incredible insight and advice from Robin Smith.    Show Highlights:  Robin shares his working parent story and how he navigated parental leave  Robin talks about how COVID has impacted his profession and how he’s used positive reinforcement to make a better environment to work at home  There’s great diversity in the experiences mental health professionals have  How being a mental health professional impacts work-life balance  Being a mental health professional can increase the strive for perfectionism and the feelings of shame when it isn’t met  Being self-employed can allow for flexibility but also means there are no professional supports  Why Robin wishes he would’ve had working dad groups to talk with during transitioning into parenthood  Transitioning into a digital space has been a major shift and has been difficult for many therapists  How will COVID change the future of therapy  Why intentionality is more important now than ever before  Why we should start with having self-compassion as a working-parent  Robin shares books and technology that have helped him on his working-parent journey    Links:  https://www.spigglelaw.com https://www.mindfulreturn.com Contact Lori:  Lori@mindfulreturn.com Resources:  The Expectant Father And Baby Makes Three

This month, we’re focusing on moms and dads in the mental health field. And today we‘re delighted to be joined by two working moms who are mental health professionals, Dr. Elizabeth Allen and Dr. Aimee Danielson, to talk about navigating life as a working parent. Dr. Elizabeth Allen is an assistant professor of psychology and clinical psychiatry, and she’s also an assistant attending psychologist. She specializes in treating adolescents and young adults with anxiety disorders and OCD. Liz lives in New York, and she’s the mom of two girls, ages one and three.  Dr. Aimee Danielson is an associate professor of psychiatry and OB-Gyn, and she’s the director of a women’s mental health program that provides treatment and support for pregnant and postpartum women. Aimee has had the privilege of working with mothers every day for the last twenty years, supporting them through their transitions into motherhood. She lives with her very supportive partner and her three wonderful daughters, ages seven, ten, and thirteen, in Arlington, Virginia.   Be sure to listen in today, to benefit from Liz and Aimee‘s expertise, and to find out what they bring from their jobs to the way that they’re parenting their children.  Show highlights: Liz and Aimee share their working parent stories. Aimee talks about why she felt privileged, informed, and ready when she became a mother.   Aimee discusses the choice that she and her husband had to make when their eldest daughter was born with a serious health condition.  Aimee talks about the flexibility, creativity, and surrender that’s required from working parents. Looking at the different seasons of parenthood. Aimee explains why she feels that the mental health field is a good environment for working women. Some of the challenges of being a working mom in the mental health field. Liz talks about her experience of being a working mom in the mental health space. Being promoted and rising through the ranks can be difficult for working moms with small children. The kind of support that Liz and Aimee found helpful when they became working parents. The kind of support that Aimee and Liz would like to have had when they became parents. Transitioning from a work identity into a parent identity is important and can be difficult for men, when colleagues don’t know they became a parent. Women are feeling that they have to re-invent the wheel. Some things that would help working parents, going forward. Links:  Contact Lori:  https://www.mindfulreturn.com Lori@mindfulreturn.com    http://www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn (The Working Parent Group Network)    Contact Tom:  https://www.spigglelaw.com/podcasts/parents-at-work/ For a copy of “You’re pregnant, You’re fired”- tom@spigglelaw.com    Resources: Books mentioned: https://amzn.to/2BjNZSi (Laughter and Tears: The Emotional Life of New Mothers, )by Elisabeth Bing and Libby Colman Cribsheet, by Emily Oster  https://amzn.to/2XqOhPZ (Expecting Better), by Emily Oster https://amzn.to/3dsVODp (Back To work After Baby, )by Lori Mihalich-Levin The Awesomest 7 Year Postdoc or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tenure-Track Faculty Life, by Professor Radhika Nagpal on the Scientific American blog. App: https://carpool-kids.com/ (Carpool Kids)

COVID-19 has seemingly shifted everything about our work force and our family dynamics. As many of us are working from home and have children who are also now occupying that space, it can be a process to find a routine that works for everyone.    Today Tom Spiggle and co-host Lori Mihalich-Levin share what has worked for them in their shift to working from home and actionable tips for parents to find some small amount of sanity in their work and parenting.. Join Tom and Lori to learn more about how you can integrate a schedule and use connections to make your at-home experience as productive as possible.    Show Highlights:    What staying home has looked like for Lori’s family  How creating a schedule and focusing on the present can create a smoother transition to working from home  How Tom’s family is adjusting to COVID-19 shifts  Dealing with the struggles that accompany work shifts for employees and parents  The struggles of keeping children occupied and balancing work from home  Protections that accompany leave  Action steps to find peace amongst chaos  Reaching out to others and connecting as a community    Links:    Contact Lori:    https://www.mindfulreturn.com   Email Lori for Free Webinar on “How to Go Back to Work After Parental Leave” on April  2nd    Lori@mindfulreturn.com    Contact Tom:    https://www.spigglelaw.com/podcasts/parents-at-work/   For a copy of “You’re pregnant, You’re fired”- tom@spigglelaw.com

Professionals who work in corporate social responsibility often exude a passion for making a difference in their jobs.  What happens when CSR professionals are also passionate about their families?   In today’s interview, Tom Spiggle and co-host Lori Mihalich-Levin interview Justin Steele and Brian Breckenridge, to take a deep look at what it means to be a dad in the social impact field.   Justin Steele, Director at Google.org and leader of philanthropic grantmaking for the United States, Canada, and Latin America, shares how his position at Google has supported and improved his parenting experience. He discusses the benefits of a flexible work arrangement and how the trajectory of how we work as a society has drastically affected what it looks like to be a parent today.  Brian Breckenridge, Senior Director and Executive Director at Box.org, also shares the different dynamics of his family experience and how he’s incorporated mindfulness into his parenting techniques and career.  Join Tom Spiggle and co-host Lori Mihalich-Levin in this interview for great insight on not only the major impacts CSR is making today, but for practical tips to balance work and parent life.  Show Highlights:  Justin’s working parent story and what it was like having kids while in graduate school Brian’s working parent story and how his family journey has shifted over the years  How being a parent or spouse generally affects a career in the CSR industry  Interweaving work with parenthood and how CSR work can impact your children  How having a flexible work arrangement has been the greatest support for Justin  How work culture and managers can drastically impact working parents  The many benefits of CSR and the progressive approaches it’s taking with employees Changes occurring within the industry that are affecting working parents  Protecting emotional energy in a career that demands long hours and technological attention  Being conscious of phone use and time spent on social media outside of workspace  Finding balance in different areas of life and prioritizing how we invest our time  Critical resources for parents  Incorporating optimal living and mindfulness practices into parenting    Links:  Contact Lori:  https://www.mindfulreturn.com Lori@mindfulreturn.com  Contact Tom:  https://www.spigglelaw.com/podcasts/parents-at-work/ For a copy of “You’re pregnant, You’re fired”- tom@spigglelaw.com    Resources:  https://amzn.to/2wr1EEB (The Meritocracy Trap) by Daniel Marovitch https://amzn.to/32IANAh (Just Enough by Laura Nash) https://families.google.com/familylink/ https://www.mindfulschools.org/inspiration/mindful-reflection/ https://www.life360.com https://amzn.to/2IcGk8F (How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen)

Today’s guests, Abby Davisson and Anne Wintroub, are both mothers in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR, or corporate impact).  Abby, Senior Director at the Gap Foundation, launched and currently leads the employee network group for working parents at Gap Inc. She shares what her experience as a working parent at Gap Inc. has been, what her hiring and leave process looked like, as well as what inspired her to launch the employee network group. Anne, leader of social innovation at AT&T, discusses the many benefits of being a working parent in social impact and how her position has given her a new perspective on parenting and empowering kids with respect to media and technology..  Join Tom Spiggle and co-host Lori Mihalich-Levin in these captivating interviews to learn more about the shifts that are happening in corporate impact, how these shifts are affecting working parents, and raising socially conscious children, along with great tips for new parents.  Show Highlights:    Abby’s working parent story and how she made her career shift during pregnancy Abby’s experience being a mom in a corporate social impact position and how managers can improve unconscious bias towards pregnancy leave  What is corporate impact and how the field has shifted over the years  Support systems that made transitioning back to work easier  Systems that would improve the working parent experience  What inspired Abby to launch the employee network group for working parents  Changes that are currently happening in corporate impact and how it’s impacting working parents  Implementing the 10/10/10 model for making decisions  Resources Abby utilizes as a working parent   Anne’s working parent story and how her leave experience varied with each child Workplace supports that improved Anne’s experience returning from work Supports that would improve working parents’ experiences  How paying attention to positive digital culture and digital toxicity is changing the working parent experience  What is digital toxicity and encouraging young people to find their voice technology and media  Letting go of expectations as a parent and being light with yourself  Resources that Anne utilizes as a working parent    Links:    Contact Lori:    https://www.mindfulreturn.com   Lori@mindfulreturn.com    Contact Tom:    https://www.spigglelaw.com/podcasts/parents-at-work/   For a copy of “You’re pregnant, You’re fired”- tom@spigglelaw.com    Resources:  https://amzn.to/3cs4Gck (The Opposite of Spoiled) by Ron Leiber https://www.babyconnect.com https://amzn.to/2VGQO83 (Apple Watch Series 5)