WorkLife Presents: Mom's at Work

Apr 04 2025 26 ep. 28 mins

WorkLife Presents: Mom's at Work Podcast artwork

WorkLife Presents: Mom's at Work is a six-part narrative series that will shine a light on the conditions women face when pursuing their careers while caring for their children.

Hosted by WorkLife founding editor Jessica Davies, the series will provide a personal look into the lives of working moms -- including Davies herself and various executives across industries -- as well as explore what companies can, and in some cases are, doing to support parents in the workforce, with interviews featuring HR professionals and subject-matter experts.

Business Society & Culture

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

The Price of Parenthood: Why raising a family is more expensive than ever

Apr 04 2025 31 mins

For working moms, the rising cost of raising a family isn’t just a financial burden — it’s a daily source of stress that impacts careers, well-being, and the ability to plan for the future. In this episode, we dive into the rising financial pressures facing working parents today. From the skyrocketing costs of childcare, school supplies, summer camps, and college tuition to t

Ticker Tape Minds: How moms make it all work and why we need to talk about It

Mar 28 2025 29 mins

Working moms constantly juggle two nonstop ticker tapes — one filled with work deadlines, the other carrying the endless mental load of motherhood. It’s a daily reality that rarely gets the attention it deserves. In this episode, we discuss the daily dance that so many moms perform: the push and pull of balancing professional goals and financial stability with family responsib

From baby to bias: The hidden struggles of moms returning to work

Mar 21 2025 33 mins

Returning to work after maternity leave should be a transition, not a battle — but for many women, it’s anything but smooth. In this episode of Mom’s at Work, we explore the hidden struggles of working mothers re-entering the workplace, especially in hostile or unsupportive environments. From being sidelined or laid off to facing subtle (and not-so-subtle) biases, many mother

Starting a family, the Rising Demand for Fertility Support and Navigating a Company’s Benefits

Mar 14 2025 35 mins

Starting a family is one of the most exciting moments in life. But for so many people, the reality comes with unexpected hurdles — whether it's struggling with fertility, figuring out what benefits your job actually offers, or realizing, too late, that your employer doesn’t provide much support at all.` Fertility issues are more common than ever, and the cost of treatments like

The Impossible Juggle: Why Flexibility Matters for Working Moms—And What’s Still Missing

Mar 07 2025 38 mins

Being a working mom is hard. Being a working mom with a child who has extreme medical needs? That’s a whole other level. In our first episode, host Jess Davies and Katie Martin, EVP of marketing agency Front Row talk about their personal stories of navigating intense caregiving journeys while juggling careers, and how they spent three years sending each other daily voice notes �

How AI can help managers with Bethany Lopušnak and Colette Stallbaumer

May 27 2024 49 mins

If there is one thing that has revolutionized the working world this past year, it’s the surging popularity of generative artificial intelligence. Technology like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s CoPilot can take notes for you, draft emails, summarize meetings, write performance reviews, provide tips for tough conversations, and as I’ve learned, even write you an introduction for your

Where do Middle Managers Find Support for Themselves? with Erin Mantz

May 20 2024 28 mins

One of the most common ways workers can find support and camaraderie is through a union. But what if your role doesn’t allow you to be a part of a union? That’s the case for middle managers. According to the National Labor Relations Act, managers are prevented from joining unions because it creates a conflict of interest. So where does that leave managers when it comes to suppo

How to Have Hard Conversations as a Manager with Julia Toothacre

May 13 2024 27 mins

A therapy session and a one-on-one with your manager can be eerily similar. In fact, middle managers are often navigating tough conversations with team members. That is heightened today in this return to work era that puts new dynamics at the forefront like hybrid and remote work. Those conversations range from figuring out a flexible work schedule so that your team member feels co

Rethinking the Manager Career Path with Rob Pierre

May 06 2024 34 mins

What does it look like when an organization doesn’t have any middle managers at all? In our last episode, we spoke to Cary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology and health at the University of Manchester, about the pitfalls of promoting an “accidental manager.” He doubled down on why the best player doesn’t always make the best coach, why proper management traini

How Companies Can Avoid Creating an Accidental Manager with Cary Cooper

Apr 29 2024 31 mins

In the sports world, the best players don’t always make the best coaches. Wayne Gretsky is called hockey’s “Great One” for a reason. As a player, he won 4 Stanley Cups and 9 MVP awards. But what some people may not know is that he also coached in the NHL. In his four seasons coaching the Phoenix Coyotes, they didn’t make the playoffs once. That story often repeats itself.