It all started with Twitter. I don’t know who “followed” whom or “tweeted at” the other first.  But that is how Tom Spiggle and I first “met.”  Given I had written the book, Back to Work After Baby, and Tom is the author of You’re Pregnant, You’re Fired, there were bound to be synergies between us.

One day, I saw an advertisement for a lunch event the D.C. Bar was holding on navigating working parenthood as a lawyer.  And guess who was moderating the panel?  None other than Tom.  Seeing the perfect opportunity to take our Tweeting and mutual interests into analog, “in real life” format, I attended the session and introduced myself after the event.  I believe we may have swapped books on the spot.  And the rest is history.

Last summer, Tom invited me to be a guest on his Parents at Work podcast, an invitation I accepted with much enthusiasm.  After we recorded the episode entitled “Smoothly re-entering the workforce after parental leave” (here, if you’d like to listen), I figured he’d moved onto other podcast guests, and that would be the end of our podcasting collaboration.

But I was wrong! Realizing there was perhaps more that could be done with the podcast platform he created, Tom reached out to ask if I would like to co-host the podcast with him.  And take it in a new direction.

Had the thought crossed my mind that it might be fun to host a podcast at some point?  By all means, yes.  Had I thought 2019 was my year to do that?  By all means, no.  (That definitely wasn’t part of my 2019 annual planning session!)  Yet when life hands you an opportunity, my philosophy is that you run with it.

What’s the New Format for the Parents at Work Podcast?

Each month, Tom and I will be interviewing a group of working moms and a group of working dads, who are all in one specific industry or sector.  You’ll hear one podcast episode where we’ve interviewed working moms in that field, talking about things like what it’s like to be a mom in that industry, and what supports (or lack of supports) were in place for them when they became parents.  Then, you’ll also hear another episode of the same interview questions, but on the working dad side of things.

We’re looking to cross-pollinate ideas across industries and sectors.  And we hope to let folks who are considering parenthood in various fields know what life is like in that area.  In our first months’ episodes, we’ll be starting with lawyers (we are both attorneys, after all), and then we’ll be moving on the following month to HR professionals.

Stay tuned as we make our way through a wide variety of professions!

Where Can I Listen?

All those places life brings you podcasts, of course.  For the first episode of Tom and I together, talking about our efforts at joining forces, listen here: Joining Forces to Help You Balance Work and Parenthood.

Please follow, review, and share the Parents at Work Podcast!

Back to Work After BabyIf you need more help getting your head in a better place to return to work after maternity leave, join us for  the next session of Mindful Return.

Want more practical tips on working parenthood?  Check out my book, Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave.  

 

Our Gift To You

At Mindful Return, we know that calm, thoughtful planning, and time for reflection, are keys to success in working parent life. Our FREE guide, 99 Questions to Ask Yourself Before, During, and After Maternity Leave, is our gift to you and your new bundle of joy.

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