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Tips on living a calmer life as a working parent sent to your inbox every weekend
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These Authors Have Given Me a Masterclass in Working Parenthood |
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Dear Working Parents,
Authors of books have long been my teachers. My crushes. My inspiration. Did you know my first paid job in life was as a “page” in the children’s room of the West Shore Public Library in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania? I loved shelving the carts of books people returned, helping kids discover new authors…all of it. Back then, summer reading challenges were my jam, and I earned every single one of those pins, stars, and personal pan pizzas from BOOKIT.
I also had a hobby of writing to authors as a kid. Judy Blume sent me back a signed (in magic marker) copy of her paper newsletter when I wrote to her. A few authors sent me signed book plates. And Alexandra Ripley wrote me an actual letter after I wrote to her about having read Scarlett, which I framed and hung in my bedroom.
It turns out, I’m still in love with authors and their books. This past month, I kicked off my sixth season of Mindful Return book talks with authors of books that are helpful to working parents. Starting season six means that over the past 5+ years, I’ve somehow managed to interview 44 (!!!!!) amazing authors.
I read every page of their books before I dive into each conversation, and I prepare detailed questions for each person through the lens of working parenthood. I’m proud to say that the authors I interview frequently comment on just how meaningful, thoughtful, and fun our conversations have been. I learn so much. They love to share their work. The monthly event is a win-win for everyone.
It’s no wonder, then, that I keep coming back for more.
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These Authors Have Given Me a Masterclass
I’m now able to look back at the body of interviews I’ve done over the years and see them as the rich and robust masterclass on working parenthood that they are. If I were designing a syllabus for working parents navigating both family and career challenges and opportunities, these books would be on it!
A colleague recently reached out to me, though, and asked where she could go to get all of the recordings from the various seasons of these conversations. And I came up short. The wisdom of all these amazing authors is just sitting there in my WebinarJam account!
Sure, I send each recording out to this newsletter list after we have the conversation, but until now, I hadn’t created one central location where anyone could access these incredible author interviews. Today, that changes. I’m excited to share with you a compilation of all of our seasons of Mindful Return book talks to date. I hope you’ll find these authors’ guidance as helpful as I have on my own working parent journey!
I want to invite you to join us for our future sessions. These are live, yes, on Thursdays from 12-1pm Eastern, and YOU get to interact with the authors of these incredible books. (I don’t monopolize all the Q&A time for myself!)
To sign up to be registered automatically – or automagically, as I prefer to say - for all of our future author conversations on working parenthood, simply fill out this short Book Talk Registration Form. We’ll send you links to join and the calendar invitations!
The 44 Authors I’ve Interviewed in Our Mindful Return Book Talks, & Links to The Recordings.
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#AmplifyVoices
Welcome to National Work & Family Month! October’s celebration is “designed to communicate and celebrate the progress towards creating healthier and more flexible work environments.” Here’s my challenge to you this month: pick one work colleague you haven’t spoken to about family before, and strike up a conversation about their family. Where are they from? Do they have any relatives who live nearby? Do they do any caregiving for children? Who do they call their family? Let’s normalize the reality that we all have family and life obligations in addition to our professional roles.
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Mindful Return Book Talks
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October 15, 12–1pm Eastern: Talking to Our Kids About IVF and Petri Dish Princess - Join me in conversation with Ali Prato, journalist, IVF mom, host of the award-winning Infertile AF podcast, and author of the Work of ART children’s book series. Ali’s newest book, Petri Dish Princess, tells the extraordinary true story of Elizabeth Carr, the first baby born via IVF in the United States, while giving today’s IVF children a joyful, age-appropriate way to understand and celebrate their own beginnings. In our conversation, we’ll explore the story behind Petri Dish Princess and how Ali and Elizabeth came together to bring this important piece of IVF history to a new generation. We’ll talk about how parents can have positive, age-appropriate conversations with children about IVF and assisted reproduction, and how books can help give families the language and confidence to begin those conversations. We’ll also discuss why representation matters for the growing number of families created through IVF and other forms of assisted reproductive technology, and how seeing their stories reflected in books can help children feel proud of the many wonderful ways families are made. Register here. |
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November 19, 2-3pm Eastern: The Leadership Labyrinth - Join me in conversation with Jade Floyd, author of The Leadership Labyrinth: Women Navigating Power and Purpose in a Changing World. Drawing on the experiences of women leaders from organizations including Rare Beauty, JPMorgan Chase, and ESPN, Jade explores what it really takes for women to navigate leadership, ambition, and purpose while staying true to themselves. In our conversation, we’ll explore why leadership doesn’t always follow a straight path and how women can embrace the pivots, pauses, and unexpected turns that shape their careers. We’ll talk about the importance of owning your experience and recognizing that you belong in the room, as well as how setting boundaries, asking for support, and making space to reconnect with your values can help you lead without losing yourself along the way. We’ll also discuss what it means to redefine leadership on your own terms, particularly while navigating the competing demands of work, family, and life. Register here. |
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Insight Timer
I have an announcement for all working moms: You Are Enough. Full stop. Whatever you are doing for your kids. Whatever you are doing for your job. Whatever you are doing for your home. Whatever you are doing for yourself. Doesn’t matter.
More specifically: it’s the doing that doesn’t matter to me in this announcement. “Enoughness” can be a slippery feeling. Look at your neighbor, or colleague, or at someone else’s social media post, and suddenly you’re thinking “but I’m not doing X.” Or “I should be doing Y.”
But sometimes, just sometimes, you can catch a glimmer of that enoughness feeling. It may not stick around as long as you’d like, but it’s there, hidden deep somewhere.
If you want that feeling to sink in longer today, I invite you to spend just 3 minutes with me.
Well, virtually. “You are Enough, Mama” is one of the meditations I made just for you, and you can click right to it on my new guide, “Meditations and Short Talks for Working Parents.” Let me know how you felt after you sank into enoughness for just a few minutes today.
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