Balance is Bullsh*t: The Real Stories of Blending Motherhood & Career

EP 12 Michelle Vu, anxiety, being a mom, boss and student at the same time, mat leave as a leader

Michelle Vu is here! Michelle is a revenue leader, a mom of 2 littles, and an all-around awesome human. 

Like many of us, Michelle has a very full plate. As a mom and revenue leader, she decided to add an advanced degree to her experience. She so openly shares what it was like to make that decision, the tradeoff discussions with her partner, how she feels about it now that she has homework and an even more full calendar. 

We cover so much ground...

- ANXIETY and giving birth to our babies in 2020.

- Michelles' career choice to return to being an individual contributor after managing 21 people at 24. Why she did it and what we hope you learn from this experience.

- Her secret to staying power within companies and roles with low tenure.

- Michelle and I have a very similar view on human-first leadership.“ Take a listen and let us know what you think. Here is a quote from Michelle: "You can be uber successful having emotion, empathy, and gaining connection—it does not have to be boiler room.” 

- Mat leave learnings and "bossing" as a mom - how to lead from the front.

Enjoy the show!

 

Links:

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn

EP 12 Michelle Vu, anxiety, being a mom, boss and student at the same time, mat leave as a leader

EP 11 Shweta Jacob, Reimagine your path when 'your plan' doesn't go as expected, your title does not make you a failure

Shweta is the youngest of four children and the first child to be born in Canada to an immigrant family. She shares the cultural pressure she felt growing up and how it impacted her crafting her plan and checklist for her life. 

As you might imagine (because many of us can relate), her plan didn't exactly go as planned. She experienced abandonment at a young age and suffered a devastating loss - one of those a part of her creation of the plan in the first place and the other blowing up the plan and having Shweta take back the pen and rewrite her plan and definition for success in her career and in her life.

We all have an idea of how we want our lives to go and an image of success, but if that image doesn't align with your experience or make you feel full when you quietly listen. Changing that plan, not meeting that plan - it is not a failure. It is an opportunity to reimagine what will make you happy and allow you to live a more fulfilled life. 

A few (of the many) things that I left this conversation with...

• It's hard to ask for help, but it's there when you ask for it.
• Your title does not make you a failure. On the flip side, your title does not make you a success. 
• Life usually doesn't go according to plan, so instead of looking at changes as failures, embrace the idea that your path is dynamic and will change with you in a way that serves you and gets you to where you are supposed to be. 

Trigger warning: At minute 28, Shweta so bravely shares with us her experience with miscarriage and the impact it had on her 'life plan'. If this is not a conversation that will make you feel connected and support you in your journey at this point, listen up until that point and pop off, or simply join us next time! We will be here when you get back!

 

 

Links

Connect with Shweta Jacob on LinkedIn

Book - 'Worthy' by Jamie Kern Lima

Podcast - Jay Shetty, On Purpose: WHY YOUR SELF-WORTH IS KEEPING YOU STUCK & HOW TO STOP SABOTAGING YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH WITH JAMIE KERN LIMA

Book - ''Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood'' by Lisa Damour, PhD

EP 10 Debra Senra, 'Don't wait for confidence and comfort to feel capable," getting confident making other people uncomfortable

Do not sleep on this episode. Bookmark it. Save it. If you have to pause, come back. Debra Senra is a gift.

 

This conversation made me feel seen and hopeful and reinforced how critical it is to show up authentically, own my vision, and say it out loud. It was a stark reminder that the right decision in work and in life can make someone else uncomfortable. We need not shy away from those moments. We need to get confident making others uncomfortable—not only for ourselves but also as an example for the bossy girls we are so proudly raising. 

 

Debra is a consultant, turned revenue leader, and newly turned stealth startup CEO. Her advice comes from her lived experience. What she shares today she needed to hear herself a few years back. 

 

'Don't wait for confidence or comfort to feel capable." 

 

She knew in her gut that she was ready to be a CEO a few years back, but she was telling herself lies like' my resume is not quite ready yet' and letting those voices keep her from claiming her path - out loud and unapologetically. 

 

This concept has so much depth. You'll want to hear it for yourself. 

 

Trigger Warning: This episode does discuss sexual assault. If this is something that would be hard mentally, emotionally or physically for you to listen to, skip this episode and come back to the next one. We'll be here!

 

More on Debra and her company here:

• Debra Senra on LinkedIn
• Debra is the CEO of a company that is in stealth mode.

  They have built enterprise software powered by generative AI to help services businesses write highly customized proposals and statements of work in under an hour. Companies say it typically takes days to get these documents, but with their help you go from a blank page all the way through to collaboration in 60 minutes. 

• If this sounds familiar and you are suffering today - contact Debra! They have a few design partner slots left or you can get on the list for a private preview coming in Q3.  

EP 9 Amanda Slavin, The education change our kids require, navigating loss and diagnosis's, working from "her kids home"

ON THIS EPISODE

You'll hear two women who met in their 20s at college catch up on their crafted lives and relate to the tough stuff that contributed to the people and lives they lead today.

 

I am honored to host Amanda Slavin. If you are an educator, a parent with kids either in the school systems today or that will be in the future, or just a human interested in how education needs to adapt to address our learner's new world - tune in.

 

It's a fascinating conversation about how Amanda is on a mission to put the learner at the center of the education ecosystem, giving them ownership over their learning style, and revolutionizing how to evaluate success in education. 

 

She is a mom of 2, a CEO, and a world traveler, and while you could easily look at her posts, bio, and LinkedIn career and think - 'wow, she has it all' - she is still human, and the human experience is full of ups and downs. She vulnerability shares:

• Even though she is off social media, except LinkedIn, she still has to be intentional about not comparing herself to others or to her own highlight reel.
• The beauty of the way kids grow and evolve vs adults and how she is returning to her education degree to help shape the future for our youth.
• The Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis that shifted the life plan she made for herself.
• Recovering from loss, managing two high-risk pregnancies, and the need for women to be able to process birthing trauma but so often not having the space to do so.
• Powerful advice she got after a miscarriage that pushed her to change things and people in her life. 

and so much more...

Trigger Warning: This episode does cover miscarriage. 

 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Amanda Slavin is a renowned educator with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, a Cannes Lion award-winning community designer, a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, and the co-founder of LearningFREQUENCY. Her Seventh Level Engagement Framework has transformed how we measure learning success and is taught in MBA programs worldwide. Amanda has spent her career changing how we measure success, from learning to marketing. Amanda is the author of the best-selling book, "The Seventh Level." She co-founded CatalystCreativ in 2012, where she increased engagement with top brands like Google and Coca-Cola. Additionally, Amanda has been an advisor and angel investor to 30+ startups, including HubSpot, SEED, and Clay. Among her advisory roles, Amanda serves as a strategic advisor to New Stand, an employee experience startup. She has been featured in publications like Inc., Entrepreneur, Adweek, and Fast Company. Amanda is a sought-after speaker, with two TEDx talks under her belt, and has spoken at prestigious events such as INBOUND and Summit.

 

CONNECT AND LEARN MORE

Connect or Follow Amanda Slavin on LinkedIn

LearningFREQUENCY

CatalystU

EP 8 Hannah Burns Dunham, On personal capacity, earning respect in a male-dominated industry, the identity struggle when taking a career pause

Hannah and I cover all the things...

• How being the 5th of 6 children shaped her into the mother and professional woman she is
• Choosing the chemical engineer path 
• Looking around the workplace on her first day, saying, 'Truly, how did I get here?'
• Navigating a male-dominated industry - from assimilation to respect and authentic leadership
• Deciding to take a career pause when she welcomed her daughter - how she came to the decision and how she felt about it once she made it
• Turning her experience into a business that will change career options for her daughter and many others
• ...and so much more

We can't wait to hear what you think!

Follow Hannah Burns Dunham on LinkedIn and learn more about how her consulting firm fuels women's success in manufacturing and STEM careers at Climbing Tree Consulting.

EP 7 Samantha Manuel, Navigating unexpected time off and how those conversations look with kiddos, enoughness and the importance of mental health in customer success

If you have ever struggled with imposter syndrome or had to (too frequently) ask yourself the question, am I enough? You aren’t alone. Samantha and I have, too. 

• Samantha breaks down why she no longer subscribes to the idea of imposter syndrome and how she intentionally tackles moments of self-doubt.

Ever been out of work or taken a break from your corporate career and wrestled with how to approach the conversation with your kids in an age-appropriate way? What about as a single momma? 

• You’ll hear two moms talk through their approach to the absence of Zoom calls around the clock and the layers of feelings navigating these periods brings. 

Do you feel like you’ve hit a stress break point at work or are getting close, but you haven’t had to take a leave yet, or even worse? 

• Like far too many women I have connected with, Samantha shares the physical and mental toll that stress played on her body, a breaking point, and how she shifted her strategy for self-care and her mission to help others with what she’s learned. 

In this episode of Balance is Bullsh*t Podcast: The Real Stories of Blending Motherhood & Career, we cover all of that and more in a transparent, raw conversation between two women, moms, customer success leaders, and friends. 

 

Follow Samantha Manuel on LinkedIn to connect and learn more about her mental health resources for Customer Success professionals.

EP 610 Minute Talk: We are not Superwomen. We are human.

Join me as I reflect on some of the recent conversations and reading. This week, I share my shifting thoughts on using 'You're a superwoman!' as a compliment. I came to this conclusion to support the person and because of the example 'being a superhero' sets for our kids.

I don't want these '10 Minute Talks' to be one-way. I want to hear from you. Listen, then share your thoughts and tag us on Instagram or LinkedIn. 

Note: On this mini episode I read the poem 'I gave the cape back' from Cleo Wades' 'Remember Love'. 

EP 5 Kesh Shannon, Infusing family history into parenting, breaking through a glass ceiling, dry cleaning is here

Kesh Shannon is a colleague who started as a colleague but quickly became a friend and mentor. We are so lucky to hear from her today.  

She graciously shares how she infuses her family history into the way she parents, her career path, and how she broke through the glass ceiling that had her stalled, how she and her husband work together to decide on priorities and tradeoffs (not without the hiccups). You'll see how a doorbell ring and dry cleaning drop-off allow us to debunk the facade of being 'Superwoman'.

Kesh is a marketing executive who has spent the last 20+ years helping high-growth organizations in B2B SaaS thrive in their respective markets. She's also a mom of two amazing kids. Her and her partner have committed to supporting each others careers while prioritizing family. 

 

To follow connect with Kesh, follow her on LinkedIn!