Working Moms: Societal Pressures & Identity Shifts with Leanna Laskey McGrath Artwork

The Sparkle Project

The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design.

The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more like yourself in all the rest.

Somewhere between the mental load and the mom guilt, your shine is still there. The Sparkle Project is your space to find it.

(Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast)

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The Sparkle Project

Working Moms: Societal Pressures & Identity Shifts with Leanna Laskey McGrath

February 20, 2024 • Episode 85

0:00 | 54:25

Working mothers are expected to work like they don't have kids, and parent like they don't have jobs. Balancing it all can be exhausting, and trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations can leave moms feeling defeated when they feel like they are failing in both areas of their lives. This week, I'm joined by executive coach Leanna Laskey McGrath to explore the identity shifts and pressures faced by high-achieving women once they become mothers, and what we can do to make working motherhood work.

In the episode, Leanna and I talk about:

The identity shift that happens when career-focused women have kids
Societal expecations for moms to work like they don't have kids and raise their children like they don't have jobs
How workplaces are changing, and what we expect for future generations
Adjusting our expectations of what it means to be a career-oriented mother
The skills mothers bring to leadership roles

A little about our guest:
Leanna Laskey McGrath is a former tech executive turned full time mom, recovering perfectionist and workaholic, and certified executive coach. As a high achieving, ambitious, Type A woman in a male-dominated field, Leanna spent her career building her identity and value around her work ethic. When she became a mom, she brought her all-or-nothing approach to parenting too, and started feeling like she was failing at everything. She began a journey of self discovery and eventually made the decision to step away from her company. As a coach, she now helps women break free of the inertia of their lives and the weight of other people’s expectations to enjoy this one and only precious life we’ve been given.

To connect with Leanna, follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram @execcoachleanna. You can also visit her website www.coachleanna.com. Check out Leanna's podcast Executive Coach For Moms wherever you like to listen.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @emily.rose.hardy and @worthymotherpodcast, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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