Join Lori and Jason for this special episode as they welcome the Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser. A public servant for many years prior to becoming a mother, Mayor Bowser offers valuable insights into balancing life as a high-profile working mom. She shares how she incorporates her daughter into her official duties, how motherhood has enhanced her negotiation skills, and more.

Lori and Jason are back with an engaging episode, featuring conversations with parents who are not only attorneys but serve as general counsel for major organizations. This week, they welcome LaTanya Langley (Chief People Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Edgewell Personal Care), alongside Betsy Philpott (Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Washington Nationals). Tune in to hear how they blend their parenting roles with their demanding careers, ways to enhance support systems for working parents, and insights from their personal journeys, offering advice they wish they had known as they navigated parenthood and professional growth.

This week, Lori and Jason return with the second installment of their discussion with parents in finance. They are joined by guests Amie Patel (Partner at Elevar Equity) and Millie Schild (Managing Director, Corporate Banking at Truist Corporate and Investment Bank). In this episode, the guests delve into their experiences with varied maternity leave policies, express appreciation for backup childcare, and bond over shared feelings of mom-guilt related to their career journeys.

For more information on Aura, the digital security app mentioned in this episode, click here.

Parents At Work is back for a new season as Lori and Jason kick off a two-part conversation with parents in finance. In this episode, guests Rahul Buxani (Managing Director of FinTech and Climate Finance at KBW, a Stifel Company) and Shahed Amanullah (Managing Director at Frost Capital) highlight the evolving landscape of work-life balance within the sector, the benefits of exposing their children to the working world, as well as the skills they've gained from parenthood that have been beneficial to their careers.

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are excited to bring you the second in their two-part series of interviews with moms and dads in professional development! 

Today, Lori and Jason are happy to welcome two wonderful moms in professional development, Aisha Greene and Stephanie Felder, to share their stories.

Aisha is the Director of Attorney Development and Training at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. She oversees firm professional development programming, including the formal assignment systems, partner and associate mentoring programs, upward and downward attorney performance evaluations, diversity programs, pro bono and corporate social responsibility initiatives, and all formal training and continuing legal education programs. Aisha lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two wonderful daughters, ages 10 and 13. 

Stephanie has more than fifteen years of experience in attorney professional development at two Am Law 100 firms. In her current role at Groom Law Group, she is responsible for creating a comprehensive training and development curriculum for all attorneys at Groom and developing and overseeing the execution of strategies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Stephanie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Zach, her 8-year-old daughter, and her 5-year-old son. 

Stay tuned to hear what Aisha and Stephanie say about their experiences as moms working in the field of professional development.

Show highlights:

• Aisha and Stephanie share their personal working parent journeys. (4:02) (5:55)
• How Stephanie’s legal professional development training and skills prepared her for being a mom. (8:15)
• Aisha describes what it’s like to be a parent in professional development today. (9:26) 
• Aisha discusses the contrast between being a parent in professional development and being a parent as a legal associate. (10:23)
• The workplace supports that were the most helpful and impactful for Stephanie when she became a working parent. (12:27)
• Aisha talks about the magic of having informal workplace support. (16:09)
• Stephanie gets into what she learned from her challenging first job as an infant room teacher at a daycare center. (21:10)
• Skills Aisha gained from being a parent that have been helpful in her job. (26:20)
• Changes in the field of professional development that are impacting parents. (28:54) (31:14)
• Aisha discusses the importance of having working parent-caregiver groups across all industries. (35:56)
• How Aisha and Stephanie’s approach to time management changed when they became parents. (38:22) (40:10)

Links and resources:

Aisha Greene on LinkedIn

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Stephanie Felder on LinkedIn

Groom Law Group

If you’re a leader of a working parent or caregiver employee resource group or affinity group (or would like to start one at your place of employment), join the Working Parent Group Network (WPGN) learning collaborative, at to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn

Books mentioned:

Work Parent Thrive by Dr. Yael Schonbrun

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Impact Winter by Travis Beacham

Mentioned in this episode:

Provide an Employee Benefit for Moms Returning After Maternity Leave

Join over 75 companies who currently provide an employee benefit course to new Moms. Mindful Return is a 4 week course that will help your employee retention at this critical time in your employee's life.

Mindful Return Course Ad

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are so excited to introduce a new set of interviews with moms and dads in professional development. 

Lori and Jason are thrilled to welcome Joshua Troy and Neil Dennis to today’s podcast! Neil and Josh are both amazing dads in professional development.

Josh Troy is the Director of Talent Management at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, where he engages with attorneys and staff to ensure their professional and personal success. Josh is a proud parent of two daughters, one almost six years old and the other four, who were excited to learn their dad was being interviewed! 

Neil Dennis is the Director of Professional Development at Blaney McMurtry LLP, a mid-sized full-service law firm in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is responsible for the recruitment, professional development, and training of legal professionals at the firm. Before joining the firm, Neil led career development at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and held similar positions in Washington DC, including as the Assistant Dean of Career Services at the Howard University School of Law and a Director of Career Services at Georgetown Law Center. He lives in Markham, a suburb near Toronto. He is married to Kia, who has a much cooler job than him as an author of thriller mystery novels. They have two kids, Bryson, age 13, and Miles, age 10 (almost 11). 

Stay tuned to hear what Neil and Josh have to share about their lives as dads working in the world of professional development!

Show highlights:

• The challenges Josh faced when his oldest daughter was born. (5:15)
• How Neil got into the field of professional development, and what it means to him. (8:33)
• How Neil draws inspiration from his kids and being a dad in his career. (11:05)
• Josh describes his path into professional development and explains what it’s like to be a parent in that field. (13:02)
• The workplace support Josh found especially helpful when he became a working parent. (18:09) 
• Josh discusses his experience of being in Covid lock-down with his young children. (19:49)
• Josh shares some tips about backup care from his experience. (21:37)
• Having conversations about figuring out the best way to space out your leave after having a child. (27:50)
• What Neil learned from his very first job. (30:49)
• The skills Josh and Neil gained from being parents that are helpful to them in their professional development roles. (34:56) (37:53)
• A workplace change that affected working parents. (41:44)   
• Changes in the field of professional development that could affect working parents. (43:58)
• Neil and Josh each share their advice for working parents. (47:15) (48:53)

Links and resources:

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP 

Joshua Troy on LinkedIn

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Neil Dennis on LinkedIn

Mindful Return blog post: What Is Backup Childcare and How Does It Work? An Interview with 3 Working Mamas

If you are the leader of a working parent or caregiver employee resource group (ERG) or affinity group at your organization, please join us in the Working Parent Group Network (WPGN) learning ,ollaborative.  Go to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn to sign up.

Recommended Books:

The Questioneers – A series by Andrea Beaty (Author) and David Roberts (Illustrator)

Relationships to Infinity by Jason Levin

Mentioned in this episode:

Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch

Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the book, Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch.

Ready Set Launch Book

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are back with the second part of their two-part series of episodes with moms and dads working in real estate!

Today, Lori and Jason are excited to introduce Eva Davis and Jennifer Eaby, who are both amazing moms working in real estate.

Jen Eaby is a realtor in the north suburbs of Atlanta. She has been in the real estate industry for nine years. She loves house shopping with clients, staging her listings for sale, and making friends with her clients. She and her husband, Joel, have been married for 19 years and are raising two daughters. Elizabeth is a senior in high school, and Gabriella is a freshman. 

Eva Davis is an Executive Vice President at Compass and a real estate agent in the Washington, DC Metro area. Eva brings significant business experience to her real estate career from her time in the mortgage industry, positioning her for great success in the greater Washington DC market. Her high-touch service, top negotiating skills, ongoing hustle, and sense of humour have helped her build a deep referral business. Eva currently lives in downtown Bethesda, with her University of Michigan-loving husband and her two little kids, with whom she enjoys exploring the food scene in the DC area and taking advantage of local concerts, parks, theatre exhibits, and playgrounds. 

Stay tuned to hear what Eva and Jen have to share about their lives as working moms in the world of real estate!

Show highlights:

• Jen and Eva share their working parent stories. (3:50) (5:15)
• Eva describes her current experience as a parent in the real estate industry. (7:06)
• Eva talks about managing work-life boundaries in the real estate world. (9:05)
• Jen shares something that caught her by surprise as her children got older. (10:29)
• Jen describes the kind of support she had as an entrepreneur when she became a working parent. (13:45)
• Eva talks about what she learned from her first job. (25:10)
• Jen discusses the skills she gained as a parent that are helpful in her real estate role. (27:53)
• Changes Eva sees in real estate right now that will affect working parents. (32:49)

Links and resources:

Compass Real Estate

Eva Davis on LinkedIn

Jennifer Eaby on LinkedIn

If you’d lead a working parent group at your organization and would like to join the Working Parent Group Network (WPGN), go to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn

Recommended books:

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 

Relationships to Infinity by Jason Levin

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are excited to begin a new segment talking to moms and dads working in real estate!

Today, Lori and Jason are delighted to introduce two wonderful dads in real estate, Paul Benshoof and Corey Lee!

Corey Lee is the Principal of Residential Growth Properties LLC, a real estate investment brokerage in Washington DC. He has been actively involved in the real estate industry for nearly 25 years, and his company focuses on helping property owners unlock the value of their properties through zoning, entitlement, and redevelopment. He works closely with his wife, Bhavna, who runs her own successful real estate general contracting development and owners representation firm, and they live in the Forest Hills neighborhood of DC with their two youngest children, Sara and Ian, who are in middle and elementary school. While Corey and Bhavna met in grad school at UNC Chapel Hill, they still find a way to remain proud of their oldest daughter, Ida, who recently graduated from Duke, as a member of the Class of 2023. Corey earned his Political Science and Systems Engineering degree at the United States Military Academy at West Point and completed his JD and MBA in Real Estate Concentration at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

Paul Benshoof is a Real Estate Agent at Keller Williams Metropolitan in Northern New Jersey and has been with Keller Williams for eight years. Paul is a proud Scarlet Knight and studied economics at Rutgers University. He lives in Mount Olive, New Jersey, with his wife, Lindsay, and their three sons, aged 12, 10, and 3.  

Tune in to hear what Paul and Corey have to share about their lives as working dads in the real estate world!

Show highlights:

• Corey discusses his introduction to working parenthood. (5:18) 
• Paul shares what he enjoys most about being a parent working in the real estate industry. (9:58)
• Corey shares his experience of being a parent in real estate. (11:12)
• How Paul managed to remain consistent with his work when his children came into his life. (17:43)
• The experiences and supports that were helpful for Corey when he became a working parent. (20:09)
• Paul talks about the job he did while in high school and his first job after college and shares what he learned from doing them. (24:56)
• Corey shares what he learned when his dad turned down an economically viable business opportunity to spend more time with his family. (30:32) 
• The skills Paul and Corey gained from being parents that are helpful in their current roles in real estate. (33:44) (35:25)
• Corey explains how he would have benefited from having had a business coach. (36:02)
• Corey’s tips for people in a business partnership with a partner or spouse. (38:50)
• Changes in the real estate industry that could affect working parents. (40:33)

Links and resources:

Residential Growth Properties LLC

Corey Lee on LinkedIn

Keller Williams Metropolitan Northern New Jersey

Paul Benshoof on LinkedIn

If you’d like to participate in the conversation at the Mindful Return Working Parents Group Network Learning Collaborative, go to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn

Recommended books:

The Power of Ambition by Jim Rohn

The Awakened Family by Shefali Tsabary

Relationships to Infinity by Jason Levin

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are back with the second episode in the series of interviews with parents in the consulting world!

Today, Lori and Jason are excited to talk with two awesome consulting dads, Jonathan Milde, and Daniel Baldor!

Jonathan Milde is a Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group, where he is a core member of the technology and digital advantage transactions and integrations and industrial goods practice areas. He also has significant experience with health care, consumer goods, and retail clients. Jonathan lives in Maryland and has been married to Bess for 15 years. They have two kids, Beah, age 11, and August, age 8. 

Dan Baldor has been with Accenture for nearly 18 years. He is the Office Managing Director for Accenture in Miami, as well as the Life Sciences Client Group Lead and Strategy and Consulting Products Lead for Accenture’s self-market unit. He has been married to his wife, Michelle, for 24 years. He is a dad to Carolina, who is 21, a senior at Parsons School of Design in Paris, France, and Stephanie who is 19 and studying psychology at Florida State University.

Tune in to hear what Jon and Dan have to share about their lives as working dads in the consulting world!

Show highlights:

• Jon talks about his transition to working parenthood. (3:34)
• Dan shares his working parent story. (5:15)
• What it’s like for Dan to be a parent in management consulting these days. (7:00)
• How the change in travel pace post-pandemic will affect new parents. (8:19)
• The workplace supports Jon found particularly helpful when he became a working parent. (11:29)
• Dan discusses the fantastic benefits Accenture offers for working parents. (13:40)
• As a parent, ask the organization you work for whether or not they have backup child support if you’re unsure.
• Dan and Jon share what they learned from their first jobs. (17:41) (19:34)
• How living with his young children helped Dan prepare for client interactions. (23:30)
• Dan offers advice for working parents in management consulting. (26:00)
• What Jon does to mitigate workplace stress. (28:24)

Links and resources:

Boston Consulting Group

Accenture

Jonathan Milde on LinkedIn

Dan Baldor on LinkedIn

If you’d like to participate in the conversation at the Mindful Return Working Parents Group Network Learning Collaborative, go to www.mindfulreturn.com/wpgn

Books mentioned:

Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Mentioned in this episode:

Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch

Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the book, Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch.

Ready Set Launch Book

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin are excited to be back after several months of hiatus! They kick things off again by focusing on moms and dads in the consulting world. 

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori and Jason talk to two fantastic consulting moms, Elizabeth Lapetina and Brooke Weddle. 

Liz Lapetina is a Managing Director with Deloitte Consulting, focused on healthcare operations and business transformation. She has experience working with PBMs and health plans on new business model launches, business transformations, consumer experience and strategy, and performance improvement initiatives. She is also involved in Deloitte’s well-being initiatives, leading the adoption of well-being strategies at one of the firm’s largest accounts. Liz lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, James, her two daughters, aged seven and five, and her dog. She enjoys reading, riding her Peloton bike, and serving as the Cookie Manager for her daughters’ girl scout troops in her spare time. 

Brooke Weddle is a partner at McKinsey & Company. As a leader in the firm’s people and organizational performance practice, Brooke helps organizations across the world achieve sustained performance through transformation. Globally, she leads the Change Leaders Forum, an executive capability-building series on transformational change and McKinsey’s organizational work in advanced industries, aerospace and defense, automotive, and electronics. In addition, she leads the firm’s culture and change management work in North America. Brooke lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Miguel, and her two children, who are eight and ten. 

Brooke is also an appreciator of network theory. She wrote a wonderful article on social capital: Building Back Better Relationships at Work.

Stay tuned to hear what Liz and Brooke have to say about their lives as parents working in the consulting world! 

Show highlights:

• Liz shares her working parent story. (5:28)
• Liz took five months off for maternity leave for both of her children. That made a huge difference! (7:07)
• The importance of having mentors and sponsors. (7:31)
• How Liz and her husband approach their careers and family decisions intentionally since becoming parents. (9:49)
• Brooke’s working parent story started in Seoul, South Korea. (10:45)
• Brooke explains why she returned to work shortly after having her second child. (12:51)
• Brooke explains how she and her husband approach their work and parental responsibilities. (13:25)
• Liz and Brooke explain what it’s like to be a parent in management consulting and share their top working parent travel-related tips. (15:27) (18:53)
• The workplace supports that were helpful for Brooke and Liz when they became working parents. (23:51) (28:18)
• Why it’s essential to speak up, say what you need and ask for support from your workplace when necessary. (31:44)
• How parenthood helped Liz gain more empathy for others and become smarter with her time. (38:59)
• How having young kids helped Brooke calm down and become a better listener. (41:15)

Mentioned in this episode:

Provide an Employee Benefit for Moms Returning After Maternity Leave

Join over 75 companies who currently provide an employee benefit course to new Moms. Mindful Return is a 4 week course that will help your employee retention at this critical time in your employee's life.

Mindful Return Course Ad

In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin talk to another amazing dad who is a professional in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)!   

Juan Otero serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Comcast Corporation, where he leads DE&I initiatives across Comcast NBC Universal, focusing specifically on governance, public policy, and strategic employee engagement. His responsibilities include the oversight of DE&I analytics; organizational alignment on the company’s public policy positions with DE&I implications; broad activation of employee resource groups and related volunteerism platforms; and development of targeted DE&I workforce education and training. He also supports the integration of DE&I into Comcast NBC Universal’s community impact initiatives.

Juan is married to his wonderful wife, Julissa, and they have an active son, Julian, who is five years old. Juan holds a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an MPA from American University. 

Juan talks about his experience as a parent working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He discusses his confusion and fear after becoming a parent, the fantastic support he received in the workplace, and how his priorities changed after he became a dad.

Stay tuned to hear about Juan’s life as a dad working in the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Show highlights:

• Juan tells the story of how he met his wife and landed up where he is today in the world of working parents. (2:53)
• Juan discusses what it is like for him to be a parent working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. (6:13)
• Becoming a dad helped Juan evolve in his role at Comcast and gave him a different viewpoint regarding various racial issues. (8:03)
• Juan had a wonderfully supportive boss who understood his confusion after becoming a parent and explained everything Comcast had available, in terms of parental support. (11:14)
• Juan explains how he had to re-prioritize his life after his son was born. (12:27)
• The strategies Juan uses as a leader to support his people. (15:15)
• Even though Juan got all he needed in terms of parental support in the workplace, he would still have appreciated having someone to talk to about his wellness. (18:08)
• Juan talks about his first paid job and explains how it made an imprint on him. (20:34)
• What has parenthood taught Juan in terms of career-related skills? (22:58)
• Juan discusses his part in shaping the conversation around working parenthood. (26:57)
• How heart-focused breathing can help working parents avoid freaking out. (32:42)

 Links and resources:

Comcast Corporation

Juan Otero on LinkedIn

Books mentioned:

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

Dog Man, A Tale of Two Kitties,  by Dav Pilkey

Pete the Cat, by Kimberly Dean, James Dean, and Eric Litwin

Mentioned in this episode:

Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch

Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the book, Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch.

Ready Set Launch Book