Podcasts about lisen stromberg

In our latest episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon, we had the pleasure of hosting Lisen Stromberg, an award-winning author, speaker, and expert on leadership transformation. We delved into her groundbreaking new book, "Intentional Power," and explored the seismic shift in business leadership in the U.S. Written with two other amazing leadership experts, JeanAnn Nichols, and Corey Jones, with extensive research into the changes taking place in our society today, this is generationally-driven change in how people lead and follow. Intentional Power is about changing our minds about how to lead, guide, facilitate, enable (all different words about leadership) others get to where they and we need to go. Lisen's extensive leadership background and commitment to fostering meaningful change shine through in her work. With a wealth of experience spanning corporate roles, entrepreneurship, and advocacy, she has become a leading voice in redefining effective Leadership in today's dynamic business environment. She watches intentional leaders thrive, mobilizing the next generation of our workforce to aspire to higher purpose and profits. The Move to Intentional Power: the HEART®  Model The major drivers of these changes come from the way people value the actions of others. Lisen's research found that leaders using Intentional Power do several things exceptionally well. They offer a new model of leadership, the HEARTI® model, built on six core competencies: Humility, Empathy, Accountability, Resiliency, Transparency, and Inclusivity. During our conversation, Lisen highlighted a significant transformation in leadership styles. Traditional command-and-control hierarchies are giving way to more collaborative, facilitative, and supportive management approaches. This shift is not just a trend but a necessary evolution as today's workforce seeks more than just power and results. Employees are looking for significance, purpose, and meaning in their work. Most importantly, business is moving from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism. Our interview with Lisen Stromberg is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of Leadership. Her insights offer a compelling roadmap for leaders seeking to impact their organizations positively and beyond. Please tune in to On the Brink with Andi Simon to hear more about Lisen's journey and her vision for a more inclusive and purpose-driven approach to Leadership. If you prefer to watch the On the Brink with Andi Simon Podcast, you can find Lisen Stromberg's video here: Thanks for joining us. Watch our other podcasts on https://www.simonassociates.net/category/podcast/

Welcome to episode #921 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast - Episode #921. In a transformative era for the global workplace, Lisen Stromberg guides leaders towards creating more inclusive and innovative work cultures. As the CEO and Co-founder of PrismWork, Lisen has dedicated the latter half of her career to reshaping the way businesses approach leadership and workplace dynamics. Her latest contribution to this work is her new book, Intentional Power - The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact (co-authored with Corey Jones and JeanAnn Nichols), which serves as a compass for those navigating the complexities of modern leadership. The book emphasizes the importance of empathy, inclusivity, and strategic leadership in achieving a triple bottom line impact. It also outlines six essential leadership skills crucial for navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the future of work. From the impact of AI on various professions to the rejection of traditional educational paths, Lisen and her co-authors explore the multifaceted nature of leadership in the 21st century. Lisen's journey from a successful career in marketing to a leader in culture innovation and leadership transformation is marked by a critical insight: The work environment matters as much as the work itself. This realization propelled her towards establishing PrismWork, where she and her team have been instrumental in fostering workplaces that not only prioritize productivity but also embrace diversity and inclusivity as core values. In this episode, Lisen (who also authored, Work Pause Thrive) breaks down the current shift in workplace culture (and what we need to do about it). She delves into the nuances of building inclusive cultures amidst the tensions of wokeism, the fragility of the economy, and the evolving nature of capitalism. With the rise of "power skills" in job descriptions and the competitive job market's demand for deep culture, Lisen's insights offer guidance for leaders striving for excellence in a rapidly changing world. She also deep-dives on the rise of women entrepreneurs and the impact of motherhood on career trajectories. By advocating for Intentional Power, she underscores the need for leaders to wield their influence with purpose and empathy, shaping a future where work is not just about profitability, but also about creating value for all stakeholders. Lisen's mission is clear: To inspire leaders to use their power intentionally for the collective good. Enjoy the conversation... Running time: 56:35. Hello from beautiful Montreal. Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts. Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation. Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook. Check out ThinkersOne. or you can connect on LinkedIn. ...or on Twitter. Here is my conversation with Lisen Stromberg. Intentional Power - The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact. Work Pause Thrive. PrismWork. Follow Lisen on LinkedIn. Follow Lisen on Instagram. This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'. Takeaways: The meaning of work and workplace culture have dramatically changed, driven by a new generation of talent with a collaborative and inclusive approach. Building inclusive cultures requires the development of power skills such as humility, empathy, accountability, resiliency, transparency, and inclusivity. The future of capitalism lies in stakeholder capitalism, which focuses on meeting the needs of a myriad of stakeholders and creating sustainable long-term solutions. Leadership is not limited to those at the top; individuals at every level have a role and responsibility in shaping workplace culture. The impact of AI on the future of work raises concerns about job displacement and the need for continuous learning and adaptation.  The “middle years” of the future of work are a critical period that requires careful navigation to avoid negative consequences. While there is a growing rejection of college education, essential careers such as plumbing, electricians, nurses, and doctors will still be in demand. Supporting humans in the future of work requires a shift towards capitalism for good, where meaningful services and support are provided to employees. Empathy is a crucial trait for leaders, and there are three types of empathy: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassion empathy. The optionality of employees and the shift in power dynamics in the workplace require a focus on ‘power with' rather than ‘power over'. The rise of women entrepreneurs highlights the need for better support and infrastructure for freelancers and self-employed individuals. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Background 01:18 - The Changing Landscape of Workplace Culture 03:21 - The Shift in Identity and Meaning of Work 04:48 - The Importance of Culture in the New Way of Working 06:06 - The Challenges of Building Inclusive Cultures 07:32 - Navigating the Tensions of Wokeism and Inclusion 10:31 - The Fragility of the Economy and the Future of Capitalism 12:46 - Sustainable Culture in the Face of CEO Tenure 15:07 - Empowering Middle Management for Cultural Transformation 16:26 - The Challenge of Building Deep Culture in a Competitive Job Market 19:09 - The Rise of Power Skills in Job Descriptions 20:37 - Balancing Rigor and Performance with Humanity and Empathy 28:18 - Navigating Ageism and the Changing Workforce 30:22 - The Impact of AI on the Future of Work 39:15 - The Rejection of College and the Need for Essential Careers 40:09 - Supporting Humans in the Future of Work 42:22 - The Importance of Empathy in Leadership 43:45 - The Nuances of Empathy and the Three Types 45:47 - The Optionality of Employees and the Shift in Power 47:13 - The Shift from ‘Power Over' to ‘Power With' 48:10 - The Rise of Women Entrepreneurs 49:19 - The Chasm Between Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed 51:33 - Difficult Conversations and the Future of Connectivity

Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact explores how the transition from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism has created an urgent need for a new model of leadership; a model that enables leaders to navigate competing demands from both internal and external stakeholders including the most racially and age-diverse workforce in history, activist investors, purpose-driven customers, and global government regulators. We were joined by one of the book's co-authors, Lisen Stromberg, an expert in human capital transformation, a leadership and culture strategist, author, and widely regarded speaker.

  Lisen Stromberg is CEO of PrismWork, a culture innovation and leadership transformation consultancy providing C-suite executives, start-up entrepreneurs, and leaders across the globe with the data-driven insights and tools they need to achieve breakthrough success and impact. Lisen is also a best-selling author, award-winning writer, and in-demand speaker who has been on stage at numerous high-profile conferences around the globe including SXSW, Cannes Lions, and at companies including Microsoft, Twitter, and many others. Her latest best-selling book, Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact, provides leaders at every level with the tools and insights they need to drive better business results for the benefit of all stakeholders. Lisen has served on numerous non-profit and start-up boards. When she isn't working with clients or speaking on stage, Lisen co-teaches a class at Stanford University on leadership in the new world of work. She earned her BA at Dartmouth College, has an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and an MFA from Mills College. What you will learn in this episode: The conflict between what people think leadership is vs. what it actually needs to be What attributes are at the core essence of modern leadership Why communication is not just the words you use, and other components of communicating intentionally Why the idea of transparency in communication is challenging for some employers How you can uplevel your power skills Resources: Website: https://www.lisenstromberg.com/ Website: https://www.prismwork.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisenstromberg/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prismwork/ Intentional Power:The 6 Essential Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact  

Episode 122 guest is Corey Jones, CEO / Co-founder at Prismwork.com https://www.prismwork.com/ a culture transformation company centered around the HEARTI framework described in the book, "Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills For Triple Bottom Line Impact" https://amzn.to/3vTFMkj co-authored by Corey Jones, with Lisen Stromberg and JeanAnn Nichols. HEARTI offers a new model of leadership built on six core competencies: 1.    Humility 2.    Empathy 3.    Accountability 4.    Resiliency 5.    Transparency 6.    Inclusivity. Intentional power argues that to truly deliver triple bottom line impact - PPP - People Planet Profit - modern leaders must build their HEARTI power skills === CONTACT COREY JONES https://www.prismwork.com/ Use this code: for free access to the HEARTI Leader Quotient report (Value $39 USD). Hurry, this offer available only until mid-March 2024. hello@prismwork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyjones1/ Resources: "Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills For Triple Bottom Line Impact" < https://amzn.to/3vTFMkj > === CONTACT PODCAST HOST, NINA SUNDAY Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@manageselfleadotherspodcast?sub_confirmation=1   Connect Nina Sunday on LinkedIn HERE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/ You can suggest a guest, ask a question, make a comment.   To subscribe to Nina Sunday's personal blog go to https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/ To register, scroll form at bottom of page.   Nina Sunday's training company website: https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/signature-programs/ delivering people skills programs face-to-face, Australia-wide on: Leadership, Change, Productivity, Written Communication, Customer Service . . . and more. To visit Nina Sunday's speaker site go to https://ninasunday.com/ You can request a proposal for Nina Sunday to speak at your conference Australia Pacific and globally on either: Psychological Safety, and Psychosocial Hazards To Avoid Rookie Mistakes New Leaders Make Second Curve Thinking: Change Before You Have To Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisen Stromberg is the author of Intentional Power–a modern leaders' guide to responsibly creating and maintaining environments that encourage confidence, creativity, and constructive change where all stakeholders prosper. Lisen is an author, teacher, and consultant who works with companies to create innovative cultures and transformative leadership. In this episode, we talk about the changes we've witnessed in the workplace in the past ten years, the HEARTI method she co-developed to help leaders transform, and what we see as trends companies can embrace to catch up from old work models to meet a modern workforce. https://www.powherredefined.com/https://www.heartiquotient.com/For more, you can follow the show on:Instagram TikTok & Youtube!Produced by Peoples Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For today's episode, our host, Teresa talks with Lisen Stromberg, about 'Maladaptations in Corporate America.' Lisen is a leadership and culture strategist, author, and CEO of PrismWork. Teresa and Lisen talk about her recently coined phrase, 'maladaptations' or adaptions women were making in the workplace that were harming or limiting them. These maladaptations were started to categorize the types of behaviors Lisen found many women have adopted to get ahead in their careers. The 5 Maladaptions: Need to Fit In Need to Fit In to Rise I Need to Sacrifice to Succeed I Need to do it Alone Success is Having it All To read the articles discussed in the podcast, click here and here To connect with Lisen: www.prismwork.com Episode Timestamp 00:06Introduction and Disclaimer 01:16What are Maladaptions? 10:11Break and Public Service Announcement 10:36Why Do You Feel You Need To Adapt? 18:36Teresa's Closing Remarks

The "future of work" is not in the future -  It's already here, so let's start calling it the new era of business and work. Especially coming out of the Pandemic, many leaders struggle with how to adapt to changing work requirements, current business challenges, and different employee needs, motivations and demands.Today, Sophie Wade and I talk about how Millennial and Gen Z habits are shaping new social contracts at work, why we understand how hard it is for seasoned executives to adapt to this new reality, and what it takes to create a more human-centric environment. We dig into the challenges of generational differences at work, where they stem from, and how empathy is the way to bridge those distances to increase engagement, understanding, and performance. We also chat about how work has changed from linear and routine to more networked and complex - and why the leadership skills that got you where you are might need a tune-up in today's reality. Sophie will share a few practical ways you can improve your culture. Key Takeaways:The last 3 years of the pandemic has expanded the mindset of learning and leading - ideas are now more likely to come from all levels of the organization than before. There is a difference between using technology functionally and using technology intuitively. The same goes for the evolving workplace. Younger generations are more likely to adapt to changing work environments than older generations because it is all they have known. AI is not replacing your job. AI cannot replace the human touch and human interactions and human relationships.  "Many leaders now are missing out on the contributions of their youngest employees who have a feeling for the power of technology that we just can't have." —  Sophie WadeAbout Sophie Wade, Work Futurist, International Keynote Speaker, Author of Empathy WorksSophie Wade is a work futurist, international keynote speaker, author of Empathy Works, and authority on Future-of-Work issues. She is the host of the widely popular Transforming Work podcast and over 450,000 learners have taken her four LinkedIn courses which cover empathy, Future-of-Work skills, and Gen Z. Sophie is the Founder and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network, a Future-of-Work consultancy. Sophie's executive advisory work and transformative workshops help companies adapt and update their work environments and attract, engage, and retain their multigenerational and distributed talent. She helps corporations maximize the benefits and minimize the disruption in their transition to talent-focused, digitalized work environments.Connect with Sophie WadeWebsite: https://www.sophiewade.com/Her Book: Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of WorkPodcast: Transforming Work: https://www.sophiewade.com/podcasts/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASophieWadeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-wade-380b8/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophie.wade.507Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asophiewade/References Mentioned:The Empathy Edge Podcast, Lisen Stromberg, What Modern Leaders and Cultures Need to Succeed in the 21st CenturyThe Empathy Edge Podcast, Edwin Rutsch: How “Empathy Circles” Can Change the World  Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

The "future of work" is not in the future -  It's already here, so let's start calling it the new era of business and work. Especially coming out of the Pandemic, many leaders struggle with how to adapt to changing work requirements, current business challenges, and different employee needs, motivations and demands.Today, Sophie Wade and I talk about how Millennial and Gen Z habits are shaping new social contracts at work, why we understand how hard it is for seasoned executives to adapt to this new reality, and what it takes to create a more human-centric environment. We dig into the challenges of generational differences at work, where they stem from, and how empathy is the way to bridge those distances to increase engagement, understanding, and performance. We also chat about how work has changed from linear and routine to more networked and complex - and why the leadership skills that got you where you are might need a tune-up in today's reality. Sophie will share a few practical ways you can improve your culture. Key Takeaways:The last 3 years of the pandemic has expanded the mindset of learning and leading - ideas are now more likely to come from all levels of the organization than before. There is a difference between using technology functionally and using technology intuitively. The same goes for the evolving workplace. Younger generations are more likely to adapt to changing work environments than older generations because it is all they have known. AI is not replacing your job. AI cannot replace the human touch and human interactions and human relationships.  "Many leaders now are missing out on the contributions of their youngest employees who have a feeling for the power of technology that we just can't have." —  Sophie WadeAbout Sophie Wade, Work Futurist, International Keynote Speaker, Author of Empathy WorksSophie Wade is a work futurist, international keynote speaker, author of Empathy Works, and authority on Future-of-Work issues. She is the host of the widely popular Transforming Work podcast and over 450,000 learners have taken her four LinkedIn courses which cover empathy, Future-of-Work skills, and Gen Z. Sophie is the Founder and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Flexcel Network, a Future-of-Work consultancy. Sophie's executive advisory work and transformative workshops help companies adapt and update their work environments and attract, engage, and retain their multigenerational and distributed talent. She helps corporations maximize the benefits and minimize the disruption in their transition to talent-focused, digitalized work environments.Connect with Sophie WadeWebsite: https://www.sophiewade.com/Her Book: Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of WorkPodcast: Transforming Work: https://www.sophiewade.com/podcasts/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASophieWadeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-wade-380b8/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophie.wade.507Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asophiewade/References Mentioned:The Empathy Edge Podcast, Lisen Stromberg, What Modern Leaders and Cultures Need to Succeed in the 21st CenturyThe Empathy Edge Podcast, Edwin Rutsch: How “Empathy Circles” Can Change the World  Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

Leadership has changed in the last few years, and it can be disorienting for leaders who've subscribed to and succeeded with the old narratives about good leadership. Companies and their leaders need to reframe their cultures to meet the new world of work in the 21st century. It's more than just being nice or being a "cool" boss or giving everyone free lunch. It requires deep and honest self-assessment and a growth mindset to shore up those necessary skills. My guest today, Lisen Stromberg, tells us what skills are required for modern leaders to be successful and how cultures can transform for maximum success. We discuss where existing leadership and culture paradigms came from and how they have changed, what skills modern leaders require for success, outlined in Prismwork's HEARTI model, and Lisen also shares her research project on men and male leaders in the workplace that they are doing in partnership with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.  Men and male-identifying leaders, you're invited to take the survey linked in the show notes to share your experience. Key Takeaways:The army originally established the tenants of leadership back in the 1940s. That is not what is still needed in the modern business world. Influence has changed, leadership has changed, and it will continue to evolve as well. A failure of leadership that we see all the time is when a leader comes in, they do a great job creating a culture, leave, and then that just all falls away.Many leaders may not have the language, but are already doing the right things to promote equity and allyship in their company, even if they don't know that they are doing so.Culture is a competitive advantage that is hard to replicate.  "Culture is the competitive advantage. If you don't know how your culture is operating, and don't have a North Star of where you want to go, you're not going to win. You're going to lose in the war for talent, profits, investors…in the war for all." —  Lisen Stromberg About Lisen Stromberg, CEO and Co-founder, Prismwork Lisen Stromberg is CEO and Co-Founder of PrismWork, a culture transformation and leadership development consultancy. She is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader on the future of work. Her book, Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, covers how highly achieving women have navigated the work/life integration issue by crafting nonlinear careers.Connect with Lisen StrombergPrismWork: https://prismwork.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/LisenStrombergLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisenstromberg/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisenstromberg/References MentionedMen and male-identifying knowledge workers, any level: Please take Prismwork's and W. K. Kellogg Foundation's research survey on men in the workplace. Your input is invaluable to the research: www.menatworkresearch.comPrimswork's HEARTI Quotient inclusive leadership assessment for the 21st Century: HEARTI stands for Humility, EMPATHY, Accountability, Resiliency, Transparency, and Inclusivity. It is built on assessments with hundreds of leaders across numerous industries as well as extensive research on modern leadership competencies. Re:Work, Understand Team Effectiveness. Info on Google's Project Aristotle. What is Psychological Safety? Google's checklist to ensure psychological safety Josh Lev: The Top Global Expert for Modern Dads at WorkRebecca Friese The Empathy Edge interview: How to Build a Good CultureJosh Levine The Empathy Edge interview: Building an Empathetic CultureSusan Hunt Stevens, The Empathy Edge interview: The ROI of Psychological Safety  Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

Leadership has changed in the last few years, and it can be disorienting for leaders who've subscribed to and succeeded with the old narratives about good leadership. Companies and their leaders need to reframe their cultures to meet the new world of work in the 21st century. It's more than just being nice or being a "cool" boss or giving everyone free lunch. It requires deep and honest self-assessment and a growth mindset to shore up those necessary skills. My guest today, Lisen Stromberg, tells us what skills are required for modern leaders to be successful and how cultures can transform for maximum success. We discuss where existing leadership and culture paradigms came from and how they have changed, what skills modern leaders require for success, outlined in Prismwork's HEARTI model, and Lisen also shares her research project on men and male leaders in the workplace that they are doing in partnership with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.  Men and male-identifying leaders, you're invited to take the survey linked in the show notes to share your experience. Key Takeaways:The army originally established the tenants of leadership back in the 1940s. That is not what is still needed in the modern business world. Influence has changed, leadership has changed, and it will continue to evolve as well. A failure of leadership that we see all the time is when a leader comes in, they do a great job creating a culture, leave, and then that just all falls away.Many leaders may not have the language, but are already doing the right things to promote equity and allyship in their company, even if they don't know that they are doing so.Culture is a competitive advantage that is hard to replicate.  "Culture is the competitive advantage. If you don't know how your culture is operating, and don't have a North Star of where you want to go, you're not going to win. You're going to lose in the war for talent, profits, investors…in the war for all." —  Lisen Stromberg About Lisen Stromberg, CEO and Co-founder, Prismwork Lisen Stromberg is CEO and Co-Founder of PrismWork, a culture transformation and leadership development consultancy. She is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader on the future of work. Her book, Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, covers how highly achieving women have navigated the work/life integration issue by crafting nonlinear careers.Connect with Lisen StrombergPrismWork: https://prismwork.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/LisenStrombergLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisenstromberg/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisenstromberg/References MentionedMen and male-identifying knowledge workers, any level: Please take Prismwork's and W. K. Kellogg Foundation's research survey on men in the workplace. Your input is invaluable to the research: www.menatworkresearch.comPrimswork's HEARTI Quotient inclusive leadership assessment for the 21st Century: HEARTI stands for Humility, EMPATHY, Accountability, Resiliency, Transparency, and Inclusivity. It is built on assessments with hundreds of leaders across numerous industries as well as extensive research on modern leadership competencies. Re:Work, Understand Team Effectiveness. Info on Google's Project Aristotle. What is Psychological Safety? Google's checklist to ensure psychological safety Josh Lev: The Top Global Expert for Modern Dads at WorkRebecca Friese The Empathy Edge interview: How to Build a Good CultureJosh Levine The Empathy Edge interview: Building an Empathetic CultureSusan Hunt Stevens, The Empathy Edge interview: The ROI of Psychological Safety  Don't forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy  Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria's brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice

The world of work has gone through a complete upheaval. The result has been an unprecedented number of resignations. In this episode of ERG PowerTalk, our guests Lisen Stromberg and Corey Jones of PrismWork discuss how ERGs can help their companies weather the storm and thrive.

On this episode of The Future Of Women At Work,  duo Kristen and Rachel interview Lisen Stromberg. Lisen is a widely regarded speaker, CEO of PrismWork, and author of “Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career”. The ladies weigh in on women in the work place, navigating Covid 19 within business, inclusion for women and more. 

Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive. Topic: How to pause for parenthood without killing your career. Issues: The politics of pausing; men want a place in the home; conscious careers, conscious choices; thriving: the career you deserve, the life you want; money matters; the need to prepare yourself and your career before you pause; […] The post Work, Pause, Thrive appeared first on Mr. Dad.

Dennis Trittin, author of What I Wish I Knew at 18. Topic: Life lessons for the road ahead. Issues: Getting a perspective on life; the importance of character; relationships and communication; handling adversity; career selection and advancement; college academics; managing your finances; love and marriage; much more. Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive. Topic: […] The post Life Lessons for the Road Ahead + Pausing for Parenthood appeared first on Mr. Dad.

Lisen Stromberg is a thought-leader on workplace culture, the future of work, and how companies can create healthy environments for their employees to thrive. She is the CEO of Prismwork, a workplace culture and leadership consultancy committed to creating a business environment where employees don't have to choose between their families and their work. She is the best-selling author of Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career. As an independent journalist, her work was published in The New York Times, Fortune, Newsweek, and more. She has given talks at SXSW, CANNES, South by Southwest Tedx, and the Be Conference.  In this episode, Lisen and I discuss: What traits make effective 21st century leaders The importance (and limitations) of planning Dividing labor in relationships  Strategies that working parents use to care for their families and careers Lisen's research and work is so valuable for working women. To learn more about her projects, check out her book, and connect with her on social media! Connect with Lisen Stromberg Website: https://www.prismwork.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Work-PAUSE-Thrive-Parenthood-Without-ebook/dp/B01M4GIUHC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisenstromberg/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisenstromberg Connect with Robyn Crane Website: https://robyncrane.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizgrowth4women/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robyn-crane-inc./ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobynCrane Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robyncrane/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As women we sacrifice so much that impacts our finances in the long-term. Tune into this replay to learn what this really means with this powerful interview. For a quick recap of this episode go to: https://jenhemphill.com/103Get notified when the new limited series private podcast goes live where we explore budgeting, why it is so misunderstood and how you can make it work for you once and for all: https://jenhemphill.com/limitedWant to get social? Let's connect more on Instagram @jenhemphill

As women we sacrifice so much that impacts our finances in the long-term. Tune into this replay to learn what this really means with this powerful interview.  For a quick recap of this episode go to: https://jenhemphill.com/103 Get notified when the new limited series private podcast goes live where we explore budgeting, why it is so misunderstood and how you can make it work for you once and for all: https://jenhemphill.com/limited Want to get social? Let's connect more on Instagram @jenhemphill

Watch This Episode On Our YouTube Channel Episode 39: Lisen Stromberg Becoming a mother was the defining moment for Lisen Stromberg. If you're thinking, “well, duh” we implore you to listen to her story, and how Lisen's entire perspective on work, ambition, and purpose changed when she looked at the situation with her children –... The post How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career appeared first on Mom And Podcast.

A company can only be as great as the people in it. One of the greatest things that help produce employees and team members that can be key players is its culture, particularly one that is inclusive. Lisen Stromberg greatly believes in this, and in today's show, she joins host Elizabeth Bachman to help you make your company culture your competitive advantage by tapping on women. Lisen is an award-winning writer, human capital innovation consultant, and a widely regarded speaker who empowers people and companies to reimagine the future of work through work+life success. Centering on diversity, she speaks about the important role of women in the workplace and how companies can create a truly inclusive culture. With her book, Work Pause Thrive, Lisen sheds light on the struggles women face when looking for opportunities to excel at work as well as balance their home life. She then offers hope by speaking about how they can bounce back and relaunch their careers to greatness.

5:46 - We believe we have to be the ideal worker6:25 - Heartwarming to hear the next generation of men stepping up and saying they want to be actively engaged fathers6:32 - How to be great at your career and your family life6:52 - The abundance mindset and trends we are seeing7:10 - Value is not just about shareholders; it's about stakeholders8:53 - Fears of taking a break from work9:32 - The profile of productivity will surprise you - it's not about being all in, all the time10:01 - Huge rise of parents versus non-parents12:25 - This is a collective problem to solve, not an individual one13:04 - Integrating work and family13:29 - The United States ranks dead last in paid parental leave14:17 - Please support paidleave.us18:15 - We have a duality structure and we need to change that18:20 - Go back to our original values as a country20:15 - People need to be given a chance to learn and grow and change20:53 - Forces from the bottom up and top down are creating change21:24 - Background on PrismWork and HEARTI - Humility, Empathy, Accountability, Resilience, Transparency, Inclusivity23:45 - The core traits of leadership in the 21st century25:51 - Why buy-in from the full leadership team is important28:51 - Often times what has happened is that someone is in pain and leaders need help to build it the right way.32:01 - Humility and curiosity drive awareness35:23 - Carol Dweck's research around scarcity mindset, abundance mindset and understanding a growth mindset.37:23 - Why courage matters39:06 - Courage happens every day39:42 - Sharing your truth and finding courage in doing so can help someone else41:52 - The cult of productivity44:01 - The construct of corporate America44:36 - The need to change what success looks like44:46 - Taking time off from work has massive benefits46:14 - Shame is not a driver for change49:57 - How to live your best life50:10 - Get clarity on your values and how you choose to spend your time

This week on The Op-Ed Page with Elisa Camahort Page: 1. The first presidential debate. My advice: Skip the next ones and write postcards to voters instead. 2. Maria Ross and the Empathy Edge Site: https://red-slice.com The Empathy Edge book and podcast: https://theempathyedge.com 3. Quick Takes: 100 Reasons I'm voting FOR Biden/Harris: https://www.facebook.com/david.polizzi.3/posts/10223608878992066 Truth Not Lies: https://truthnotlies.org John Oliver on the passing of RBG and so much more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkpfFuiZkcs Make Your Voice Heard (grassroots video organized by Maria Ross): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=infOX8waz30 Remotely Annual Membership 50% off code: ElisaCamahortPage50off Link: remotely.global/join Upcoming events and where to find me: Every Tuesday and Thursday at 5PM PT my colleague Ashwini Anburajan and I do a FB Livestream talking about the previous 24-48 hours in #2020 politics: https://www.facebook.com/elisac THIS FRIDAY, October 2nd: Free webinar via Remotely: Making the Most of a Pause, featuring Lisen Stromberg, Author of Work, Pause, Thrive. RSVP Here: https://remotely.global/event/fireside-chat-lisen-stromberg-and-elisa-camahort-page/ Tuesday, October 6th: Another free webinar from Remotely, I'm giving a Media Training quick guide: https://remotely.global/event/webinar-media-training/ Shows mentioned: On Netflix: Lost in Space Call the Midwife The Good Place Great British Baking Challenge On Pop TV: One Day at a Time Thanks to my podcast host Messy.fm Thanks to Ryan Cristopher for my podcast music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ryan-cristopher/1479898729 Road Map for Revolutionaries by me, Carolyn Gerin and Jamia Wilson: https://roadmapforrevolutionaries.com Social media handles: Twitter: @ElisaC @OpEdPagePodcast Insta: @ElisaCP Web: elisacp.com Please share, subscribe, rate and review!!

Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive. Topic: How to pause for parenthood without killing your career. Issues: The politics of pausing; men want a place in the home; conscious careers, conscious choices; thriving: the career you deserve, the life you want; money matters; the need to prepare yourself and your career before you pause; […] The post Work, Pause, Thrive appeared first on Mr. Dad.

Dennis Trittin, author of What I Wish I Knew at 18. Topic: Life lessons for the road ahead. Issues: Getting a perspective on life; the importance of character; relationships and communication; handling adversity; career selection and advancement; college academics; managing your finances; love and marriage; much more. Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive. Topic: […] The post Life Lessons for the Road Ahead + Pausing for Parenthood appeared first on Mr. Dad.

In the spaciousness of summer, we find room for expansion, daydreaming, and reconnecting with our desires.  In this episode, we explore the female experience of desire in all aspects of today's society and discuss how we can lean into our desires to live more fully in our truth.   “It thrills us and torments us.  It controls our thoughts, destroys our lives, and it's all we live for.  Yet, we almost never speak of it. And as a buried force in our lives, desire remains largely unexplored.” - Lisa Taddeo, Three Women   Pause for a moment, take a few long deep breaths, and think about your dreams.  Many times in our lives, we have choices to make that will lead us down one path or another.  Leaning into our dreams and desires can act like a compass to help us navigate those difficult life choices while staying in alignment with ourselves. In our society, women are often encouraged to tamp down our desires and to put own dreams on hold for the sake of our families and loved ones or for fear of judgment or ridicule from others.  We challenge you to lean into those desires, speak your dreams into existence, find those who will support you, and don't be ashamed.   Resources From This Episode: Lisa Taddeo, Three Women: https://www.lisataddeo.com/ Lisen Stromberg, Work, Pause, Thrive: https://lisenstromberg.com/work-pause-thrive-book/

On this episode of Finding Your Frequency, We sit down with award-winning journalist, sought-after speaker, Author, and CEO and founder of PrismWork, Lisen Stromberg. Lisen and Ryan talk about work-life balance, family values, leadership, and how to thrive as an executive and still keep time for the family. We talk about her new book, Work PAUSE Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career! This is a must listen to episode!

Lisen Stromberg is Partner and COO of The 3% Movement and an award-winning journalist. She also wrote Work. Pause. Thrive and she has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, Forbes and others.

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers. I am one of these women and maybe you are one too.   In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive.  For the complete set of show notes for this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/103 Be sure to continue to join us in more money conversations in our FREE community over here: http://www.jenhemphill.com/community Enjoy this episode and want more? Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/her-money-matters-money-talk/id1006403754  By you doing that will help us reach more women like you. It's easy, here is how: http://jenhemphill.com/how-to-subscribe-and-leave-a-review-on-itunes/

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers.  I am one of these women and maybe you are one too.      In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive.     For the complete set of show notes for this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/103   Be sure to continue to join us in more money conversations in our FREE community over here: http://www.jenhemphill.com/community   Enjoy this episode and want more?  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/her-money-matters-money-talk/id1006403754    By you doing that will help us reach more women like you.  It’s easy, here is how:  http://jenhemphill.com/how-to-subscribe-and-leave-a-review-on-itunes/ 

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers.  I am one of these women and maybe you are one too.      In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive.     For the complete set of show notes for this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/103   Be sure to continue to join us in more money conversations in our FREE community over here: http://www.jenhemphill.com/community   Enjoy this episode and want more?  Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/her-money-matters-money-talk/id1006403754    By you doing that will help us reach more women like you.  It’s easy, here is how:  http://jenhemphill.com/how-to-subscribe-and-leave-a-review-on-itunes/ 

Lisen Stromberg is the COO + Partner of the 3% Movement. She is a force to reckon with, but is helping to move the industry forward with kindness and inclusivity. We talked with Lisen about her path to becoming an industry leader, the conference, and her hopes for the future.

Sheila and Maria discuss the decisions all families are faced with when it is time to decide who will work, how they will work, and who will care for the children.     "As a mother, you can have it all, you just may not be able to have it all at once."  - Elaine Anderson   In this episode, Sheila and Maria examine both society's viewpoints and the aspects of self-worth regarding the task and value of raising children vs. participating in the workforce.   With the costs of living and childcare skyrocketing, many families struggle to make ends meet when maternity and paternity leave come to a close. Society expects parents to jump right back into the workforce and their pre-baby routines, but that is not always the best option for families.     Resources From This Episode Tracy Gillet, Raised Good: www.raisedgood.com Lisen Stromberg, Work, Pause, Thrive: www.lisenstromberg.com/work-pause-thrive-book

Join Dr. Heidi and Lisen Stromberg, COO of 3% Movement and Author of Work, Pause, Thrive, as they explore the impact of technology on women’s ability to thrive in the workplace and home (and in between). Lisen Stromberg is an author, culture innovation consultant, and widely regarded speaker who empowers people and companies to reimagine the future of work through work/life success. As CEO and Founder of PrismWork, she and her team partner with companies, leaders, and advocates, to ensure women and Millennials thrive in the workplace. She is currently Partner+COO of the 3% Movement, committed to changing the ratio of women in leadership in the advertising industry. Stromberg is also an award-winning independent journalist whose work can be found in The New York Times, Fortune, Newsweek, and other high profile media outlets. Her book, Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, reveals how trailblazing women have disrupted the traditional career paradigm to achieve their personal and professional goals and how forward-thinking companies are capitalizing on their talents. An in-demand speaker, Stromberg has been on stage at numerous high profile conferences including SXSW, TEDx, and others. She speaks regularly at, and conducts workshops for, companies ranging from global Fortune 500s to tech start-ups. website: http://www.lisenstromberg.comTwitter ID: @lisenstromberg Instagram : @lisenstromberg This episode is brought to you by my wellbeing tech of choice, Oska Pulse. It has helped relieve my chronic pain caused by Lyme disease so that I can get back to work, and life in general. Oska Pulse is a Pain Relief and Recovery Device using Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF). It creates an electromagnetic field that pulsates while it modulates the damaged cells to squeeze the toxins out and opens the cells to allow nutrients (potassium, sodium and magnesium) to flow into the cell. The Oska Pulse puts the damaged cells in the best situation to repair themselves and then replicates the electrical signals your body creates to fix the damaged cells. Click here to get yours today with my Ambassador discount. Or enter 2BU as a discount code at OskaWellness.com.

Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, debunks the myth that women who “pause” to raise children never return to satisfying careers.  She also provides concrete tips on how to plan for and manage your “pause”.   You’ll hear:   -      Statistics show that most well-educated mothers paused their careers, returned to the workforce and didn’t regret their pauses -      The importance of nurturing your career, whether you’re in the paid workforce or not. -      The optimal length for your ”pause”

What The Dead Have Taught Me About Living Well with Rebecca Rosen. Rebecca Rosen is an international best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and star of Lifetime’s The Last Goodbye. Known for her accessible style and stunningly accurate ability to connect with the departed, her broad appeal and healing message have led to repeated national media appearances on The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Fox and Friends and more. Rebecca regularly tours around the country performing in front of sold-out live audiences. www.RebeccaRosen.comWork Pause Thrive with Lisen StrombergIs it possible to take a break from your career without loosing everything you have worked for? After a successful career in marketing and advertising Lisen Stromberg left the business world frustrated by the lack of support for mothers in the workplace. She pivoted to become an award-winning journalist whose work can be found in the New York Times, Fortune, Newsweek, Salon, and other high profile media outlets. A sought after speaker and moderator, Lisen has inspired thousands with her talks on work + life integration, corporate talent innovation, disrupting the traditional career paradigm, and empowering women in the workplace. She has been seen on stage at SXSW, TEDx, The 3% Conference, and more. www.LisenStromberg.comGoing Green with The Healthy Voyager Carolyn Scott-HamiltonAward winning, Latina, healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, cookbook author, media spokesperson, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef and television personality, Carolyn is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. She is frequently quoted in national media and regularly appears on television and radio programs sharing healthy recipes, travel tips and all things healthy, green and happy living. https://healthyvoyager.com

We all want to know if we can really "lean in" and still be an involved and present mom. Or is it just an idea that lives on paper and not in our reality? Lisen Stromberg says yes you can! Lisen is an author, culture innovation consultant, and speaker, who says the only problem is that no one is telling us HOW to activate all these parts of our lives. All that changes in this insightful podcast interview! Lisen is a mom herself and the author of Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, a book that reveals how trailblazing women have disrupted the traditional career paradigm to achieve their personal and professional goals and how forward-thinking companies are capitalizing on their talents. Lisen shares with Beyond Mom why taking a PAUSE is imperative and how that “pause” can mean and result in many things. Regardless of your personal path, you’ll walk away from this episode empowered and informed, ready for your next move!

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers. I am one of these women and maybe you are one too. In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive. What you'll learn about in today's episode:

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers. I am one of these women and maybe you are one too. In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive. What you'll learn about in today's episode:

It is more common for women to take a pause in their careers. I am one of these women and maybe you are one too. In this interview with Lisen Stromberg, we dive deep into what it means to work, pause and thrive. What you'll learn about in today's episode:

There’s been a lot of debate and controversy around the lack of women and minorities being represented in tech companies from entry-level to the C-suite and board room. However, what isn’t showcased is how there is sisterhood within tech, where women are helping each other out, and enacting change at every level from schools to the board room. To talk about how women are investing and encouraging each other, I’ve invited Samantha Walravens who is the co-author of the new book Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech. If you’re a woman, minority, or male ally you’ll learn from Samantha how: Women like Maria Klawe at Harvey Mudd have tripled the number of women graduating with Computer Science degrees Women are connecting female founders to female angel investors and influencers to grow their startups Corporations are changing and disrupting the dynamics of the boardroom   This is the last episode of FemgineerTV but don’t worry it’s not the end... After hosting FemgineerTV and listening to audience members like you for the past 2 ½ years, myself and my sponsor Pivotal Tracker decided it was time for a fun format! Starting next month, I’m going to be launching a new show called Build. I think you’ll enjoy the new format for Build. Each week you’ll receive a short video on a topic to help you build a product, company, and career in tech. So stay tuned for the launch of Build :) Want to help us get the word out about Build? Please take a moment to leave a review on iTunes here. If you’ve never left a review, here is a quick tutorial on how to do. -- Poornima: Welcome to another episode of *Femgineer TV*, brought to you by Pivotal Tracker, I'm your host, Poornima Vijayashanker, the founder of Femgineer.                                 In this show, I invite innovators in tech, and together we debunk myths and misconceptions related to building tech products and companies.                                 One of the most heated topics today is the lack of women and minorities represented in tech; from entry level, to the C suite, to the board room. While we all know this is already a problem, in today's episode, we're going to be talking about some of the solutions, and showing how there are companies and organizations enacting these solutions.                                 And to help us out, I've invited Samantha Walravens, who is the coauthor of the latest book, *Geek Girl Rising: Inside The Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech*. Thanks so much for joining us today, Samantha.   Samantha: Thanks for having me!   Poornima: Yeah, it's wonderful.                                 Let's start by talking about why you and your coauthor, Heather Cabot, decided to write this book.   Sharing The Unspoken Narrative of Women In Technology   Samantha: The inspiration for this book was a conversation I had about three years ago with a friend of mine, who's been in Silicon Valley for 20 years. She's a woman, she's the VP of sales in business development, and she's worked in a number of tech startups, and we were having coffee, and she said, "Sam, I cannot tell you what just happened in my performance group review, it was last week, and my manager commented on what I was wearing, the color of my dresses, the jewelry I wore, and he told me that I was too aggressive, and too bossy, and I needed to tone it down a bit." Meanwhile, she is the head of sales, and she was rocking her number out of the park. So she said, "Sam, you've got to write something." She knew I was a journalist. She said, "You've got to write something and you have to talk about this kind of discrimination and this kind of sexism in Silicon Valley."                                 Mind you this is before the *Newsweek* article came out, "What does Silicon Valley really think of women," people were discussing women in technology, but it really was not a top of mind—and so I started to do a little digging, and researching and interviewing women. And what I found was, yes, there's sexism, there is harassment, there's discrimination, there's unconscious bias, it's there, it's a problem we need to talk about it and deal with it.                                 But there was another narrative, another discussion that wasn't being told, which was: these women want to talk about the companies they were building, the technologies they were creating, the women who are supporting them and helping them along the way in their careers. There was this whole other narrative that was missing from the conversation that was happening in the national news media about sexism in Silicon Valley.                                 And I thought, "we have to discuss this." So, Heather Cabot, who's my coauthor, was in New York, I'm in San Francisco, we talked, and she said, "Sam, I've been researching this topic," it was kind of a coincidence, it was like one of those weird moments of weird fate. And she said, "I've been researching this topic, let's work together." So we put our heads together and we just started digging into the topic, and it's been three years now, and finally the book is coming out!   The Sisterhood That Is Supporting Women In Tech in Silicon Valley And Beyond   Poornima: So one thing I experienced early on in my career, and it keeps me motivated, is the women who inspired me. So, early on, when I was a college student in engineering school, I had a professor, and she had twins, and she was doing her research, and she was teaching, and she was leading the department, and I thought, "If she could do it, I could do it." And as I was reading the book, I noticed the theme of the sisterhood kind of coming up again and again.                                 Tell us how you discovered this theme as you started writing or as you were doing your research.   Samantha: Of course. Well, I too had a mentor back in my Silicon Valley days when I worked for a software startup during the dotcom boom in 1998 to about 2003, so I saw the dotcom boom and the bust happen, I was living through it, our company went public, stock went to 130, then went down to two, so I lived and breathed the dotcom boom and bust.                                 My manager/boss at that point was Carol Carpenter, who has since gone on to become—she was the CEO, actually CMO of ClearSlide and then CEO of ElasticBox, so she's a prominent woman in Silicon Valley, and she really pulled me up. She really, when I was lacking confidence, and I thought, "I can't do this," I'd just had my baby, my first baby, we were going public, and I thought, "I can't do this, this is crazy." We're working 24/7 and I have a newborn at home. She was the one who said, "Sam, you can do it, you can do it." And having that kind of mentorship and that kind of woman who was going through it herself pulling me up, really encouraged me.                                 So as we were researching the book, we started noticing these pockets around the startup universe, women who were supporting each other, investing in each other, encouraging each other in their careers and inspiring the next generation of girls and young women to pursue technology and continue their careers in technology.   Encouraging The Next Generation of Women To Consider Careers In Tech   Poornima: Yeah, that's great. I think you're absolutely right, that is a narrative that's missing from the media and more women need to know that that's out there as well, so that they don't feel like all there is is just what the media portrays.                                 Now, the first place that you write about change happening is at the primary school up to the high school level, so walk us through what that looks like.   Samantha: Well, fortunately, before Obama left office, he did create an initiative, a $4 billion initiative called "Computer Science for All" that is encouraging and putting funds towards creating computer science curriculum in schools throughout the country. I was so excited to read about Rahm Emanuel in Chicago, in the Chicago public schools now, computer science is a requirement for all high schools in Chicago. So I think we're going to see more of that.                                 When you look at the numbers, though, we still have a long way to go, cause 25% of high schools in the U.S. offer computer science, I think it's like 22% of girls, of students taking the computer science AP exam are girls, so we still have a long way to go.                                 What we noticed, though, it's sort of this grassroots movement of women who are encouraging the younger generations to start building, to start creating, to start coding. For example, we start our book talking about Debbie Sterling, who's the founder and the CEO of Goldie Blocks, and she's got this great—I have two little girls, we have it at home, it's a great toy that encourages girls to build, and there's a really fun, positive role model, Goldie, who builds a spinning machine and she has all these sorts of engineering—you wouldn't even know it's engineering, it's really just building Ferris wheels and building merry-go-rounds and all these fun things, along with the story, talking about Goldie and her friends, and how she's building these different fun games and amusement park rides. We have that in our household.                                 These are the kinds of things that women are doing to try to inspire the next generation. There is a woman in our book who started a company called Bitcode, she's actually working with the public schools to get them to use video to teach girls how to code. So if you have kids you know that they're on video, they're on YouTube, and they're really tech savvy. I have four kids, they can get around YouTube, and iMovie, and they're all over it. So, this tool is used in the public schools, to teach coding, using videos, to make it fun.   How Colleges Are Changing The Ratio Of Women Graduating With Computer Science Degrees Poornima: It's great, yeah, it's good to see these grassroots efforts, so that even if there is kind of a gap in terms of change for public schools or the school system in general, there's ways in which parents and teachers can supplement that.                                 So, the next place in which a lot of women and minorities drop off is at the college level, tell us who's working on changing that.   Samantha: Well, we had the most amazing experience at Grace Hopper in 2015. I believe you were there, and Heather and I, my coauthor and I went, and just to see, I think it was 12,000 women there in computing, and it is a true celebration. And to see the enthusiasm and the excitement and the bonding between these young women, it was so encouraging.                                 When you look at specific colleges, there's a lot being done to encourage more women in to pursue technology and computer science. I met with Maria Klawe, who's the president of Harvey Mudd, and wow! What a firecracker she is, she skateboards around campus, she's just a really fun, wonderful woman, and she implemented a program along with her colleagues a few years ago, where there are two tracks for computer science, so as a freshman you can take the gold track or the black track.                                 The gold track is for students who have not had any computer science experience in high school; the black track is for students who've had some experience. So, by doing this, the students who have not had experience don't feel so impostered, they don't have the confidence cause no one's had this experience, so they get through this year and I spoke to a couple of students who have taken these classes, and they say that by the end of the year, everyone's pretty much at the same level.                                 So, she, Maria Klawe, and her team has tripled the number of women graduating with computer science degrees at Harvey Mudd in the past ten years, and the number is, I hate to throw in all these numbers, cause they get little mind boggling at times, but 55% of the computer science graduates at Harvey Mudd are now women.   Poornima: That's great, it's a nice change to—the numbers go up.   Samantha: There's also Stanford. Another example of what's going on to encourage women to pursue computer science is Stanford University, of course a top institution, but they have a Women in Tech group called She++, which was started by Ayna Agarwal, and who was not even a computer science major by the way, but she started this group to encourage women and they had a Gala, every year, which gathers all the women in technology, not just Stanford. What they do is they go out into the communities and they take on high school students in different communities around the country and they support these young high school girls to start programs in their communities. For example, I live out in Marin County, and there is a girl who started a robotics happy schooler box program in Marin City, which is an underserved community in Marin County, and she runs this afterschool program in Marin City.                                 So all of these girls around the country who are starting these programs through She++ gather together for this gala, and I am telling you, if you could be there to see these college women, these high school girls who came, they were dressed to the nines, they were glamorous, I mean, talk about debunking the myths and breaking stereotypes about what a woman in tech looks like, I mean, we could have been in an LA nightclub, not to sound like—but they were so beautiful and wonderful and smart and excited to talk about their programs, and they were so excited to be in technology. And again, this is why Heather and I said, "This is a story that no one sees," you don't see this kind of enthusiasm around technology, you see, "Oh, it's so hard, numbers are dropping, it's all doom and gloom." And so we really wanted to tell that other story.   The Angel Investors And Others Who Are Supporting Female Founders   Poornima: OK. That brings us back to industry, and I know there's a lot going on at the corporate level, as well as startups. I'm of course partial to startups, so let's start there and talk about how the ecosystem is changing for women and minorities.   Samantha: There's a lot of momentum behind supporting female founders. For example, there are accelerator programs like the Women Startup Lab, which is down here at Menlo Park; there's MergeLane, which is in Colorado; there's The Refinery in Connecticut. These programs focus on female founders, and really giving them the tools, the skills they need to grow their company into a venture, fundable company. And they give the tools to learn how to pitch venture capitalists, and we all know the venture capital world is very male dominated.   Poornima: Yeah, it is a challenge. I know I've had my fair share of doing the fundraising.                                 So, there's a very common problem around women and minorities getting up and pitching their business to VCs, either male VCs not getting their idea, or they don't think it's a big enough market, or there's a lot of unconscious bias around it, so how are women getting their training to get over all of that?   Samantha: Well, you've started a company, so you know what it's like. The founders that we've met, that I've met in my journey with this book, are so passionate about their idea. But you can have an idea, and it's not going to go anywhere—you have to have the product market fit, you have to test the idea, you have to build your team out—and so these programs are really teaching women what they need to do to get to that level, to actually pitch to investors. But when you look at the numbers, I think it's 10% of the venture funding, globally, goes to female founders—it's still a really small percentage.                                 We've also noticed that there's women who are angels. So angel investors who fund companies at the early stages—for example, Joanne Wilson, aka Gotham Gal, who has a tremendous momentum in New York City, who has invested in a number of really great companies; Caren Maio, Nestio, Shanna Tellerman, Modsy—she finds these women, who have ideas that are big, that are scalable, and she nurtures them, and she's like the fairy godmother to these women. And there are other women that we talk about, we'd had to read the book to learn about all of them, but there are women who really take these female founders under their wing and support them on their journey.   Poornima: I think it's great that there are women like Joanne Wilson out there. Do you have a sense of how many companies she's invested in?   Samantha: Joanne Wilson has invested in around a hundred companies, and they're doing fantastic. One of them, Shanna Tellerman, started the company Modsy, which is an immersive, 3D environment for home décor, home design, and she told us that she created this project called “The Pinnacle Project,” at Park City, Utah, and it was Wednesday through Sunday, I think. And she invited Joanne, and Susan Lyne, and a bunch of angel investors, as well as a number of female founders, to come gather, network, ski, and have fun, and she said it was funny, because all the women were thinking, "We should be home, we should be working, we should be with the kids, we have so much to do," and she said she had to tell and remind people that, "This is what the guys do. They have a boys call and they pick off and it's all about business, whereas women don't have that sense of, “Let's go out to ski, or golf,” and that kind of networking, so it was an example of this pinnacle project, which is going to happen recurring every year, of, "OK, women, we can get together, have fun together, network, introduce each other to investors and influencers, and have fun while we're doing it. It's OK."   Poornima: Yeah. That's fantastic. And I think another thing you had mentioned pipeline ventures, or pipeline angels?   Samantha: Pipeline angels, yes, yes. Natalia Oberti Noguera is a force of nature and she started this angel investing group for women and I went through it and Heather went through it. I did it in San Francisco, Heather did it in New York, and basically it's a training, it's a bootcamp or a training program for women who are credited investors, to learn how to invest in female and minority-led companies. So it walked us through the process of how do you set evaluation on a company, what do you look for in a startup that you're investing in, what kind of traits you want to look for in the team, what's going to make this a good investment. So it trains women to invest as angels, and then you actually make an investment at the end.                                 We made an investment in a great startup—which I believe is still hush hush, underground at this point—but I believe we made a great investment and we're following the course of these early stage female founders, and it's really her goal to change the face of angel investing, to increase the amount of money going towards these early stage female founders.   Poornima: As we were doing research for your book and when I was reading it, I noticed that there was some astonishing findings, like only 11 companies that were founded by African-American women have received funding over a million dollars. So walk us through who is working to change this.   Samantha: Well, that number has actually increased, it's now 13 companies that have received more than a million dollars, but the numbers are still really low. One woman who is really on top of this problem is Kathryn Finney, who is the founder of DigitalUndivided, which is an organization whose main purpose is to increase the number of women, minorities in the tech world, latino women, and black women founders, and she just recently launched an accelerator, in Atlanta, Georgia, called the Big Innovation Center, and I think their first cohort is gathering this year to help skill up and prepare these minority founders to raise money.   How Tech Companies Are Growing Up And Changing How The Nature of Work   Poornima: So let's switch gears, and talk about corporations. We previously had Lisen Stromberg on the show, talking about the changes that were happening for parents—what have you seen?   Samantha: Well, what we've noticed is that Silicon Valley is growing up. They are trading in their ping-pong tables and foosball tables for nursing rooms, which is inspiring to see. When I started out, I had my Medela Pump in Style in a cold bathroom out of the courtyard of our startup, so it wasn't pretty, but we spent a day at Eventbrite not too long ago, and Julia Hartz, who's now the CEO of Eventbrite, it's very focused on woman, developing women in leadership positions and allowing for work-life balance. And I say that word, “work-life balance,” a term that is loaded, what she's trying to do with that company is focus on the whole person, not just the employee self.                                 For example, they have a program called “Take the time you need.” So if you need time to care for a child or to care for an adult, you can work from home, you can take time off, so she's really interested in her employees, and telling her employees, "You can do what you need to do, so you can live a life and you can be an employee."                                 And she also tells the women who are having babies at her company, she says, "You know what? You can get through the first six to nine months," it gets a lot easier, because a lot of women when they have their babies early on, they think, “I can't leave this poor creature alone with a daycare with a babysitter,” and she says, “If you can just get through that”—she's got two little girls herself—”If you can just get through that time, stick with it, come back, and we will support you while you're doing it,” which is fantastic.   Poornima: You also showcase companies like Power to Fly. Walk us through what Power to Fly is.   Samantha: Yeah, Power to Fly was started by Milena Berry and Katharine Zaleski. Katharine actually wrote an article apologizing to all the mothers out there. Before she had children, she was a little bit judgemental of mothers taking time off and having to leave work early, and then she had her first baby and she thought, "Oh, my gosh, this is really hard," so she and Milena got together and started this company, Power to Fly, which connects women with remote and flexible job positions, so they can actually care for their family and pursue careers in technology. The great thing about technology is that it can be done remotely. Especially if you're in coding, you don't have to be in an office 24/7, so Power to Fly works on that.                                 Another great program is Tina Lee started a program called MotherCoders, and she's based in San Francisco, a fabulous woman, her program retrains mothers in tech skills, so they can go off and they can—either they've taken time off or they have background in some other field, they can skill up in technology, and go out and get the tremendous amount of jobs that are available in technology as they get back to work.   Disrupting The Boardroom   Poornima: Well, that brings us to the boardroom, so walk us through what changes are happening there.   Samantha: The number of women holding board seats in our country is still very, very low, I think the number is 18% of board seats at Fortune 500 companies are held by women. So we still have a long way to go.                                 One real pioneer in this area is a woman, her name is Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, she's fabulous, she is the CEO and founder of a company called Joyus, a tech company, and she, a few years ago penned an article called "Tech Women Choose Possibility." And she really wanted to profile the women in Silicon Valley, in the startup world, who are doing great things, just founding great companies. There was a lot of positive response to that article, and so she created an organization called #choosepossibility.                                 Part of that organization is a group called, or an initiative called "The Boardlist." And basically it's a matchmaking tool that matches qualified, board-ready women with startup, tech companies, looking to fill board seats with women, so she made that happen, and they placed three women on the board, which it seems like it's very low, but what they're doing is they're connecting the VCs and the startup companies with these women, and a lot more placements have been made not directly through the platform, but just through the connections that have been made on this platform.   Poornima: OK, great, so it's good to know that there is some change happening at the board level as well.                                 Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Samantha, I know our viewers out there are going to enjoy reading your book, *Geek Girl Rising*. And for our viewers who are women, minority, and allies, is there anything else you would like to share with them in terms of resources?   Samantha: Yeah. I would love to see everybody come to our website. We have a gazillion resources on how you can join the digital revolution, just take a peek.   Poornima: Thanks for tuning in today and special thanks to our sponsor, Pivotal Tracker, for their help in producing this episode of *Femgineer TV*. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please be sure to share it with your friends, your teammates, your boss, and everyone so that they get to benefit from all the great resources, and subscribe to our channel to receive the next episode.                                Ciao for now! -- FemgineerTV is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA.

It was so interesting to read Lisen's, book  Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood without Killing Your Career. I am so excited to bring you this episode with this amazing woman who has trail blazed her own path and is making waves in the corporate world to bring attention to the HIGH need for better solutions for us in the workplace. And hey, if you are PTA president listen up! She talks about how to use that for your resume.  theashcarroll.com

There are a lot of people who want to change their career later in life. They want to do more challenging work, earn more money, and have a better lifestyle. Given the growing need of technical talent in the US, it would see like a technical career would be a great choice, right? Unfortunately despite the dearth of technical talent, many people are wary because of the misconception that transitioning into a technical career later in life is just too hard. Another is, as you start to fall behind on your technical skills, it’s hard to play catch up! Hence, a lot of people struggle to stay relevant. Piling on career pauses like parenthood make it even harder! However, the growing number of retraining programs, bootcamps, and online education options are looking to cater to busy people who are eager to transition into a technical position. In today’s episode we’ll talk to Tina Lee, who is actively is working to change these misconceptions with her nonprofit MotherCoders, which helps moms on-ramp to technical careers in the new economy. You’ll learn from Tina: Why people get put on the mommy track and how it does a disservice to women who want to continue to pursue their careers Why technical skills are crucial for employment and why Tina is focused on helping mothers acquire them Why companies shouldn’t withhold investing in a retraining program and how it can benefit employees and employers attract and retain top technical talent Show Notes Check out MotherCoders at http://www.mothercoders.org/  FemgineerTV is produced as a partnership between Femgineer ((http://femgineer.com/) and Pivotal Tracker (http://www.pivotaltracker.com/). San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA (http://www.startmotionmedia.com/design/).   Full Transcript Poornima:         Welcome to another episode of *Femgineer TV*, brought to you by Pivotal Tracker. I'm your host, Poornima Vijayashanker, the founder of Femgineer. In this show, I host innovators in tech and together we debunk myths and misconceptions related to building tech products and companies. One common misconception I come across a lot is how challenging it can be to pursue a technical career midway through your career.             Another is that it's really hard once you've lost track of your technical skills, or they've gotten rusty, to get back on track. One woman, Tina Lee, is working to change this misconception. She is the founder of MotherCoders, a nonprofit, that helps moms on ramp to technical careers in the new economy. Thanks for joining us, Tina. Tina Lee:            Thanks for having me. Poornima:         Yeah. So, I know you and I met about a year ago at a conference, but I'm not too familiar with your background. Why don't you just tell us a little bit about how you got started. Tina Lee:            So, I started this journey towards having a technical career when I became a management consultant coming out of college. I helped implement large, enterprise-level IT systems and from there I kind of had this epiphany that tech was going to play a major role in business, and it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world was going to be transformed by it as well, and then after that I did technical recruiting. I spent some time in grad school studying education technology, and then ended up working on behalf of nonprofits and government and helping them use technology better to meet their goals. Poornima:         So that's great that you've had all this exposure to technology in your career. What ultimately inspired you to start MotherCoders? Tina Lee:            Well, like a lot of people who are inspired to make change, it came from a deep place of pain. Poornima:         Yeah, what was your pain? Tina Lee:            So, I had been trained to do simple things, build simple things: HTML, CSS, a little bit of JavaScript. I even tried learning Ruby for a while. And it was fine until I had my second child, right? The programs that are available to beginners usually happen on the evenings or on the weekend or online. And I felt like because I had just had a baby, my second one, I felt very isolated. So, doing it online felt very lonely and I couldn't make these in-person classes anymore, so out of that I had this vision of like, you know what? I cannot be the only mother, a new mother, who’s experiencing this. I should just organize kind of an informal meet up because my grandmother had met me.                             I had envisioned maybe some grandmas here on the corner and then we'd be doing our thing here. And ultimately what happened was I had so many women that filled out this informal Google Poll that I had about their interest level that I said, "OK. There's enough there to do something more organized." So I ran a pilot out of a co-working space that was empty on Saturdays and just happened to be next to an onsite child care facility center. Poornima:         Wow. Tina Lee:            Yeah. So that we were able to run the classes in the conference rooms and then have the kids be cared for by professional caregivers in a setting that was set up for them. Poornima:         That's awesome. So you really saw the opportunity. One as like a personal pain point that you experienced but then after you do this experiment there were a number of women who were interested. And then from that point, how did you transition into making it the nonprofit that it is today? Tina Lee:            So, I'm all about failing fast and rocket prototyping. So that was kind of my way of experimenting with this model. And because so many women had reached out, ones who could not participate in the pilot for one reason or another, I knew that there were moms out there that were hungry. And once you dig deeper into the numbers it collaborates that, right? I know you had Lisen Stromberg on the show recently and you look at the numbers about how many millennia women are about to become mothers, right? A million a year for the next 10 years or so. And then you look at how millennia women are going to be the largest and the most educated demographic ever, right? And then you look at who’s already a mom now.                                There's just tremendous opportunity to help moms who are either stuck on the sidelines and they want to get into tech but can't. Or they're in a job where they're not touching it and they want to move up. This is a great way to activate them and give them a skill set that will help them stay competitive. And we even have entrepreneurs who feel like they need a bigger tool set. They want like a wider understanding of how the ecosystem’s working so they can really launch their ventures. They come to us for that understanding and then also the community, too. That's a big part of what we do is the community because like I said being a mom is very isolating. Poornima:         Yeah that's fantastic. I'm sure some of our viewers out there who are entrepreneurs will be interested to learn a little bit more. So it’s great that there are going to be all these millennial women who are becoming mothers but I know there's still a problem when it comes to leadership, and as you and I have noticed, within tech itself only 26% of women hold computing jobs. So, how do you think MotherCoders is helping with that? Tina Lee:            Well, couple of things. One, we've kind of discussed this a lot which is a pipeline issue. Yes. We could be graduating more women with degrees in computer science or engineering but we also do a terrible job as a society of helping women thrive once they become mothers, right? No one ever says the term “working dad.” We just assume that— Poornima:         That's true. Tina Lee:            —you're going to be working. Poornima:         Yeah. Tina Lee:            But for mothers, I think as a society, culturally, we're still very ambivalent about how we feel about women working outside the home once they become mothers, but if you think about it, mothers are the people that you work with, right? They're the people sitting around you and they're your cohort next to you that's going to be taking over this role. It’s just the workplace is not set up to help women succeed, right? The IT worker is all in, all the time. Poornima:         Right. Tina Lee:            And if you have caregiving responsibilities, that's impossible, right? And women are kind of pressured to make a choice because there are not...there just aren't the social support systems, right? School lets out at 3. Poornima:         Yeah. Tina Lee:            There's no paid parental leave, right? And a lot of companies are just starting to experiment with flexible work hours, right? So all these things make it very difficult for women who feel like they want to prioritize their families and of course at the same time they're made to choose. Poornima:         Yep. I do remember in Lisen Stromberg's interview we talked about this caregiving bias. So it’s great that you touched upon it. I think you also mentioned in a talk earlier the mommy tax versus the fatherhood bonus. Walk us through why this disparity exists.   Tina Lee:            Oh man, we're going to get sad. OK. So, because of this ideal worker model, right? You're expected to go in all the time. Once you become a mother, everyone knows what that means and what that looks like, right? Based on our certain circumstances. Our current set of circumstances. So, automatically men and women will think, "OK. So this person is either going to be downshifting their careers or they're going to drop out altogether." Right? "And if they do stay they're probably not going to go all in. So let’s put them on the mommy track." So, women aren't left with that many choices right? So the way I frame the mommy tax is that automatically you're considered less valuable.                                 Right? And that will represent...that will manifest itself in salary negotiations, in having projects that will help you reach the next level, in helping you maybe make connections or professional development that will bring you to the next level. So there's a tax not only in real terms in salary but also a tax in terms of the opportunity cost.   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            Of what you could have done if you didn't become a mother in the eyes of the employer. Now it’s such a powerful bias that women who aren't even mothers get hit by it right? I mean how many stories have we heard of women walking in to pitch their companies or trying to get a job and they say, “Are you going to be pregnant?” Or, “You're married, do you plan to have kids anytime soon?” Not only is that illegal.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            That automatically kind of primes everyone in the room to think like, "Oh, right. You're a woman. There's a high chance that you'll become a mother and you're just going to peace out at some point and why should we invest in you." Right? So that's the motherhood penalty. On the flip side, the opposite is happening to men. "Oh! You're going to become a dad? This means you're going to be...you're going to be going in even harder because now you're responsible for caring for a family, right? You should be given the best projects because you really need to get to the next level. And you really should get a salary bump because now you're responsible for all these people."   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So it’s just a very unfair situation where women are getting hit by this mommy tax and dads are not. And women are already a lot of times behind because of the gender pay gap that they came into before all this even happened.   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            Oh and for every child that you have, additional child, you get hit a little bit more.   Poornima:         What can we do to sort of alleviate this? Or what...what can people do to sort of empower themselves?   Tina Lee:            Well, I think we need to talk about it in several levels, right? One is the individual level. One may be at the company level. And then one at a society level. So I'm going to start personal. Personally, I think one of the strategies that I've employed is you really have to take stock of your own capacity.   Poornima:         Mm-hmm.   Tina Lee:            What are my goals? What are my passions? What do I want to do? What capacity do I have in terms of caregiving? Do I have family to help me out? Do I have friends? Do I live in a community where there's support systems? So all of these things have to be taken into consideration. And I specifically stayed in a neighborhood in San Francisco that has a high density of in-home child care providers, and preschools, and great elementary schools to kind of situate myself where I would have these resources available to me. Other people move in, their parents.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Other people move closer to their parents. Everyone has a different situation, right? And I'm lucky in that I have a great partner. So all of these things help me succeed. But on a company level, what would make it even better, as I mentioned earlier, some flexible schedules. If I have a role where I pretty much can do work without being physically in the office, I should be allowed to do that, right?   Poornima:         Yep.   Tina Lee:            And if I happen to work with other people who are caregiving, not just kids but for their parents, or they happen to do other things in the community, they should be given that right, too. So having this flexibility actually benefits everyone in the company.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Paid parental leave is huge, right? And also really thinking about how to combat that implicit bias against women and mothers, right? And that kind of speaks to the larger problem of the societal expectation that women are expected to provide caregiving and men are not, that women should stay home after they have kids, right?   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            And the reality is that our society's changing, women are more educated, they're working. Forty-five percent of families with kids under 18 now have two working parents working full time to stay afloat, right? And so the reality is that we need to change some policies around how we support parents in general, caregivers in general. And I'm really glad that people like Sheryl Sandberg through *Lean In*, Emily Slaughter through her books, and then Lisa, too, are really tackling this societal piece because we can't change. We're not going to see change until we have culture change and I think that's a long-term thing that needs to happen.   Poornima:         So let’s bring it back to the struggle to stay relevant, right? You take a pause for parenthood, or you downshift, or maybe you don't even downshift, but there's this perception that you are downshifting. So I think it’s great that there are retraining programs like yours. How do you see these programs evolving overtime?   Tina Lee:            I don't know.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            That's the honest answer.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            I don't know, because—   Poornima:         But you see people embracing them?   Tina Lee:            Yes, people are embracing them, but I think we're at the beginning stages of just having this consciousness that tech is moving really fast.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            We live in this world where you have to continuously learn in order to stay relevant whether you're a caregiver or not, right?   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            That's why companies invest in professional development budgets and provide access to online training courses or learning plans. So I think we as a society know that people need to stay fresh on top of the skills and understand how fast things are changing in the industries, right? And that's why they invest in the professional development piece, but they also will have to come up with new ways of providing those to people who may not have the capacity to go to the one-week conference.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Or the “take three months off to learn how to become a full-stack web developer” type of programs, right? Those all-in programs are going to be very challenging for people with caregiving responsibilities and that's why you don't see an influx of caregivers in those types of boot camps or in online learning, right?   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Because as I spent time in ED School, I know that learning is very social and I'm a big believer that context is important. It’s great if you learn how to speak French by yourself, at home, in front of a computer but if—   Poornima:         No, I tried that. I have a terrible accent.   Tina Lee:            But yeah it would be better if you had actually visited France.   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            If you understood French culture and maybe even had some French friends and had a French meal. So it brings it all together and that's kind of the experience that we aim for because it’s not just the skills. It has to happen in context.   Poornima:         Yeah. So why teach these technical skills? Why not just get people to get better at management skills or some of the other softer skills? Why do you want to focus on tech skills?   Tina Lee:            I think tech is transforming our economy. It’s just going to be one of those things that we take for granted, right? And having that literacy is going to empower you to think about your own industry differently. And it’s going to impact the way you approach a problem differently. And I think once moms gain that level of tech literacy, it just gives them a level of confidence to approach this new phase in their life differently because a world of opportunity will open up, right? I think before in the beginning, when things were still very technical to the point where you had to have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree to understand it, then it was less accessible.                                 But now we're at the point where we've automated a lot of these things and made it a little bit more friendly. And I think if you're really going to innovate, it's just as important to understand the problems in the industry and then figure out the technical piece that goes along with that. And I think there's enough room for everyone to participate in that exercise.   Poornima:         So why don't we talk a little bit about the type of people you see coming to your program, other coders—are these people that are outside of tech? Or are they people within tech who maybe were on the business side and then wanted to transition into the technical side?   Tina Lee:            So, after running five cohorts now, some patterns are emerging, right? We mainly see women who are working moms and they want to get technical but can't find a solution that works with them because of scheduling or child care issues. They know that their path to career advancement requires them to gain this new skill set, right? So they want access to it and we provide that for them. Another group of moms who come to us, like you mentioned earlier, they may have stepped out for a little bit. A year, six months, some even 10 years, right? And they're just looking for a refresh. To figure out a way to connect their passions to a path forward.   And then the last group, these are entrepreneurs who have an idea for an app or they are already on their way to building a company and they just realize, like, "Hey, I'm kind of stuck now and I can't proceed without a grander understanding of what it is I'm trying to do and how to go about it." And so they come to us. So those are kind of the three groups that we see. In terms of industry background, they just run across the gamut. We have moms who worked in a startup only on the operations side. So they wanted to get closer to moms who were scientists, who are working in a lab. And they're like you know what? I actually want to do something else because it enables me to be more creative. So just really all over the map in terms of industry background.   Poornima:         And how do you go about doing the teaching?   Tina Lee:            So, we have a three-pronged approach. As I mentioned before, it’s not just the technical skills.   Poornima:         Sure.   Tina Lee:            So, we teach a little bit of code. All the moms are taught HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build a basic website and how to launch it, but the goal of that really is to give them a taste of it, to see how it feels to build something and put it out into the world, and to really check themselves. “Do I like this enough to keep going?”   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Right? Or, “Is this enough? Or do I pivot?” The second piece that goes along with that is the community piece. So we bring in women from the field, like yourself, and we create this community not only of people who could mentor them, but people who provide access to job opportunities. And then of course they have each other.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Right? They can go to conferences together. They can just go to a café and help each other. And having that nerd mom comradery is really essential to success because, sometimes in the middle of the night and there's no one else there, you can feel like you can ping someone.   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            And then the last piece that we do, right, technical, community, and the last piece is the childcare piece, right? And that childcare piece really helps moms figure out in a safe space if this is something they want to go further. Right? And I would also argue that another piece of it is context. Although it’s hard to explain to people what I mean by that. What I mean by that is all of this is happening within context of what we see in everyday life and that piece of context is provided by the community, right? You come in and explain we use agile and that's what it means in our shop.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Or we believe in rapid prototyping and design thinking and that's how it works in our shop. Right? So all of these things are relevant. Not just the building part or not just the hanging-out-with-your-people part.   Poornima:         So that's great. So how do you pick a cohort?   Tina Lee:            We pick a cohort the way I would build a team.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            So because...before I used to be a technical rep, I spent some time being a recruiter, and having that safe space for learning is really important. And I realize how hard it is to do this when you are a mother as well. So I work with my board and we have several steps to our application process, the last one of which is an in-person interview.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            Where we really talk to the moms. “Are we right for you? Are you ready for this?” Because a lot of learning will have to happen outside of the classroom too, right? So they have to have capacity and they have to be really clear about why they're doing it because otherwise you're not going to stick to it and it's not going to feel like you achieved something at the end, right? So we walk them through that. And it’s worked out pretty well. All the moms come together and I think because being a mother is such a democratizing experience they all show up as people who are there to support each other, and want to learn together, and move forward together.   Poornima:         So walk us through what a day in the life of MotherCoders looks like.   Tina Lee:            Sure.   Poornima:         For your students.   Tina Lee:            So, Saturday only classes right? You would go...you would drop off your baby. So we have a half an hour transition time. It takes a while to explain have they eaten, have they slept, all that stuff.   Poornima:         Right.   Tina Lee:            So you hand off to the caregiver and you're in your seat by 10:00 right?   And then you learn until noon. And then we have lunch together. We always have lunch catered because it's such a special time and they have to bond. And a lot of times we'll have speakers there too, right, who will stay and hang out with them. So it’s a great time to just kind of network and talk. And then after lunch they learn some more. And then around 3, we leave half an hour for reflection. So I'm big on you learn, but at the end of the day, you have to pause and really connect what happened to how you're feeling about it and how it connects to your own understanding of the work, OK? And then after that they pick up their kid and then they go.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            In terms of content, it will vary by day. We have specific build days where people just get together and they build and we help you work through your wireframes and your issues. There are days when we have lectures. We don't really have a lot of lectures. We have “discussions,” I should call them. And then there are other days when we have guest speakers who come in and they talk about a topic that they want to talk about, or they do a workshop, or something I've been doing is I've been pairing a cyber security info sec expert with data scientists.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So on one side you have data scientists who want like all the data, and then the other side you have people who are in charge of the data or making sure they're following the rules about data and saying, "Whoa." So that's been a very illuminating conversation, too. So we've been doing stuff like that.   Poornima:         That sounds great. So how many people have you graduated? You mentioned you have five cohorts coming who have gone through the program?   Tina Lee:            Thirty-four so far.   Poornima:         Great. OK.   Tina Lee:            Yeah we're really delighted because 34 moms represents families, right?   Tina Lee:            And there is over 50 kids. And another way to think about this is we've placed 34 stem role models.   Poornima:         Oh, great.   Tina Lee:            Right? Into homes. They are inspiring our next generation of kids. Right? So not only are these women changing the trajectory of their own family like right now, their kids are going to be impacted, too. So we're really looking at this from a multi-generational perspective.   Poornima:         Yeah. That's fantastic. So what are some immediate outcomes that you see from them graduating in the program?   Tina Lee:            Jobs!   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            They're getting jobs.   Poornima:         Good. OK.   Tina Lee:            They're getting jobs in tech, right?   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So we have moms who have become front end engineers. We have moms who have become mobile app developers. We have moms who have become user experience designers. Some have been promoted, of course, because now they have this new tool kit. And then we have other moms who are proceeding with their startup dreams. So potentially, right, we have entrepreneurs out there. So, this has been really exciting to see them grow.   Poornima:         That's great. So it’s a lot of variety of outcomes but all pretty positive.   Tina Lee:            Mm-hmm.   Poornima:         So how do you measure success for MotherCoders?   Tina Lee:            Right now the way we're measuring success is completion.   We're also looking at how diverse we are in terms of the people that we have in our classes. Right? I'm an intersectional feminist.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            Eighty-one percent of women become moms and if companies are really worried about diversity? I'm like, “Come to me, because we have queer moms, we have moms that emigrated from other countries, like just everybody.” We just think about it racially, religiously, geographically, right? So the way we measure success—there's a piece of the diversity piece, and then there's a completion piece, and then we're starting to track not only who got jobs or who got promoted, but how much did they increase their income?   Poornima:         Oh, great.   Tina Lee:            Or earning potential? Right?   And that's been tricky because we've been running cohorts and it takes time. And different moms have different capacities, as I mentioned. And some of them have kids, again.   Poornima:         Sure.   Tina Lee:            Because moms do. So, we're trying to figure out a way to tell that story better but just anecdotally because there are only 34 moms, I keep pretty close tabs on them.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            I know that they are making more money because some are buying new homes.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            Some are buying new other things.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            And they're updating their LinkedIn profiles and LinkedIn tells me that, right?   Poornima:         Sure.   Tina Lee:            So we know that they're getting skills, getting new jobs, buying homes, and on top of that, starting businesses.   Poornima:         So I love that you care about this diversity piece, and I do, too. So I'm going to ask you this question: What about Father Coders? You know there's a lot of stay-at-home dads that's becoming less and less of a stigma, but would you ever be open to allowing men to come in and participate in your program?   Tina Lee:            Not in the foreseeable future.   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            And here’s why, right? The reason why we don't do Father Coders is exactly the same reasons why we do MotherCoders, right?   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            Think about it from a kind of a cultural perspective.   I have actually gone to meetups and programs. They're very friendly. Not that they're not friendly to women, but in terms of belonging, I think women have a harder time feeling a sense of belonging in those spaces, right? And you walk into a room and you don't see anyone who looks like you...it's very intimidating and there's a lot of trepidation around going back again.   So we create this safe space where we know that women will find inviting, right? And I think mothers specifically have a very unique set of challenges, right? That go beyond just being a woman, right? The scheduling, the feeling of pressure to be the perfect mom, and the perfect spouse, and the perfect worker, all the perfect things, right? And then on top of that picking up skills and working in an industry that's predominantly men is very intimidating, right?   Poornima:         OK.   Tina Lee:            So all of that comes together in MotherCoders. And I understand that fathers have the same challenges with scheduling, but I bet you they would feel less trepidation walking into a space that was designed more for someone without the challenges that moms have.   And we actually have had conversations with women who come up to me and say, "I'm not a mother but I care for a family member. Can I come?"   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So I can see at some point that we rethink our structure.   Poornima:         Oh I see. Right.   Tina Lee:            But we exist for the same reason that Hackbright exists and Women's Colleges exist.   I graduated out of a Women's College. So all of those things still stand and until we kind of break apart some of those barriers to women I think I need to keep doing what I'm doing now.   Poornima:         Thank you so much for coming on the show. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience before we end?   Tina Lee:            Yes, I would love to share with you kind of my pie-in-the-sky kind of vision that I'm working towards, right? Women from all all over the U.S. and the world reach out to me and ask when we're coming to their communities.   Poornima:         OK. Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So I know there's a desire for this type of training program all over and we're trying to figure out a way to get there. And we envision ourselves being in any community that wants to have a MotherCoders but, because, you'd know, technology varies by geography, and industry, and all these different things. We want to design a program that's thoughtful enough and flexible enough where they can design it to fit their local conditions, right? To fit the needs of their local employers so that moms will have a place to move to. So we are moving towards that. We are actively fundraising towards that.   And the reason that we're a nonprofit is because we're committed to helping women who cannot afford to pay $10,000 for Bootcamp or they're not sure if they want to invest in that even before having tried out something more preliminary. So we are working towards a vision where we're all across America, if not the world, so that we could help women everywhere as they transition into being moms and thrive in the workplace.   Poornima:         Great. So how can we help you with that?   Tina Lee:            Well, help us get our word out. This is great, right?   Help us send moms who are interested in taking our program to us. I would also love it if employers who are worried about retaining moms that they have to provide professional development for them through us. And then also figure out a way to maybe work with us to develop programs or return ships where women who may have stepped off want to get a refresh and then go back.   Poornima:         Yeah.   Tina Lee:            So those are great ways. And then of course, we're always looking for donations, always looking for sponsorships. So many ways to partner with us and everything can be found on our website.   Poornima:         Wonderful. Well we'll be sure to include the link to it.   Tina Lee:            Thank you.   Poornima:         Thank you again for joining us, Tina. Thank you for tuning in today and special thanks to our sponsor, Pivotal Tracker, for their help in producing this episode of *Femgineer TV*. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please be sure to share it with your friends, your team, your employer, and of course, all the mothers that you know to get the word out. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive the next episode of *Femgineer TV*. Ciao for now.    

Jennifer Hill talks to author, Leigh Stringer, about her new book: “The Healthy Workplace.” Leigh offers suggestions on how to create a better workspace that can promote a more peaceful environment. Leigh gives tips on how to sleep better and feel better at the end of every workday. Leigh also emphasizes the importance of nutrition and nature. leighstringer.com LEIGH STRINGER is Senior Workplace Expert for EYP Architecture & Engineering and is researching employee health and productivity in conjunction with the Harvard School of Public Health, the Center for Active Design, and other leading organizations. She lives in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Hill talks to author, Leigh Stringer, about her new book: “The Healthy Workplace.” Leigh offers suggestions on how to create a better workspace that can promote a more peaceful environment. Leigh gives tips on how to sleep better and feel better at the end of every workday. Leigh also emphasizes the importance of nutrition and nature. leighstringer.com LEIGH STRINGER is Senior Workplace Expert for EYP Architecture & Engineering and is researching employee health and productivity in conjunction with the Harvard School of Public Health, the Center for Active Design, and other leading organizations. She lives in Washington, DC.

Jennifer Hill asks author & speaker, Lisen Stromberg, “How can you effectively balance work and family?” Lisen quotes research from her new book “Work, Pause, Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career.” Lisen also references a wonderful new concept called “return to work internships” for people who have been out of work caring for children or family members and are looking to return to the workplace. http://lisenstromberg.com After a successful career in marketing and advertising, Lisen Stromberg, left the business world frustrated by the lack of support for mothers in the workplace. She pivoted to become an award winning journalist whose work can be found in the New York Times, Fortune, Newsweek, Salon, and other high profile media outlets. Now Lisen is back to her business roots as CEO and Founder of PrismWork, a culture innovation consultancy. She and her team partner with companies, leaders, and advocates, to innovate the workplace so the next generation isn’t forced to choose between work and family. A sought after speaker and moderator, Lisen has inspired thousands with her talks on work + life integration, corporate talent innovation, disrupting the traditional career paradigm, and empowering women in the workplace. She has been seen on stage at SXSW, TEDx, The 3% Conference, and more. Her book, Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career is deeply reported with extensive social science research, cutting edge data collected from nearly 1,500 women, and through 186 first-person interviews. In it, she reveals how trailblazing women have disrupted the traditional career paradigm to achieve their personal and professional goals and provides readers with a blueprint for how they, too, can integrate kids with their career. Lisen lives with her family in San Francisco.

Jennifer Hill asks author & speaker, Lisen Stromberg, “How can you effectively balance work and family?” Lisen quotes research from her new book “Work, Pause, Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career.” Lisen also references a wonderful new concept called “return to work internships” for people who have been out of work caring for children or family members and are looking to return to the workplace. http://lisenstromberg.com After a successful career in marketing and advertising, Lisen Stromberg, left the business world frustrated by the lack of support for mothers in the workplace. She pivoted to become an award winning journalist whose work can be found in the New York Times, Fortune, Newsweek, Salon, and other high profile media outlets. Now Lisen is back to her business roots as CEO and Founder of PrismWork, a culture innovation consultancy. She and her team partner with companies, leaders, and advocates, to innovate the workplace so the next generation isn’t forced to choose between work and family. A sought after speaker and moderator, Lisen has inspired thousands with her talks on work + life integration, corporate talent innovation, disrupting the traditional career paradigm, and empowering women in the workplace. She has been seen on stage at SXSW, TEDx, The 3% Conference, and more. Her book, Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career is deeply reported with extensive social science research, cutting edge data collected from nearly 1,500 women, and through 186 first-person interviews. In it, she reveals how trailblazing women have disrupted the traditional career paradigm to achieve their personal and professional goals and provides readers with a blueprint for how they, too, can integrate kids with their career. Lisen lives with her family in San Francisco.

Interview with Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive, about how to pause for parenthood without killing your career. The post How to Pause for Parenthood without Killing Your Career appeared first on Mr. Dad.

Interview with Dennis Trittin, author of What I Wish I Knew at 18, about teaching our kids the life lessons they'll need to handle the road ahead; and with Lisen Stromberg, author of Work, Pause, Thrive, about how to pause for parenthood without killing your career. The post What I Wish I Knew at 18 + Work, Pause, Thrive appeared first on Mr. Dad.

This week on The After Show I talk with the amazing Lisen Stromberg. Lisen’s book, Work Pause Thrive, How to Pause For Parenthood Without Killing Your Career is a must have for anyone either considering or in the midst of a career break. Lisen and I discuss everything from how taking a sabbatical can actually help your career to the best methods for effectively getting back work.

Many of us think of a career as the period between college graduation and retirement. We’ve bought into the myth that taking a pause is considered a career killer because to truly be successful we have to keep working! As a result, many companies both large and small have developed a work-first culture that operates 24/7. But what if we want more from life than just work? I’m not talking about work and life balance. I mean taking a REAL pause that is longer than a weekend or a month vacation and isn’t tied to work taking a sabbatical from work to write a book, travel, start a company, or go back to school. I mean pausing just for a life goal, like pausing for parenthood. Is it even possible and can we do it without killing our careers? Well to help us answer this question, I’ve invited Lisen Stromberg who is the CEO & Founder of Prism Work, a culture innovation consultancy. She and her team partner with companies, leaders, and advocates to innovate the workplace so the next generation isn’t forced to choose between work and family. Lisen is also the author of the new book Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career. In this episode you’ll learn the following from Lisen: Why we should consider planning a pause in our career Why one of the reasons we don’t pause for parenthood is the stigma behind caregiving How our current work culture puts a strain on fathers Why pausing isn’t a career killer and many go on to thrive after their pause FemgineerTV is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA.  

I'm the worst self-employer. I'm only giving myself like 4 weeks of maternity leave. And the only way I'm affording this is working my butt off in the months before and the months after. But honestly, I am also extremely lucky. I get to decide what works for me, as an entrepreneur. I can afford to hire the support I need to help my family and to help my business. I'm very fortunate, too, in that I have a husband who values his family and prioritizes it over his work. His company provides four weeks of paid maternity leave, too, for dads. Not bad. The issue of opting out and "family leave" is a topic I am deeply interested in and when I heard that our next guest had a book coming out on this issue, I jumped at the chance to invite her on the show.  LisenStromberg is here and she's the author of the new book Work Pause Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career. Lisen took time off after having her second child but then pivoted to another career shortly thereafter. In her research, she interviewed 186 women and surveyed 1,500 women to detail how other successful mothers leveraged their time off from work to achieve their personal and professional goals. Opting out comes at a cost, of course. And Lisen breaks down the financial trade-offs families need to consider when making the decision to leave a job temporarily. we also discuss the good pressure Millennials are placing on workplace norms to give workers more flexibility and family support. And the $1.6 million she walked away from to opt out of the workforce. More about Lisen: She is also the CEO and Founder of PrismWork where she and her team work with companies, leaders and advocates to ensure women and Millennials thrive in the workplace. She is also the COO of the 3% Movement, which is committed to changing the ratio of women in leadership in the advertising industry. Lisen was once a marketing and advertising executive herself. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com.

Lisen Stromberg was excelling at her career. But after the birth of her second child she realized that there was no place for her to be a mother in such a competitive work environment. So, she pivoted, starting a consulting practice that works with companies to attract, retain and promote #women. She sits down with Lee to talk about how we can bring our true, authentic selves to work and contribute to a thriving #workplace.

Is mom a bad word? Today a look at the rise of the new women's movement in the advertising, marketing and media space. Specifically making a stand against mom bias in the workplace.