[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] there once was a young woman who was a
there once was a young woman who was a
there once was a young woman who was a high achiever you know the real deal the
high achiever you know the real deal the
high achiever you know the real deal the kick-ass go-getter tight curious mind
kick-ass go-getter tight curious mind
kick-ass go-getter tight curious mind compassionate heart and some killer
compassionate heart and some killer
compassionate heart and some killer shoes in 2008 at the very peak of the
shoes in 2008 at the very peak of the
shoes in 2008 at the very peak of the financial recession this young woman
financial recession this young woman
financial recession this young woman received a prestigious job on Wall
received a prestigious job on Wall
received a prestigious job on Wall Street you know what she did she played
Street you know what she did she played
Street you know what she did she played with the big boys she kicked some butt
with the big boys she kicked some butt
with the big boys she kicked some butt and as time passed top management knew
and as time passed top management knew
and as time passed top management knew they had a woman worth investing in and
they had a woman worth investing in and
they had a woman worth investing in and just as her career began to swing upward
just as her career began to swing upward
just as her career began to swing upward she got pregnant to her dismay she was
she got pregnant to her dismay she was
she got pregnant to her dismay she was faced with a severe condition that
faced with a severe condition that
faced with a severe condition that caused nausea and vomiting the entire
caused nausea and vomiting the entire
caused nausea and vomiting the entire length of her pregnancy work became
length of her pregnancy work became
length of her pregnancy work became unbearable for this high achiever she
unbearable for this high achiever she
unbearable for this high achiever she was passing out inside offices she was
was passing out inside offices she was
was passing out inside offices she was puking in trash cans next to her
puking in trash cans next to her
puking in trash cans next to her computer after many months of this she
computer after many months of this she
computer after many months of this she realized she needed help so she went to
realized she needed help so she went to
realized she needed help so she went to a senior mentor of hers for some
a senior mentor of hers for some
a senior mentor of hers for some much-needed advice and for our story’s
much-needed advice and for our story’s
much-needed advice and for our story’s sake let’s call this senior mentor
sake let’s call this senior mentor
sake let’s call this senior mentor Jessica Jessica was a type of woman
Jessica Jessica was a type of woman
Jessica Jessica was a type of woman every woman on Wall Street wanted to be
every woman on Wall Street wanted to be
every woman on Wall Street wanted to be this girl had broken the glass ceiling
this girl had broken the glass ceiling
this girl had broken the glass ceiling in a super male-dominated industry and
in a super male-dominated industry and
in a super male-dominated industry and bonus she did all this while also being
bonus she did all this while also being
bonus she did all this while also being a mom so the young woman told Jessica
a mom so the young woman told Jessica
a mom so the young woman told Jessica what was happening and how she didn’t
what was happening and how she didn’t
what was happening and how she didn’t think she could continue at her current
think she could continue at her current
think she could continue at her current pace
pace
pace Jessica looked at her right in the eye
Jessica looked at her right in the eye
Jessica looked at her right in the eye and said darling suck it up I too had a
and said darling suck it up I too had a
and said darling suck it up I too had a horrible pregnancy but I sucked it up
horrible pregnancy but I sucked it up
horrible pregnancy but I sucked it up because I cared about my career yep
because I cared about my career yep
because I cared about my career yep that’s how that conversation went down
that’s how that conversation went down
that’s how that conversation went down and the young woman did just that she
and the young woman did just that she
and the young woman did just that she pushed forward even at risk to her own
pushed forward even at risk to her own
pushed forward even at risk to her own health and the health of her baby and
health and the health of her baby and
health and the health of her baby and shortly before going out on maternity
shortly before going out on maternity
shortly before going out on maternity leave the young woman went to one of
leave the young woman went to one of
leave the young woman went to one of Jessica’s junior employees and she was
Jessica’s junior employees and she was
Jessica’s junior employees and she was just betting or she didn’t understand
just betting or she didn’t understand
just betting or she didn’t understand how Jessica was able to push through her
how Jessica was able to push through her
how Jessica was able to push through her pregnancy so seamlessly and the junior
pregnancy so seamlessly and the junior
pregnancy so seamlessly and the junior employee looked at the young woman and
employee looked at the young woman and
employee looked at the young woman and said what are you talking about Jessica
said what are you talking about Jessica
said what are you talking about Jessica took off for months during her pregnancy
took off for months during her pregnancy
took off for months during her pregnancy [Laughter]
the young woman was stunned but the
the young woman was stunned but the ideal she felt she was failing to live
ideal she felt she was failing to live
ideal she felt she was failing to live up to never even existed
Jessica lied she created an illusion and
Jessica lied she created an illusion and for what and as you may have guessed by
for what and as you may have guessed by
for what and as you may have guessed by now the young woman in the story is me
now the young woman in the story is me
now the young woman in the story is me this is my story
this is my story
this is my story my disappointment with this mentor and
my disappointment with this mentor and
my disappointment with this mentor and the vulnerability that she refused to
the vulnerability that she refused to
the vulnerability that she refused to show me is one of the greatest
show me is one of the greatest
show me is one of the greatest inspirations for why I stand before you
inspirations for why I stand before you
inspirations for why I stand before you here today said of having my face buried
here today said of having my face buried
here today said of having my face buried and six computer screens this is why I
and six computer screens this is why I
and six computer screens this is why I left Wall Street because I want to walk
left Wall Street because I want to walk
left Wall Street because I want to walk with women in their struggles I dream of
with women in their struggles I dream of
with women in their struggles I dream of building a community where moms look out
building a community where moms look out
building a community where moms look out for other moms because we each have
for other moms because we each have
for other moms because we each have something special something unique that
something special something unique that
something special something unique that only we can offer our own selves and our
only we can offer our own selves and our
only we can offer our own selves and our own experiences the media is full of
own experiences the media is full of
own experiences the media is full of headlines trumpeting company’s
headlines trumpeting company’s
headlines trumpeting company’s commitments to diversity and while we
commitments to diversity and while we
commitments to diversity and while we can debate everything from salary
can debate everything from salary
can debate everything from salary transparency to quotas to place upper
transparency to quotas to place upper
transparency to quotas to place upper women women and upper management
women women and upper management
women women and upper management we are missing one of the most
we are missing one of the most
we are missing one of the most fundamental issues making work work for
fundamental issues making work work for
fundamental issues making work work for moms according to a Pew Research report
moms according to a Pew Research report
moms according to a Pew Research report 94 percent of women in the United States
94 percent of women in the United States
94 percent of women in the United States either have children or desire to at
either have children or desire to at
either have children or desire to at some point in their future
some point in their future
some point in their future you can’t talk about closing the gender
you can’t talk about closing the gender
you can’t talk about closing the gender wage gap or putting women in upper
wage gap or putting women in upper
wage gap or putting women in upper management without talking about moms so
management without talking about moms so
management without talking about moms so what are we gonna do and this is a topic
what are we gonna do and this is a topic
what are we gonna do and this is a topic I have spent countless hours talking to
I have spent countless hours talking to
I have spent countless hours talking to hundreds of women about because I tell
hundreds of women about because I tell
hundreds of women about because I tell you now my story it’s not unique women
you now my story it’s not unique women
you now my story it’s not unique women encounter structural and really in
encounter structural and really in
encounter structural and really in relational obstacles at work all the
relational obstacles at work all the
relational obstacles at work all the time in fact it’s only one reason why
time in fact it’s only one reason why
time in fact it’s only one reason why nearly half of all women who just had
nearly half of all women who just had
nearly half of all women who just had their first child don’t go back to their
their first child don’t go back to their
their first child don’t go back to their pre-baby employer so really what are we
pre-baby employer so really what are we
pre-baby employer so really what are we going to do in short companies need to
going to do in short companies need to
going to do in short companies need to create a culture that is inclusive of
create a culture that is inclusive of
create a culture that is inclusive of family life that is easier said than
family life that is easier said than
family life that is easier said than done but I have three tips number one
done but I have three tips number one
done but I have three tips number one become aware of your biases and a study
become aware of your biases and a study
become aware of your biases and a study conducted by Harvard Business Review
conducted by Harvard Business Review
conducted by Harvard Business Review researchers found that mothers are
researchers found that mothers are
researchers found that mothers are viewed as less likable less competent
viewed as less likable less competent
viewed as less likable less competent and less deserving of a promotion by
and less deserving of a promotion by
and less deserving of a promotion by their colleagues there’s a chance some
their colleagues there’s a chance some
their colleagues there’s a chance some of you may be carrying around some of
of you may be carrying around some of
of you may be carrying around some of these biases the first step is to become
these biases the first step is to become
these biases the first step is to become aware and then we can start to transform
aware and then we can start to transform
aware and then we can start to transform them number two practice vulnerability
them number two practice vulnerability
them number two practice vulnerability if you happen to be a parent yourself be
if you happen to be a parent yourself be
if you happen to be a parent yourself be willing to let your walls down to be
willing to let your walls down to be
willing to let your walls down to be there for another woman in need we can
there for another woman in need we can
there for another woman in need we can all empathize with the sleepless nights
all empathize with the sleepless nights
all empathize with the sleepless nights the crazy doctor’s appointments and the
the crazy doctor’s appointments and the
the crazy doctor’s appointments and the struggle to find balance
struggle to find balance
struggle to find balance number three speak up if you happen to
number three speak up if you happen to
number three speak up if you happen to see a woman being publicly humiliated or
see a woman being publicly humiliated or
see a woman being publicly humiliated or harassed because of her pregnancy don’t
harassed because of her pregnancy don’t
harassed because of her pregnancy don’t stand by quietly and if you overhear a
stand by quietly and if you overhear a
stand by quietly and if you overhear a manager doubt a new moms ability to take
manager doubt a new moms ability to take
manager doubt a new moms ability to take on more work fight for her for those of
on more work fight for her for those of
on more work fight for her for those of us with a very clear vision on how to
us with a very clear vision on how to
us with a very clear vision on how to make work work for moms super
make work work for moms super
make work work for moms super frustrating to see a Jessica or a Thomas
frustrating to see a Jessica or a Thomas
frustrating to see a Jessica or a Thomas for that matter in positions of power
for that matter in positions of power
for that matter in positions of power but if we’re here to create that brave
but if we’re here to create that brave
but if we’re here to create that brave new world we have to start challenging
new world we have to start challenging
new world we have to start challenging the old ways of thinking of pregnancy
the old ways of thinking of pregnancy
the old ways of thinking of pregnancy and of motherhood making work work for
and of motherhood making work work for
and of motherhood making work work for moms it’s not easy but it sure is worth
moms it’s not easy but it sure is worth
moms it’s not easy but it sure is worth it thank you
it thank you
it thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
”
Be First to Comment