“Some of you might remember this clip of my daughter crashing one of my live interviews during covid.
If not, all you need to know is that it resonated with a lot of people.
No doubt the sweet factor had a lot to do with it, and also that both of my guests turned in memorable performances.
But if you ask me, even more compelling was how moments like these pulled back the curtain and exposed the often-chaotic reality of working parents, and allowed us, for the first time, to just be, well, real about it.
It was glorious.
Fast forward to July 2023 and that window has all but closed. Sure, we still make video calls, engage in some virtual events, and might even #WFH a couple of days a week, but for the most part, it’s back to the office.
But here’s the thing. Even though we may no longer catch glimpses of it on zoom calls, and openly discuss it with our colleagues, the messy reality of working parents hasn’t gone away. To the contrary, it is still very much alive and well.
So how do we combat the inevitable “out of sight, out of mind?”
Cue parents@work.
I discovered them by chance on LinkedIn and was immediately intrigued.
Here was an organization whose mission it is to consult companies on how to better support their parents at work.
What?!
Even though I currently work for myself (so not the ideal candidate), I can only imagine that if a working parent can show up to their job and know they have the formal support and understanding of their employers, managers, and peers to ride out the storms, I believe it could be a game-changer.
Which is why when founder, Sarah Meier, asked me if I would moderate a conversation during their first-ever parent@work conference this fall, saying yes was a no-brainer.
I am not only intrigued to hear what companies such as Vontobel, SIX, Bristol Myers Squibb and PMI are doing to support their employees, but also by the bigger question:
How do we keep the spotlight on working parents, even when the screens have gone dark?”
We are thrilled to introduce Ana Maria Montero, who will moderate our Best Practice Panel at our parents@work conference in September. Ana brings a wealth of experience as a journalist, news anchor and moderator, and working mom, who is passionate about making the world a better place for her daughters!