Working full-time is hard. Being a woman is hard. Being a mom is hard, and then some. But being all three of these things at once, if I’m being honest, often feels impossible. Yet, somehow, working moms and caretakers push through every day to do their daytime jobs, manage chores, run household errands, make dinner, help with homework…the list goes on and on. Because so much of this is invisible labor, it may look easy, but I can personally attest that it is definitely not.
I became a mom in the summer of 2021. I had premature twins and the world was still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. If that wasn’t challenging enough, my husband was deployed overseas for 8 months shortly after the twins arrived. From the moment my twins arrived to today, I can’t tell you how often I thought, “I can’t do this anymore.” The countless times I was ready to throw in the towel, ready to admit that I in fact cannot do it all.
However I, along with millions and millions of working moms, continue to plod through each day—through the mental exhaustion, physical fatigue, stress, anxiety—to work and raise a family. Not to mention all the societal expectations and pressures of being a woman on top of all of that. So why do we do it?
Because, at the end of the day, we do it for a much bigger purpose than ourselves. For some it’s because being a dual-income household is necessary. For others, it’s because working and having a career is important to our own sense of self and being a role model to the next generation. Regardless, it’s certainly encouraging that more and more data shows that kids with two working parents might actually grow up to be better equipped for the workplace than their counterparts.
This Mother’s Day here in the U.S., I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the hard working moms at G2—not only in what they do, but also recognize how they do it—with tremendous strength, resilience, and determination. So I asked a few of them: During those really tough days, what keeps you going?
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“What keeps me going is seeing the pure joy and laughter that the little things bring my kids. Seeing the world through their eyes is so motivating and puts everything into perspective. There is no such thing as balance and I know what I am doing is building a strong foundation for both of them that shows them they can do anything they put their mind to.” - Michelle Vu, VP, Mid-Market and SMB Sales |
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“I always try to make sure I keep time for myself to decompress. My husband and I both are very supportive of ensuring we each have time to ourselves to pursue our personal hobbies, socialize with our friends, or just decompress. As type A as it sounds, we make sure to schedule it. My go-to activity is crafting (sewing, crocheting, random DIY). I know this time ensures we are able to be better partners to each other and better parents to our son.” - Kate Ramaswamy, Director of Sales Operations |
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“Hands down, the mothers I have in my network, both professionally and personally, have helped me work through the ups and downs of motherhood more times than I can count. Whether it is gaining the perspective of someone who has been through something and is on the other side or leaning on someone going through the same experience, I have felt so uplifted and supported by other women. I try to do my best to pay that forward as much as I can now to offer any help or perspective that I can from my current stage parenting a 9, 7 and 5 year old. Moms make the world go round!” - Emily Hyde, Sr. Director of Sales Enablement |
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“What keeps me going is that I love what I do, and I love that my kids see that their mom can do anything. I also find that blocking out time to make sure I prioritize them— whether it’s a school concert or a day I pick them up and take them out for the evening— helps me regain balance.” Rachel Morris, VP of Product Management |
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“Perspective is everything. On my really tough days, I make sure to keep a positive mindset and focus on the tasks I need to accomplish. I know my children are watching how I navigate hardships, and I want to show them that we can handle whatever life throws our way with persistence and a good attitude.” - Dana Kellner, SMB Customer Success Manager |
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“When days are tough at work, just seeing my daughter puts things into perspective. Her smile is an immediate dopamine release. When days (or more likely nights) are tough at home, I lean on my village of family, friends, and fellow moms who never cease to amaze me in the ways we show up for each other.” - Natalie Smiley, Sr. Manager, Syndication & Alliance Partnerships |
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“Every morning and afternoon, when I am making a meal, cleaning up the kitchen, or doing something for our family, my son says, “Mama, sit down with me,” inviting me to the couch or the table. It is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. When I am having a rough day or feeling the weight of mom guilt, I can hear that little voice asking me to sit down with him, and I feel like I can do anything. Also, that little laugh gets me every time.” - Rachel Bentley, Sr. Director of Product Management |
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“Being a working mom is so challenging— the guilt of being away from your kid, the pressure to “do it all”. What helps me is remembering that I want my son to see me as more than a mom, outside of a traditional gender role. I want to show him by example that women are smart, we’re strong, and we can do whatever we set our minds to!” - Greta Zimmermann, Sr. Product Designer |
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I try to remember that there are seasons when you'll be a bit out of balance—whether you're leaning in more at work, or more at home. But whatever it is that feels tough, it won't last forever. For me, it's important to feel a sense of independence, including financial independence, and to model that for my children as well. - Laura Horton, Sr. Director of Product Marketing |
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“There's nothing better than my 4 year old son's silly sense of humor. He can always make me laugh and turn a tough day around—that, and my husband’s cooking.” - Emily Cahill, Head of Community & Lifecycle Marketing |
I wanted to do this blog because there’s a lot of power in knowing you’re not alone. As psychology superstar and Ted Talk favorite Brené Brown says, “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned…it’s that every time we think we’re completely alone in struggle, that is exactly when we need to remember that the human experience is never a singular experience.”
It’s also why the G2’s Women & Allies and Parents & Allies ERG is so important and loved in our global work community. It creates the space for support but also awareness for teammates and leaders to know what is going on outside of our work lives, which is critical to building a more understanding and compassionate workplace. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with more compassion and understanding.
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