This week, Traci welcomes Kelly McGinnis, certified Gottman educator, emotion coach, and CEO of Incredible Family—an organization committed to unleashing potential in working parents through developing strengths.

With over 20 years of experience educating and empowering families, Kelly shares her own journey through the abrupt transition to motherhood with three daughters and how it ignited her passion for helping working parents thrive without choosing between career and family.

Spoiler alert: The odds are stacked against working parents—but there's a science-backed way to flip the script.

Kelly reveals why our brains are hardwired for negativity, the shocking happiness curve research that shows when life satisfaction hits rock bottom, and the one simple strategy organizations can implement that creates ripple effects across engagement, productivity, and retention.

Plus, she shares a powerful story about how unlocking one mom's hidden strength not only kept a valuable employee from leaving but sparked an entirely new mentorship program.

What We Cover:

• The "motherhood penalty" and why becoming a parent happens at the worst possible career moment

• Why happiness levels plummet when we become working parents (and what causes that dip)

• How to break the negativity cycle by shifting to a strengths-based philosophy

• The dual reality principle: Why two contradictory things can be true at once

• Why working parents make exceptional leaders (hint: parenting and leadership run parallel)

• The research-backed reason community is the #1 way to support working parents

• How to navigate the return-to-work transition and view parenthood as a series of transitions

• The "pebble in the pond" impact: How small shifts create massive organizational change

  
  

Key Quote: "Culture will emerge 'by design or default,' and organizations end up paying the price either way. You can invest intentionally upfront or deal with costly damage control later." – Kelly McGinnis

FREE GIFT: Email Kelly at [email protected] and mention this podcast to receive a free code for the parent strengths assessment!

Connect with Kelly:

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mcginnis-ifi 

Website: incrediblefamily.com  

Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci 

Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.