In this episode, Hannah is joined by returning guest Chaitali Narla to talk about what it really means to “build your village” as a working parent. Chaitali shares candid reflections from her own life as a mom, career coach, and startup leader after leaving a 15-year career at Google. Together, they unpack the emotional and logistical realities of raising children without nearby extended family and explore how friendship, community, and even paid caregivers become part of the modern village.

Episode Summary:

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Key Takeaways:

  • Your village won’t appear overnight—it takes intention. You need to both give and receive support to cultivate lasting relationships.

  • Villages are not just made of family. Friends, teachers, sitters, neighbors, and even paid helpers can all be essential parts of your support network.

  • It’s okay to rely on paid support. Trust, mutual respect, and shared investment matter more than whether someone is on your payroll.

  • The village supports more than just logistics—it supports joy. Building community enables rest, personal time, and stronger relationships, not just emergency coverage.

  • Leaning in needs a rewrite. Success as a working parent isn’t about doing more—it’s about weaving work, life, and rest into a sustainable tapestry.

  Quotes from the Episode:

• “Your village isn’t just there when you want it—you have to build it before you need it.”

• “It’s not just about who you can count on, but also who you show up for.”

• “The ‘lean in’ philosophy is missing the recharge—it’s not sustainable if you’re pouring from an empty cup.”

• “It’s not just family. Your village can be built from friendship, trust, and shared experience—even if it’s someone you pay.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Chaitali Narla on LinkedIn

• Chaitali’s career coaching – Group coaching, 1:1s, and her course

• Getting to 50/50 by Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober – A book on shared parenting and gender equity at home

• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg – Referenced in discussion as a once-defining philosophy now due for evolution

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This episode of Destress the Nest is sponsored by Heron House Management.

About Heron House Management:

Heron House Management⁠ is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 5, 10 and 15+ hours/month.

Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all!