I am thrilled to be back with each and every one of you for season 16—and I am thrilled to be joined by our guest today, Neha Ruch, author of The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever, which came out January 14. We’ve all heard that phrase about having it all, about work/life balance (which I find to be a fallacy), and how to juggle it all, and Neha’s book offers a really modern solution: the power pause, which she explains in this episode. After reading her book, truly, for the first time I thought, “I can actually maybe make all of my dreams work in life.” I learned about downshifting; about all of the stigma and shame that comes with being a stay-at-home parent, especially a stay-at-home mom; how to make the decision to take a career pause to settling into the day-to-day of a career pause to how to return from a career pause; how to make it work financially; how we become so attached to our job titles, and how to discover who we are beyond our titles; and how to find fulfillment in each stage of our lives, no matter where we’re at. I also learned that a power pause is not a career dead end, and that we might actually be setting ourselves up for a career comeback that leaves us better off than before. We also talk about how to announce this on LinkedIn, how it should show up on our resumes, and so much more. I am really excited for you to hear this conversation with Neha, and I’d love to tell you a little bit about her and the work she’s doing. First of all, The Power Pause has been so well-received—it’s a USA Today bestseller, for starters! Neha is the founder of Mother Untitled, the leading platform for ambitious women leaning into family life that is catalyzing a shift in how society views stay-at-home motherhood. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, their two children, and their dog Coconut. Take a listen!

The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever by Neha Ruch