Parenthood Bytes

In this episode, we sit down with Maryann Vellanikaran, an Engineering Leader based in the Bay Area, who shares her experience balancing a demanding career in tech with raising two children, ages 8 and 11. Maryann reflects on her journey navigating the challenges of motherhood, offering insights into the various parental leave options she encountered, the accommodations made for mother's rooms, and how work cultures differ when it comes to supporting parents.

She also discusses how her approach to evaluating potential employers has evolved, setting a higher bar for companies she considers joining. Maryann provides valuable advice, emphasizing that while the early years of parenting can be overwhelming, they pass quickly. As children grow older, the challenges shift—though still present, they are less physically taxing and exhausting.

In this episode, we chat with Hannah Morgan, a working mom who has managed to blend career, family, and entrepreneurship in a way that’s both inspiring and practical. Hannah is not only a project manager in the fintech space but also the founder of Heron House Management, a virtual house management service designed to help busy parents lighten their mental load. With three young children—ages 4, 3, and 6 months—Hannah is no stranger to the juggling act that comes with balancing work, family, and personal goals.

She shares her passion for helping families reclaim their time and energy so they can fully embrace life’s beautiful, chaotic moments without feeling overwhelmed by the constant barrage of tasks. Hannah also talks about how she manages to balance her career, her growing business, and her role as a mother while still maintaining her personal identity and goals.

To learn more about Hannah's business, Heron House Management, check out her website! You can find her timesaving tools on Etsy here!

In this episode, I’m joined by my kids, Darian and Lucas, as we dive into some practical parenting hacks. We’ve broken them down into three categories: tips for parents with younger kids, those with older kids, and just general parenting advice. We share some of the strategies that have worked for us and hope they’ll be helpful for you too! As always, we’d love to hear any other parenting hacks you’ve discovered, so feel free to share them with us!

For parents with younger kids:

For parents with school-age kids:

For parents with kids of all ages:

Please let us know if you have any other hacks that you'd like us to add! You can send them to me at [email protected]!

In this episode, we sit down with Lizz Harrell, founder of Sell Success, a company that helps startups grow by prioritizing customer success. Lizz has two kids, ages 3 and 15 months. She shares her unique perspective on navigating the challenges of being a tech executive while balancing the demands of motherhood. She discusses managing a large organization through a CEO transition during her first pregnancy, and handling an acquisition while expecting her second child. Lizz also opens up about how she manages her time running her own business while raising two young kids and how she’s adapted her boundaries and priorities as a parent.

For startups looking for expert guidance on growth and customer success, check out Sell Success at sell-success.com.

In this episode, we have a special co-host, Lucas, who reflects on key topics and insights from the past year with me. We discuss various aspects of work-life balance, including approaches to parental leave, postpartum care, child care, and the growing role of electronics in kids' lives. We also preview potential ideas and plans for the upcoming year. Thank you for the support from listeners and guests who contributed to the podcast, making it a memorable year. Tune in for a thoughtful recap and a glimpse into the future of the show!

If you have topics you'd want to hear about or would like to be a part of a panel, or be in an update episode, or would like to simply be a first-time guest, please reach out to me at [email protected]!

In this episode, we chat with Robert Voyer, a Senior Engineering Manager at Tyler Technologies and a father of two kids aged 10 and 12. Robert shares his experiences raising children in today’s fast-paced world, discussing his approach to navigating the pandemic and the decision to give his kids cell phones. He highlights the importance of focus in our distraction-filled lives, recommending Deep Work, to help listeners cultivate better concentration. Emphasizing the long game in parenting, Robert encourages parents to show themselves grace as they learn and grow alongside their children. Tune in for valuable insights and heartfelt advice on modern parenting!

In this episode, we chat with Ivan Stankovic, a Technical Program Manager at a major cloud provider. Ivan offers valuable insights into parenting in a tech-driven world, sharing how he manages screen time for his two kids, aged 16.5 and 13.5. He discusses the unique challenges of raising a middle schooler and a teenager taking college courses, emphasizing the balance of setting boundaries while allowing freedom. Ivan reflects on his family support system, including his parents, his in-laws and the partnership with his wife in parenting decisions. He also shares experiences from parenting during the pandemic and how his family navigated schooling during those challenging times, all while creating lasting memories and focusing on education.

In this episode, we reconnect with Mallika Rao, an engineering manager at Netflix, who previously joined us on Episode 30. At that time, she was pregnant with her second child and had a toddler at home. Her kids are now 5 months and 3 years old. Mallika shares her transformative experiences since the birth of her second child, discussing shifts in her mindset and daily life. She reflects on her evolving parenting approach, including how she introduced the concept of pregnancy to her older son and facilitated their introduction to the newborn. She shares insights into how she prepared her family and herself for the newborn, what steps she took, and how she made sure to have a support system in place, despite most of her family not living nearby. She also talks to us about the difference between a doula and a nanny and why a doula is helpful for mom and newborn during the postpartum phase. Tune in to hear about her journey through motherhood and the joys and challenges of raising a growing family!

A special thanks to Lenny for his willingness to re-record this episode after the first attempt didn’t go through!

In this episode, we chat with Leonardo "Lenny" Garcia Crespo, a Software Engineer at Automattic based in London. He shares his experiences as a parent of two young children, aged 2.5 and 7. He discusses the differences between his two different parental leaves and how he managed them while balancing work and life. Lenny also reflects on the transition of having kids while also navigating his wife's career change and a significant family move. He offers insights on working across different time zones and emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and priorities for family.

In this episode, we chat with Rayman Wong, a Software Engineering Manager based in Southern California. Rayman shares his experiences raising his 8-year-old son, discussing the unique joys and challenges of parenting an only child. He reflects on navigating the pandemic with an extroverted son, highlighting the difficulties of lockdown and the special dynamics of their relationship. Tune in for valuable insights on balancing work and family life while fostering a positive environment for his son!