Work Like a Mother

At the start of the pandemic, Julia never could have foreseen her current reality, but after one of her tweets caught some attention, she was asked to write an article for The Atlantic about the risk of Covid from a population health perspective. Six articles later, Julia has become a voice of reason, helping us understand the connection between the AIDS epidemic and the COVID pandemic and the need to balance not only the risks of our physical health, but also our mental and social health. And she lives this every day as she weighs the risks of sending her 6 year old to hybrid school and her 3 year old to daycare while she and her husband both work full-time. Though Julia is all too aware of the challenges that we face, she has great advice as we grapple with the seemingly impossible decisions each day.

Mandy Gonzalez worked incredibly hard to make it to Broadway. She was thrilled that she had “made it” in her role as Elphaba in Wicked but also knew that she wanted a family too. Though many told her that she couldn’t have both- a career on broadway and a family- Mandy was unwilling to compromise. Mandy took a few years off to have her daughter, but realized that her work was equally important to her as her family. Even though Mandy previously held leading roles in In the Heights, Aida, and Wicked, she faced rejection after rejection. Directors doubted she was “ready” to return to work full time. But Mandy refused to take no for an answer and made opportunities for herself. Mandy is now in her fourth year starring as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. And though she stars in 8 shows a week on Broadway, Mandy still finds a way to make the juggle work for her career and her family- as all moms do.

After four challenging and heartbreaking years trying to conceive, Heather decided that she had had enough - enough invasive procedures, enough unsolicited advice from friends, and enough heartbreak. She and her husband decided to adopt. Initially they thought they’d adopt through a private agency, but they changed course and ended up adopting a very young baby with Down syndrome. 3 kids later, Heather’s parenting journey has been full of challenges, acceptance, learning and love. Heather advocates to shift the narrative about adoption and down syndrome through her books, podcast and social media presence. 

Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, has spent her entire career fighting for women’s rights. Inspired by her mother and grandmother who raised her, Ai-jen realizes the power of care squads and communities in raising children. She advocates for domestic workers who, as she describes it, work a “triple shift” - they have their job (or multiple jobs), they are moms, and they are advocates, fighting for change from these systems and policies that oppress them. At a policy level, Ai-jen is fighting for Universal Family Care, because she believes that everyone deserves affordable child care, paid leave, elder care, and assistance for people with disabilities. Our country needs to turn our attention to leaders like Ai-jen to listen, then act on the needs of our mothers. 

Most moms reading this will know Christine Platt as the author behind the beloved Ana and Andrews series of children’s books. But writing was a second, or even third, act for Christine. You may also know her as the afrominimalist, or the Managing Director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University. And that’s after a career in corporate law, while raising her young daughter. How on earth? Christine shares how she never lost sight of her passion - even if at times she had to put her dreams on hold - and how she fights to protect time, even if only a few minutes a day, to nourish those passions and never lose herself in the process of raising her child. 

Caitlin’s world got turned upside down when her son got sick just before Christmas. Something in her gut said it wasn’t just a normal fever; that something might be really wrong with Callum.  Following his cancer diagnosis, Caitlin started a small blog to share updates on their battle with cancer with family and friends. Eventually she realized that the blog served two purposes, yes, it kept others up to speed, but it also proved to be a much needed outlet for Caitlin on a personal level. That blog was the start of BigTimeAdulting, and soon she added the Instagram profile that’s become a must-follow for 70,000+ moms who laugh and cry right along with her. Her #momdance videos have reached millions, and although we may come for the comedy, we stay for the real talk. How does Caitlin do it all? Putting one foot in front of the other and affirming that she is doing the best she can - both for herself and for her kids. 

Like a lot of hard working, driven women, Elysian McNiff Koglmeier had some reservations about how a baby would impact her career and her social life.  But she was ready and after a relatively standard pregnancy, she gave birth to her first child, a boy they named Odin. And that’s when her story takes a sharp and unexpected turn. Odin was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare condition that impairs physical development and requires 24/7 care. She learned that her beautiful newborn was what parents and professionals call a “medically complex child.” Odin’s medical needs would come to dominate their lives, and force Elyse to reconsider her vision and plans for her own life, both personally and professionally. 

Want to know the hardest way to host a radio show? Launch a new station from scratch. Sound crazy? No, what’s really crazy is that in 2019 there wasn’t a single female Black-owned radio station in greater Boston. Ownership matters, airtime matters. And it matters to Danielle Johnson. So two years ago this single mom hatched her first foray into entrepreneurship with Spark FM, a digital radio station bringing Urban and Caribbean music to residents of New England. At home she’s mom to an 8-year old with ADHD navigating remote learning, and somehow she still manages to carve out time for Girls Radio, a non-profit dedicated to mentoring and empowering young women in Dorchester through radio and other media. 

Samantha was one of the first of her friends to get pregnant. She was ready, prepared, and excited. Then came her first daughter, her first maternity leave, and her first experience feeling isolated at home. Was it supposed to feel this hard? With her husband working long hours, she realized that she needed people in her life who understood what she was going through, and that she could lean on. Between her first child and her third, her approach to motherhood totally changed. She found a community, learned to lean on those people who are there for her, and say “yes” when friends do offer to help - and what a difference it has made. These days Samantha is the Director of Special Education at Match Community Day School, and an informal mentor to new moms in her school and beyond. Every mom out there would be lucky to have a mom friend like Samantha in their lives. 

Dr. Joia always knew she wanted to be a doctor, and assumed she would follow in her father’s footsteps as an ophthalmologist. Until, that is, she got pregnant. That experience shifted her perspective, and she went on to become an OBGYN. Then she had her second son, who arrived prematurely. But her only significant risk factor? Being Black. Following her birth experience, Dr. Joia practiced as an OBGYN for many years helping Black women bring healthy babies into this world. Looking to scale up her impact and create systemic, lasting change, Dr. Joia went on to create the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Through training, advocacy, research and community-centered collaboration, their mission is to create solutions that optimize Black maternal and infant health across the country and make sure that every Black baby will celebrate a healthy first birthday.