Jun 11, 2026 · 32 min · 11 segments
If you've ever thought about stepping back from your career after having kids — and felt conflicted about it — this one's for you. We talk about what it actually looks like to pause, downshift, or…
Lindsay StanberryHostAs soon as I took my foot off the gas, I started hearing, "Are you giving up? Are you gonna be bored all day?"
Why do you think that there's this prevailing narrative that there is only one way to be successful or to be ambitious?
The reality of modern women today is that one in three women who pause their careers feel forced to pause because of the cost of childcare.
And that's not to say that working out of the home is a luxury, it's to say that the privilege is to get to choose.
It's a little bit scary going from being a two-income household to a one-income household, or one and a half income, and figuring out what your contributions are and making sure that you're not feeling like it's all on you in some way.
It's not fair that parenthood has a bigger impact on a woman's career than a man's.
After becoming mothers, women often find themselves rethinking their ambitions.
We are always gonna be challenged to have to align our time and our energy with shifting priorities.
You need to think about finances, your own relationship to work, your dreams for your family, and for yourself.
My guest today has been working to change the narrative around ambition, career pauses, and downshifts.
Neha Ruch is the author of The Power Pause: A Game-Changing Approach to Modern Motherhood and how we talk about women's ambition.
I've been interviewing people about their money stories for more than a decade, and I've been a mom for just about as long.
You really talk about how women tend to feel uncomfortable talking about money.
Why do you think that is? It's scary, right? I hear from people who wanna have kids all the time, "How do you actually afford to have a kid?" But that's why we're here.
We're offering you advice and tips and tricks, and you're gonna hear from amazing experts to help put you at ease.
Read the full transcript.
Create an account to read the whole episode, search across every transcript, and follow the shows you care about.
