Redefining Career Pauses: A Fresh Perspective on Stay-at-Home Life | Neha Ruch (EP377)
Clear Intentions with Diane Boden
Diane Boden
4.8 • 952 Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2025
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Are you tired of the question, “What do you do?” as an at-home parent—a question that oversimplifies and undervalues the role? In this podcast episode, I spoke with Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled, to explore the multifaceted reality of taking a career break after having kids. We discuss the invisible yet essential labor of managing a household, the need to redefine success during this unique life phase, and practical ways to stay connected to professional goals while prioritizing family. Neha offers actionable strategies for remaining prepared to re-enter the workforce when the time is right, while also addressing the cultural stigma surrounding career pauses. Together, we reframe parenting as a valuable and fulfilling chapter, challenging outdated narratives about success and family balance. Whether you're navigating this journey or curious about modern perspectives on work and family, this conversation offers an empowering look at thriving in every phase of life.
Links Discussed in This Episode |
- Order a Copy of Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with Simplicity
- Neha Can't Stop Talking About: Shrinking on Apple TV
- Neha's Resource: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Connect with Neha:
- Book: The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids – and Come Back Stronger Than Ever by Neha Ruch
- Mother Untitled
About Neha |
Neha Ruch is the founder of Mother Untitled, the leading platform for ambitious women leaning into family life. A thought leader, influencer, and sought-after speaker focusing on women, work, parenting and identity, Neha’s work at Mother Untitled is catalyzing a shift in how society views stay-at-home motherhood. Her book, The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever, will be published by Putnam in January 2025. Neha lives in Manhattan with her husband, their two children, and their dog Coconut.
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Further Questions |
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- Checkout a list of my past collaborative podcasts here!
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | A career pause is not a career ender, that this is a period of exploration and growth alongside |
| 0:05.8 | kids. I want you to understand how much intellectual and emotional work can actually be in |
| 0:12.5 | parenthood, right? Especially as we're learning how to raise these people, as we're transitioning |
| 0:16.4 | ourselves into parenthood, as we're trying to set up our homes and our communities for this new |
| 0:21.2 | next chapter, the reality of American women today is that 60% are choosing to pause their careers |
| 0:27.7 | because of the cost of child care. I remember at the end of one day looking up the dictionary |
| 0:32.5 | definition of ambition and it was the determination to do things you care about. That's it. And by that measure, |
| 0:39.6 | right, we're going to care about so many different things over the long game of life. We really want |
| 0:43.5 | to make sure that when women are evaluating this conversation, they're having those money |
| 0:47.5 | conversations early, not because they're icky and uncomfortable, but because then you can go in |
| 0:52.8 | knowing that this is an |
| 0:55.1 | empowered next chapter of your life. I think so often we diminish women's projects, right? |
| 1:01.1 | Like passion projects, lifestyle business, pet projects, side hustle. We use like all these cutsy |
| 1:06.1 | words when really oftentimes they're meaningful, impactful bodies of work where you're still growing |
| 1:12.3 | and learning. We are defining our all over and over and over again. And this is how much we can |
| 1:18.7 | take on and how we're actively shifting our priorities at any given time. Hello, welcome to the |
| 1:23.9 | minimalist moms podcast. Are you tired of the question, what do you do as a stay-at-home parent? |
| 1:30.7 | A question that oversimplifies and undervalues the role. In this podcast episode, I spoke with |
| 1:35.9 | Neha Rouge, founder of Mother Untitled, to explore the multifaceted reality of taking a career break |
| 1:42.5 | after having kids. We discussed the invisible yet essential laborer of managing a household, the need to redefine |
| 1:48.8 | success during this unique phase of life, and practical ways to stay connected to professional |
| 1:53.4 | goals while prioritizing family. |
... |
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