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Hello, Waves listeners. June Thomas here to introduce an episode of a great new podcast that Slate recently launched.

Better Life Lab explores the art and science of living a full and healthy life.

Host Bridget Shulte Talks with behavioral and social science researchers to help us better understand

what drives our human experiences and how we can change. In the episode you're about to hear,

Bridget speaks with Michelle Hickox, an accountant and banker who took summers off and still got

promoted. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe to the Better Life Lab feed to get more great episodes. Enjoy.

Better Life Lab is brought to you by American Express. Managing the stress of modern living and cracking the code on how to live a better life is easier when you don't go it alone. The powerful backing of American Express.

Don't live life without it. From New America and Slate, I'm Bridget Schulte, and this is Better

Life Lab. I've had a great career. I love being the CFO of this bank, so I don't think the fact

that I did it differently has held me back in any way.

My oldest daughter, this summer, she was talking to me about how she liked that I was around.

She looks back and says, my family was able to do that.

I really want to find a way that I can do that as well.

That's Michelle Hickox.

I spoke with her from the bank just outside Dallas, where she's now chief financial officer.

Some surveys show that people think work-life balance for top leaders is impossible.

It's a myth.

But Michelle shows that that's not true.

She found a way to build a powerful career and protect the time she needed

for her family. And she did it when few of her coworkers even dared to speak about things like

flexible schedules or working reduced hours. Her path was often challenging. But for anyone who,

...