Explore every episode of the podcast Leaning My Way

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Show Notes:

Livia Paggi is a political risk consultant, business partner, and mother of three who has always lived life by her own rules. In this episode, she shares her remarkable career journey from helping global investors navigate geopolitical crises to turning around a bankrupt company with colleagues after her second daughter was born. When professional triumph collided with devastating personal loss—losing her third baby just one day before the due date—Livia's perspective on success and meaning was changed forever. She candidly discusses what her therapist called "post-traumatic growth," how loss gave her a laser focus on what truly matters, and why she believes the corporate world's messaging to working mothers can be harmful. We explore the financial realities of making it work with 2 career-focused parents, the crucial role of community and ritual that modern mothers lack, and how motherhood and loss gave her the confidence to go after what she wants. Livia's honesty and refusal to accept the status quo will challenge how you think about integrating career, family, and purpose.

Timestamps:

04:35 – Growing up as an only child but always wanting a big family of 3-4 kids 
05:40 – Early career path from development work to political risk consulting for stability and roots 
11:10 – First daughter coinciding with promotion: motherhood as confidence booster, not obstacle 
18:00 – Second daughter and taking over a bankrupt company as business partners 
21:03 – Thriving in chaos and working during maternity leave on "things that move the needle" 
23:37 – Financial honesty: spending entire salary on childcare and needing a supportive partner 
27:23 – Losing third baby one day before due date and the complete life reset 
33:02 – Post-traumatic growth and finding laser focus on what truly matters 
40:18 – Transition to public sector work driven by desire to give back to community 
44:35 – Quick fire round: resilience lessons, community-based childcare, and advice to pre-kids self

Shachar Peled shares her journey from reporter to working mother, and how she's learned to find meaning when life doesn't go according to plan. A former journalist for CNN and other international outlets, Shachar opens up about her three-year fertility struggle, transitioning from the unpredictable world of reporting to Google, and facing two unexpected layoffs in recent years.

She's refreshingly honest about the challenges of motherhood, job searching as an ambitious woman, and how she's learned to embrace uncertainty while rebuilding her career and completing a master's degree at Oxford.

Show Time Stamps:

4:20 – Balancing demands of journalism with prospect of becoming a mother
8:45 – Three years of fertility struggles while building a journalism career 
15:20 – Managing pregnancy and motherhood as a reporter
22:10 – Why she transitioned from journalism to Google 
27:45 – Getting pregnant one week after starting her new job
35:50 – Two rounds of layoffs and the impact on her identity 
45:15 – The reality of being a "soccer mom" when you're not a soccer mom 
52:20 – Finding hope through education and new projects

Camilla Kater has been promoted seven times at Deliveroo—including twice while on maternity leave. In this episode, she shares her 10-year journey from Head of UK Operations at the “start-up” to public company executive while navigating IVF and raising three kids. Camilla opens up about keeping her fertility treatment secret while working at a high-growth startup, the practical challenges of daily medical appointments, and why she actually worked harder during IVF. We discuss her maternity leave transitions, the surprise of getting pregnant naturally with her second child just before returning to work, and the systems she's built to balance executive leadership with motherhood. From managing the identity switch between decisive leader and nurturing mother to creating forcing mechanisms like a 6 PM nursery pickup, Camilla's story proves you don't have to choose between ambition and family—but you do need clear boundaries and some grace along the way.

Timestamps

03:17 – Why Camilla joined Deliveroo as a "year in industry" after her MBA at McKinsey 
07:12 – What kept her at Deliveroo for 10 years: operational challenges and amazing colleagues 
12:49 – Deciding to start a family during Deliveroo's hypergrowth phase 
14:32 – Going through IVF while keeping it secret from everyone at work 
18:23 – Why she worked harder during fertility treatment instead of leaning out 
29:19 – Loving her first maternity leave and the quick transition back to work 
32:14 – Getting promoted twice on maternity leave and taking on new roles 
37:51 – The awkward conversation about her second pregnancy right before returning to work 
43:14 – How she and her entrepreneur husband divide responsibilities at home 
46:43 – Creating forcing mechanisms like the 6 PM nursery pickup to set boundaries 
49:15 – Preparing to return after Deliveroo's likely acquisition by DoorDash 
52:29 – Quick fire round: lessons from kids, workplace policies, and favorite apps

Genia Mineeva has crafted an unconventional career path guided purely by passion and purpose. From growing up in post-Soviet Russia to building a decades-long career at the BBC, then running communications for a major NGO, and finally creating Been — a social enterprise turning waste materials into luxury products — Genia's story is one of following your gut even when the path isn't obvious.

In this episode, we explore how Genia navigated three major career transitions while raising two daughters in London without family support. She opens up about the realities of building a business while juggling demanding jobs, how she and her husband created space for each other's entrepreneurial journeys, and the creative solutions they found to make it all work financially.

We also dive into the evolution from parenting toddlers to teenagers, including the modern challenges of managing tech-savvy 13-year-olds who can outsmart parental controls. What's refreshing about Genia's perspective is how she balances hopeful idealism with honest reflections on the trade-offs she's made and how they've shifted over time.

Key Topics:

• Making career pivots as a working mother
• Building a social enterprise from curiosity about textile waste
• Managing demanding careers without family support in London
• Creative solutions for childcare and school holidays
• The financial realities of both partners being entrepreneurs
• Parenting teenagers in the digital age
• Creating work-life balance as a small business owner

For years, Karina Valencia was certain kids would derail her ambitious career. Growing up in a traditional Mexican household, she rebelled by dedicating herself to climbing the corporate ladder, working in the office of the CEO for companies like Citigroup and Palantir. But after her first marriage ended, she met her now-husband in her late 30s, and everything changed. After a challenging fertility journey that forced her to choose between her high-stress COO role and having a baby, Karina made the difficult decision to resign—and got pregnant one week later. When returning to work brought challenging discrimination, she decided to build her own company instead, creating Lonvia, a longevity consultancy staffed almost entirely by mothers.

Timestamps

03:10 – Why Karina's traditional Mexican upbringing made her reject motherhood
09:50 – Building a global career at Citigroup and living in nine countries 
15:00 – Going through divorce while climbing the corporate ladder at Palantir 19:45 – Meeting her husband and slowly changing her mind about having kids 
24:45 – Multiple miscarriages and realizing work stress was affecting her fertility 
31:10 – Quitting her COO role and getting pregnant one week later 
36:15 – The identity shift from workaholic to new mother 
42:55 – Facing discrimination and salary cuts when job hunting as a mother 
47:50 – Starting Longvia, a company run almost entirely by mothers

Award-winning filmmaker Shaina Feinberg joins Mikenzie to discuss her  New York Times Op-Ed film "I Almost Quit My Career for My Kids. Then I Met Joan Darling" and how becoming a mother actually amplified rather than diminished her creative ambitions.

In this conversation, Shaina opens up about the moment she almost gave up filmmaking due to the overwhelming pressure of trying to make it as a filmmaker while being a mother to two kids, and how meeting legendary director Joan Darling restored her sense of purpose. She shares practical insights about making it as artist parents in New York City, navigating motherhood in a male-dominated industry, and why focusing on "the quality of your experience" transformed both her parenting and her career.

Shaina's films have premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and played at festivals worldwide including Hot Docs and Rotterdam. She's a former New York Times columnist, has been featured on This American Life, and is the author of four books. She's also the mother of two kids—a 10-year-old and 3-year-old—living in Brooklyn with her husband.

You can watch Shaina's short film "I Almost Quit My Career for My Kids. Then I Met Joan Darling" here - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/opinion/motherhood-career-joan-darling.html

Timestamps
02:45 – Background on the film inspiration Shaina's husband's 10-week Lincoln Center gig left her as primary caregiver, leading to burnout and the decision to visit Joan Darling.

07:15 – Three storylines in the film Her mother who gave up her acting career, Joan who pursued career without kids, and Shaina trying to balance both.

11:20 – Early motherhood and career decisions Getting married, pregnant, and making her first feature film all at once, and how that opened career doors.

16:30 – How motherhood changed her ambition Kids gave her structure, schedule, and permission to openly want career success instead of just making art casually.

21:00 – Decision to have a second child The six-year gap, her father's death, miscarriage, and pandemic decision-making that led to baby number two.

26:00 – Managing two kids vs. one How having two children is exponentially harder and childcare logistics in New York City.

30:30 – Being a woman in the film industry Hiding her second pregnancy during COVID and gender disparities she's witnessed at film festivals.

37:00 – Dealing with rejection as an artist How film festival rejections work, why persistence matters, and people dropping out at different life stages.

42:50 – Joan's advice about quality of experience The transformative philosophy that changed how Shaina approaches both filmmaking and parenting.

46:30 – Future projects and parenting philosophy What's next creatively and learning to let her family be themselves more.

Marketing strategist Charlotte Brown shares how an early endometriosis diagnosis shaped her career goals — fast-tracking her rise in the corporate world so she could start a family before 30. She opens up about navigating fertility challenges, a difficult pregnancy, and the realities of returning to work after maternity leave. Charlotte also reflects on the surprising way motherhood reignited her ambition and why she ultimately left her corporate job to go freelance. Her story explores the tension between planning and intuition, and how she’s building a career and family on her own terms.

If you're a company looking for brand and marketing strategy, you can find more about Charlotte's freelance consultancy - https://www.lacuna.studio/

Show Time Stamps

06:30 – Climbing the corporate ladder with kids in mind
Why Charlotte chose strategy roles, fast-tracked her salary growth, and planned for early motherhood in London.

10:45 – Pregnancy, pressure, and navigating fertility with endometriosis
Charlotte opens up about being told to have children before 30, and the emotional impact of managing timelines she didn’t choose.

17:20 – A challenging pregnancy and redefining strength
What it was like to be bed-bound with hyperemesis, and how it shattered her expectations of “pushing through” the pregnancy

21:50 – Returning to work, loss, and the complicated in-between
Charlotte talks about her miscarriage, returning to work, and the vulnerability of being open with her employer.

28:40 – Leaving corporate: Burnout, reflection, and the leap to freelance
Why Charlotte decided to resign, and how she created space to build a more fulfilling career around motherhood.

36:15 – Building a sustainable life and embracing flexibility
How she and her husband split home responsibilities, set boundaries with kids, and navigate work-life balance with intention.

In this episode, venture capitalist Leila Zegna shares her inspiring journey founding Kindred Capital while becoming a mother of three. When her first daughter was born with a rare genetic condition, Leila's identity as a high-achiever was challenged, forcing her to redefine success beyond metrics and accolades. She candidly discusses navigating the venture capital world while pregnant, and her evolution from valuing hard work to embracing authenticity, which is just one of the many gifts her daughter has taught her. This conversation offers powerful insights for anyone questioning how ambition and family can coexist.

Silke is a senior leader at Dow Jones who has built her career and family life across three countries—Denmark, the UK, and the US. In this conversation, she shares her journey from leaving her native Denmark after university to establishing a successful international career while raising two young children with her husband Thomas. Silke speaks candidly about the mental challenges of early motherhood, breastfeeding struggles, and the importance of creating space for herself and her relationship. With her "good for now" philosophy, Silke demonstrates how embracing the present moment allows her to build a fulfilling life that balances career ambition with family priorities. Her approach to maintaining weekly date nights, not limiting her family's lifestyle, and finding support when living far from extended family provides valuable insights for parents navigating similar paths.

Psychotherapist Jaclyn Udell shares her unconventional life path from studying Mandarin in North Carolina to working in Chinese textiles, retraining as a psychedelic therapist in New York, and building her practice in London as a new mother. Jaclyn discusses how exposure to diverse cultures—from the American South to China, New York, Paris, and London—shaped her unique approach to career decisions and motherhood. She reveals how freelancing allowed her to create a gradual, personalized return to work after having her son Bram, and the emotional journey of separation and establishing her own identity beyond motherhood. Jaclyn's perspective on navigating cultural differences in parenting, her views on community building, and her family's latest adventure considering a move to a futuristic "network state" community showcase her adaptable approach to life. Her story illustrates how blending different cultural influences and rejecting rigid structures can lead to a more integrated and fulfilling life path.

In this special episode, Mikenzie gets to chat with her older sister Candice about her career and motherhood journey. Candice is a mother of four girls who has navigated multiple career transitions from corporate real estate law to in-house counsel, stay-at-home motherhood, and now entrepreneurship. In this  episode, Candice shares about her lifelong plan to be both a mother and lawyer—and how reality repeatedly disrupted those carefully laid plans. Candice opens up about the challenges of balancing high-pressure corporate law work with family responsibilities, her experience with pregnancy during a new job, navigating shifting financial dynamics with her husband, her decision to become a stay-at-home mother, and ultimately finding her entrepreneurial path. She shares candidly about postpartum anxiety, miscarriage, and the gradual process of learning to prioritize herself. Candice's evolution from a meticulous planner to someone who embraces uncertainty offers valuable perspective for anyone struggling to reconcile career ambitions with family life. Her ultimate message is powerful: "Trust yourself. Because you are all you need in terms of guidance.”

Emily is a commercial operations leader at a major tech company, where she’s helped grow the organization from scrappy startup to public company—all while becoming one of the first senior employees to navigate parenthood.

In this episode, Emily shares openly about her deep-rooted drive for achievement, being the primary breadwinner in her family, and the ever-evolving dynamics of balancing an intense job with life as a mother of two. We talk about the crucial role her husband plays in childcare, how she prioritizes core friendships, and her ongoing work to set boundaries.

Emily’s honesty, clarity, and self-awareness make this a must-listen for anyone trying to figure out how to build a big career and be fully present at home.

Cecilie Jakobsen is the founder and CEO of Wawa Fertility and a single mother to her son and stepdaughter. In this episode, she shares how she turned personal fertility pain into purpose and how she is building a VC-backed startup while raising a child. Cecilie shares openly about her fertility challenges, how she uses her flexibility to make running a business and family work, the crucial role of family and friend support in her life and much more. Cecilie’s honesty, grit, and creativity will leave you rethinking what’s possible for career, for motherhood, and for your life overall.

Welcome to Leaning My Way, a show where I have honest conversations with working mothers about how they really "do it all". This show serves as a resource for all women, whether you're a mother, considering becoming one or just asking some of these questions about how to balance career and parenting. 

Join us every Thursday for new episodes of Leaning My Way.