Parents at Work is a podcast for people who want to succeed and thrive at work while they have kids. Remember the days before kids? When you could get up early, rock your early morning routine, and then get into the office ready to kick butt and take names. Or, at the very least, you could function like a normal human being? I do. I also remember how all that changed after I had children. Those high-functioning mornings gave way to long sleepless nights and breakfasts eaten in what felt and sounded like a war zone. I distinctly recall standing in my kitchen one morning at 7:30, with my suit and tie on, when my three-year-old melted down into a full-on tantrum, lying on the floor kicking and screaming. This caused my one-year-old, who was sitting in his high chair to start crying, with the puréed whatever he was eating dribbling down his chin and onto his lap. Understandably, thinking he needed to join in with the pack, our cocker spaniel, who was posted up under the table waiting for the usual array of tasty morsels to rain down, started howling loudly. My wife, who also had to get out the door to work, looked at me and asked, “Is this really happening?” Coming off the heels of an experience like that, I would stumble into work exhausted, frazzled, and frustrated. And then things would go downhill from there… Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids. Apparently, by some virtue of our overwhelming need to reproduce, my brainstem tells me that I would do it all again, even knowing what I know now. And I would. I suspect that you would too. But I wish I knew then (and now) how to remain a high performer at a job that I (mostly) love while going through what can be the mentally and physically punishing work of raising children. Thus, the impetus for this podcast. There has to be a better way than just muscling through it. To that end, we’ll be talking to parents and experts (who may also be parents) about tips, tricks, and mind-sets to teach parents today how to have kids AND keep their mojo at work. Each month, beginning May 2019, we focus parents in a different industry or profession. You’ll hear one conversation with several women about what it’s like to be a working mom in that space, and another conversation with several dads about their experiences as working dads in that profession. Our goal is to foster a dialog that helps cross-pollinate ideas about working parenthood across industries. See you at the office, bright eyed and bushy tailed! If you would like to appear on the podcast, or just want to leave a comment, please apply here.