by Anne Welsh
Last week, I had the privilege of moderating a conversation at the Women at the Top Summit — a gathering of leaders, innovators, and change-makers committed to advancing women in leadership.
The room was full of laughter.
A few tears.
And something you don’t often see in corporate spaces: relief.
Relief that someone was finally naming what so many ambitious mothers feel but rarely say aloud — the tension between striving and self-sacrifice, the guilt that lingers even on our best days, and the quiet hope that maybe we’re doing okay — for our careers and for our kids.
After the session, women came up to me and said things like:
“This isn’t the conversation happening in my office — and I so badly needed it.”
“What you said was exactly what I needed to hear today.”
Those moments reminded me why these conversations matter — and why Phoebe exists.
The Conversation Working Mothers Are Craving
At Phoebe, we hear it every day from the parents and leaders we work with.
They’re navigating major transitions — birth, return to work, shifting identities — without the space or language to talk about them.
Policies can handle logistics.
But only conversations — real, human, courageous ones — create belonging.
That’s what we saw at the Summit.
When women had permission to talk about ambition and motherhood in the same sentence, something softened.
They could exhale.
They left not just inspired, but grounded — ready to return to work with more clarity and compassion for themselves.
How Phoebe Brings These Conversations Inside Workplaces
That’s exactly what Phoebe’s model is built for.
Through our Parental Leave Coaching Program, we help organizations create scaffolding that supports real life — not the version that exists only on paper.
That means:
- Preparing employees and managers for the emotional and logistical transition of leave.
- Normalizing conversations about identity, guilt, and growth.
- Equipping leaders to lead with empathy, not just efficiency.
When these systems are in place, something remarkable happens.
Parents return engaged instead of anxious.
Managers lead with confidence instead of uncertainty.
Cultures strengthen from the inside out.
Because when women in demanding careers are supported to make room for motherhood — without losing ambition, identity, or impact — everyone benefits.
