What happens when the childcare system fails you? You’re a mom, you fix it.

In this episode, Karen Kelly shares how losing afterschool care for her son two years in a row led her to quit her job as a startup president and build a grassroots movement. After a single post in her town's mom Facebook group yielded 75 emails overnight, she mobilized 600 parents, negotiated with local vendors, and helped launch a new afterschool program at a summer camp just 500 yards from her backyard.

Karen opens up about the tension of working in a venture-backed startup culture, where 12-hour days were the norm, and how that clash reshaped her priorities. She also talks about the real struggles of working moms, why the pressure to "choose" is so pervasive, and what it actually takes to find a balance between career and family that's uniquely yours.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Karen Kelly

(02:26) Why Karen quit her tech presidency

(04:36) Mobilizing parents for local childcare solutions

(08:50) What local boards and committees can impact

(10:34) How to navigate the invisible 15-minute mental load

(12:53) Some seasonal struggles of summer childcare

(16:16) Comparisons on global and US childcare systems

(18:53) How to find purpose beyond the mom title

(20:16) Parenting realities within venture culture

(22:42) The struggle of leading tech companies through a pandemic

(25:23) Exploring social infrastructure and human connection

(29:57) The key to managing the full-stack mom identity

(32:39) Building authentic connection through shared failure

(34:55) Facilitating calm and confident AI adoption

(38:09) Save of the week: AI as a buddy and community

Connect with Mallory Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/

Connect with Shannon Curran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/

Connect with Karen Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kelly-daring-greatly/

Check out Launch by Lunch: https://launchbylunch.co/

Check out Built by Karen: https://builtbykaren.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

Balancing a career in tech with motherhood requires more than time management. It requires rewriting the rules.

Margaret Kelsey shares what it really looks like to build a high-impact career while navigating motherhood, divorce, and a beautifully complex blended family. From getting hired eight months pregnant to redesigning her career through fractional work, Margaret breaks down the real decisions behind making work and life actually work without pretending it’s easy or perfectly balanced.

The conversation goes into the hidden dynamics that shape working moms’ careers, including why so many women feel forced to choose, how outdated workplace expectations persist today, and what it takes to rewrite the rules in your own life.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you can have both a meaningful career and a full life outside of work, this episode offers an honest, nuanced look at what’s possible and what it actually takes.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Margaret Kelsey

(00:45) Navigating a nontraditional family structure

(02:47) Moving between full-time and fractional work

(05:07) Getting hired while pregnant

(07:10) Returning to work after maternity leave

(08:23) Building a flexible advising career

(11:16) The importance of role models for working moms

(14:534) Navigating pregnancy and job changes

(19:23) The realities behind workplace bias

(21:54) How "Primary Parent Days" changed everything

(32:38) Rethinking parenting roles and responsibilities

(36:54) Save of the week: Surviving & Thriving

Connect with Mallory Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/

Connect with Shannon Curran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/

Connect with Margaret Kelsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Check out Kodaris – The Supply Chain Platform: https://www.kodaris.com/

Try Riverside Pro free for a month with code fullstackmoms at https://creators.riverside.com/FullStackMoms

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

Content Warning: This episode discusses Postpartum Depression. We cover topics including mental health struggles and parental burnout. Please listen with care.

Building a career while navigating new motherhood can feel like an impossible balancing act. But for Courtney Nugent, an unexpected layoff at eight months pregnant became the catalyst for something transformative. After years of thriving in leadership roles at top tech companies, Courtney found herself at a crossroads, one that would reshape how she thought about work, family, and what success really means.

Courtney shares her journey of navigating career transitions during pregnancy and postpartum, and how she turned uncertainty into opportunity by building a more flexible, intentional work-life structure. She walks us through the emotional and mental weight of adjusting to motherhood, while staying professionally ambitious. She also opens up about the role self-care played in keeping her grounded and how she ultimately found peace in the unpredictability of it all.

This conversation allowed Courtney to open up about the mentors who shaped her path, the moment she chose to redefine success on her own terms, and why speaking honestly about the real challenges of modern motherhood isn't just personal. It's a call to action for workplaces everywhere.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Courtney Nugent

(01:17) Courtney’s remote work setup explained

(04:42) On deciding when to have kids

(08:01) The challenges of pregnancy commutes

(12:13) Laid off at eight months pregnant

(17:16) Opening up about postpartum depression

(20:24) Planning a career return after birth

(23:59) The reality of prenatal depression

(26:07) Gaps in postpartum care system

(28:31) Challenges of job searching as a new parent

(33:22) Parenting roles shared out loud

(35:37) Navigating digital work boundaries

(38:22) Save of the week segment

Connect with Mallory Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/

Connect with Shannon Curran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/

Connect with Courtney Nugent: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-steinkrauss/

Check out Blue Onion: https://www.blueonion.ai/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com