Work Muse

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Five years ago, the world stopped as we went into lockdown and nearly 3 million women were pushed out of the workforce without school, daycare, or a social safety net. It’s bringing up a lot for many of us and it’s coming in waves ??, isn’t it? ?? What happens when one mom, pushed to the brink during the pandemic has a major mic drop moment at work? ???? In episode 32, we’re revisiting one of my most popular conversations with Karen Browning during the 5th anniversary of the pandemic. Karen reads her resignation letter and opens up about being forced to choose between care and career with so many stressors in her life. In 2021, Karen summoned up the courage to vulnerably and transparently spell out what she had needed from her employer and what they could have done differently to keep her in her letter of resignation—in the hopes of helping those coming behind her at her organization. Karen sat down with me for a frank discussion about her experience, what women are facing now, and what they can do about it. As a society, we tend to push through difficult times without taking time to reflect. While the pandemic is behind us, as Karen says, “We are so different on the other side.” As we face a tipping point with layoffs and chronic stress, you can learn a lot from Karen’s experience about putting yourself first and creating the life you deserve. With an “always on” culture and uncertainty around every corner, we may need this conversation more than ever. ?? Tune in to listen on the go here: https://lnkd.in/gmfjS9VT ???? #JobshareRevolutionPodcast #jobshare #pandemic

Sometimes ya gotta make some good trouble by calling it out and standing up for what’s right! ? I’ll never forget the 60+ hours I spent in the pink dome (AKA Texas Capitol) giving testimony, showing up, putting eyes on our elected officials, and even watching Wendy Davis ??????read my testimony during the filibuster to protect abortion access in 2013. I was there when Leticia Van de Putte drove from her father’s funeral to be present, continually disrespected by her fellow elected officials. At the exact moment Senator Van de Putte raised her voice to say, “At what point must a female senator raise her hand or voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room.” ?????? I was there on my 9th wedding anniversary *with* my guy until WE the people ran out the clock during the filibuster. The Republicans may have skirted the rules—but bearing witness to it and calling it out mattered. Eventually, thanks to a team of badass reproductive rights warriors unafraid to go the distance, we WON at the Supreme Court! ???????? That’s why on Saturday, when Google quietly erased International Women’s Day from its calendar app ??—and other major cultural observances like Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Pride Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day—I could not stand idly by. It’s not just about a missing calendar event. This is happening at a time when DEI initiatives are under attack, despite research proving companies perform better when white men are not the only ones running the show. McKinsey’s ongoing global study (2015, 2018, 2020, 2023) proves for leadership positions gender diverse companies in the top quartile financially ??????outperform their peers by 39%! ?? This wasn't an episode I planned, but what a hypocrite I’d be by staying silent ??— especially when Work Muse was founded on the core principle that bringing two diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and lived experiences to one full-time role with job sharing reaps better results for employers—while employees find true work-life balance. ???? If you care about gender equality, representation, and creating a future where all voices are valued, this conversation is for you. And if you’re a data nerd (?? guilty!), you won’t want to miss it. Tune in here to listen ?? >> https://lnkd.in/gi67y5bT What do you think about Google’s move to omit International Women’s Day from its calendar? ?? #JobshareRevolutionPodcast #GenderEquity #DEI

Dammit! I knew better than to hop on stage at the Texas Capitol to share how we can help our neighbors into a germified megaphone maskless. ?? ?? My first thought was how to keep my fam safe (my kids have remarkably escaped up to this point too, and I felt a fierce mama bear energy to keep it so). We live in a 1940s bungalow, cute but cozy. Decision #1: Nab an Airbnb in the hood. ? Decision #2: Get to work ? My friend Jonelle hit me with tough love when I shared the news and my intention to work through it on our LOB (Ladies of Brilliance) text thread... (I know! I know! I'm a work-life expert, but the pressure to keep the wheels turning for entrepreneurs is STRONG). Thank Gawd Jonelle's horrific story woke me the hell up and put the kibosh on that bad idea. ? And when I did, something else surprising happened... Regardless of my workaholic tendencies (the precise reason why job sharing was genius for me!)... the BE Your Best Self in 2025 Challenge—the very one I’ve been doing alongside our Work Muse community—showed up in a powerful unexpected way during my 9-day COVID isolation. Instead of overworking, I SURRENDERED. Instead of pushing through, I EMBRACED the break. This was the episode I didn't plan, but I had to share these powerful takeaways with you. If you've ever struggled with resting without guilt, believing in big changes, or trusting this process, tune into episode 29 of Jobshare Revolution podcast here >>> https://lnkd.in/gvK-z9q8 P.S. And if you’d like to do the BE Your Best Self in 2025 workbook comment “Best Self” and I’ll DM you the link to manifest your BIG dreams this year! ?????

Extra! Extra!! Read all about it! The UK has a brand new National Job Share Day and it was yesterday! We are posting a few of our fav posts here so you can here from job sharers directly about WHY the love sharing their jobs so darn much! Let's raise a glass to a Jobshare Hackathon!! #JobshareDay #jobshare #jobsharing

Extra! Extra!! Read all about it! The UK has a brand new National Job Share Day and it was yesterday! We are posting a few of our fav posts here so you can here from job sharers directly about WHY the love sharing their jobs so darn much! Congrats to the launch of Jobshare Works!! #JobshareDay #jobshare #jobsharing

Extra! Extra!! Read all about it! The UK has a brand new National Job Share Day and it was yesterday! We are posting a few of our fav posts here so you can here from job sharers directly about WHY the love sharing their jobs so darn much! #JobshareDay #jobshare #jobsharing

No, Mark, just NO. The corporate world is not culturally neutered by equity practices that increase women in leadership. And we certainly don’t need to celebrate masculine aggression more. Trust me, we have plenty of that. It’s what stalls our careers and can even make our workplaces unsafe to show up to every day. At this very moment, we’re bracing for 4 years of toxic masculinity in a way that your limited rich white bro brain cannot wrap its head around. According to McKinsey’s longstanding research, gender diverse companies financially outperform their peers by 39%. 39%?? McKinsey began this study in 2015, and after a decade, that number has substantially and consistently increased from 15% to 39% in their 2023 report. And by the way, research also reveals that employees prefer “feminine” leadership styles. Women managers tend to be more collaborative and inclusive in goal setting with their employees, communicate more effectively, and take interest in the well-being and professional development of their teams. So Mark, please, you’ve done enough in the past week to unleash masculine aggression on your platform, so just stop dribbling damaging retoric. We know who you’re trying to impress, and it’s painfully pathetic. For smart companies looking to the data and bottom line that want to retain and recruit women—it comes down to implementing policies that support caregivers and pay transparency. One of the least known, most innovative practices to retain and recruit women is job sharing to give employees the time they need for caregiving with the career trajectory they’ve worked hard for. Job sharing is a flexible work and talent practice that leverages two skill sets in one full-time position. You get full coverage without the burnout and turnover while: ???? Improving productivity up to 30% ???? Increasing engagement ???? Producing solution-driven results ???? Reducing absenteeism and improving retention It’s time for new ideas ?? that don’t originate from men who want to move fast and break things. ----------------------------------- ?? I’m Melissa, founder of Work Muse. Our job share coaching, training, and programs support caregiver employees from parental leave through eldercare and help you retain & recruit diverse talent. ?? Follow me & ?? Repost to amplify care and job sharing with your network #Jobshare #FutureOfWork #GenderEquity

Five years ago, I started a New Year practice that changed my life—I chose a Word of the Year! Join me for the BE Your Best Self in 2025 Challenge! ???? It’s easy peasy—listen in on Jobshare Revolution podcast weekly and grab your challenge workbook! ???? In Episode 24, I’ll teach you how to choose your North Star word of the year—the word that embodies how you want to live, feel, and show up in 2025. Not only do I share my past and current words of the year and how I got to them, but I’ll walk you through: ?? Reflecting on what made you happy in 2024 and what you’d like to improve. ? Choosing a word that inspires and empowers you to show up as your best self ?? Tips for keeping your word top of mind throughout the year, including how to use your word as a daily affirmation I welcome you to the intentional process of deciding how you will show up this year. Happy to send you links to the workbook and pod if you’re in for a new approach! 2025 is your year! ?????? Mel (Yes, I write my posts like emails - I’m old!! And don’t care) P.S. My 2024 words were: ? Personal - JOY ? professional - FOCUS I’m SO grateful I was able to find JOY in the little moments with my family while being able to FOCUS to achieve my 3 big goals for Work Muse. #goalsetting #2025goals #JanuaryChallenge

BE Your Best Self in 2025 Challenge: Setting Achievable Goals. I've always secretly rejected setting goals (I blame my corporate annual review days: Let me.) It never worked for me, and now I know why: there is a science behind goal setting. In this Jobshare Revolution episode, I’ll teach you: ?? Why traditional goal-setting often fails—and how to unlearn old patterns ??The framework to create values-aligned goals ??5 key areas to consider & 5 goal-setting mistakes to avoid ?? How to break your goals into micro-actions, create systems that support your success, and stay consistent This is the day you unlearn what you thought goal-setting was in order to achieve your goals in 2025. Want to listen to this episode on the go? Tune in with your favorite podcast app here: https://lnkd.in/g6FfP26W