EP. 22 / Sharing a Job for Work-Life Balance: Meet 2 Moms Who Split One Job


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How much of a work/life balance do you have with your job? Are there times when you just can’t get yourself to log off, no matter how hard you try? Has your WFH fantasy now become an endless workday, from sun-up till bedtime? If you’re interested in flexible work, hybrid jobs or part-time, read on!

When you hear the phrase “job share,” what comes to mind? Whatever it is, it’s probably nowhere near as literal as the idea account execs Krista Kezman and Sally Agger pitched to their employers at audio company Audacy. They’re breaking down the nitty-gritty of their 3 day work weeks for me and what led them to seek the arrangement to begin with. 

Learn why Krista and Sally describe their arrangement as “two minds for the price of one,” how it’s a complete game-changer for maternity leave, and the reason teamwork is the key piece of the job share puzzle. And they have tips for how to convince your boss to say YES to a job share.

Then Shannan Monson explains her new job search platform NuuWork and how it helps match flex jobs with workers.

PLUS hear a heartwarming real mom moment from international curve model Amanda Tice, author of The New Mom Code: Shatter Expectations and Crush It at Motherhood.


Show Takeaways:

  • Krista on how her work life balance was suffering:

“I originally started working four days a week—I had Fridays off, but as a salesperson you're always working. I was working on my day off and [I] decided that wasn't working. As time went on I was working more and more and more and working at six o'clock in the morning and working at six o'clock at night.”

  • Sally on the necessities for making a job share work:

“I think the most important thing is having a partner that has the same work ethic that you do. Someone that can go toe to toe with you and will work as hard as you will to get the job done. Someone that has complementary personality traits is, I think, super important too. Krista and I really did well because we complimented each other. We became friends and we really care about each other and we care about each other's life work balance—and we'll jump in and help each other.”

  • Krista on how a job share can also benefit an employer:

“The thing that’s huge is that there's technically never really a day off. For example, I just had my third baby and when I was on maternity leave, there was nothing for our employer to figure out. They didn't need to figure out what to do with our accounts, they didn't need to figure out who was gonna cover what or anything like that, because I've got essentially a built-in backup person in Sally.”

  • Shannan Monson, Founder of NuuWork

    ”Colleges are not preparing people for the workforce that we currently have. Companies have not adapted to the digital shift that's happening. We are digitally native and we love technology and we wanna work from home, we want flexibility, we wanna work on our own terms.”

  • Amanda Tice on one of her proudest mom moments:

“I felt this overwhelming sense of, ‘Wow, I am teaching my son compassion and teaching him how to love others in a really real way.’ And I couldn't have been more proud.”

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EPISODE LINKS:

GUEST LINKS:

Krista Kezman on LinkedIn Sally Agger on LinkedIn

Shannan Monson on Instagram NuuWork

Amanda Tice on Instagram | The New Mom Code by Amanda Tice

 

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Kim Rittberg (00:02):

Job shares. You're going to hear from two real life people who've been sharing one job. Yes, they each work three days a week and split the duties. Incredible. Very forward thinking and fascinating. You're gonna hear how they did it. 

Sally Agger (00:16):

I don't think these types of positions exist on job boards. 

Kim Rittberg (00:20):

They'll give you the nitty gritty on how they manage their time, tips to find one yourself and their own cautionary tales. Then Shannon Monson, serial entrepreneur of six and seven figure companies founded newer a flex work platform and she's gonna tell you all about that. 

Kim Rittberg (00:38):

This is mom's exit interview, the show for moms who wanna craft the career and life they want. Each episode, you'll meet inspirational moms across various industries and levels who are working and living life on their own terms and they'll bring you actionable tips from finance to business development to happiness to crushing that imposter syndrome. I'm Kim Rittberg. I was a burnt out media executive at Netflix, US Weekly and in TV news. I wanted a career where I was fulfilled at work but present at home with my kids. So I started working for myself and I love it, but not every day was easy or is easy. I wanted to explore with all of you how other moms were creating careers on their own terms. They're carving out flex jobs, starting their own businesses, they're taking back control. Join me and make work work for you instead of the other way around. 

Kim Rittberg (01:44):

Thank you so much for being here. If you could hear my voice, I'm getting over being sick, been working really hard of course on the podcast. I've also been doing my regular video consulting work and I caught what my son had from this weekend. Anyway, I've also been working super hard coaching my daughter's soccer league. Yes, she asked me to coach her league. I was hesitant cuz I was thinking Michigan regret asking me this. Some weekends have been not amazing but recently it's gotten super great and it's given her a lot of confidence and it's helped us really connect. And another awesome thing is that a fellow parent mom said to me my daughter said, Yay, I think Coach Kim is back this weekend, which was so nice. I mean I'm not that good at soccer or anything. I used to play lacrosse so I know enough about on field strategy, but I'm really good at making people feel good about themselves. 

Kim Rittberg (02:35):

So I felt like I could just bring some fun and energy and some strategy. But hearing her say that to me felt really good cuz she said, I think you being a coach is doing some really good role modeling because almost all the other coaches are dads. And that's something I recently realized also and I was a little surprised by it because I know tons of women who are athletic and could obviously coach the team. So I wasn't trying to be a role model, but it was super, super nice to hear that. Anyway, onto the show you'd be doing me a huge favor if you could put a five star reading in review and follow the show. Obviously we put a lot of work into it and doing that helps the show reach more people. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And keep your feedback coming. 

Kim Rittberg (03:16):

Today's guests came in from feedback. They reached out to me on LinkedIn, told me about their job share. I was like, You're fascinating. Yes, come on the show. So anyway, keep your feedback coming and if you have a business and you wanna grow your business through awesome content like amazing video, amazing podcasts, or you need some on camera coaching to be more confident, reach out to me. My website is kimrittberg.com. You can just drop me a line there. Now today, as I just mentioned, I've been a little under the weather but I'm just tossing that DayQuil, I'm just just hammering DayQuil because I have some very exciting plans. I'm going on a solo adults trip to visit friends. Nothing is going to stop me. <laugh>, you better believe that. So today I'm gonna get right into our topic of job shares. Christic Hassman and Sally Agger live in Wisconsin. They reached out to me on LinkedIn after seeing our episode on part-time jobs, which you should definitely listen to. It's our second episode. Scroll back a little bit. I've been so excited to hear from them. I love hearing how they negotiated a job, share how they held a successful job share for years and they have lots of tips from their experience. First you'll hear from Sally, she and Christo work in sales at Odyssey to do custom campaigns for clients. 

Krista Kezman (04:31):

Our company is called Audacy. We are one of the largest audio and digital companies in the country. And what we do is put together custom audio and digital campaigns for clients all across the country. We have local clients here in Wisconsin, but we have a lot of clients outside of the state too. So we're lucky that we can work with all different types of businesses and help them put together advertising me media campaigns like influencer campaigns, that type of thing. We do everything from putting it together, research, creative strategy execution, making sure it's running and then follow up. But we pretty much see the whole campaign from beginning to end. 

Kim Rittberg (05:14):

Sally, I love that you and Krista have a job share. There's so much curiosity around this, including myself. Talk to me about how did you come to the idea of having a job share and how did you approach your company to do it? 

Krista Kezman (05:24):

But I convinced them that if they wanted to keep me, that was the path. And so I originally started working four days a week. I had Fridays off but as a salesperson you're always working. And so I was working on my day off and decided that wasn't working and so I ended up doing a nine to three daily, that's how my hours were. And I did that so I could get my kids on and off the bus. This was quite a few years later and as time went on I was working more and more and more and working at six o'clock in the morning and working at six o'clock at night. And that nine to three really wasn't working either. So I kind of did some research, what kind of flexible jobs are there and I came upon job sharing and to me it was just brilliant and approached my company with it saying that hey, if you wanna keep me, I need to do this. And it was probably more of a negotiating tactic. I, I love what I do and I loved the company, I loved my clients and I didn't want to leave but I also knew that I mean I suffer a little bit of anxiety and it was like my anxiety is too much. I need more life work balance. And so it was more of a negotiating tool and it worked. 

Kim Rittberg (06:41):

If you can explain what is the nitty gritty of splitting a 

Krista Kezman (06:45):

Job? I mean the nitty gritty of it is first and foremost you have to, if you are going to have someone that you're sharing a job with, you have, there's gotta be some elements that come into play. You have to know that that person is as invested as you are in their role together. We are really well rounded as a marketing and sales person. So when I'm working, I'm working full on executing everything and then on our day together, it's the middle of the week. We spent some time going over what I did, what needs to be done, 

Kim Rittberg (07:22):

Whoever's on email, whoever's on the phone that day takes the incoming work. What about the day that you overlap and then separately, what advice do you have for other people? Cuz it sounds like it's going well, right? You've been doing it for four years, so if one of you could tell me about that. 

Krista Kezman (07:36):

We would usually schedule our meetings with clients on that day so we could both be present and be involved in the conversations of what was coming up and what needed to happen. And then we would always do a series of notes like this is what I did, this is what needs to be done. So Krista would have a clear path as to what needed to be done on her days off so I could just hand it off and then she would pick it up and she would roll with it and she would do the exact same thing when it was my turn to come back on Monday. I think the most important thing with making a job show work is having a partner that has the same work ethic that you do. That is someone that can go toe to toe with you and will work as hard as you will to get the job done. And someone that has complimentary jobs or personality traits is I think super important too. Cuz if you're both one way, you might clash a little bit. I think Krista and I really did well because we complimented each other and I think we became friends and we really care about each other and we care about each other's life work balance and we we'll jump in and help each other. 

Kim Rittberg (08:51):

Say someone wants to find a job share, do they exist on a job board? Do they have to just sell their employer in on one? What's the process for someone who wants to do that? What would you recommend? 

Sally Agger (08:59):

Yeah, great question. So I don't think this is necessarily something that you'll find on a job board because I just haven't heard of a company that is actively looking for somebody who is already in a job share and looking to hire them. I think that if you've got a good reputation with your current employer and you've been there a while and they'll trust you, they know that you're a good employee and they don't wanna lose you but you, you're feeling like you need a little bit more work life balance. I think trying to sell this idea of a job share internally is a fantastic move when it comes to that. The things that I would highlight are the fact that in a job share, the employer gets two minds for the price of one. They get six days of work for the price of five. 

Sally Agger (09:46):

They also don't have to offer benefits necessarily. At least in our case they didn't because Sally and I were both considered part-time employees so we didn't qualify for benefits. So in our position, Sally and I are pure profit for our company, especially being in sales. The other thing that I think is huge is that there's technically never really a day off or anything like that. For me, for example, I just had my third baby and when I was on maternity leave there was nothing for our employer to figure out. They didn't need to figure out what to do with our accounts, they didn't need to figure out who was gonna cover what or anything like that because I've got essentially a built in backup person in Sally. And granted it was a big change for her cuz when I'm on leave she's taking working full time but she's also getting the full paycheck then. 

Sally Agger (10:39):

So I guess those are the things that I would highlight in trying to sell this internally to an employer is focusing on why it benefits the employer. And those big things are six days of work for the price of five, two minds for the price of one. You've had a built in backup person and you don't necessarily have to offer benefits. For me working in a job share, especially with Sally has been life changing. It's given me the opportunity to focus on my kids but also still contribute to our family financially and get to do something that I really enjoy and that I love. I mean if nothing else, at the end of the day I, I've gained a lifelong friend in Sally and it's just been a remarkable experience. Something I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants it or can afford it and is interested in it. 

Kim Rittberg (11:35):

Amazing. This has been, I love hearing about your job share. I think it's super interesting and I love that you guys are making it work and from what it sounds, it sounds like not only does it work for you and your family, you both like each other. It's been a really good situation. So I just love hearing about people who are making their careers work for them in interesting ways. So thank you so much. 

Kim Rittberg (11:58):

And as all of our lives and careers are fluid, Krista who just gave birth let me know that she's recently made the difficult decision to retire to spend more time taking care of her family and home. Krista says she plans to focus on her kids home projects and writing a couple of kids books for the time being. That sounds awesome. And Sally has decided to work full-time. Sally says another great thing about the job share is they were able to create it and work as a team when it really fit their lives. Both of them say over the last four years they've had their home lives completely transformed so that now it makes more sense for Sally to work full time and for Krista to stay home. They say they are so grateful to have job shared for several years and are confident that they'll work together again in some capacity. I think it is so cool whether you work a job share for six months or 10 years. Good job. I loved hearing Kristen Sally's first hand experience doing a job share, coming up with the idea which is so inventive and also selling their boss into it. I've been doing a lot of research into flex work for the podcast and there are a lot of new companies focused on this. One is new work and we had Shannan Monson, it's founder on to talk about it. Shannon is a serial entrepreneur. 

Shannan Monson (13:24):

We were really paying attention to everything that's happening in the economy. So everybody's being asked to go back to work. Employers are having such a hard time finding great team members and employees and at the same time I have run fully remote digital businesses for the past decade and it was wild to me that we, it's still so hard to find flexible work or get hired on a flexible basis. And I wanted to create something that really, I guess I'll say democratized of the hiring process and took out now the current hiring system is based off of where you went to school. We created new work because we felt like there was a disconnect between all the people that were at home during the pandemic, learning new skills that were unique and interesting and just popping up on softwares that just barely started to exist. 

Shannan Monson (14:21):

And then also at the same time, all these companies scrambling to keep up but not knowing where to find the people who knew lead generation and digital marketing and social media and all these new skills that are really just coming to the surface. Colleges are not preparing people for the workforce that we currently have. Companies have not adapted to the digital shift that's happening. And at the same time we have all of these people who grew up on MySpace and were digitally native and we love technology and we wanna work from home, we want flexibility, we wanna work on our own terms and it's the side hustle economy. And so we wanted to create a place to connect forward thinking digitally native talented people who are learning tech online and companies who so desperately need this talent and don't know where to find it. So that is how new work was born 

Kim Rittberg (15:10):

And are the jobs, are they full-time jobs that are remote or are they flexible jobs? So some are a variety of hours project based, what's the structure of them? 

Shannan Monson (15:20):

It's all flexible project based work. So we wanted to build something based off of the concept of almost like a bumble for work. I might wanna work on a project for six months and be an intrapreneur in a company, but I don't wanna stay there for forever. I don't wanna work for five hours. It's not really worth my time to get hired for a five hour project and be done, but I wanna learn different skills and move around and maybe I wanna take the summers off with my kids. And a traditional W2 job can never give you that kind of flexibility. And at the same time, the money you can make in flexible work is actually significantly higher and it's cheaper for the company. And that was where I was like, okay, so if it's best for the company to hire an independent contractor and it's best for the contractor to be a contractor, why is this not the norm? 

Shannan Monson (16:09):

I was talking to a Uber driver who was telling me that he makes $75,000 a year driving Uber, which was more money than he could make in Augusta, Georgia where we were having this conversation and talking to a task grabber who came and fixed something at my house. He said he is making six figures just drywalling. And I feel like we as a generation have realized that the corporate ladders a lie. We don't want it. We're already finding work in the flex economy. There's just not really a great platform for us to connect. Upwork is not it. I'm sorry, <laugh>. Yeah, I'm gonna say that out loud. Upwork is not it, right? Nine, I think 93% of jobs on Upwork or actually outsource outside of the United States. So where are we supposed to go? 

Kim Rittberg (16:53):

So I saw that you were starting new work and I was like, I need to talk to Shannan because I feel like I would say entrepreneurial, but to your point, your broader point of we don't see ourselves as entrepreneurs. My dad was an entrepreneur, he had his own business of, I don't know, 10 people or 15 people, was a computer engineer and he ran a software company. That's not what I wanted, but I definitely want the freedom to work for myself. I have a really strong background in specifically video and content marketing and strategy and I'm like, wait a second, actually can do this for myself. I can take summers off with my kids and I have clients who respect me and I'm making really good money. But no one tells you you can do this. It is not presented as an option. It's this whole concept of we're we believe what we see. 

Kim Rittberg (17:45):

So we see nine to five, which is really nine to seven with your phone buzzing on the weekends and we don't see another way. And not every family is two partners, but it's really hard if you're a single parent. But even also if you're in a two partner home, you're both working these crazy hours. When are you seeing the kids? You don't have any control over your schedule. And I think the pandemic has shifted things a little bit remote for sure is accepted more, but I don't know what's gonna happen in the next few years. When I saw you started new work, I'm like, yes, this is, a lot of people want this, A lot of people understand it and are already in it. And I think it's a generational thing where millennials and I think Gen Z, but millennials for sure believe in it like that. 

Kim Rittberg (18:28):

Oh yeah, you can be your own boss, you can run your own agency and that agency could be you and your cat. But yeah, you can be your own boss in a way that I think it's perhaps a generation generational thing that wasn't necessarily the thing everybody used to want. But on mom's exit interview, that's the whole thing. It's like there are all these options out there. There's project work, there's three day week work, there's flex work and you can be a freelancer or you can be your own boss running your own company. It can be any of those things. You can scale to a million dollars or you can be happy making around what you were making before or more whatever. So there's all these new things. So I'm so excited that you're bringing it in a coherent way and tying it together. And so what sort of companies are you bringing in for Newark? 

Shannan Monson (19:14):

So one of the things we're focusing on initially is, so we've seen a really big growth in the e-commerce vertical because all these companies that were brick and mortar primarily before had to pivot during the pandemic and it's gonna continue to trend that way. So if you are somebody who has a expertise in Shopify or commerce or social media marketing or workflows in HubSpot that is where we're starting with because we're also seeing at the same time all these huge corporations that don't know where to find somebody who knows social media or how to put together a text message workflow. And so those are the opportunities that we're connecting initially is e-commerce projects with intentions to move into other verticals. But e-commerce is a really exciting space. I mean it's the world I know, but it's also very project based. You know, need to set up a website and launch a website that is one project that requires about four to five different experts to know what they're doing setting up a quiz and an onboarding workflow or setting up the back end of a shop. 

Shannan Monson (20:21):

A lot of it is project-based work that we as people who value remote, flexible work can jump in and do. And I think that that's something too that as you were talking, I was just thinking about, I am have been the sole provider for my family of four for nine years. In about three months I won't be anymore, but I have been for nine years. And a lot of times you have, if you don't have childcare or even if you do have childcare, kids in school, if you're a single parent, you need flexible work more than anybody else. And I think the ability to get paid to work on your own terms with companies who are aligned with your values. There are so many companies out there, the companies that we're working with at Newark who are very, they don't care what time you eat lunch. 

Shannan Monson (21:11):

You don't need to ask them for your 15 minute break. That's not a thing. They just wanna know if you are doing the job, you're doing a good job. Because ultimately I think we've gotten away from is the goal of a business in the first place. We're not trying to get as squeeze as many hours out of a human as possible. We want the best possible work, we want results not ours. And the traditional model rewards you for punching in a clock, not for actually driving KPIs in the business. And so what we're looking at with Newark is yeah, we're expecting a higher output out of the talent that we're hiring, but at the same time, you and I, we are willing to show up, do good work hard, but we also wanna be off when we wanna be off and we want to do work that's fulfilling to us. 

Shannan Monson (21:57):

And there's just so many exciting opportunities in this new economy. I don't even think we've begun to scratch the surface. I don't think we're doing anything revolutionary at new work. We're just creating a platform for what's already happening, the way people are already hiring on social media and in Facebook groups and behind the scenes and doing jobs that there isn't even really a job title for. Cuz we're just all figuring it out as we go. And so I think it's really, really exciting and I'm very excited to see what companies and work looks like in 10 years cuz I do not think it's gonna be I, it's already changing. Our parents' generation on average had one career and our generation has three to four careers. 

Kim Rittberg (22:39):

I've heard that too. And I agree with you so much. I think there's this whole underground world and this is what I've been exploring through mom's exit interview. I started talking to moms, I was like, oh, my friend who runs a fashion company, which is successful on her own terms, she picks her kids up at school, she doesn't answer someone. Someone else is a three day a week executive in solar energy. People are figuring out their own thing. I do project-based work, I'm trying to take off the summer-ish, whatever. But there's this whole underground world, especially of moms I think and I think Newark and you are so smart to be tapping into the flex world that people are open to and interested in and at least curious about. And then they wanna learn more and be like, can this work for me? Can I be a part of this? 

Shannan Monson (23:21):

Yeah. I think the companies that choose to think differently are gonna win really hard. 

Kim Rittberg (23:25):

Yes, yes. Because the old model is that the companies want you to sit in your chair, if not five days a week, at least four days a week. The companies want you to sit in your chair at least four days a week from nine to seven or nine to six or whatever. But people don't want that. So there's a mismatch between what the company wants and what people want. And whoever can be in the middle, middle and be a better matchmaker, I think is really gonna win, is gonna win in hiring. I think it's really smart. I, I'm really excited 

Shannan Monson (23:53):

When imagine as a company, you don't have to pay overhead for somebody to sit in a chair. You're not paying benefits. I mean you're not paying all these additional overhead expenses to have an employee, but you're getting the outcomes you want. Imagine hiring based on outcomes saying I want a 10,000 person email list ready go. Being able to hire based off those outcomes versus, I mean I've made this mistake so many times in hiring, just cuz you hire somebody doesn't mean that the company gets bigger or that you get better outcomes. And so going back to the basics, this is how C-suite is judged based off of their results and board meetings and they only make money based off of their results. And now I'm not saying we should all be up to that standard, but this concept of why would I want mediocre hourly work when I know how to do a job really well, I know how to set up a video arm of a business faster and better than anybody else. Put me in coach, I'll be there for two months. I'll do great work for you and then I'm out take, go play with my kids this summer. 

Kim Rittberg (24:53):

That's what I do. People like you, you're so great. Would you wanna be here full time? I'm like, Nope. But I'll do this. Absolutely not this job for you on this project. I will make this project be amazing, but then I will have drinks with you in nine months and not be working with you. But yeah. Question, how do you vet vet the flex workers? Cuz you were saying before, it is hard. I've hired on Upwork, I've hired on fiber. It's definitely, some are great, some are not great. Many are overseas. So how do you vet people? 

Shannan Monson (25:18):

So our whole process is we have a video resume system. So in order to get hired or find talent on new work, you have to submit a video resume. So instead of having to go through three or four different interviews, meeting with a bunch of different people, we help you create this one minute resume reel, a fast video that showcases your talents and your skills. And we present that to the companies. The second step of the process, we actually create custom interviews video interviews from the company. So let's say the company's looking for a copywriter, we'll go to them and we'll find an artifact of something that they're looking for. They want a blog post that looks like this. And then we go to our best candidates, we ask them to make a sample of the work and we present that to the company. So it's this whole concept of try before you buy we do it at home with our shopping and everything else. 

Shannan Monson (26:09):

Why shouldn't work be the same way? And it's an opportunity to make sure that you're getting the quality of work and the caliber of candidates that you're looking for in a really fast pace. So in about five minutes companies can quickly screen applicants with a video interview and an artifact of their work work versus sifting through thousands of resume faceless resumes that don't really say anything. We also offer certifications on the new work platform, which I think is really phenomenal in a way that we can offer more standardized talent because a lot of, we talked about all these new softwares popping up and new information. There isn't really a standardization of, there's not a digital marketing certificate. I mean there's a bunch, but there's not a standard governing body, my husband who has a medical degree. And so offering companies a way to have the trust knowing that people have been through a certain level of training, certainly not required for applicants, but that's what we're planning to do, to really create great opportunities for talented, hardworking people who wanna find flexible work and companies who want to hire for projects. 

Kim Rittberg (27:14):

That's awesome. And it's focused on anyone, not just for moms, even though I feel like this appeals to moms, it's for anyone in any flex role. 

Shannan Monson (27:21):

Anyone? Yes. We are building an inclusive community. It's very important to us to create opportunities for especially the people that the corporate world doesn't cater to. Moms are one of those groups. As a mom, I've gotta ask. I remember pumping in a private room with paper tape to the window. I mean, it was horrible. It was soul. Soul crushing. You can't tell me the corporate world was made for moms. It wasn't. Right. And I think there's a lot of groups that have been historically excluded from how the workplace has been created, whether it's black women or queer people. I mean, there's so many people that just don't fit in the traditional work corporate ladder. And that's the people we wanna build opportunities for. I also think that's where some of the best creative, untapped ideas are. And that gets me excited. 

Kim Rittberg (28:13):

No, I think it's so exciting and I think to bring it together, a lot of people I work with a lot of medium sized businesses and they're scooping up social media managers and strategists and whatever, and those are all people who could be on Newark work and just be exposed to more companies. And I think especially like you said, focusing in on, I wanna work, I prefer to work with someone in America, higher local support local businesses. I really like that idea. Also so much of those sites really are overseas like that. That is the truth of it. Yeah, 

Shannan Monson (28:41):

It's a race to the bottom. So the business model is raised to the bottom. So you're trying to get the cheapest, quickest talent possible and you're never gonna get really great results from that. And it's fine, it has a place, I mean obviously very successful businesses, but if we're looking at building, really finding really high quality talent and paying people what their worth and creating flexible work, we are the antithesis of that, right? You're gonna get very high quality work, very specific, very niche that you wouldn't find elsewhere. 

Kim Rittberg (29:14):

And be sure to check out new work that's NuuWork. And in an earlier episode, I talked to Shannan about her incredible path from Mormon wife to breaking from the traditional expectations to becoming the breadwinner and launching six and seven figure companies. You should make sure to listen to that earlier episode and it'll be linked out in the show notes. Here is where we feature a real mom life in his happiest, funniest, or grossest moments. This story is going to give you serious goosebumps. It's from Amanda Tice, a successful international curve model. The author of the New Mom Code, Shatter Expectations and Crush It at Motherhood. She's a proud mom and a tenacious body positivity advocate. 

Amanda Tice (30:09):

One of the sweetest moments I can think of happened just last week. I was in bed, I did not wanna get up. I was feeling really tired and anxious about my day. And my son, who's five, came into the bedroom in the morning and said, Hi mommy, it's so nice to see you. And I said to him, Hey, I'm feeling really tired and anxious this morning. And you know what he did? He crawled into bed next to me, he put his little back against the headboard and he put my head in his lap and he started just petting my head and he said, It's okay, mommy. Today's going to be just fine. And in that moment I felt this overwhelming sense of, wow, I am teaching my son compassion and teaching him how to love others in a really real way and I couldn't have been more proud. 

Kim Rittberg (31:10):

And if you wanna submit your own real mom moment, make sure to sign up for our newsletter or visit www.kimrittberg.com. 

Kim Rittberg (31:27):

Thank you so much for being here. Please follow the show in Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen, and leave a five star reading and share it with people who would find it valuable because it's a great show that I put so much work into it and I love getting feedback on what resonated with you. Drop me a note on our website, kimrittberg.com or a DM, on Instagram, wherever, whatever you want. This is Mom's exit interview. I'm your host and executive producer, Kim Rittberg. The show is produced by Henry Street Media. Joe Leonardo is our editor for this episode, and Eliza Freelander is our producer and publicist. I'll see you next time.


Kim RittbergComment