What does it really mean to be a modern dad? And how is this generation reshaping parenthood alongside demanding careers?

Mallory and Shannon explore the data behind today's millennial dads, sharing surprising research on hands on parenting, paternity leave, identity, and why fathers are playing a bigger role at home than ever before. They reflect on their own families, workplace culture, and the partners who make ambitious careers possible. They also share insights on childcare trends, flexible work, parental leave, mental load, parenting research, family traditions, and raising children as equal partners.

Whether you're a working mom, working dad, or simply figuring out how to balance career, family, and everything in between, this episode is a reminder that parenting works best as a team.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) How millennial dads define their identity and career balance

(02:33) The data behind modern hands-on fatherhood

(08:41) Equality in identity and modern parenting expectations

(12:04) The changing culture of diaper duty

(18:18) The rise of paternity leave and workplace shifts

(22:52) Parenting out loud and changing workplace norms

(24:56) Building family traditions and predictability for kids

(27:32) How modern dads actively research better parenting strategies

(36:11) Saves of the week

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

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

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

What does burnout really look like when you love your job, but your family is paying the price?

Mollie Bodensteiner, VP of Revenue Operations at ZoomInfo, shares the moment she realized her career had taken too much from life at home, and why stepping away from a role she loved became the right decision. Together with Mallory Lee and Shannon Curran, she reflects on ambition, burnout, shifting priorities, and learning to redefine success without letting go of a meaningful career.

Throughout the conversation, they explore working mom guilt, protecting personal boundaries, building healthier work environments, leadership through leverage instead of overwork, and the ongoing challenge of balancing career growth with being present at home.

If you're a working mom navigating burnout, ambition, identity, or trying to build a career without sacrificing what matters most, this episode offers an honest perspective that will resonate.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(01:05) Meet Mollie Bodensteiner

(02:26) Recognizing burnout beyond the workplace

(03:53) When career success starts affecting family

(07:23) Knowing when it's time to make a change

(10:17) Finding a workplace that values family

(11:12) Why mom guilt never fully goes away

(13:36) Business travel and feeling absent at home

(16:19) Burnout, self care, and impossible standards

(20:05) Letting your kids decide what matters most

(27:19) Setting boundaries that actually stick

(29:35) Breaking promises to yourself leads to burnout

(35:02) Why great leaders stop trying to do everything

(37:10) Saves of the week

Connect with Mollie Bodensteiner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molliebodensteiner/

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

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

Check out ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

What happens when we stop focusing on the career costs of motherhood, and start looking at what value it actually gives us?

Alexa Starks, founder and CEO of Mothered Media and Editor-in-Chief of Mothered Magazine, talks about her journey through systemic advocacy, launching a magazine, and building a business while raising two toddlers. Alexa opens up about launching the groundbreaking Maternal Strengths Report, proving the undeniable ROI of motherhood on leadership, and balancing corporate redesign with parenthood.

In this conversation, Alexa shares insights on mental load, proximity bias, return-to-office mandates, parental support villages, scaling a business, and the confidence that comes with proving the worth of working moms. \

If you’re a working parent navigating ambition, mom guilt, identity, or the constant juggle between career and home life, this episode will hit close to home.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Alexa Starks

(01:16) Founding Mothered Media and shifting the narrative

(02:54) Starting a business while having toddlers

(05:57) The logistics of an odd-numbered family

(08:34) Relocating to Europe and parenting without a village

(12:17) Pivoting to systemic advocacy and corporate research

(14:37) Quantifying maternal strengths and leadership ROI

(19:31) Dismantling manager bias and the return-to-office push

(26:45) All about macro trends, Zoom fatigue, and thoughtful flexibility

(33:59) Writing a bestseller and National Working Motherhood Week

(36:44) Saves of the week

(42:03) Fear of failure and pushing past the confidence gap

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

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

Connect with Alexa Starks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexastarks/

Check out Mothered Media: https://www.motheredmedia.com/

Check out Mothered Magazine: https://www.motheredmagazine.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

What happens when corporate ambition, the chaotic realities of postpartum recovery, and the search for modern community collide?

Mallory Lee and Shannon Curran get into it with the raw, unfiltered moments of building tech careers while raising toddlers. From the surreal experience of traveling for business while orchestrating a complex village of family childcare, to navigating the unspoken boundaries of modern parenting, they discuss what it actually takes to make it all work in public.

In this conversation, they share candid insights on surviving a grueling 73-hour labor, the bizarre juxtaposition of corporate tech culture at President's Clubs and wellness social spas, and the generational gaps that show up in everyday office life. They also reflect on why hyper-independence might be breaking our parenting boundaries, and how letting go of total control is often the only way to gain a true community.

If you’re a working parent balancing professional travel, navigating the postpartum aftershock, or just trying to survive the constant pull between career and home, this episode will hit close to home.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Welcome to Full Stack Moms

(00:57) Baby microphones and toddler karaoke concerts

(02:41) Unexpected déjà vu at a Boston hotel

(04:58) Rethinking networking with a wellness spa event

(06:57) The awkward reality of Presidents Club trips

(10:05) How to coordinate childcare for work travel

(12:19) The reality of repeat C-sections and difficult pregnancies

(14:39) Weeks of false labor before delivery

(17:15) The reality of recovering from a C-section

(18:35) What it's really like inside the operating room

(20:00) When boundaries conflict with having a village

(23:56) Kindle recommendations and reading fiction again

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

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

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

Suzanne Slaughter is rethinking how careers work for a generation of parents, caregivers, and high-performing professionals who want flexibility without stepping away from their skills.

She is the CEO and founder of Groundwork, a marketplace connecting experienced talent seeking part-time or fractional roles with early-stage startups that need high-quality operators without committing to full-time hires. What started as a simple idea shared on LinkedIn quickly turned into a rapidly growing network of thousands of candidates and companies looking for a better way to work.

In this episode, Suzanne shares how becoming a mother led her to question traditional career paths, why “career breaks” are often misread by employers, and how AI is accelerating both the need for and acceptance of flexible work. She also breaks down how Groundwork is building a new hiring model by surfacing off-market talent and helping startups confidently hire part-time professionals who are just as capable as full-time operators.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Suzanne Slaughter

(01:16) Why Suzanne built Groundwork

(04:25) Why startups embrace fractional talent

(06:27) Fixing fractional work's branding problem

(09:08) How Groundwork matches talent and startups

(15:56) Building a two-sided marketplace

(17:59) Word-of-mouth drives Groundwork's growth

(21:11) Career seasons in the AI era

(25:11) Save of the week: Summer bucket lists and parenting saves

(29:43) Groundwork's mission for working parents

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

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

Connect with Suzanne Slaughter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-slaughter-3aa15557/

Check out Groundwork Careers: https://www.groundwork.careers/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

What happens when twin motherhood, career ambition, and entrepreneurship collide?

Melissa Chandler, communications leader and founder of her own consultancy, shares her journey raising twin boys while launching a business after nearly two decades in tech. She opens up about becoming a mother later in life, balancing work and family, and creating a parenting partnership without a default parent.

In this conversation, Melissa shares insights on mom guilt, childcare decisions, raising twins, advocating for a child with additional needs, and navigating the special education system. She also reflects on the lessons motherhood has taught her about resilience, leadership, and embracing uncertainty.

If you're a working parent navigating career changes, entrepreneurship, or the constant pull between ambition and family, this episode will hit close to home.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Melissa Chandler

(04:42) Finding out she was having twins

(09:28) On having twins naturally

(13:19) Why Melissa waited until 36 to become a mom

(18:39) When grandma moved in to help

(20:38) The day an au pair was called mom

(21:50) What it’s like parenting a child on the spectrum

(22:54) How early intervention changed her son's future

(24:27) Why special education radicalized Melissa

(26:53) Becoming a resource for other parents

(28:27) From survival mode to thriving at five

(31:58) Save of the week: Melissa's dance recital parenting lesson

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

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

Connect with Melissa Chandler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mnazar/

Check out MNC Consulting: https://mncconsulting.co/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

Rebecca Grimes has spent her career taking on hard things.

As Chief Revenue Officer at SheerID, she leads sales, customer success, marketing, and revenue operations. At home, she and her husband are raising two kids, caring for aging parents, managing a multigenerational household, and somehow still finding time for fifth-grade field day.

In this episode, Rebecca shares the behind-the-scenes story of becoming a CRO, navigating IVF after cancer treatment, raising children later in life, and learning that having it all requires asking for help.

The conversation also takes an important turn into the motherhood penalty, pay equity, and what leaders can do to make workplaces better for the women coming behind them.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Rebecca Grimes
(03:15) What a modern Chief Revenue Officer actually owns

(08:29) Moving from marketing into revenue leadership

(10:29) The mistake marketers make about sales

(11:27) Cancer, IVF, and becoming a mom later in life

(15:41) The guilt of returning to work after six weeks

(18:02) You can't do it all without a village

(26:14) The shocking truth about the motherhood penalty

(30:03) How Rebecca eliminated pay gaps on her team

(33:08) Why women need to ask for the raise

(36:25) The hidden compensation gap beyond salary

(40:12) How fair compensation builds long-term loyalty

(42:57) Why great leaders don't hire only their friends

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

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

Connect with Rebecca Grimes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalgrimes/

Check out SheerID: https://www.sheerid.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com

What happens when a high-growth startup marketer decides to step away from a dream job and build a life that's more aligned with her values as a mother and entrepreneur?

In this episode of Full Stack Moms, Shannon Curran and Mallory Lee sit down with Cat Canada, former Director of Marketing at Bobbie and founder of Re:Brand, a thriving networking community for women. Cat shares her journey from helping scale one of the fastest-growing brands in the mom-and-baby space to launching her own consulting business and community-driven platform.

The conversation explores the realities of balancing ambitious careers with motherhood, navigating burnout, building meaningful professional relationships, and embracing the evolving seasons of work and family life. Cat also offers a fascinating look at emerging trends in the parenting market, including the rise of Gen Z parents and the growing number of first-time moms in their forties.

Whether you're building a business, raising a family, or redefining success on your own terms, this episode is packed with insights, humor, and encouragement.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Cat Canada

(02:24) Leaving startup life to build a consulting business

(04:34) What it was like helping scale Bobbie as a mom-first brand

(07:08) Burnout, motherhood, and deciding it was time for a change

(09:27) Careers have seasons, and why that's okay

(11:45) Launching Re:Brand eight days after leaving Bobbie

(13:18) Why modern motherhood doesn't have to be binary

(15:16) Holding onto both career and parent identities

(17:18) COVID parenting, daycare, and finding your village

(19:17) How parenting changes as kids get older

(21:36) The connection between motherhood seasons and career seasons

(23:48) Daycare teachers and the people who help raise our kids

(25:25) The story behind Re:Brand and building meaningful networks

(30:36) Consulting in the mom, baby, and women's health space

(32:52) Brand advocacy, social impact, and purpose-driven marketing

(34:53) The business of motherhood and the brands serving parents

(35:33) Gen Z parents, older moms, and the future of the mom market

(38:38) Why TikTok drives culture and modern marketing

(42:37) Save of the Week: IT heroes, friendship, and much-needed parent breaks

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

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

Connect with Cat Canada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catcanada/

Check out Re:Brand: https://www.rebrandcollective.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com