She was fired while pregnant— twice. Now she's building the company she wished had existed when she needed it most.

Beth Wanner, founder of Mother Cover, spent 15 years building her career in tech marketing leadership before facing a challenge she never expected. After navigating infertility and IVF, she was laid off just two days after finding out she was pregnant. She landed another executive role, only to be fired after telling her new employer she needed to take maternity leave. That experience led her to build Mother Cover, a company helping businesses support employees through parental leave.

Beth talks about what it was like to lose her job while pregnant, why so many working moms feel their careers are at risk when starting a family, and how her experience with pregnancy discrimination inspired her to create something better. She also shares why generous parental leave policies mean little without the right support, how companies can protect employees' careers while they're away, and what it really takes to make returning to work after maternity leave easier.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Beth Wanner

(02:09) How she lost her job after IVF

(03:10) Facing pregnancy discrimination at work

(04:59) Turning her experience into Mother Cover

(09:00) What supportive parental leave looks like

(12:26) When a leave policy is just for show

(14:17) How to cover a senior role on leave

(17:31) Making maternity leave easier for everyone

(19:48) Returning to work after maternity leave

(22:53) Protecting your career while on leave

(26:47) Why dads need parental leave too

(40:39) Making parental leave work in practice

(43:00) Save 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/

Connect with Beth Wanner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethwanner/

Check out Mother Cover: https://www.mothercoveragency.com/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com