Alli Tunell spent years working toward becoming a CMO. Then motherhood changed what the right career looked like.

She is Head of Content at Animalz, former host of the Shifting Priorities podcast, and mom of two. After the transition to motherhood rocked her expectations, she began rethinking the career path she had planned since her early twenties. Her search for the right fit included managing a team during the tech downturn, hiding that she was a mom during an interview, and joining a company where 70-hour workweeks were the norm.

Alli shares why accepting that careers happen in seasons gave her permission to choose work that supported her family without seeing it as a loss of ambition. She also explains why flexibility is only part of the equation, how a company’s values shape the employee experience, and why working parents should not have to apologize for how they manage their time.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Alli Tunell

(04:30) Career ambitions before motherhood

(06:55) When motherhood changed the plan

(08:17) Hiding motherhood in a 70-hour workplace

(10:55) Accepting careers happen in seasons

(15:57) How to choose work that fits your season

(19:22) Growing at home instead of work

(22:38) Why the same parenting works differently

(27:41) Every postpartum experience is different

(34:45) Stop judging how moms prioritize

(38:15) Stop apologizing for parenting at work

(46:38) Using Brick to unplug together

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

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

Connect with Alli Tunell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alli-tunell/

Check out Animalz: https://www.animalz.co/

Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius

www.shareyourgenius.com