Back-to-school season isn't just a transition for kids. It's a major adjustment for working parents, too. Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin share practical ways to make the shift easier, from treating the first month as an adjustment period and planning ahead for school closures to revisiting household responsibilities, communicating needs at work, and building relationships within the school community. They also explore the importance of boundaries, flexibility, and giving yourself permission to approach the new school year as an experiment.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

Family travel isn't always relaxing, especially when your kids are little. In this episode, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin reflect on nearly 15 years of traveling with their children, from diaper bags, long road trips, and airport meltdowns to confident teenagers navigating Paris on their own. They share practical lessons about giving kids ownership, embracing flexibility, balancing work and travel, and why every challenging trip helped build the independence and confidence they see in their children today.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

What if the problem isn't that you don't have enough time, but that you're thinking about time the wrong way? In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin sit down with bestselling author and time management expert Laura Vanderkam to discuss her latest book, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance. Laura shares practical strategies for overcoming time scarcity, embracing life's complexity, making the most of your "golden hours," and creating a mindset of possibility. The conversation offers working parents a refreshing perspective on balancing career ambitions, family life, and personal fulfillment.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

Connect with Laura on her website

In this episode of Parents at Work, hosts Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin welcome Julie Talbot, CEO of Lansinoh Laboratories. Julie shares her personal journey through IVF, becoming a first-time mom during the pandemic, and leading a global brand dedicated to supporting families. She discusses the importance of empathy, flexibility, parental leave, and creating workplaces where parents don't have to choose between career success and family life.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

Connect with Julie at Lansinoh

https://lansinoh.com/

What’s it really like to balance the demands of academia with the responsibilities of fatherhood? In this engaging episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin sit down with professors Eric Chitambar and Lee Pinkowitz to discuss parenting, tenure, flexibility, career growth, and the lessons they’ve learned raising children while pursuing academic excellence. Along the way, they share thoughtful insights, memorable stories, and even a few outstanding dad jokes.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-chitambar-50a4b5362/

Connect with Lee on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-pinkowitz-a1525413/

What does it really look like to build a career in academia while raising children? In this thoughtful and often hilarious episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin sit down with professors Elizabeth Grimm and Catherine Leimkuhler Grimes to talk about parenting, ambition, research, flexibility, ADHD, planning, self-compassion, and the evolving realities of working motherhood in higher education. From grant funding and tenure to strategic planning and family adventures, this conversation is packed with wisdom, honesty, and practical insights for working parents everywhere.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

Links mentioned:

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/academia/

https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/grad-college/graduate-college-pdfs/GraduateStudentParentalLeaveTrailGuide.pdf.

https://www.ncfdd.org/

Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin explore the realities of work travel as parents, from the emotional challenges of leaving young children to the logistics of preparing, managing time away, and reintegrating at home. They share personal stories, practical strategies, and mindset shifts that help working parents navigate travel with more confidence and less guilt.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

https://readysetlaunch.net/

In this powerful episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin sit down with Dr. Lucy De La Cruz, a breast surgeon whose care played a pivotal role in Lori’s cancer journey. They explore the intersection of medicine, motherhood, resilience, and early detection, while Dr. De La Cruz shares her remarkable story of perseverance, failure, and purpose. The conversation offers both practical guidance and deeply human insight into navigating work, parenting, and life’s hardest moments.

Connect with Lori at Mindful Return

Connect with Jason at Ready Set Launch

Connect with Dr. Lucy De La Cruz on LinkedIn