Elaine Toh: On how a family-first work culture and supportive co-parent empowers her to own her narrative as a first time mom

Today’s guest Elaine is an old friend from university that I reconnected with because she became a mom around the same time that I did. I was particularly curious about her stories of transition to parenthood while pursuing her career in communications and PR at a global tech company. What struck me the most about our conversation was seeing how having a progressive employer, a supportive co-parent in her husband Pierce, and a close-knit village of family and friends enabled her to continuously find her footing, come into her own calm, and grow into advocating for herself. 

If the workplace could play such a pivotal role during a time of change and uncertainty for its employees, how can we as a society take our learnings from this and encourage more family-first organizations?

In this episode, we talk about:

• How a family-friendly culture fosters a safe space for employees to practise empathy and care for each other
• Being inspired by how her global coworkers in other cultures parent
• Making sense of her new role as a parent, and learning to advocate for herself at work
• Understanding her shifts in priorities and drawing boundaries for herself
• Why moms may tend to experience more guilt returning to work versus dads
• Acknowledging and embracing the good and the bad that comes with each season
• How having a supportive co-parent makes the parenting journey more enjoyable and exciting
• How developing a foundation of values helps in navigating new roles and challenging situations
• Celebrating the small wins and defining her own metrics of success

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Working Moms Asia is produced and led by Natalie Goh. To contact us, email hello@thebravemediacompany.com
 
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