My biggest achievement this year was being fully offline for four months to care for a newborn baby, and returning to the company as a new person -- a working mother. I've had to redefine the way I work which has presented new challenges in the form of setting boundaries, delegating effectively, and much more.
Parenthood provides a new perspective and it's helped me kick my imposter syndrome to the curb. I have overcome the feelings of inadequacy that used to thrive in my body as a first-time founder that is also female, that is also a minority. In particular, board meetings no longer give me crippling anxiety. To me, I used to stick out like a sore thumb and didn't feel like I belonged in the room. I felt a lot of self-pressure to 'do good' by my gender and race, and the result was always a feeling of deflation and depletion. I cut myself a break when I transitioned to parenthood - giving myself more grace, self-empathy, and self-acceptance. It took some time off (and a baby?), but I am grateful to finally embraced who I am (it's ok that I'm soft spoken and not verbose!) and recognize the immense value I bring to the table.
As our company grows, I pledge to break the bias in tech by elevating the women around me and continuing to build a diverse leadership team.
Latest comments (15)
exciting! congrats!
<3
That Forem merch is awesome!
Congrats Jess ! 😄🎉🎉✨
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Love how you keep it real Jess, as authentic and honest as ever.
Congrats!
Congrats on your life-changing new role as a mom :) I love that you mentioned parenthood helped made you stronger - imposter syndrome definitely has an influence on my views of parenthood (being unsure if I can be a good parent when the time comes), and hearing that becoming a mom empowers you really inspires me!
That is beautiful! You, the baby and the positive attitude. New motherhood is rough at best (I have 2 girls, I know). Having children changes you. I love the quote “hard times don’t build good character; they reveal it”. In your case it’s true. Bravo Jess!
From one new mama to another, this is inspiring! Thanks for sharing :)
Oh and those are adorable jackets in the cover photo. :)
You go mama!!
Congrats Jess ! 😄🎉🎉✨
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Jess! I feel ya as a fellow working mom -- I felt like I had to give myself more grace during this big transition too.
Congrats on your promotion to mom, Jess! ❤️
Thank you @missamarakay!!