The past 2-plus years have seen working mothers take on at least three full-time jobs at once: parent, educator and their role at work. To call this a challenge is an understatement; nevertheless, mothers have grown increasingly resilient with their problem-solving in and outside of the office, finding victories in the boardroom as often as around the kitchen table.
Each year, She Runs It honors working mothers who have served as strong role models at work, at home and within their communities. There is much to learn from this inspiring group of women.
Read on and help celebrate them by joining the virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 24 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Laurel Rossi
CMO, true[X]
Rossi is an award-winning marketer who is also devoted to Creative Spirit, an organization she co-founded that advocates for economic security for people with disabilities.
Always learning: Everyone has a need for acknowledgement, for going slower and for being heard. This year has been enlightening as young managers on my team are often looking for a sense of connection, especially in a digital work environment. This dynamic is the same for parents. Children want to be heard and seen.
Parenting win: My biggest parenting win from last year was to help my daughter succeed in her first year of college. From an early age, everyone told us that the odds were against Mia graduating with a typical high school diploma and going on to college. In fact, it’s very uncommon among kids with Williams syndrome. Today, I’m proud to say that she has completed a full semester of college with great grades.
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Stephanie Lawrence
Head of Advertising Agency Development, Nextdoor
With over 20 years of ad agency experience at Publicis and WPP, Lawrence leads a team responsible for demonstrating the long-term value of the social networking service for neighborhoods to agencies and brands.
Finding balance: One positive that came out of Covid was “dinner time.” We always eat dinner as a family now. No devices. No TV. The only thing allowed is dinner music and conversation. To that end, we are also eating at a decent hour. That quality time allows me to feel less guilty should I need to answer emails later on in the evening.
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: My guess is that people think you might work less but you actually never turn it off. We are living at work, not working from home.
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Allison McEntee
Senior Director, Advertising Sales, BDG
Not only is McEntee a top revenue producer at BDG, but she’s also the founder of the Kenilworth Cookbook Club, promoting camaraderie and connection within the community.
Parenting win: We had so many wins with our kids! Potty training, learning how to ride a bike, learning how to read, but the best one was welcoming our fourth baby, Conor, in April.
Sanity saver: Our calendar. I layer in my work, my personal life, my husband’s and kids’ schedules all into one comprehensive calendar. If it’s not in the calendar, it doesn’t exist. We review the upcoming week on Fridays and map out any needs or revisions ahead of time. Organization is key for our family.
It’s all work: I’d just like to say all moms work, just some of us get paid monetarily, and some of us don’t. We’re all rock stars.
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Amy Leung
SVP, Head of Digital Marketing Strategy, TD Bank
Leung is responsible for digital strategy and execution, spearheads the creation of connected customer experiences and is the co-chair of TD’s Visible Minorities Program.
Parenting win: Teaching my 4-year-old how to read. Because I was working from home and she was virtual learning, instead of spending my mornings commuting to work I would spend time with her reading in the morning. By the time we were six months in, she started reading herself. My favorite time now is when I finish work and see all three girls sitting around the couch reading—and often to each other!
Practicing self-care: After all three kids are asleep I like to curl up on my couch with a blanket, a glass of wine or cup of hot apple cider and a good book. It may sound simple to others, but to me, this is bliss.
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Janet Caputo Karp
SVP, Group Account Director, Moxie/MRY
Karp oversees the strategy and account practices, helping the agency’s clients rethink their brands with consumers and culture at the center.
Always learning: Navigating working parent life during the pandemic has been an exercise in letting go: of expectations, of control, of guilt (still working on that one!).
Parenting win: Teaching my daughter to recognize and verbalize struggles, in herself and others, instead of just melting down (which does still happen, she’s 2). Hearing her say “Mommy’s having a hard time” when I get stuck on her coat zipper both makes me laugh and feel proud that she’s learning that challenges are part of life.
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: Any embarrassment or shame when aspects of parenting spill over into work. We’re keeping it together not just for ourselves, but for our teams and our families, too. It’s messy, but it’s real and that should be applauded.
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Lisa Bull
VP, Integrated Marketing Velocity, ViacomCBS
When not developing custom marketing programs for clients, Bull spends time working with organizations that support women, rising young executives and the AAPI community.
Always learning: As someone who is more comfortable in predictable scenarios, I learned to be incredibly flexible and nimble. The need to be more flexible is so important to being able to move a team and family forward during these times. Things are not going to go as planned and there needs to be some nimbleness to adjust along the way.
Support network: My husband is my biggest supporter, from jumping in with childcare responsibilities to being a sounding board with decisions at work, his partnership allows me to thrive professionally and personally. In addition, my fellow working moms are a real source of support, inspiration and strength to me.
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Rachel Conforti
SVP Marketing, LoopMe
Over the last two years, Conforti has played a critical role in LoopMe’s business momentum and furthering the advertising platform’s mission to create better consumer experiences.
Always learning: I can’t make my 5-year-old eat when he won’t and I can’t force my team/co-workers to do things that aren’t what they want to put effort towards. I embrace coaching and management training wherever I can, and I apply it both in my work and my home life.
Sanity saver: Having other working moms to lean on during this is honestly the best. I make it a point to connect either via text or call with other working moms throughout the week for a coffee, walk, cocktail or just conversation. Having a social outlet outside of family and work is so super critical to mental health and balance.
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Michelle Tang
CMO, Digitas
Known as a pioneer of digital transformation, Tang focuses on building the Digitas brand and reputation while delivering growth for the agency.
Finding balance: Balance is nearly impossible but finding ways to make it all work together has always been at the core of how I operate. Over the past year, it’s been easier without the business travel, so I commit to taking the kids to school in the morning and putting the toddler down for bedtime every night. Finding those specific moments has made a big difference because I know I have a connection point with the kids every day.
Sanity saver: Taking care of myself has to come first. During the pandemic, I got a Peloton bike and for the first time in my life, I’m carving out time—even just 20 minutes—every day just for me to re-center and focus. It’s been wonderful.
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Lena Petersen
Chief Brand Officer, MediaLink
Her integrated marketing expertise allows Petersen to advise a diverse group of clients as well as drive brand strategy.
Sanity saver: The ability to keep my sense of humor intact during some of the toughest times of my personal and professional life has been my saving grace.
Support network: My team of wise and wonderful female friends, who lift my spirits daily with their humor, advice (relationship, career and parenting), and willingness to lend a helping hand and sometimes a shoulder to cry on.
Practicing self-care: I like to do something every day that brings me a moment of joy. Dog snuggles during the day. A great cappuccino. A 15-second hug when my daughter comes home. Just learning to appreciate the many, small moments that comprise a day that we too often overlook has been a revelation.
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Elicia Azali
CMO, American Family Insurance
As the insurance company’s top marketer, Azali sets the marketing strategies for its portfolio of brands, representing $13 billion in sales.
Finding balance: I’ve recognized and honored that I only have one life … not a work life and a home/personal life. Integrating my work and personal appointments into one calendar and treating both as priorities (without guilt!) has been a game changer.
Practicing self-care: Any and everything that makes me feel my best. And pretty much anything with a glass of red wine and 90s R&B.
In it together: We are not all in the same boat. We are in the same storm. Some have yachts, some have canoes, some are drowning. Show kindness and give grace, no matter what.
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Kadian Langlais
CMO, Renfro Brands
Langlais has played a key role in the digital growth of the sock manufacturer, whose brand portfolio contains Fruit of the Loom, Hotsox and more.
Lead with grace: It’s important as leaders that we truly talk to our teams about mental health and work/life balance. We are all going through so much. Let’s all lead with empathy and grace in all aspects of our life.
Practicing self-care: Working out is self-care for me. For one hour of the day, my time is dedicated to me and my health. It’s really been a beautiful journey.
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: I’ve heard a lot of people make side remarks that most parents working from home are actually parenting instead of working. I will say, it’s absolutely false. In fact, the working continues when the kids are sleeping.
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Allison Silver
VP, Global Brand Advertising, American Express
With a focus on consumers and small businesses, Silver helps develop campaigns that create brand love and demand among prospects globally.
Support network: I find the most important thing is to surround yourself, both at home and at work, with people who truly support each other. The past two years I have a heightened appreciation for my Amex colleagues. I appreciate having a purpose and a team that relies on me, and that I know I can rely on. We have built such a strong camaraderie—we support each other, and importantly, make each other laugh every day.
Growing together: The past two years have really been a circus. That said, I also see a ton of silver linings. I feel even more connected to my kids, and particularly my daughter, than ever before. And those are the things I don’t want to lose when we move into whatever the next phase of “normal” looks like.
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Neena Koyen
Global Chief Communications Officer, UM
Responsible for driving agency thought leadership, brand awareness and employee engagement, Koyen has 20 years of corporate communications experience and a passion for community building.
Finding balance: In the first year of the pandemic, we were scared to leave our homes and our work/life rhythms changed so dramatically. Last year, I made a resolution to get outside every day, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk. Fresh air is essential for mental health!
Support network: My boss and our global CMO, Lynn Lewis, is the most empathetic leader I’ve ever worked with. She connects on a human level, and I feel totally comfortable sharing my challenges with her because she always comes back to me with solutions and support. And my husband, Jeff, who makes it all happen. He does the shopping, cooking, chauffeuring the kids to school and activities—he is a fully realized Dad.
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Nancy Croston
SVP Ad Sales Strategy, Entertainment Brand Partnerships, Fox
Croston has led and managed some of the media company’s most innovative and recognizable ad partnerships, including multi-year deals with AT&T, Coke and Ford for American Idol.
Finding balance: I had to change my approach to maintain balance, and it’s still evolving. The workdays are longer now but it’s because I allow myself more personal time throughout the day for self-care and to be with my kids. My “happy hour” changed from after work dinners to 8 a.m. walks in Central Park with my girlfriends.
Always learning: Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Being vulnerable is a good thing and is necessary. I’ve leaned on my team a lot this past year and have delegated more than usual. And I now use the art of delegation at home a lot more, too.
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Laura Dames
EVP, Ad Sales Marketing, WarnerMedia
In her role, Dames oversees all news, entertainment, and portfolio marketing and brand innovation, including WarnerMedia’s branded content studios, Courageous Studios and House of Max.
Parenting win: My son graduating high school and going to college! Also, going to each of my daughter’s college volleyball games. The number of games she has left are limited and the pandemic taught us all to not take those moments for granted.
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: That it’s possible to ever feel like you have actual work/life balance. It is a constant challenge and just when you think you’ve got something figured out, things change again.
Gaining perspective: I strongly believe being a mom has made me a better leader and being a working executive has made me a better mom. Each role gives me important perspective that guides my effectiveness with the other.
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Karen Kovacs
EVP Client Partnerships, NBCUniversal
Pioneering a new era of partnership, Kovacs is a true advocate for NBCU’s brand partners and acts as a liaison between clients and new advertising initiatives.
Finding balance: I found year two of the pandemic to be more challenging to maintain a healthy work/life balance than in year one. In year one, I had more success “converting the commute” to include productive “me” time. In year two, commute time became more work time. I am working on establishing a daily routine that includes breaks, exercise and a “change of scenery” to re-capture that balance.
Parenting win: Our biggest parenting win has been regularly eating dinner together. For over 20 years I left the house by 7 a.m. and arrived home at 8 p.m. five days a week. That schedule is unfathomable now. The extra family time has become so important to us.
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Tiffany Guarnaccia
Founder and CEO, Kite Hill PR
Guarnaccia has grown her career from in-house positions at Limewire and eMusic to founding Kite Hill as well as Communications Week.
Always learning: Like many working moms, I learned the importance of self-care. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before taking care of others. It is surprising how hard this can be to put into practice. It requires a bit of discipline and setting aside some of the associated feelings of “mom guilt” and a reluctance to ask for help and take on too much.
Support network: I lean on many other working parents for advice and inspiration. I am surrounded by other working moms at various levels of my organization. My business coach is also a working single mom, and one of my mentors is a working dad.
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Geraldine White
Chief Diversity Officer, Publicis Groupe US
In her role, White works to elevate talent experiences, provide an inclusive environment and improve systems, policies and practices to create more equity for Publicis employees.
Always learning: Plan for the unexpected. Something unplanned is always going to come up. I am still very much a “planner”—having a plan is critical—but just as critical is your adaptability and understanding that your plan needs to be fluid.
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: That anyone has the answers for how to really navigate any of this. There is no magic one-size-fits-all solution. The ways you acknowledge your own needs and set healthy boundaries, spending time with your children in meaningful ways amidst the chaos and being creative about what that might look like—all of this is going to look different for everyone.
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Elizabeth Furze
CEO, AKA North America
As a founding partner of AKA NYC, Furze grew the business from a single-person consultancy to a full-service agency that has since expanded to the West Coast.
Finding balance: I have been forced to delineate work and home life to a greater degree than ever before. I try to be specific about when I am working—giving my whole self to the task at hand—and vice versa. It’s not easy to avoid blending the lines, but I try to keep some separation for the good of everyone.
Practicing self-care: It’s a long hot shower before bed. Acupuncture once a month. An occasional cup of tea in bed in the morning.
Strength in vulnerability: There is a vulnerability that comes with becoming a parent, particularly a parent of a medically complex child. Accepting that vulnerability as part of who you are makes you a more empathetic—and therefore more effective—leader.
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Miri Miller
Deputy General Counsel, dentsu
Miller is responsible for advising the company’s media service line, manages litigation and team development, and launched and co-chairs dentsu’s global pro bono program.
Parenting win: Getting toddlers to eat a variety of foods by leveraging marketing tactics, namely re-branding. For example, hot dogs are “bacon sticks,” rice is “jellybean pasta” and raspberries are “berry fingers” (eaten from our fingertips while singing the “Family Finger” song).
Sanity saver: It’s a triple tie: a door to my home office, a coffee pot and every streaming service available. The kids get more screen time than I would like, but at 2 they’ve learned to recite the ABCs and count to 20, so I let it go!
The pandemic parenting cliché she’d like to ditch: I have not found more time for self-care during saved commute time. I have found more time for head-down work and emails, laundry, meal prep and getting my kids out of PJs and dressed for the day.
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More From the Moms
“Every day I remind myself to focus on what gives me joy and make sure I savor more of those moments.” —Amy Leung, SVP, head of digital marketing strategy, TD Bank
“I don’t think any of us thought we’d be so closed off from the outside world for so long—you have to find happiness in whatever moments you can.” —Stephanie Lawrence, head of advertising agency development, Nextdoor
“My solace is that my kid is hilarious and I’ve been able to be present for much more of her young life than I think I would have pre-pandemic.” —Janet Caputo Karp, SVP, group account director, Moxie/MRY
“I’ve learned that being present for every meeting or encounter is a must and that each encounter is an opportunity to satisfy the need to inspire.” —Laurel Rossi, CMO, true[X]
“Outside of my team, I have a very close-knit network of friends that I can always rely on. It has been said that you can’t pour from an empty cup—and being able to consistently turn to them has been a saving grace.” —Geraldine White, chief diversity officer, Publicis Groupe US
“As a working mother for 24 years, I am incredibly grateful for the increased time our family has spent together.” —Karen Kovacs, EVP client partnerships, NBCUniversal
