I was introduced to Mary Beth Ferrante through a colleague in the professional organizing industry, and I’m so glad to have had this conversation with her. Mary Beth is the founder of Wrk360, a mom of two, a daughter of aging parents, and an entrepreneur with a deep passion for reimagining the workplace. She’s an expert on the intersection of unpaid care work and paid work—the kind of work that shows up in your job description—and she has a lot to say about why this matters.

During our conversation, Mary Beth shared a jaw-dropping statistic: caregiving contributes $1.9 trillion to the GDP, but its value remains largely invisible. Why? Because caregiving work itself is so often invisible. And this lack of recognition ripples out into the workplace, especially for women.

Mary Beth laid out the stark realities: 79% of new moms are less likely to be hired, and 50% are less likely to be promoted. These numbers are depressing, but they highlight the urgent need for change. What I love about Mary Beth’s work is that she’s not just pointing out the problems—she’s actively designing solutions.

One idea we discussed is the concept of a re-onboarding program for employees returning from maternity leave. Think about it: when a woman comes back to work after having a baby, she’s stepping into the workplace with a whole new identity. She’s not just an employee anymore; she’s now a working mom. And while, yes, every mom is a working mom—whether paid or unpaid—the workplace rarely acknowledges this profound transition.

Imagine a workplace where her return is supported with a thoughtfully co-created transition plan. It’s a plan that acknowledges how much her life has changed while also ensuring that her team is ready to support her success. This kind of approach not only helps her stay engaged on the job but also increases the likelihood she’ll stay with the company.

Mary Beth’s vision for the future of work is one where emotional labor, caregiving, and workplace equity aren’t afterthoughts but central to how we design policies and cultures. Our conversation was inspiring, eye-opening, and filled with practical takeaways for anyone looking to support caregivers—at work and beyond. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Here is a link to download a quick quiz on the mental load:
Rebalance the Mental Load to Reduce Overwhelm - Are YOU Ready?

Mary Beth's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbferrante/

I learned about the good work of Dr. Sarah McKay from her Linked In post on cognitive labor and the household/women’s work. Since I tend to focus on the brain’s Executive Functions to help us understand what it actually takes to do the work of household management, I couldn’t resist an opportunity to connect with Dr. McKay.

Sara McKay is an Oxford University-educated neuroscientist, author, speaker and director of Think Brain's suite of online professional training programs in brain health and applied neuroscience. In our illuminating discussion, Dr. McKay found herself on the cutting edge of research on the gender gap around women’s health. Young female scientists become older female scientists and these Gen X researchers are leading research labs, and incorporating “sex” as a biological variable, and Sarah McKay is in the thick of discussing women’s brain health.

One of my big take-aways from our conversation was around the nature/nurture narrative. Women operate on two levels: biological/hormonal and gender experience. As pregnancy shapes and sculpts the gender experience, so too does whether or not you live in an egalitarian family, environment, or country. Research shows that when women live in countries where equality is a given [Scandinavia, for example], women’s brain health is on par with their male counterparts. In more unequal countries [e.g.,Afghanistan], women’s brain health is compromised.

Dr. McKay also talked about her personal journey in marriage and motherhood. With a kind and understand spouse, the language of “how can we make this work?” became a staple in their relationship.

Dr. Sarah McKay is the author of two books: Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better) and The Women’s Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health Hormones and Happiness. And you can learn more about her good work here: https://drsarahmckay.com/.

It is not often that I meet someone, living a very full personal and professional life, and who has figured out how to spread around the weight of emotional labor. But after speaking with my guest, Patricia De Fonte, I walked away from that conversation thinking that, wow, here’s a role model for delegating, dialoguing, and anticipating what’s coming up.

Patricia De Fonte is the brains and heart behind De Fonte Law PC, where "Estate Planning With Heart®" isn’t just a tagline—it’s the ethos of the practice. Listen in on our conversation and you’ll hear how Patricia practices the principles of work and home equality in all of her affairs. My favorite example … many years ago Patricia read an article on the work of the household, prompting a new narrative in her in own home. Rather than asking her sons and husband to “help” her with the chores, she reframed and said that the “house needs help.” To function properly, the house needs help to the laundry done, toilets scrubbed, etc. So ‘help the house’ is now my rally cry to GSD!! {get stuff/sh*t done!}

At her law firm she institutes planned time off from clients, shortened work days, and scheduling boundaries. With an LL.M in Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Administration and a JD from Golden Gate University, plus a BA in Communication from Santa Clara University, Patricia’s academic credentials are just the beginning.

Eight years ago, she set out to create a law firm where happiness is a priority—for her, her team, and most importantly, her clients. And it’s working! Patricia has not only contributed a chapter to a Wealth Counsel book, but she’s also been named a Super Lawyer multiple times and even snagged the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics. When Patricia’s involved, you know you’re in good hands!

patricia@defontelaw.com
www.defontelaw.com
415-735-6959