What happens when one of the most difficult experiences of your life changes not only who you are as a mother—but how you lead? In the Season 3 premiere of Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with Stephanie Roberson, Chief Merchandising Officer at Shopbop, mother of two, and Board Chair of Chamber of Mothers, for a candid conversation about motherhood, NICU trauma, ambition, leadership, and what it really takes to build a life that makes room for all of who we are. Stephanie's second pregnancy changed unexpectedly when her water broke at 24 weeks and her son was born at just 25 weeks and six days. She shares the grief, uncertainty, and even shame she experienced during a prolonged NICU stay, her eventual PTSD diagnosis, and the EMDR therapy that helped her heal. That experience also changed the way she saw the world around her. Inside the NICU, Stephanie witnessed parents unable to be with their babies because they lacked paid leave or childcare, and mothers fighting with insurance companies while navigating an already traumatic experience. It ultimately helped propel her toward advocacy with Chamber of Mothers and strengthened her commitment to leading differently in corporate America. In this conversation, we explore: • The emotional reality of an unexpected premature birth and prolonged NICU stay • PTSD after the NICU—and why the experience doesn't necessarily end when your baby comes home • How motherhood changed Stephanie's ambition, boundaries, and approach to leadership • Why "future me has a vote" has become part of how she navigates work and family • Mom guilt, trade-offs, and letting go of the expectation that everything has to be perfect • What companies still get wrong about supporting working parents and caregivers • Why Stephanie believes taking care of your people is good for the people and the business • Finding the courage to speak up when you're the person in the room willing to say something • Why childcare is infrastructure—and why paid leave, maternal health, and family support affect all of us • How Stephanie turned her own experience into advocacy for other mothers and families Stephanie has spent more than a decade at Shopbop, rising through the organization to become Chief Merchandising Officer in 2021. Today, she leads the company's merchandising strategy, buying operations, fashion office, and private label development. Prior to Shopbop, she held roles at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Holt Renfrew. But this conversation goes beyond career success. It's about what happens when motherhood changes the way we define success in the first place—and whether ambition, caregiving, leadership, and a meaningful personal life really have to exist in competition with one another. As Stephanie puts it, the goal isn't perfection. It's learning how to make intentional trade-offs and build a life where, overwhelmingly, you can feel like you're getting it right. 🎙️ Season 3 of Golden Hour starts here. #WorkingMothers #Leadership #NICU #MaternalMentalHealth #WomenInLeadership #Motherhood #WorkingMoms #MaternalHealth Thank you for listening ❤ PODCAST LINKS: - Podcast Website: https://goldenhour.fm - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs - Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs - Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs - RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs SOCIAL LINKS: - Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs - Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
