Women and Work

Diane Moca, Founder/CEO of MomSub
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Careers

The workplace can feel very different for women than for men. Women often feel they have to prove themselves, that they’re evaluated by how they look, or that their opinions are not respected. They feel Mom Guilt for leaving their kids while they pursue a career and worry about taking a job that fuels their passion instead of their pocketbook. We examine these real life challenges of women who are climbing the corporate ladder, growing their own business, and navigating the complex juggle of work and family. We explore how women like you can make work fit your life, not the other way around. If you are an ambitious working mom who wants to share your story of success on a future episode of Women and Work, you can book your interview here: https://giospr8qzxuj.trickle.host/publicity.html

  1. 17h ago

    76: Breaking Free From Corporate: Building a Life By Design | Women and Work

    After 23 years in the corporate world, Mandy Smith realized she was ready for something different. Working in the male-dominated wine, beer and spirits industry taught her valuable lessons about leadership, resilience and hard work. But entrepreneurship showed her something corporate life couldn't: the possibility of creating a life on her own terms. Mandy shares what it was like to build a side hustle while still working in corporate, navigate the tension that came with pursuing something of her own, and ultimately walk away after receiving a severance opportunity in 2024. Today, she's a digital nomad, energy entrepreneur and co-founder of Cynrg, traveling the country while helping families access smarter energy solutions. Her journey is about more than changing careers — it's about creating a life she can say yes to. Topics they tackled: • Navigating a male-dominated corporate industry • Building a business while working full-time • The pressure that comes with having a side hustle • Knowing when it's time to leave corporate • Entrepreneurship and creating freedom • Becoming a digital nomad • Technology and the future of energy • Building residual income • Learning from missed opportunities • Finding your deeper purpose What would you change if you knew you could create a life completely on your own terms? To learn how you can get a free electric battery that stores energy for your home, provides power during outages and reduces the cost of electricity, check out https://mandysmith.lovable.app/. Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #Entrepreneurship #CareerChange #WomenInBusiness #Leadership Support the show

  2. 6d ago

    75: Hard Work Isn't a Career Strategy | Women and Work

    You can work incredibly hard, be loyal, and deliver results—and still realize that no one knows what you want next. Julie Gartell learned this lesson throughout her 20+ year career in talent acquisition. From advocating for herself as a working mother to navigating leadership challenges and eventually losing a job she loved, she discovered that hard work alone isn't a career strategy. Julie is the Founder of CareerPREP Solutions and a Talent Acquisition Executive with more than 20 years of experience. After helping hundreds of people get hired, she now helps professionals understand their value, tell their stories, and take ownership of their careers. In this episode, we discuss: • Why advocating for yourself is essential to career growth • The pressure women feel to hide their family responsibilities • Why leaving work on time doesn't mean you're less committed • What happens when you stop investing in your own career development • Why networking should happen even when you're employed • The difficult identity shift that can come with losing a job • How Julie turned an unexpected career transition into a new business • Why your resume alone isn't enough to get you hired • How to understand, communicate, and advocate for your value If you've ever felt stuck, overlooked, or unsure about what comes next in your career, this conversation is a reminder: your career belongs to you. What is one thing you need to advocate for more in your career? For info on how a personalized school curriculum, group seminar, or one-on-one coaching can help students and early-career professionals successfully navigate every stage of the job search – from crafting your story, resume, and LinkedIn profile to nailing your interviews, networking opportunities, and salary negotiations – go to www.careerprepsolutions.com Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #careerprepsolutions #CareerGrowth #WomenInLeadership #CareerDevelopment  Support the show

  3. Sep 1

    74: Stop Climbing the Career Ladder: Design Your Own Path | Women and Work

    For years, we’ve been taught to see success as climbing higher. But what if your career doesn't have to follow a straight line? Shruti Rustagi has built an international career across India, Dubai, and the United States while raising two children, working in corporate strategy, and growing her own leadership coaching business. As the Founder of Compounding Leadership, she helps others shift their mindset through coaching, workshops, and keynotes. In this conversation, Shruti shares why asking for what you want can change your career, why rejection shouldn't hold you back, and how she learned to build a life around what matters most instead of trying to do everything perfectly. We discuss: • Why you should ask for what you need • How to overcome the fear of rejection • Techniques for handling limiting beliefs • Why your career doesn't have to be a ladder • Building a business without immediately leaving corporate • Using small experiments to make big career decisions • The power of intentional productivity • How to identify what truly deserves your time • Why quality time can matter more than quantity • Building a village and learning to outsource Shruti's journey is a reminder that there is no single formula for success. You can pivot, experiment, change direction, and design a career around the life you want to live. What would change if you stopped following the traditional career path and started designing your own? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WomenInLeadership #CareerGrowth #WorkingMoms #Mindset Support the show

  4. Aug 25

    73: How to Build a Career That Fits Your Life | Women and Work

    What happens when you stop accepting the traditional rules of work and start designing a career around the life you actually want? Celeste Warren spent nearly three decades in corporate America, rising to executive leadership and serving as a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company. Along the way, she learned to advocate for herself, challenge inequity, and create opportunities for herself and others.  As a working mother, Celeste negotiated flexible work arrangements, built a family structure where her husband became the stay-at-home parent, and learned to protect her time so she could succeed at work while being present for her children.  Eventually, she left the corporate world to launch her own consulting business—a decision driven by her desire for autonomy, continued growth, and the freedom to chart her own path.  In this episode, we discuss: • Advocating for yourself when you're being overlooked  • Recognizing bias through data rather than assumptions  • Creating flexibility for working parents  • Navigating mom guilt and career ambition  • The power of employee resource groups  • Knowing when it's time to leave corporate and start your own business  • Building a career around the life you want  What would change in your career if you felt completely comfortable asking for what you need? If you want to explore how to transform corporate culture by tapping into three decades of experience in human resources and organizational development, go to www.CRWDiversity.com. Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #CareerGrowth #Leadership #WomenInBusiness Support the show

  5. Aug 18

    72: From Corporate Leadership to Building a Business That Matters

    When your career keeps evolving, sometimes the biggest challenge is figuring out what kind of work is truly worth building your life around. After years navigating male-dominated industries, leading large corporate teams, and adapting to completely different professional environments, Karen Ahrens eventually realized that being intellectually challenged wasn't enough. She wanted to create something she believed in—something that could become part of her legacy. Now, as co-founder and CEO of Wait4Me, a personal assistant app, Karen is building a business while navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, and the realities of starting over. In this episode, we talk about: • Navigating male-dominated workplaces • Building confidence and adapting to different environments • Why Karen left a successful corporate career • Becoming a founder and taking the leap into entrepreneurship • Motherhood, work, and finding flexibility • What she learned about delegation and buying back time • Why mentorship can change someone's career • Building work that feels meaningful What would you do differently if you had more confidence in your abilities earlier in your career? If you’re looking for help with errands, projects or even someone to stand in line for you, check out www.uwait4me.com. Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WomenInLeadership #Entrepreneurship #WorkingMoms #CareerGrowth Support the show

  6. Aug 11

    71: Building a Business Without Carrying the Whole Mental Load

    Mary Gunther spent years building her career before becoming a business owner—and motherhood changed what she wanted from work. After having children, Mary realized she needed more control over her time. That led her to build The Social G, a marketing agency designed around the life she wanted rather than a traditional 9-to-5 structure. Today, her husband is a stay-at-home dad and primary caregiver while Mary works full-time growing their business. But creating that arrangement required Mary to let go of something she didn't realize she was carrying: control. Her therapist helped her recognize that her husband wasn't going to parent or manage the household exactly the way she would. Learning to let him find his own way helped reduce her mental load and made their new family dynamic work. In this episode of Women and Work, Mary shares how she built a business around her family's needs, learned to delegate, navigated the transition to becoming the primary working parent, and discovered why letting go can sometimes be the key to doing more. What part of the mental load do you think women have the hardest time letting go of? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #Entrepreneurship #MentalLoad #WomenInBusiness Support the show

  7. Aug 4

    70: The Glass Ceiling Cost Her More Than a Promotion | Women and Work

    She spent years climbing the corporate ladder—earning promotions, leading teams, and sacrificing precious time with her family. But one honest conversation with her boss changed everything. She was told that no matter how hard she worked, she'd never be welcomed into the company's inner circle simply because she was a woman. That realization became the catalyst for building something of her own. In this episode of Women and Work, Diane Moca sits down with Jennifer Sutton, Founder of Bright Marketing, Orange Whip, and the Hello Chaos podcast, to discuss breaking through the glass ceiling, leaving corporate America, building businesses from the ground up, and advocating for women entrepreneurs. Topics discussed: • Breaking through the glass ceiling • The hidden cost of chasing the C-suite • Leaving corporate to start a business • Women in entrepreneurship and venture funding • Balancing ambition with family • Building businesses with purpose Have you ever realized the career you were chasing wasn't going to give you what you truly wanted? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WomenInBusiness #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #WorkingMoms Support the show

  8. Jul 28

    69: How Motherhood Made Her More Creative | Women and Work

    She spent years believing that becoming a mother could end the career she had worked so hard to build. In the music industry, she had already overcome sexual harassment, self-doubt, and the pressure to prove she belonged. But one honest conversation with another songwriter changed everything. In this episode of Women and Work, Tiff Randol—composer, producer, vocal artist, and co-founder of Mamas in Music—shares how motherhood transformed not only her career, but also her creativity, priorities, and purpose. She opens up about discovering she was neurodivergent later in life, building a nonprofit while raising a child, and creating the support system she wished had existed for mothers in the music industry. In this episode: • Why she once believed motherhood would end her career  • Navigating sexual harassment in the music industry  • Discovering she was neurodivergent as an adult  • Starting a nonprofit for mothers in music  • Balancing creativity, parenting, and entrepreneurship  • Why community matters for working mothers Has becoming a parent—or another major life change—ever made you better at your work? Learn more about the Mamas in Music nonprofit at https://www.mamasinmusic.org and check out Tiff’s music at https://www.tiffrandol.com/ or www.iamevemusic.com. Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #Motherhood #WomenInBusiness #MusicIndustry Support the show

See All (76)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The workplace can feel very different for women than for men. Women often feel they have to prove themselves, that they’re evaluated by how they look, or that their opinions are not respected. They feel Mom Guilt for leaving their kids while they pursue a career and worry about taking a job that fuels their passion instead of their pocketbook. We examine these real life challenges of women who are climbing the corporate ladder, growing their own business, and navigating the complex juggle of work and family. We explore how women like you can make work fit your life, not the other way around. If you are an ambitious working mom who wants to share your story of success on a future episode of Women and Work, you can book your interview here: https://giospr8qzxuj.trickle.host/publicity.html

Information

  • Creator
    Diane Moca, Founder/CEO of MomSub
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women and Work
  • Show Website
    Women and Work