Maternity Paternity Leave

Welcome to The Gainsight Gamechanger Podcast, a space where we recognize and celebrate people who change the game of customer success and product experience for their companies, customers, teammates, and partners.

Having kids is certainly one of the most exciting and significant experiences of our lives, but in a world where “hard work” is praised, maternity and paternity leave policies and opportunities are not the same for everyone. In today’s episode, our host, Adam Joseph, sits down with a panel of experienced guests to bring attention to this topic.

Today’s episode guests are Aude Makk-Eberlin VP Customer Success for Emerging Accounts at Brandwatch, Violaine Yziquel, former Director & EMEA Customer Success Manager at Box, and Tom Collyer, Customer Success Director at Keystone Academic Solutions.

With a baby on the way (if it’s not here by now), there are a lot of things that parents need to take care of already, so now add their own careers in the mix. How do parents even manage the pressure of parenting while still delivering in their vocations? It may sound overwhelming, but it is possible, especially when they are given the support they need. In today’s episode, our host and guests share their experiences and tips to better navigate the arrival of a new member of the family from a professional perspective. From the preparation of an extended leave, to the reincorporation into their workplace, this episode contains crucial information not only for expecting new parents, but also for companies to better support their employees during one of the important events of their collaborators’ lives.

Jump straight into:

(01:29) - A brief introduction of our panel’s maternity and paternity leave experiences, and their musical legacy for their children.

(07:17) - Anticipation is key: how to carefully prepare for an extended leave - “I started planning probably 2 months before my last day. Try to plan as early as possible.”

(13:47) - Should parents let go of the business side of their lives to focus on their newborns? - “The first four months I only scanned through my emails, doing some clean up and keeping some unread, but I was focusing on my child first.”

(17:12) - On managing the pressure and mental health struggles of coming back to work - “It’s not about a loss of confidence, but about if you’re physically and mentally ready to go back.”

(20:19) - The importance of creating truly supportive environments for new parents - “Everytime I had a call it started with ‘So, how is your son?’. They were all about being caring and having an honest conversation with me.”

(23:02) - Life shouldn’t be a juggle: how to find balance between work and parenting - “It is pretty hard to find a balance, but I always try and prioritize family first.”

Resources

Connect with Aude via LinkedIn

Connect with Violaine via LinkedIn

Connect with Tom via LinkedIn

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit