In 2019, after more than 13 years in the design industry, I became a Mother in Design. In 2021, I expanded my squad and suddenly, I was learning how to mother two little fellas, nurture my marriage and grow my career…all in the middle of a global pandemic, with no clear picture of what the future would hold.
Now, seven years later (no pandemic) and I’m still learning how to navigate motherhood, marriage, and my career.
Before becoming a mother, I was fully in my workaholic era. I embraced it. My focus was my marriage and my career. You could find me at every industry event, often on the planning committee. Late nights polishing presentations and volunteering wherever I could…that was my norm.
Today, as a Mother in Design, I’m still doing all of that but now, my little fellas are along for the ride. This is the season of work-life integration, double-shift living and constant juggling.
This column comes from my lived experience. While I use the word “mother,” these reflections are for anyone raising children while building a career.
In an industry made up of 87% women (per Career Explorer, 2026), it’s not just important it’s necessary that we talk about and support working mothers. Not for sympathy, but for understanding of our reality.
What I Did Not Fully Understand Before Children:
- How much life can happen before 8:00 AM
- That paid maternity leave is not federally mandated in the U.S.
- That school calendars and workplace calendars rarely align
- That sickness doesn’t care about project deadlines
- That maternity leave is anything but a vacation
The pandemic pulled back the curtain. Our homes became our offices, and for the first time, colleagues and clients saw the real integration of parenting and work. It wasn’t curated or polished; it was real life happening in real time. And while that visibility created empathy in some spaces, it also highlighted just how unsustainable things had become for many working parents.
We saw a mass exodus of talented, experienced women stepping away from their careers not because they lacked passion or capability, but because the structure around them no longer worked.
For years, many mothers tried to avoid the “motherhood penalty” by operating under an impossible standard: Work like you don’t have children and raise children like you don’t work.
That was never realistic for me.
I love sharing my career with my sons. I love sharing their wins with my professional team. My life isn’t perfectly balanced, but it is fully integrated. And I’ve come to believe that integration, not balance, is what allows me to stay in this industry as a mother.
Questions That Still Remain:
How do we better retain mothers in the design industry?
Do organizations truly see the value of keeping mothers in the profession?
Because from what I’ve observed, we are losing more than headcount. We’re losing perspective, leadership, mentorship and years of institutional knowledge. When I speak with women who are leaving firms, the common thread is clear: they’re not walking away from design, they’re walking toward flexibility.
Flexibility in schedule. Flexibility in expectations. Flexibility in how and where work gets done.
And while not every mother leaves…I’m still here! Those of us who stay often do so because we’ve found support, mentorship and examples to follow. People who show us that there isn’t one way to build a career and that success can evolve with the seasons of our lives.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have those examples in my life; some you read about in my March column. Women who have shown me how to lead, design, parent and exist in all of those roles at once.
Lessons from the Mothers Who Came Before Me:
- Office pastries make the best surprise breakfast the next morning
- Lunch leftovers = dinner win (especially when steak is involved)
- Our design skills absolutely translate to the classroom…we are the Creation Station
- Be selective: a “yes” to one thing is a “no” to something else
- Parenting is a team sport
These aren’t just tips, they’re survival strategies, shared with a wink and a deep understanding of what this life actually looks like.
And when it gets hard and it does; I remind myself:
I can do hard things!
AND
You eat an elephant one bite at a time!
Some days feel seamless, where everything clicks into place. Other days feel like a constant negotiation of time, energy and priorities. Both are part of the journey.
It might sound controversial coming from a loving mom, but I’ll say it anyway:
I love working!
Loving my career does not mean I love my children any less. In fact, I feel like it makes me a better mother. My work challenges me, fulfills me and allows me to contribute to something bigger than myself. And I want Bo and Bryant to see that to understand that passion and purpose don’t disappear when you become a parent.
I want them to see a full life.
One where you show up for your family and your career. One where you evolve.
One where you keep going, even when it’s hard.
As I finish writing this, I’m watching my fellas shoot hoops…hearing their laughter and of course: “Hey Mom, watch this!”
And I always do.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers in Design.
Y’all are real-life superheroes!