The Emotional Labor Podcast - Mary Beth Ferrante
Release Date: 12/14/2024
The Emotional Labor Podcast - Mary Beth Ferrante
The Emotional Labor Podcast
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...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Sarah McKay
The Emotional Labor Podcast
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...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Patricia De Fonte
The Emotional Labor Podcast
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...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Dr. Loleen Berdahl and Dr. Christie Schultz
The Emotional Labor Podcast
Dr. Loleen Berdahl and Dr. Christie Schultz Since its inception, the Emotional Labor podcast has delved deep into the mental load of emotional labor as it exists within the home. Our guests have included authors and researchers whose work intersects with the many invisible layers of emotional labor at home. In this episode, we are thrilled to discuss a fascinating series of articles published on Canada’s University Affairs website, authored by Loleen Berdahl and Christie Schultz. Loleen Berdahl is an award-winning university instructor, the executive director of the Johnson Shoyama...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Dr. Susan Landers
The Emotional Labor Podcast
Dr. Susan Landers retired from her work as a neonatologist – a career that spanned 34 years. But alas, although “retired” Dr. Susan found, “I just could not sit still.” Sharing compelling stories from her medical practice with her book club members, as she shouldered the heavy load of raising a family, her cohort encouraged her Susan to write about her experiences. As such, Susan went from birthing babies to birthing a book, and in 2021, was born. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Susan – smart, thoughtful, and reflective, she shared the...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - David Smith
The Emotional Labor Podcast
David Smith is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. Carey Business School. I came across his name when I read a review for his second book, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020). What I find remarkable and special about David, was learning about his “why.” When I asked how he came to understand the need for gender equity in the paid workplace, Dr. David told me the story about his, and his wife’s 1987 graduation from the Naval Academy – both leaving the institution...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Ingrid Jansen
The Emotional Labor Podcast
Ingrid Jansen is a friend, colleague, and gifted entrepreneur based in London. Ingrid co-founded, with her pal Lesley Spellman, The De-Clutter Hub, an online membership platform for cluttered folks needing the support to make their way from chaos to clarity. The two women host a podcast with 1.5 million downloads, and they host a FaceBook group with 18 thousand members. It goes without saying these women are a force of nature. And so, it was my great good future to catch up with Ingrid. We talked about her client base, “95% women!” and their biggest pain point, “Overwhelm!” and...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Gifty Enright
The Emotional Labor Podcast
Back when she was starting her family, Gifty Enright wished she had in her tool-kit, the language of Emotional Labor. Granted, she may have avoided a lot of grief and despair, but then again, we would have never known her gift for putting to words the feelings she had when she Just. Burned. Out., and as described in her book, . Gifty has spent a good chuck of her professional life in accounting and IT – working hard to be successful as her male counterparts without at first recognizing that her male counterparts were actually doing only half the work,...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Joanna Schroeder
The Emotional Labor Podcast
Joanna Schroeder is a force. She’s at the forefront of the spreading the word about raising non-sexist, non-racist sons, and so I can’t wait to read her latest book, Talk to Your Boys: 27 Crucial Conversations to Have With Your Tweens and Teen Sons due early 2025. Joanna is also a writer, editor and feminist media critic. She was raised by a feminist and knows well the phrase, ‘We can do it all,’ to which Joanna responds, ‘But we shouldn’t have to.” She gave me a new way of thinking about the parent who ‘does it all’ – more as the ‘default parent’ –...
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The Emotional Labor Podcast - Sara Madera
The Emotional Labor Podcast
It’s not often I read an article with the words “gender equity” embedded in the title. I had not finished reading Sara Madera’s article, when I started my email to Sara inviting her to the Emotional Labor podcast. And I’m so glad that I did. Aside from being an insightful writer, Sara Madera brings her understanding of gender equity at home as a career coach for working moms. Sara comes to her knowledge of household equity through experience – living with her spouse and children and having what sounds like substantive...
info_outlineI 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/