In this episode of Motherhood Unveiled, host Ashley speaks with Allison Venditti, founder of Moms at Work. Allison shares her journey as a mother of three children with medical complexities, her HR background, and how personal experiences shaped her advocacy for working parents. She discusses navigating parental leave, workplace accommodations, and self-advocacy, while highlighting policy changes Moms at Work helped achieve in Canada. Allison also reflects on societal pressures placed on mothers, the importance of trusting your instincts, and how motherhood continuously evolves. She encourages moms to celebrate their efforts and embrace growth at every stage of life.

Meet Allison

After becoming a mother and surviving a life-altering brain injury, Allison decided to leverage her expertise as a corporate recruiter for industries ranging from healthcare to banking, to start a career coaching business to help women, and especially mothers, build meaningful careers and develop leadership skills to become changemakers in their organizations. She has since grown Moms at Work to Canada’s largest professional network for working mothers providing resources, community and support to over 22,000 women! Allison is passionate about breaking down the barriers to women succeeding in their careers and motherhood and is a sought-after speaker and regular commentator for national news outlets on return-to-work, pay transparency and working parenthood.
When not working, Allison can be found sitting on her front porch in her favourite Star Wars tee-shirt planning her next advocacy initiative or biking around Toronto with her three boys – yes, even in wintertime.

Time Stamps

Introduction to Motherhood Unveiled (00:00:04)

Episode and Guest Introduction (00:00:32)

Allison's Introduction (00:01:30)

The Moms at Work Community (00:02:25)

Allison's Motherhood Story Begins (00:04:10)

Navigating Motherhood and Medical Complexities (00:06:01)

HR, Parental Leave, and Self-Advocacy (00:07:56)

The Problem with ”Flexibility” (00:12:47)

The Power of Advocacy (00:14:54)

The Compression of Life's Major Events (00:17:49)

Ignoring Unhelpful ”Hustle Culture” Advice (00:20:36)

Expectations vs. Reality of Motherhood (00:22:47)

The Conviction to Live Authentically (00:24:15)

Policy Change and Advocacy Achievements (00:26:38)

The Importance of Acknowledgment (00:29:56)

The Role of a Supportive Partner (00:33:25)

Trusting Your Gut (00:34:16)

The Myth of ”It Gets Easier” (00:38:24)

Becoming Your Parents (00:39:34)

Links & Mentions

1. Moms at Work
   1. Moms at Work: Your Return to Work Handbook
2. Connect with Allison on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thisismomsatwork/ Or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonvenditti/

Work with Ashley

Connect with Ashley on IG (@ashleybcoach) or LinkedIn

www.ashleybeatty.ca

Cover Art: Abigail Murphy Photography