Girls Night #314: I Want Both a Career and Kids — But Everyone Says I Have to Choose

All season long, we’ve been talking about what I call The Everything Era—that season when you have to make so many of the biggest, most consequential decisions of your life all at once. It’s full of possibility, but it’s also full of pressure—especially when some of those decisions don’t seem to fit together very well.

And one of the trickiest examples of that is the tension between career and motherhood. What happens when the rhythm that used to work suddenly doesn’t anymore? When the version of success you used to chase doesn’t quite fit the life you have now? Or when your family needs you in one way, but your career seems to demand something entirely different?

My guest today is Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids—and Come Back Stronger Than Ever.

Through her work, Neha is helping women rethink what it means to take a pause in their careers after having kids—showing that stepping back doesn’t mean stepping away from your ambition. She’s helping us reimagine this in-between space as a powerful, intentional season of reflection and realignment—a chance to build a life and career that actually work together, not against each other.

Whether you’re already a mom, planning for motherhood, or just thinking about what your next chapter might hold, this conversation will give you permission to press pause—not out of fear or failure, but as a power move.

Alright friends, let’s dive in. Here’s my conversation with Neha Ruch.

Mentioned in this episode:

💛 The Power Pause

💛 Love Your Single Life [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/singlelife]

💛 Just Married [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried]

💛 Becoming Mama [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama]

🛒 Stephanie’s Journals & Guides [https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/]

Stay connected:

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/]

📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch]

🌐 Website [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/]

💌 Join the Girls Night Community [https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email]

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