SPARK BLOG

"Finding a company culture that fits my parenthood isn't a nice to have, it's table stakes." Senior UX Team Lead Earlier this year, I started to piece together the talent tsunami that's starting up: millions of women who were pushed from the workforce in 2020 are...

Ironically, as I sat down to write reflections on procrastination, I, well, procrastinated. I made an early lunch, organized a shelf in my kitchen, and finally sat down with an unnecessarily-fussed-about cup of tea to write.  I’ve noticed over the years that I am...

https://youtu.be/6FGgd20ZQss   As we go through milestones like becoming new parents or a promotion, we need to set new expectations for ourselves. In this time of challenge- with a lot coming at us that is draining and practically tough- many of us have not...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELbedMdxkwo During this pandemic, clients have shared variations of "I feel weird but can't place the emotion," "I'm in and out of feeling ok and feeling helpless," "I erupted at my partner/colleague/kid out of nowhere," and "I'm...

In mid-March, we shared a Leader’s Guide to Managing Parents in Unique Circumstances. As we adjust to a new way of working that may persist for many months, we've talked with leaders about their most important priorities right now and synthesized lessons learned that...

I bet all of us had grand plans for the next few months, didn't we? My parental leave starts this week, and I had big dreams of sharing nine months worth of reflections about being a pregnant working parent and business leader. But given the new world we're in and...

Motherhood in America, while a bonding experience in many ways, is a very different experience among women, especially when you look at motherhood through the lens of identities and intersections. Too often, we conflate motherhood into one type of experience (the...

Expectations- explicit or not- drive our behavior. Right now, we are living in unprecedented times, but there seems to be a collective denial that we will "get back to normal" fairly soon. Like somehow this global pandemic will have the same effects as one really...

A lot of us are going through some high stress moments right now, and many are also learning a new way of working- from home. Below are some tips for managing your stress, mindset, and self in times of uncertainty. Some general mindset and wellness tips: Meditation...

  Sometimes it happens on the playground. Sometimes a client brings it up or a dad friend leans over at dinner. “Callan, I want to take my full paternity leave but...” “I’ll be the first in my firm...” “They seem supportive but have no idea how to help me plan,...