Having a child impacts you not just personally but professionally. As an expecting or new parent, you have access to plenty of information about planning for and taking care of your child. And you’ve probably heard that you’re not the same person after their arrival. But there’s still something that gets left out of the conversation too often. After having two sons, Lori Mihalich-Levin knew there was a missing piece--something essential to the identity of new parents: how do you shift from child-free employee to working parent? Now, she helps moms and dads (and their employers) transition back to work after parental leave. In this episode of the Branding Room Only podcast, you’ll learn how your brand and identity shift as a parent and how to mindfully return to the workforce as a new, working parent. You’ll hear about learning leadership skills through parenting, pushing through postpartum anxiety and depression, the difference in expectations before and after parenthood, the effect of paternity leave on not just the family but others in the organization, and much more! 1:58 - How Lori defines personal branding, her three-word description for herself, and her favorite Teddy Roosevelt quote and Rent hype song 4:48 - Lori’s career path and how she discovered a gap in the marketplace for working parents 7:45 - How Lori works with employers through Mindful Return to support employees coming back from parental leave 10:03 - How becoming a parent can change you and help you develop leadership skills 15:38 - Why the U.S. system fails new parents and some signs of postpartum anxiety or depression 20:34 - Two rules to remember when you become a new parent to help you push through the tough times 24:30 - Why your return from parental leave needs to be mindful and how to have small but meaningful interventions in your day 28:51 - How to give voice to who you are now after the change you’ve undergone with parenthood 31:11 - How to navigate expectations from before and after parenthood 36:49 - An example of how parenthood can be an elevating strategy in your career 38:34 - Ways to navigate self-judgment and guilt around being absent for some things as a working parent 43:45 - Why it’s so essential for even the non-birthing parents (especially men) to take the parental leave on offer 47:49 - Lori’s fun factor, the vitality of community and connection in her program, and two things that make her stand out Mindful Return | Instagram | LinkedIn Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return From Maternity Leave by Lori Mihalich-Levin Parents At Work Postpartum Support International (PSI) Every Kid Outdoors  Insight Timer Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Bridig Schulte “The Big Benefit at Work That Dads Are Afraid to Use” by Ben Eisen | Wall Street Journal  Is Your Women’s Group Winning?: Strategies For Building A Stronger Women’s Initiative In Your Organization