The Future of Working Motherhood w/ Alexa Starks

The Future of Working Motherhood: Flexibility, Ambition, and Real Support After Maternity Leave

Amy Pons hosts Alexa Starks, maternity leave coach and founder of Executive Moms, to discuss reshaping maternity leave and return-to-work experiences and the findings from Executive Moms’ Future of Working Motherhood 2026 report.

They reflect on the need to deconstruct harmful workplace systems, the lack of support for mothers returning from leave, and how simple supports like mentorship can improve retention.

Alexa shares key data: 40% of women leave their job within a year of returning from maternity leave, yet 97% would stay if truly supported; the report also found no “ambition gap,” with mothers reporting equal or greater ambition after having kids. A major takeaway was that flexible work design (remote/hybrid/part-time) mattered more than longer leave. Alexa also previews a TED Talk in Rotterdam and the launch of Mothered Magazine.

01:09 Coaching and Paradigm Shift

03:02 Aha Moments in Corporate

05:22 Maternity Return Support Systems

06:48 Report Findings and Retention Stats

09:02 Ambition Gap Myth Debunked

11:43 Burnout and Hands On Work

13:54 Workplace Bullying and Boundaries

15:20 Surprising Data on Flexibility

16:56 Flexibility Tops Requests

17:15 Ambition And The 97 Percent

17:52 Survey Logistics And Reach

18:34 Return To Office Pushback

20:51 Why Leaders Cling To Control

22:42 TED Talk And Moving Abroad

25:04 Launching Mothered Magazine

27:04 Super Bowl Holiday Hypocrisy

28:46 Advice For The 97 And 40

31:06 Where To Find The Report

31:32 Feminine Strength Closing

Find the 2026 'Future of Working Motherhood' report along with key updates from Executive Moms here, and follow Alexa on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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