Welcome to the It's Working Project Blog - where we continue to follow the evolving story of back to work with baby in America. Here you will find pieces that feature or have been authored by Julia Beck. You will see what has captured our imagination and who we are applauding, encouraging and elevating. We're committed to providing a comprehensive, honest view of what work looks like for American parents. The It’s Working Project Blog is where we share what’s making headlines and sometimes, making heads spin! Join us as we make sense of the quickly shifting landscape, join the conversation, share your story and invite others as we continue to explore what It’s Working means.
It’s getting to be Mother’s Day around these parts, And you know, my kids are not – in fact they are far away (I am open to surprises and prepared for no smiling faces at my table). So it seems I need to go gifting for myself. And that means, calling in the big brains behind the best
It’s getting to be Mother’s Day around these parts, And you know, my kids are not – in fact they are far away (I
Must Keep Laughing There is little to laugh about these days. I can spell it out, list the horrors – one by one. Rather, I
You’ve heard us say it over and again – with every baby a new mother is born. And,with Amazon Prime day here – I
Must Keep Laughing There is little to laugh about these days. I can spell it out, list the horrors – one by one. Rather,
MAKE IT STOP CHECK For many, the month of May means an endlessly filling inbox rife with reasons to celebrate and, yes, spend around
The It’s Working Project is thrilled to open applications for our summer internship. Our commitment to anyone on our team is real and ongoing. We
What could National Pretzel Day possibly have to do with professional growth? It turns out – a great deal. The year is
I was so very impressed with KOVAL president, Dr. Sonat Birnecker’s advice. She suggested that mothers take long showers as it might be the only
Last was a busy week. Among the moments, I had the great fortune of two extraordinary phone calls with the powers that be at
ARE YOU LISTENING TO A PODCAST OR JUST IGNORING ME? Maybe Both… Dog walking is absolutely a time to think about something else. I
LONG JANUARY Somehow this month, this January feels endless. Or so it seems. Short days, long dark nights. I am cold and somehow cold
Sometimes I imagine that I have nothing else to do but listen. Listen to stories of how we find ourselves making our way from
As October winds down, the winds pick up, temperatures drop and we begin to prepare ourselves for the next season– there is change in
Note: it is only August, I have much reading to do. Still as my summer of reading winds down, I felt as though
Once Upon a Time, In Bethesda, Maryland Lately, I have been having wonderful luck finding denim for my husband on RueLaLa. I am nothing
An Intimate, Cautionary Tale… Our History is long, and old. You still make me tingle and feel positively giddy. When I open our chest of memories,
There is something powerful about listening to and really growing through a writing assignment. I have been busy crafting a few chapters that focus on
I was taking a little stroll down memory lane. There I found the last piece I published pre-pandemic, pre-she-cession and pre- end of the
March is ending. A year of our new reality in the books. To say that this has been a year of extremes is
I have been spending a great deal of time getting to know the world of ClubHouse. What a remarkable universe of engaged souls! On
Before I took a keystroke, or even began to think about the effervescent Sandy Abrams, I took time to breathe. It is later in
Heidi Rauch is about as authentically interested in and deeply committed to the well-being of expectant and new mothers as they come. Since 2002,
Prowess Project CEO and Founder, Ashley Connell is big on the “F word” — in fact I don’t think I’ve had a conversion with
These are head spinning days. With each day come new complexities and challenges. We are up to the task. Still, the It’s Working Project
In the media: In Style Date published: October 6, 2020 As homes become offices, gyms, schools, and daycares all in one, some working
We are so thrilled that we’ve expanded the It’s Working Project to include a broader range of parents including their specific needs and challenges. We
I have been thinking about, writing about, and remaining curious about the young mothers in my world. How can I help? I keep my
In the media: Harvard Business Review Date: September 14, 2020 As Covid-19 grew into a pandemic, Michael Schaffer, a father of three in
It is the start of a long, Labor Day weekend. I’ve got a good book and some yoga on my mind. Here in Maryland,
It’s true – (thank you Cheryl Crow for recording a song that serves as a bit of a parenthood mantra) and It’s time So
NOTHING For 21+ Years Forty Weeks and the It’s Working Project have worked to raise and maintain awareness around the full picture of motherhood. New
Julia Beck shares her wisdom on keeping mothers thriving in the workplace.
This topic remains top of my regular private sector agenda and close to my heart. Newly pregnant women, mothers and working parents desire and need
Katherine Goldstein is as brilliant as they come. She shines brightly in a way that is welcoming and engaging. She is inclusionary and eager to leave this
Melanie is a woman with not only the will but also the way! Building a career and a family at the same time is
Tina Lee is a deeply dedicated doer. A native San Franciscan and technology professional who saw the gap between the growing technology sector and the
How is it possible to be wildly successful and super supportive of women at the same time? Heidi Zak has found a way. Making it
The DC Diaper Bank is approaching it’s ten year anniversary. The number of families served and the power of this much-needed care and support
The Gift of the Giving Buzz This has been a year of stepping up. One in which we gave on so many levels. Some
What an amazing accomplishment. The Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington celebrated 20 years of providing support, community, classes, care and all the hacks a new
It’s #WBF2017! Julia Beck takes a look at the essential role a woman’s support system plays in her breastfeeding success, however she defines it. Read the
As we hit the dogs days of summer, we find ourselves looking ahead and planning for fall, when really we have weeks to go still
This article was originally published in the Washington Post on January 24, 2017 Breast-feeding is a very personal choice. However, the realities of breast-feeding and,
This article was originally published in the Washington Post on January 24, 2017. Nikki Little gave birth via C-section at 33 weeks to her sons Nolan
When The White House convened the White House summit on working families three years ago they asked a broad range of policy wonks, advocates, thinkers,
I cannot assemble even one thing from IKEA. IKEA on the other hand has built something remarkable. They have taken a bold move, made a
Bullies flood the gates — I think those Barbarians back in the 1980s may have been a better option There is no grace to be found
You think a haunted house is scary? Try going back to work after baby. That is arguably the scariest, most intimidating day of any parent’s
The first time I thought about Parent Zero was ten years ago. My now friend and then new client (fun fact, she became a client
Pandering is not Progress How did the impulsive candidate begin to notice not only other people but also develop a highly publicized new focus on families?
According to Baby Center data from 2013, more babies are born in August than any other month. The second, third, and fourth most popular birthday
There are a lot of people celebrating the 5 year anniversary of National Breastfeeding Month. And good for that — it is progress and progress is good.
Oh Mama — the Amazing First Lady that Could! What a remarkable night in Philadelphia. Sure, I am proud of my hometown. Still, the story goes much
July 2013 I left Philadelphia in 1985. I was bright-eyed, ambitious and hungry for life’s experiences. I left behind friends and a way of life
Cast of Silicon Valley, HBO Maybe just maybe I watched the season finale of Silicon Valley without my husband last night (shhh, please). It was
It was a whirlwind of a day at DOL. The room was filled with individuals briming over with remarkable energy and the highest, most authentic
This week Washington, DC hosts the United State of Women Summit in Washington, DC. Today President Obama, in a rousing and vibrant speech to a
We’ve been to a few rodeos! I know, I know — we are all gathering in DC next week to talk the important talk, move the needle
It is all in the lens I had a great lunch date — the same one I had for breakfast actually. This particular date seems to take
Sometime I fantasize about being someone else. Fantasy is a part of the human experience. I see you, you appear you have it all: fame,
So far 2016 has been full of landmark, groundbreaking and remarkable shifts in the parental landscape. Week by week we see, celebrate and positively reinforce
Photo by Alice Proujansky There is nothing new about images of American mothers, especially those addressing the intersection of wage earner, provider and caregiver. Famously,
Photo by Jessica McFadden. This past week First Lady Michelle Obama invited 150 parent bloggers to the White House to learn about the Let’s Move!
I was asked to comment yesterday on the story that is Adam LaRoche’s potential retirement from baseball. Amy Joyce did a fantastic job of considering
When I started Forty Weeks in 1999, there immediately came to life a category of emerging products that I called “the nasties.” At the time,
The New York Times is once again considering how we get from here to there in the American workplace. This week’s Magazine featured an in-depth,
The Parenting Penalty (formerly known as the Motherhood Penalty, perhaps progress!?) is no longer just a workplace buzzword. Now both moms and dads are facing
When we hear “back to work” after baby, so much of the conversation immediately turns to women. There’s good precedent for this: for generations it
It is the morning after the big game of social consciousness and homage to the legacy of the game (that is what I saw from
New Transparency Identifies Parent-Friendly Workplaces Two years ago, we sat at the White House Summit for Working Families listening to company leaders such as Goldman Sachs’
At the It’s Working Project’s Portrait Project, we hear over and again through the intimate and insightful stories new parents share with us, how mothers
Be the Powerball of Bosses Powerball fever is spreading across the nation as the lottery jackpot climbs to over $1 billion. With a big “B.”
Sunny Day, NYC It’s not every weekend you get to see one of the country’s most-recognized families out for a stroll in New York
What a year for back-to-work after baby! As the United States woke up to find itself at the bottom of the graph when it
Top Trends in Back-to-Work after Baby What started for us with the mega-spark of the call to action from the White House Summit on Working
How Some Companies Nail the Parental On-ramp Challenge Paid parental leave has been the topic du jour of 2015, but we can’t miss the
What does real change for working families look like to you? We know that life as a parent is an amazing juggling act. It requires
The latest topic to fuel the omnipresent back-to-work after baby conversation and one that has been dominating the headlines: do dads take more time off
As the year comes to an end, there is something to celebrate. More and more industries are seeking out real-time solutions for bringing families
Our Portrait Project just featured its 200th story. That’s 2-0-0 and growing! To celebrate, we’re giving you a chance to win over $400-worth of fabulous
Here at the It’s Working Project, we created the Portrait Project as a means of taking a comprehensive first-look at the picture back-to-work with baby
Last month, the It’s Working Project had the opportunity to take a first look at the Lansinoh Nursing Lounge at Nationals Park. Major league baseball
Gabby Etrog Cohen is no stranger to finding balance in everyday life. The VP of Public Relations and Brand Strategy at SoulCycle and mother of two
Julia Beck, the founder and visionary behind the It’s Working Project has inspiring words to share with companies lacking family-friendly workplace policies: consumers are watching.
Julia Cheiffetz shares her story of how It’s really Not Working at Amazon. Cheiffetz, a successful young book editor, was about to begin an MBA program
The U.S. has been making great strides towards gender equality in recent years. So why is it that women still bear a heavier load than
A recent investigation reveals that nearly 1 in 4 employed mothers are returning to work within two weeks of giving birth- and the effects
It’s not working at Amazon, where employees are reportedly encouraged to place work above children, partners, dying family members, miscarried babies, and their own health.
It’s working in unexpected ways for moms in the maternity ward, where flat irons are prepped alongside forceps; and stylists anxiously wait alongside sisters. In
The It’s Working Project applauds initiatives that support families in all aspects of life: work, home and perhaps most importantly, play. So, naturally, we were thrilled
Everyone is talking about Netflix and its new maternity and paternity leave policy. But is it a ploy for publicity? Or a step towards real
Coming off a recent piece from Fortune on the secret society of executive women– it is clear that women are supporting one another in the workplace. However, Refinery29 confirms
Fast Company, “How the Astronomical Cost of Child Care is Forcing More Women to Quit their Jobs” Child care now costs more than college tuition.
Babies need to eat, sometimes even in the middle of depositions. Sometimes even if it inconveniences Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. That’s how it works,
The UK is often praised for its policy granting up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. Sounds great, right? But with that generous leave comes
After seeing their own mothers struggle to balance work and family life, millennials are taking a new approach to having it all — planning for career
That simple yet oh-so-complicated question: “Will you be going back to work after the baby is born?” In a recent article from Cosmopolitan, Lori Fradkin tells
Last Tuesday marked the passing of Marlene Sanders, a pioneering television reporter who epitomized what it’s working looks like. More than an inspiration to the
Making parental leave gender-neutral would go a long way in the climb to workplace gender equality. There has been little doubt that paternity leave is