This Mom Boss Changed Her Company’s Culture

 

When working mothers become the boss, they suddenly have the power to adapt workplace culture: Will they become harsher and insist other moms endure the same struggles they did? Or will they adjust policies to benefit other moms?

In this clip from Working Mom Warrior, real estate executive Christina Caton Kitchel tells host Diane Moca how she used her influence after she became a co-owner of her family’s company to help other mothers struggling to maintain their devotion to their career without giving up too much time away from their children. The mom of three kids ages 3 to 9 changed her company culture because she still remembers the difficulty of working and breastfeeding her newborn.

When Christina started working for Caton Commercial Real Estate Group, she was driving a half-hour away just to breastfeed her baby at her mother’s house; years later after another child came along, she avoided that hassle and brought the baby to work with her. Though it was allowed by her father, who owned the family business, she was discreet about it because it wasn’t considered an accepted practice throughout the company. But that all changed when she became a co-owner, as Christina explains in this interview segment demonstrating the power working mom bosses can have to improve the lives of other working moms through flex schedules, job sharing, work from home, part-time hours, freelance work and even setting up portable cribs in the office.

As women move up the ranks in their professions, they are changing company cultures by introducing more family-friendly benefits. It’s idea that turned into a movement thanks to “Lean In” authors Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell.

 

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