Podcast: Mom life – what the pig!
rh. S She In this 78th episode of the Real P3 podcast, swine nutritionist Dr Casey Bradley speaks to 3 women who are managing successful careers and making significant contributions to the swine sector while also being moms.
These women – Amanda Monton, Dr Sara Hough and Dr Whitney Lincoln – discuss balancing having twins, 5 children, special needs and disabilities…and a successful career. The balance can exist.
Professional mothers
Amanda Minton currently works for Acuity Genetics as a reproductive specialist. She has been married for 11 years and has 5 children, aged 3 to 10.
Dr Sara Hough is a swine veterinarian. She currently works as a technical manager with DSM Nutritional Products. Dr Hough has also been married for 11 years and has 2 boys, aged 6 and 8. She moved her family to the suburbs to better support her son with extra needs.
Dr Whitney Lincoln is a swine veterinarian. She is married and has 2 children, aged 5 and 2. She works at Smithfield and is the director of continuous improvement.
Balancing success and quality of life
Dr Casey asks her guests: What are some of the main challenges you face being a female professional in our industry? They discuss just some of the challenges around maternity leave and lactation while still being a part of a professional community. The ladies also spoke about how it is good to see more women coming into the sector.
‘Mom guilt’
The ladies spoke about and cautioned against keeping check of the narrative in your mind. “We usually talk negatively to ourselves, even though we’re doing a pretty good job.” They also speak about the importance of a ‘village’ or ‘tribe’ of supportive people who understand, respect and support the challenges a professional mother faces. This includes the significance of a supportive manager, partner, friends and other mothers and women.
Sacrifices and support
Dr Bradley asks what sacrifices the women made along the journey of being a mom and a professional. They discuss basic needs, hobbies and simply time to oneself. Bradley also wants to hear their thoughts on what they feel the industry needs to do to support more women coming into the industry.
Dr Bradley: “We hope our listeners will enjoy this episode from the perspective of moms and that our listeners who are leaders in the industry will take the time to evaluate their ideals around employees who are moms. At The Real P3, we firmly believe that allowing employees to achieve a work-life balance and maintain a high quality of life is the foundation of high-performing individuals.”
