The "Good Enough” Mother: Embracing Imperfection with Google's Head of Marketing for Search & Maps

New Modern Mom Podcast

This week I’m bringing you a heartfelt, insightful, and authentic conversation with Rebecca Michael, the Head of Marketing for Google Search & Maps. As an executive, a mother of two, and a seasoned professional with an impressive tenure at Google, Rebecca shares her journey of embracing imperfection and finding fulfillment in both her personal and professional life.

In this episode, Rebecca shares the intricacies of navigating raising children in a two-parent executive household. From the challenges of infertility to the importance of a supportive partner, Rebecca opens up about her experiences and the systems she has put in place to manage the chaos of her daily life.

Tune in to hear Rebecca’s lessons on…

👶 The Journey to Motherhood: Rebecca talks about her initial uncertainties around having children, the years of therapy she undertook to prepare for the identity shift, and how she finally decided it was the right time to start a family.

🧬 Navigating Infertility and IVF: Rebecca shares her deeply personal experience with IVF, the emotional and physical challenges it brought, and how she managed her responsibilities at work during this period.

🏡 Building a Support System: With her family located in Europe, Rebecca discusses the importance of creating a "village" around her, including hiring caregivers and even a plant caretaker, to ensure a well-rounded support system for her and her children.

🛠️ Division of Labor at Home: Insights into how Rebecca and her husband, Tom, manage their household tasks. From finances to cooking, they have found a way to leverage their strengths and create a balanced home environment.

🌅 Morning Routines and Family Time: Rebecca emphasizes the importance of family cuddles in the morning and how starting the day with her children helps set a positive tone for everyone.

👩‍👧‍👦 The Concept of the "Good Enough" Mother: Drawing from Donald Winnicott's theory, Rebecca discusses how striving for perfection can lead to burnout and why being "good enough" is beneficial for both parents and children.

💼 Balancing Work and Personal Time: Rebecca explains how she integrates her professional skills into her parenting style and the importance of setting intentions without rigid schedules to prevent burnout.

🧘‍♀️ Taking a Reset Week: The value of taking time off to reset, reflect, and recharge. Rebecca shares her approach to taking a week off just for herself, the benefits it brought, and how it has become a vital part of her self-care routine.

This enlightening conversation not only proves the power of introspection, support, and the courage to prioritize yourself amidst the demands of career and motherhood.

References:

• Playing and Reality by Donald Winnicott

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About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

The New Modern Mom Podcast is produced by Barbara Mighdoll, Ali Alquiza, and Em Roberts.