Women in the U.S. aren’t just balancing careers and caregiving—they are the invisible backbone of a broken system keeping our economy afloat. In this episode of the VEST Her Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Jessica Calarco, sociologist, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net.

Moderating this discussion was Monica Barczak, VEST Member and Founder & Principal of Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being.

Together, they unpacked the hidden burdens placed on women, the systemic challenges that force them into unpaid caregiving roles, and the urgent need for policy reform.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is brought to you by VEST, a peer network for women professionals and investment fund investing in women led companies.

This conversation was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. If you'd like to learn more about joining our peer community, go to www.vesther.co to learn more.

Women as the Default Safety Net

Dr. Calarco’s book, Holding It Together, sheds light on a troubling reality: when government and workplace policies fall short, women step in to fill the gaps—often at great personal and financial cost. She explained how this phenomenon is not just a result of individual choices but rather a deeply ingrained expectation in American society.

“In the U.S., when someone loses a job, falls ill, or can’t afford childcare, we don’t have a strong safety net to catch them,” she explained. “Instead, we rely on women—mothers, daughters, sisters, friends—to step in. This isn’t just about personal sacrifice; it’s about systemic failure.”

Compared to other countries with more robust social policies, the U.S. offers little in the way of paid parental leave, affordable childcare, or universal healthcare—leaving women disproportionately responsible for caregiving.

For the full show notes go to www.VESTHer.co/podcast

Guest Bios

Dr. Jessica Calarco is a sociologist and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She's an award-winning author, and her most recent book is titled Holding it Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and CNN. She writes the Hidden Curriculum newsletter, and she is also a mom of two young kids.

Monica Barczak, is a VEST Member and Founder and Principal, Barczak Consulting, where she works with organizations to promote family economic success and well-being. Prior to establishing her consulting practice, Monica was Director of Community Health Equity at Ascension, where she designed and implemented strategies to reduce health disparities for low-income uninsured adults in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During her tenure, Monica grew the impact of this portfolio from $5 million a year to $12 million a year. Before this, Monica held multiple leadership roles in nonprofits and social impact organizations.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In this episode, we dive into why plans, goals, and resolutions often fail—and how to overcome those challenges. We introduce the WOOP Framework (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) to help you create a personalized action plan and share practical resources to keep you on track all year long.

We’re also sharing key takeaways from a session we hosted for VEST Members, our peer network of women professionals. You’ll learn effective strategies for planning your goals, setting up systems of accountability, and staying motivated. Plus, we guide you through a powerful exercise to help you visualize your future self and see what’s possible when you start applying these tools. Don’t miss this actionable conversation!

Show Notes
VEST Wheel of Life Assessment
How to Build a VEST Vision Board
Mapping Out Goals using the WOOP Framework
VEST Peer Network
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Connect with the VEST Team and Show Hosts
Erika Lucas, Gaby Eichenlaub, Sarah Soetarjo, Jae Johnson

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In this episode we talked about Ageism at Work with Maureen Wiley Clough, host of the acclaimed podcast It Gets Late Early. In it we unpacked the unique challenges women face as we progress in our career and share actionable strategies for overcoming age-related obstacles and redefining our career trajectories at any age.

For our guest full bio and show notes go to www.vesther.co/podcast

This episode is brought to you by VEST, a peer network for women professionals and investment fund investing in women led companies building solutions for the care economy and future of work.

This conversation was part of a more intimate coaching session with VEST Members and has been repurposed to accommodate this episode. If you'd like to learn more about joining our peer community, go to www.vesther.co to learn more.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

Your personal brand is the sum of how others perceive you—your strengths, the expertise they associate with you, and the way you communicate your skills and personality both in person and online. But why is having a personal brand so important? Throughout your career, one thing is certain: you will need to pivot. Pivots are inevitable, often unexpected. Whether it’s a layoff, taking breaks to care for loved ones, or another curveball, having a strong professional brand already in place gives you the agility to respond and adapt on your terms.

But how do you build one, and how do you communicate it effectively? Join us as we talk to Rena Cook, founder of Vocal Authority about how VEST Members can communicate with confidence, authenticity, and influence. From activists to CEOs, Rena has guided professionals to harness their voices as a powerful tool for leadership and connection. As a speaker, author, and vocal coach, Rena’s approach blends practical insights with actionable strategies you can start using immediately to elevate your presentations and everyday conversations.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

Discover the invisible barriers that hold women back from seizing their rightful places in political and civic spaces. In this episode, Andy Moore, founder of Let’s Fix This and Executive Director of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, speaks with Mia Barros, founder of Voluntarios por Kamala, Blaire Postman, Founder of Cat Ladies for Kamala, and Cortney Tunis, former Executive Director of Pantsuit Nation. In it, they discuss the fear many women experience around political engagement, strategies to overcome that fear, and the importance of stepping into political conversations, especially when others cannot. The conversation also highlights the significance of local elections and civic engagement, regardless of swing state status and more.

Join us as Mia, Blaire, and Courtney— share their unique insights into overcoming societal pressures that often urge women to prioritize politeness over impactful dialogue. Special thanks to Andy Moore for moderating the session.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In this episode VEST Member Claudia Naím-Burt co-founder and COO of Keep Company, a group learning platform helping employers care for the caregivers on their teams, talks to Paul Sullivan, former New York Times financial columnist and founder The Company of Dads, a platform supporting “Lead Dads”—men who are the “go-to” parents whether they work full-time, part-time, or are devoting all their time to their families.

Join us as we talk about how we as a society and company leaders should embrace lead dads and how together we can counteract unhelpful gender norms both at work and at home.

About our Guests

Paul Sullivan is the founder of The Company of Dads, the first platform dedicated to creating a community for Lead Dads. Its mission is to help Lead Dads feel less isolated and more confident that they have made the correct choice to take on the bulk of the parenting and family duties - or at the very least not embrace stereotypes around who does what at home. As a Lead Dad himself, Paul understands intimately the joys, frustrations, isolation and reticence around talking about being a Lead Dad. It’s a role that is growing in numbers but is far from normalized. Before starting The Company of Dads in 2021, Paul wrote the Wealth Matters column in The New York Times for 13 years. He also created the Money Game column in GOLF Magazine. As a journalist for 25 years, his articles also appeared in Fortune, Money, Conde Nast Portfolio, The International Herald Tribune, Barron’s, The Boston Globe, and Food & Wine. From 2000 to 2006, he was a reporter, editor and columnist at the Financial Times. He is the author of two books Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t and The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of The Super Wealthy. Paul lives in Connecticut, with his wife and their three daughters and three dogs. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

Claudia Naím-Burt is the co-founder and COO of Keep Company, a group learning platform that helps employers care for, and keep, the parents and caregivers on their teams. Previously, Claudia was a member of the leadership team at Framebridge, a direct-to-consumer custom framing company, where she led Brand and Communications. As the 10th employee to join the company, she helped scale the business to over 400 employees, retail locations and past $82M in venture funding. After Framebridge, Claudia served as an entrepreneur in residence at NEA, and as a strategic advisor to several high-growth businesses, including Poppy Flowers. Claudia has held marketing and communications roles at American Express and Edelman Public Relations. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA with honors from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Claudia lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two boys. Connect with Claudia on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Vanessa Scaringi, a licensed psychologist and co-owner of CALM Counseling in Austin, TX. Dr. Scaringi recently authored an insightful article in TIME magazine examining the psychological effects of modern identity trends like the "soft girl" and "tradwife" movements, which are gaining popularity among Gen-Z women.

Together, we'll dive into the psychological implications of these trends, including the "childless cat lady" stereotype and the polarization of women’s roles. We'll discuss how these labels shape our identities, influence societal expectations, and affect mental well-being—and explore strategies for challenging and redefining these narratives.

Ready to rethink how society labels modern women? Join us as we explore the multifaceted identities of women today and the psychological toll of labels like 'soft girl,' 'trad wife,' and 'childless cat lady.' With Dr. Vanessa Scaringi, a licensed psychologist, we uncover how these stereotypes shape societal expectations and contribute to rising mental health issues among Gen Z women. We'll discuss the fear and challenges of embracing multiple identities in a politically polarized world, and why community support is crucial for women redefining their roles.

Curious about the societal judgments women face when they don't fit neatly into one box? We tackle the complexities women encounter in balancing diverse roles, like being a businesswoman and a traditional wife or mother. Using a recent article criticizing a successful woman for her traditional lifestyle as a starting point, we delve into how societal pressures can be both hurtful and limiting.


About our Guest

Dr. Vanessa Scaringi is a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX. Vanessa co-owns a group therapy practice called CALM counseling. Vanessa has dedicated much of her career to working in the eating disorder field, currently she offers supervision and consultation to clinicians hoping to specialize in eating disorders. Additionally, she enjoys writing and presenting on topics related to women's health and the therapy field more generally.

Vanessa recently authored a compelling article in TIME discussing the psychological impacts of modern identity trends, such as the "soft girl" and "tradwife" movements. These trends, particularly popular among Gen-Z women, reflect a shift from the "Girlboss" era to more rigid definitions of femininity. Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn.

Show Notes

A Side of Freud Newsletter, social commentary and critiques filtered through the lens of a psychologist. By Dr. Vanessa Scaringi.

Cultish, The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof That You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent by Glenn Boozan

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co

In this episode we talk to Shalynne Jackson, Oklahoma City's Chief Equity Officer, and Mikeale Campbell, Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager at Williams on the topic of Future of Work as it relates to inclusion. We talk about SHRM's decision to remove the word “equity” from DEI due to the anti-DEI movement. If and how companies should evolve DEI efforts. How executives can address the wrongful implication that DEI efforts mean giving preference to unqualified candidates and more.

This episode is brought to you by VEST Her Ventures, a peer network and investment fund for women building the infrastructure needed to unlock women's labor participation, career potential, and lifetime earnings. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co.

If you enjoy the episode please share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review.

Guest Bios

Shalynne Jackson serves as the City of Oklahoma City's first Chief Equity Officer. Prior to joining the City of OKC, Shalynne supported strategic Inclusion and Diversity initiatives for multiple Fortune 500 companies. She has served on various boards and is currently the Membership Chair for the Oklahoma Human Resources State Council (OKHR); serves on Schnake Turnbo Franks’ I&D Advisory Committee; and is on the board of ReMerge - a comprehensive diversion program. Shalynne is recognized as a 2024 Oklahoma Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, and in 2023, Shalynne was recognized by 405 Business Magazine as a Notable DEI Leader and one of the Metro's most influential leaders. A graduate of The University of Oklahoma, Shalynne holds a Master of Human Relations degree. Additionally, she is a qualified administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence. Most importantly, she is the proud mother of daughter Hollis, 6, and son Liam, 3.

Mikeale Campbell is a proud product of North Tulsa. After graduating from Booker T Washington, he attended the University of Tulsa, majoring in Business and Chinese. Upon graduation, Mikeale moved to Dallas, Texas, to participate in a program called, Teach For America (TFA). Teach For America is a program that takes aspiring leaders and supports them as classroom teachers for a minimum of 2 years. After five years in Texas's classroom and campus support roles, he moved back to the Tulsa area to create and lead TFA Greater Tulsa's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. During his 4 years with the organization Mikeale impacted the knowledge, skills, and mindsets of over 400 educators in the Tulsa area. Mikeale transitioned to the Williams Companies in November of 2020. Since then, he has immediately jumped in to support Williams in becoming a leader in the D&I space within our community. He is heavily involved in the Tulsa community, serving on several boards, including Tulsa Legacy Charter Schools, Pathways Adult Center, and Tulsa Regional Chamber’s 2023 Inclusion Chair. Mikeale prides himself on being an active volunteer in the community, supporting many womxn lead organizations, STEM programs and all things Greenwood. Mikeale says he’s lived a life rooted in a quote he lives by is, "Change

If you enjoyed the episode share it with a friend and don't forget to leave us a review. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, apply to join our community of professional women, all eager to help you get there and stay there. Check out our VEST Membership and apply today! www.VESTHer.co