Carly Skarbnik Meredith Esq.: “Outsource when you can, don’t put it on yourself to do every last thing.” (Episode 24/S3 Ep6)
Our guest today is Carly Skarbnik Meredith Esq. an employment attorney at Deutsche Atkins P.C. She is a young Mom of two adorable kids. She’s the kind of #MomWhoWorks, who co-chairs a 6-week-long trial resulting in a win for her client, receiving a verdict of nearly a million dollars plus attorneys’ fees, while being heavily pregnant with her son!
I’m blown away by the strong handle Carly has on both her home and work life, even if she is fortunate in having a great support system in place. And she is committed to helping mothers in her community in any way she can — she is an active member of the Hoboken Mommies Facebook Group as well as the #MomsWhoWork project group within #StartingTrouble.
Audio
Video
Guest Profile
Age: 32 years
Bio:
Carly is an employment attorney barred in both New Jersey and New York. She represents both employers and employees on a variety of employment related issues including: discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, contractual matters, non-competes, and whistleblowing. She actively litigates matters in both the federal and state courts and recently helped obtain a verdict of nearly $1 million dollars in a single Plaintiff gender discrimination and retaliation case.
Fun fact:
I live in Hoboken with my husband, two children, and a puggle☺.
What childcare option did you go with for your child(ren)? Why?
We are very fortunate that my mother and mother-in-law are able to watch our children while my husband and I work. The obvious advantages are cost and trust. Plus, I have less guilt because I love that my children spend regular, quality time with their grandparents. However, the one negative, is that I am constantly concerned that I am “taking advantage” of them.
How do you continue to work on your professional growth with motherhood in the balance?
I continue to work on professional growth by staying engaged in the legal community and networking. My networking has naturally expanded over the past few recent years to include mother groups. Networking does not have to be done in person — there are great resources online that an individual can use to network.
How do you proactively network given the constraints of motherhood?
I have a huge support network from my family and friends, and I am forever grateful to them. Particularly my mother, mother-in-law, and husband fully support me by watching the children, running errands, and generally pitching in where and when they can. They allow me to be a productive and effective working mom.
In what ways does your spouse/family/friends support you and how much does that factor into your success?
I believe it is in an employer’s best interest to retain valuable employees, which means accommodating an employee’s needs. If more employers offer flexibility and other resources that allow individuals to successfully work and parent, then eventually this will become our societal norm. I think this is naturally a win-win for both the employer and the employee (regardless of the employers size). It is common sense that a happier employee will be a more constructive, successful employee.
Anything else to share?
On a final note, I am always happy to reach out and talk to any woman that would like to connect.
** You can subscribe to the Starting Trouble podcast on iTunes to receive notifications when we upload new shows. You can also subscribe to Starting Trouble on YouTube to see recorded interviews and other events that you may have missed before!
