Success at Work, Failure at Home

My brightest years running a startup were the darkest ones for my family

I Was a Working Single Mom Twice — Here’s What I Learned

When I had my first daughter in 1996, I could never have imagined I would one day accept a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. I was just 19, and looking at my newborn, I didn’t feel like a genius. I felt like this was going to be really…

Growing kids and growing companies

How much do people work who have both?

I spent many years working non-stop. I pulled all-nighters on a regular basis. I worked holidays and weekends. I had minimal social life. Eating was a distraction — the vending…

Women Work. We Have Babies. Get Over It.

Why is it so hard to play it cool about being pregnant on the…

Before You Question My Work/Life Balance, Read This

Beyond Doing Half the Parenting

Doing my fair share for my son means I have to start carrying my weight in other areas at home.

How We Talk

Shortly after my wedding to my first husband, two days shy of my 25th birthday, my mother sent me a card addressed to Mrs. Stephen K. Burley. I had chosen to take my ex-husband’s name — the choice between “Slaughter” and “Burley,” I reasoned, was the choice between “cut-throat” and “heavyweight” — but I…

Why We Can’t Afford Another Child

This is my conundrum. I am thirty years old. My spouse and I both have full-time, well-paying jobs…