Embracing Vulnerability: Motherhood’s Impact on Leadership with Dropbox's Chief People Officer

New Modern Mom Podcast

Ever thought that the very thing you’re afraid to show at work—your vulnerability—might actually make you a stronger leader? In this episode, I’m talking with Melanie Rosenwasser, the Chief People Officer at Dropbox about how the messy, chaotic world of motherhood can actually boost your career in ways you never imagined.

Melanie’s chat is packed with real talk about how she’s managed to set up a remote work life that lets her be there for her kids while still advancing in her career. She opens up about the challenges of returning to work while dealing with postpartum struggles, and how she and her partner split the complicated responsibilities that come with two kids under three years old.

In this episode, you'll learn:

🎯 Juggling Work and Mom Life: The daily challenge of switching from making big decisions at work to handling chaos at home, and how tough it can be to wear multiple hats.

🛠️ Creating a Supportive Home Setup: How she and her husband decided he should take a step-back from his career to be the at-home parent, and how they continue to support each other’s passions.

🏡 The Perks of Remote Work: How Dropbox’s remote-first policy reshaped her work-life balance, allowing her to be present with her kids while leading a major company.

💼 Taking Turns in Career and Family: The conscious decisions behind whose career takes the lead and how they navigate the give and take between work and family life.

🌱 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership: How becoming a mom made her a more empathetic and focused leader, even in an industry where vulnerability isn’t always celebrated.

🤹‍♀️ Keeping Up the Energy: The strategies she uses to save energy for her family while managing the demands of her job.

🚸 Moving Closer to Family: The decision to move near family after having her first child and its impact on work and personal life.

🧠 Dealing with Postpartum Struggles: Her experience with postpartum anxiety and depression, its effect on work, and how she found support.

If you’re trying to figure out how to keep pushing forward in your career while navigating the realities of motherhood, Melanie’s insights are a must-hear.

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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.

Navigate the episode:

[00:00:45] Introduction: Introduction to Melanie Rosenwasser, focusing on her role as Chief People Officer at Dropbox and her journey as a mother.

[00:02:22] Juggling Work and Motherhood: Melanie begins discussing the challenge of switching between executive decision-making and handling parenting duties.

[00:04:13] The Move Back Home: Melanie talks about the decision to move closer to family after finding out she was pregnant with her first child.

[00:07:07] Creating a Supportive Home Setup: The conversation shifts to how Melanie and her husband decided on their roles, with him becoming the primary caregiver.

[00:09:02] Transitioning from One to Two Kids: Melanie shares her experience transitioning from having one child to two, and how she felt more prepared the second time around.

[00:12:18] The Remote Work Advantage: Melanie describes her home office setup and how Dropbox’s remote-first policy has benefited her work-life balance.

[00:15:06] Making the Leap to the C-Suite: The discussion moves to Melanie’s career progression from VP to Chief People Officer, focusing on the skills and experiences that were crucial for her promotion.

[00:20:56] Embracing Vulnerability in Leadership: Melanie talks about how becoming a mother has influenced her leadership style, particularly in embracing vulnerability and empathy.

[00:27:00] Navigating Postpartum Struggles: Melanie begins discussing her struggles with postpartum anxiety and depression and how she managed these challenges while returning to work.

[00:31:12] Redefining Work-Life Balance: The conversation shifts to Melanie’s perspective on work-life balance, emphasizing the concept of work-life harmony and intentional decision-making in career and family life.