Community Highlights: Meet Leslie Forde of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Forde.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was completely burned out after I returned to work from my second maternity leave. At the time, I was in a big job and went from managing one department to two while I was pregnant. And in the 12 weeks that I was away, it felt like everything changed with my then-employer.

The most senior member of my team transitioned into a different department, and within a few months of coming back, three other members from one part of my team all needed to go out on unexpected FMLA leave.

Suddenly, I felt like I was in a new job and was being asked to bring my most strategic, clear-thinking self to the new challenges, including being short-staffed when I was personally depleted.

I was sleeping in 90-minute increments, caring for a newborn and a toddler. Yet I would find myself staying up until one or two in the morning, most nights, trying to keep up with emails and projects at work. So, the job I once loved became completely unsustainable.

A couple of years later, after recovering from burning out, I came up with the idea for the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs. I realized that it felt impossible to grow in my career after having kids using the same strategies that put me in senior leadership roles. I began my career as a market researcher, and I began researching the reasons why it was so hard to make time for self-care and career growth after kids. I began writing weekly and sharing the results from my studies initially with other Moms who felt the same way.

During the pandemic, I became a full-time entrepreneur and began using the research and frameworks I developed to make changes in workplaces. So, that organizations could learn how to retain their exceptional moms, parents, and caregivers with better policies, benefits, and psychological safety.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Many of us expect a smooth path when we decide to pursue our great ideas, but it rarely turns out that way we envision. So, bear in mind that I launched a business during the pandemic with two young kids who were at home, so there was a certain amount of chaos happening in the world while I was also navigating how to make my business successful. I wanted to show employers how important it is to retain mothers in particular, and other parents who are often at the greatest risk for burnout, in the workforce.

I decided to launch a software app which is called TimeCheck; it takes what I’m often doing in person through workshops and conversations by helping moms understand how much of their time is spent on their well-being and what they can do to spend more time on their mental, physical and emotional health.

Although I have launched hundreds of products in my corporate life, it was very different to do so as an entrepreneur. I had to manage engineers directly on a major tech launch, so I made many mistakes along the way, including hiring a team that disappeared partway through the development process in the beginning. And to later have several things break on my website during the launch. So, the journey to get software added to the portfolio of products which I now use in corporate wellness programs and in membership for moms, added a whole new dimension to the work I was doing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs?
Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs® provides Moms with evidence-based tools and community to reclaim time from the never-done list for their well-being. They stay intentional about self-care with short, weekly check-ins and personalized recommendations using our TimeCheck® wellness app. For added support, we also have a premium membership with monthly live discussions and care packages delivered to moms’ homes.

We also serve organizations, like HubSpot, the Barr Foundation, and Merck, with workforce development and wellness programs to retain caregivers. Often, with proven support for the talent at greater risk for burnout, women and people of color. We take an intersectional approach to employee wellness and manager training to evolve the culture.

What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was fearless, curious, and lucky to have boundless energy. I knew that I wanted to do work that I found meaningful, and I liked understanding what made people take the actions or hold the beliefs that they did, so I was drawn to research early on. I loved to read, run, and dance (still enjoy all of those things). Remembering the joy, energy, and determination of my childhood self remains a strong motivation for my work today.

Pricing:

• $540 per year, membership for moms with quarterly self-care baskets.
• $30 per month, digital-only membership for moms.

Contact Info:

• Website: MomsHierarchyofNeeds.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moms_hierarchy_of_needs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MomsHierarchyOfNeeds/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/momshierarchyofneeds
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/momshierarchy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomsHierarchyofNeeds/featured
• Other: https://momshierarchyofneeds.leadpages.co/shop/