Empowering Mothers in the Workplace Through Coaching (ft. Jess Ringgenberg)

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Jess Ringgenberg is dedicated to redefining "better" for working mothers and women, ensuring they are seen, heard, felt, and supported within their corporate environments. This commitment is rooted in her belief that choosing motherhood should not mean compromising career aspirations and that the status of motherhood should not serve as a penalty.

After leaving a successful corporate career and as a mother of two boys, she focused her efforts on addressing systemic gaps in workplace support for mothers. Her personal experience as a working mom, balancing the dual identities of motherhood and corporate leadership without support, has deeply informed her mission.

Her professional offerings include organizational consulting, embedded workshops, building coaching cultures, self-coaching education, group coaching facilitation, and speaking engagements, all aimed at sparking significant change in corporate practices. You can connect with her here.‍

Noelle Cordeaux, CEO of Lumia, recently sat down with Jess Ringgenberg, founder of Elixr Coaching and Consulting, who shared her coaching journey and experiences surrounding the evolving needs of working mothers and the role of coaching in addressing these important needs.

Real-World Coaching Influenced by Trending Coaching Topics

“Jess is somebody who took information coming from one of my coaching trends talks, and turned it into a business that is changing lives.” - Noelle Cordeaux.

As part of our ongoing work at Lumia coach training, we previously highlighted the 2024 trends from the Global Wellness Summit, focusing on postpartum wellness and workplace support for mothers. 

This topic is especially timely as societal norms begin to shift towards a more inclusive and supportive framework for new parents. 

Jess, having transitioned from a high-powered biotech executive role to coaching, brings a personal and professional perspective on bridging the gap for mothers in the workplace.

Transformative Journeys in Motherhood

There’s an often overlooked postpartum phase where new mothers face a "care desert." Historically, while the baby receives all the attention, new mothers navigate their own transformative journey almost invisibly – with a total lack of support. 

This phase involves significant physical, emotional, and identity changes—termed "matrescence" by Jess. She advocates for increased education, support, and community to help mothers understand and navigate this life stage effectively.

Creating Supportive Work Environments

63% of working mothers are disengaged. Once you start building a culture of coaching in the workplace, then the women themselves feel like they have a voice. They have a community to go to and get support. Engagement is going to go up. You're bringing humanity back to the workplace. - Jess Ringgenberg

One of Jess's key initiatives involves transforming workplace cultures to better support working mothers. She stresses the importance of empathetic leadership and policies that recognize and support the dual demands of motherhood and professional careers. 

By educating leaders and creating empathetic workplace cultures, organizations can help mothers thrive, benefiting from skills that are developed and honed through the experience of being a mother – multitasking and problem-solving skills, to name a couple.

The Role of Coaches in Cultural Shifts

Coaches are uniquely positioned as "social first responders" who can help drive the cultural shift towards better support for mothers. 

Coaches can play a critical role in advocating for and implementing changes that support postpartum wellness and empower mothers. This involves coaching both individuals and groups within corporations and organizations to foster environments where new mothers feel seen, heard, and supported.

Jess's work includes developing programs that integrate health and wellness benefits with coaching to provide continuous support for mothers in the workplace. 

This approach not only aids individual mothers but also serves as a strategic advantage for organizations looking to retain talented women. By addressing the unique needs and potential of working mothers, companies can enhance engagement, productivity, and overall workplace morale.

Organizations who invest in coaching in general always see an ROI, so if we invest in women regardless of level or title or executive leadership role, the ROI would be quite astounding. - Jess Ringgenberg

Coaching can play a powerful role in addressing significant societal challenges. Life coaches should consider how they can incorporate trends and insights into their own practices, perhaps by specializing in supporting new parents or by fostering more inclusive practices within organizations.

Every coaching session, every program developed, and every conversation about these critical issues contributes to a larger cultural transformation. 

Want To Be A Coach?

A lot of talented people like you dream of working as a coach, but aren’t quite sure how to get there. We train and certify adventurous coaches, making sure you’ve got all you need to build a career you love and transform lives, on your terms. If you're ready to learn more, come check out Lumia Life Coach Training! 

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