It’s Not You. The System Wasn’t Built for You with C. Nicole Mason, PhD

More and more women are leaving powerful institutions to build businesses and careers on their own terms. But many of those “choices” were shaped long before they ever made them.C. Nicole Mason, PhD is the founder and president of Future Forward Women, a policy network working to build women’s political and economic power in the United States and globally. She previously served as President and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research – one of Washington D.C.’s most influential think tanks – becoming the youngest person and first woman of color to lead the organization. She is also the author of Born Bright: A Young Girl’s Journey from Nothing to Something in America.Raised by a single mother in Los Angeles, Nicole went on to earn a PhD in political science and become one of the country’s leading voices on gender and economic inequality.But it wasn’t until she became a single mother by choice to twins that the structural issues she had spent years researching became deeply personal.In this conversation, Nicole and I talk about the moment many women encounter: when “choosing to leave” a demanding institution or corporate path isn’t really a choice at all – it’s the only way to try to build a life that works.We discuss:– the “false choice” many women face between staying inside powerful institutions or building something outside them– why childcare remains one of the biggest barriers to women’s economic power– the sacrifices required to reach the top – and whether they’re worth it– becoming a single mother by choice while leading major policy organizations– redefining power on your own termsIf you're contemplating a career move outside the system, this conversation may change how you think about that “choice.”Nicole and her team recently launched Shaping Power, Shaping the Future, the first national bipartisan study of women state legislators examining their leadership experience. If you or someone you know is serving in state government, you can participate or share the survey here:https://futureforwardwomen.org/shaping-power-shaping-the-future-national-survey/*******⭐️ Follow The Mothers and leave a 5-star review if this resonated💬 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it📱 Join The Mothers on Instagram @themotherspod✍️ Subscribe to ⁠⁠Sara’s Substack⁠⁠ for reflections on life, work, meaning & motherhood💼 Find Sara on ⁠LinkedInThe Mothers is a production of Backline Media.