Mothers of Design: Designing careers, raising families, and finding balance

What does it really look like to build a meaningful career in design while raising a family? In this special Imagine a Place episode, Maria VanDeman takes us inside Mothers of Design: Calling in the Double Shift, a live conversation in Knoxville, Tennessee, exploring the intersection of motherhood, design, leadership, and life. Following the panel, Maria sat down with designers and leaders for candid mini conversations about what motherhood has taught them about empathy, presence, boundaries, asking for help, and navigating the changing seasons of a career. Their perspectives reveal that there is no single formula for balancing work and family and that doing it all doesn't mean doing it all at once or alone. From learning to put down the phone and be present, to practicing saying no, leaning on community, and recognizing motherhood as a powerful form of leadership, these women share refreshingly real advice for anyone navigating ambition, caregiving, and a full life. Whether you're a mother in design, lead working parents on your team, or simply want to build a more human workplace, this conversation is a reminder that healthy places require healthy people to design them. Listen for an honest conversation about motherhood, interior design careers, working parents, leadership, work life balance, community, and finding grace in the season you're in. Read Maria's insights from this event Connect with Christina Fehr -Brooks on LinkedIn Connect with Milagros Zingoni on LinkedIn Connect with Kelly  Reynolds on LinkedIn Connect with Julie Dalby on LinkedIn Connect with Heather Dodd on LinkedIn Connect with Barbie Thomas on LinkedIn Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.Click here to get your copy of Maria's children's book—Design Your World.Click here to get your own Imagine a Place Conversation Card Deck.Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.