The Courage to Leave: Academia, Motherhood & Starting Over with Christine May, PhD

What if the real risk isn’t leaving – but staying too long?Christine May, PhD, trained as a psychologist focused on behavior change and was on a tenure-track path in academia when, in early motherhood, she started to question whether the life she’d spent years building still worked.She shares how and why she left academia and moved into industry through Noom, where she led behavioral science and research, before going on to found Evolve Consulting.Today, she works with startups and digital health companies to apply the principles of behavioral science to product design, advising organizations including the American Cancer Society, WW, and UPMC Health Plan.We talk about:– How to recognize when a path that “works” no longer feels like yours– What it actually takes to leave academia and build a career in industry– How to structure a partnership where one person sprints while the other coasts. And then you switch!– Why non-negotiables only work if you’re willing to hold them– And a more honest definition of “having it all”A conversation about motherhood, identity, and the courage to start over on purpose.Remember: You can build the "right" life and still outgrow it.*******⭐️ 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.