Why do you work?

Isolated. Unsupported. Unheard. Written off. Those are some of the words you're using to describe your current realities — and they're the words that are fueling our fire as we build this community. For all 35 million of you.

This week — on International Women's Day and every other day too — moms in the CARRY™ community made a splash:

Yesterday was National Working Moms day and we've been floored by the response to our Why I Work campaign! Good news — we're keeping the submission site open until March 31st. The stories you are sharing of why you work are knocking our socks off and we cannot wait to show you how we're going to use them to further our mission. Click here to send us your why.
We went live twice this week with two incredible working moms: Diana Lee (CEO + Co-Founder of Constellation Agency) and Elana Meyers Taylor (the most decorated black Winter Olympian) and talked all things working mom life. If you haven't watched them — pop in those AirPods and listen to it as you make dinner this week.
Francesco Malavolta's viral photo of strollers left on a Polish train platform for Ukrainian families looking for safety has been shared by moms in our community and beyond — and it's one that pulls at our heartstrings. Moms supporting moms. Families supporting families. It's the kind of feel-good, unifying story we can all get behind. If you're looking for a way to help moms and families affected by the crisis in Ukraine, click here.

1. It's time for some "table talk."

CARRY™ Leadership Expert, Jo Saxton, went off on Instagram this week and asked those of us with seats at the table or who are vying for seats at the table this question:

"Do they want you or do they want what you represent? And when they want you there — do they want it to be seen that you're sitting there or do they want the voice, the contribution that you'll make even if it costs the table's existence as it currently stands? Will it change anything?"

Ask these questions. The answers, she points out, are everything.

2. The case for being unbalanced.

This Fortune article from venture capitalist, Alyssa Jaffe, compares being a working mom to starting a company or being a CEO. The truth? Both are completely devoid of balance.

"Our whole idea of balance is unrealistic, and no individual day or moment will ever truly be balanced. Some days I’ll lean too heavily into work. Other days, I will focus on my kids. Every day is a journey and I’m 100% percent here for it."

3. Headed back to the office?

If you're headed back to the office and looking at your pile of "stuff" that you somehow used to tote back and forth everyday in disbelief — we feel you. We don't know how we used to do it either 🤷🏽‍♀️

Luckily — this Safari Bucket Bag from our friends at Sseko Designs does the trick and fits your laptop, planner, lunch, and sanity neatly inside. Plus, every purchase made helps empower global moms to break the cycle of poverty.

Salary negotiation is one of the skills you’ll need throughout your career and to do it properly, you'll need to be confident in the value you bring to your employer as a working mom.

To negotiate a raise, consider the best time to do it. You should ask for a raise when: You’ve worked for at least six months, you've been doing exceptionally well, you've lately taken on additional responsibilities. If you've checked those three boxes — here are 5 steps to negotiate that pay increase:

Look up salary information for your position
Before you ask for a raise, be aware of the salary range for your position and experience level. It's important to request a raise that falls within the range of what people in your position and experience earn.
Make a list of all your achievements.
A good rule of thumb is to have at minimum 3 achievements written down. Make a note of any new obligations you've taken on in the last year and add any favorable annual performance reviews your manager completed with you in recent years.
Set a goal for yourself.
Decide on a salary raise amount; you don't want to go too high and end up terminating negotiations before they even begin. Choose a number that is high enough for your boss to counter-offer while yet being acceptable to you.
Determine what kind of compromises you're willing to make.
While the purpose of the negotiation is to increase the income, there may be other possibilities on the table, such as a flexible schedule, vacation time, time off, stock options, etc. Consider which of these sacrifices you'd be ready to take in lieu of or in addition to a raise.
Make sure you've practiced your pitch.
Have everything you'll need ahead of time so you don't have to rely on quick thinking during the negotiation. Consider rehearsing in front of the mirror, with friends or coworkers.

Sarah French is a three-time Emmy Award winning journalist. She is a broadcast news anchor for the NBC affiliate, WCNC Charlotte and mom to two kids (Blair, 6 and CJ, 3).

What keeps your plate full these days?
I wake up everyday at 2 a.m. to go to work and anchor the morning news for the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, NC. I love my job although people think I’m crazy for even wanting that 2 a.m. shift. But the mornings just work for my family and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

What does day to day look like and how do you juggle it all with kids?
I wake up at 2 a.m. every day to go to work. I’m home just in time for school to let out. I can help with homework, extracurricular activities, dinner, bath time, bedtime. It’s so important for me to be present for my kids. And for a while, I wasn’t juggling it all. I was working as the evening anchor, and I would leave for work at 2 p.m. right as the school bus was letting out. I would just cry on my way to work knowing I wouldn’t see my kids at all until the weekend. I was absent, and I knew this just wasn’t working. So I chose to leave that main evening anchor position and switch to mornings. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Do I love waking up at 2 a.m. everyday? No. I’m sure I’m going to age a lot quicker this way. Ha! But I had to be there for my kids.

What holds the biggest tension/biggest struggle for you in trying to manage all the things (childcare, meals, mom guilt, friendship, being a single mom, marriage….) Well, the scheduling was a big deal for a long time because my husband was doing everything. I think that it is great for kids to see their dad in that role too, but I wanted to be a part of it as well. I just personally felt very convicted that my role as a mother was more important than my role as an anchor, so I made the switch. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

I think the hardest thing now is not having any family here. We absolutely love the Carolinas, and I don’t think we’ll ever leave. But since we are both working parents, it gets very difficult frantically trying to find someone if I get called in for breaking news or if we get a sick call from school.

How could you encourage other working moms who are overwhelmed but LOVE what they do + being a mom?
You can make it work! And you can’t be afraid to speak up. Do you need to go home for dinner? Do you need to work from home two days a week? Do you need to switch schedules entirely? You can make it work. And if it’s not working in one job, I promise you there’s another job out there where they will help you make it work.

Kudos to Salesforce for walking the walk when it comes to supporting families — at every stage of the game.

Area Vice President, Kaylin Voss, used LinkedIn to share how the organization stood by her through every step of her working mom journey — and call on businesses everywhere to "up-level" their support for women.