Jenna Worthen: Redefining the “Working Mom”

This month, we caught up with Jenna Worthen, mom of three and the founder of Mom Who Works. She created this movement with one powerful mission: to redefine what it means to be a mom who works in a world full of working dads. Passionate about supporting women in every season of motherhood and career, Jenna empowers working moms through her podcast, online community and meaningful conversations that inspire confidence, connection and purpose.

TK: What inspired you to start Mom Who Works?  Was there a particular moment or experience that lit the spark?

Jenna: In September of 2016, I was on a run, feeling hot, sweaty and overwhelmed with everything on my to-do list. I had an idea take root in my mind and in my heart. I was far from done with work but done being called a “working mom.”

The phrase “working mom” had always left me unsettled. So, on that run, a new phrase was born: the mom who works. I wrestled with that idea for nearly two years, knowing it was something powerful and important, before I finally landed on starting an online community for women in 2018. From day one, I’ve had a fundamental, driving force: If this project can help just one woman realize her worth and find her best work, the entire project is worth it.

TK: You talk a lot about redefining what it means to be a working mom. How do you hope to shift the narrative for moms everywhere?

Jenna: First and foremost, there is no such thing as a “working dad.” There are dads who work, just like there are moms who work. It is not a qualifier put on dads. Four in 10 moms are the breadwinners of their families, so we have got to figure this out!

“Working mom” is a label so many of us wear as a badge of honor, but the ordering of the words is problematic. It implies the work comes before the mom herself. We know moms—women—are more than just the work they do and the outputs they produce; she is full of hopes, dreams, needs and wants.

TK: What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about moms who work — and how do you encourage women to let go of guilt or judgment?

Jenna: I’m a millennial mom, and we are the first generation raising our kids with social media—and I’m not just talking about the social media impact on the kids, but the moms, too. Now, we have a constant feed of what we should be doing and a steady stream of reminders of where we are falling short. Images of perfect kitchens and sensory bins and easy marriages and fulfilling careers with perfect amounts of flexibility and sky-high salaries—if we are not careful, we can allow carefully curated images to negatively impact our perfectly chaotic lives.

TK: How do you personally navigate the tension between work, motherhood and taking time for yourself — and what advice do you give to other moms feeling pulled in a million directions?

Jenna: A core tenet of the Mom Who Works community is you can have it all, but you must define your all. We hear the phrase “You can have it all!” but my all is different than your all, and your all is different than my all. Each season of motherhood has opportunities and challenges that require a reexamination of your all for that exact moment in time. Just like our kids go from newborns to toddlers to elementary and so on, so my all can shift to be realistic and achievable at each stage of our motherhood journey. I walk you through this process in my book titled Mom Who Works.

TK: How do you hope your work influences your children and the way they see motherhood, work and purpose?

Jenna: I have two sons and a daughter, and I intentionally bring my kids into my work as much as possible. I want to instill the values of hard work, ownership and generosity. I talk strategy with them—and I ask for their advice. You would be floored by their incredible insights and instincts at such a young age! If I have a hard day, I share what I can about it with them—and I ask for grace if I’m worn down or ill-tempered. I don’t want work to just be something that means mom is away; I want them to understand mom loves her work and she’s doing it for them and with them. We are all in this together, and I hope they see the power of this integration.

TK: Why do you think community is so important for moms, and how does Mom Who Works help women feel seen and supported?

Jenna: I’ve been really troubled by what I’ve been reading about the impact of isolation, particularly on women. We simply were not made to do this alone. Our community started with sharing stories of becoming, remaining and flourishing as moms who work. I cannot begin to tell you how many notes I got from moms that essentially said “(huge sigh of relief) Oh, me too. I thought I was the only one.”

TK: What’s one thing you hope every mom reading this will take away from your message?

Jenna: For the mom reading this, I want you to know this important thing: What’s ordinary to you is extraordinary to others. What comes naturally to you is absolute magic for the rest of us. You are worthy of pursuing your dreams and schemes, you have the capacity to define and pursue your all, and we are here to cheer you on every step of the way.

You can find Jenna online:

• MomWhoWorks.com 
• Instagram: @momwhoworks 

You can listen to the full interview, including Jenna’s take on accountability and her daily non-negotiables that keep her grounded and inspired, on the Sharing Passion and Purpose Podcast.

Nancy A. Moore is an adjunct professor at Tulsa Community College and has been a writer for TulsaKids for more than 20 years. Her podcast, Sharing Passion and Purpose, can be found on most podcasting platforms or on NancyMoore.co.