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Work like you’re not a parent.
Parent like you don’t work.
What if that whole system is wrong?
This is Full Stack Moms, and we are Mallory Lee and Shannon Curran, two working moms navigating tech careers, parenting, and everything in between. We talk about why the traditional rules of work don’t fit modern parents and how women in tech are doing things differently. Through honest conversations and behind-the-scenes stories, this show explores careers, caregiving, ambition, and the messy reality of having it all, just not all at once.
Connect with Mallory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/
Connect with Shannon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/
Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius
www.shareyourgenius.com
[00:00:00] Cat Canada: it's so-- such a fascinating time right now in the mom-baby space because it's, like, two sides of the spectrum, and it's the first ever, right? Like, Gen Z's are here. The first time ever they're gonna be the most n-new, first-time new parents.
[00:00:13] And then on the other side, you have forty-year-olds having babies in a way that they've never had, at a rate that they've never had before. And now that's a whole different, right? They, like, know themselves a little bit more. They're smarter to marketing. They have more spending power. They're surrounded by people who already have babies, so they're, like, less in...
[00:00:28] You know, like, "I get it. I've seen what it's like." So I'm very interested to see how brands react to that and what, like, kinda where the industry goes a little bit with those two different, largely differing kind of populations leading the industry.
[00:00:42] Mallory Lee: This is Full Stack Moms.
[00:00:44] Shannon Curran: This is not a parenting podcast nor a business podcast, but a place where we talk building careers in tech, raising kids at home, and making it work in public.​
[00:00:55] Cat, thanks so much for joining us. Would love to have... So I know we talked about this a little bit in the beginning, but what we always do is have folks say how many kids do you have, um, how old are they, and then, like, what's your house situation like, like, who lives in your home?
[00:01:07] Um, and then what's your work like? What's your work like?
[00:01:10] Cat Canada: Yeah. Um, I have two kids. I have two boys. five, almost six. He turns six in June, and then a three-year-old. Um, two boys, so we were talking about the chaos that is a life with all boys, and then my husband. And also, fun fact, which is not fun for a mom brain, is that they're all D names, which I like didn't intend to do.
[00:01:30] I didn't like set out to do it like Kardashians or anything. It just happened. Like my husband is a D And then my oldest is a D. And then the third, like when my youngest came around, I was like, "Okay, what..." And this name
[00:01:42] Dempsey, the name Dempsey came into my world. I'm like, "I love that name so much." And then I was like, "Oh my God, I'm gonna have three Ds."
[00:01:48] So like quite literally, quite literally my life is ran by Ds, if you know what I mean. I'm like, "Oh,
[00:01:52] Speaker 2: Ooh.
[00:01:54] Cat Canada: big, big D energy in my house.
[00:01:59] Shannon Curran: Do you have a male dog? Do you
[00:02:01] Cat Canada: No, I like couldn't handle a pet. I couldn't handle a pet. We have a very big tree in our house, and I joke all the time that it is like the most needy child. It's like it is the hardest to maintain. It is like dying every day. And we're like, "Sorry, you- we used to love you, and now we have like real humans to keep alive and you're just like slowly dying, but sorry, buddy."
[00:02:19] That's the only other living thing in my house is this needy tree.
[00:02:24] Speaker 4: I've been doing freelan- like consulting work for about a year now, and it is so lovely. And it's the freedom, especially as a mom, like the freedom that it brings you, the power of owning your own calendar, that is like the thing that has been the most life-changing for me in the last year.
[00:02:40] Cat Canada: So my, you know, and then the other side, so I'm building up my consulting work and I have a handful of clients, largely in the mom space, women's health space, kind of straddling brand and impact is really kind of my sweet spot. and then I also launch Rebrand. So I'm the founder of Rebrand, which is a women's first networking community that is, we live on Slack, but also launching a podcast.
[00:03:00] So you guys are gonna have to give me all your, all your pro tips. So we're launching a podcast coming up here in the next couple months. So work is busy. I mean, you guys know what it's like, like building your own thing while also doing other things. And so yeah, my hands are in a lot of honey pots, but
[00:03:13] I love it that way. So it's, it's a good... We're, I'm in a good spot right now.
[00:03:16] Mallory Lee: That's awesome. What were you doing before freelance? Were you working corporate or what was that like?
[00:03:22] Cat Canada: I was, yeah, I was at a, it's no longer a startup now. I, but I was with them at startup. I was with a company called Bobbie, the infant formula company. So I was their, yeah, director of marketing for about close to four years. So with them from year one up until, you know, when I left just about a year ago, and really it was just time to do my own thing.
[00:03:41] I mean, you, I don't, I don't know your guys' background from a work wide, but you know what it's like when you're there, and I loved it, and I like loved it with all my soul. And I also kind of knew it was time for me to jump out of the nest to be able to do it my way, but have that like mom balance that I wanted to have.
[00:03:58] You know, and it was building, building something that I believed in and building something for someone else. So wanting to be able to take that with me, take all those like good, good connections and really deep impactful work, and go take it on my own. And that's really what this ha- this year has been is a lot of- self-exploration, finding the clients, what is it, how to set that up, how do I wanna build, build my own career, build my own business at the same time?
[00:04:21] And that's kind of what the last year has really been a big exploration of what that looks like.
[00:04:26] Mallory Lee: Oh, that's so cool. That's like the last two years for you, Shane.
[00:04:30] Shannon Curran: Yeah, exactly. We're on a similar trajectory. I think that's why we were connected to each other, Cat.
[00:04:34] Cat Canada: I would love to hear more. So I'm kind of, I-- Speaking of formula, I, uh, glad we talked about my exclusive breastfeeding journey here.
[00:04:42] but um, the part where I Yeah, I was like, this is very on-brand.
[00:04:44] Shannon Curran: Bobbi super fan. I love the brand, and I love the-- Like, I've listened to a few different podcasts with women that have worked at Bobbi, um, and would love to hear about your experience of being at a company that was pretty mom first, right? Like, they were, had a pretty, like, like, m-mom-centric vibe it seemed.
[00:05:04] Cat Canada: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:05:05] Shannon Curran: and would love to hear a little bit about, like, working at a company like that and then still feeling like, also, you still wanted to go out on your own to have a better balance as a mom. So it's funny. It's like, is even at, like, they're probably as close as you could get, and then, like, needing to still feeling like you wanted more freedom.
[00:05:20] So would love to hear about your Totally.
[00:05:22] Cat Canada: Yeah, I mean, I think you nailed it of, you know, it's, it was and is that, right? It's, like, very moms first. I mean, I think at one point... I think it's, like, a little bit more balanced now, but at one point it was something wild, like, 98% of the people that worked at Bobbie's were moms.
[00:05:34] Like, or women, and of that, like, 80-something were moms. So it was, like, the majority. The marketing team w- was literally all women. I think still it... I know still it's all women, majority moms. So part of what made and why, you know, it probably feels like the brand is so resonant, and we talk about this all the time, is it was built by our audience, which means it was bu- uh, we built it, but it was built, we were the core audience, right?
[00:05:55] Like, we knew who we were talking to. We knew the emotions we were feeling.I know for a fact, there has not been a single year, or probably even a six-month stretch, where there was not someone out on mat leave on the marketing team. It was, like, in the water. It, someone was out all the time, literally.
[00:06:12] Yeah. And we were, you know, all in of, like, the baby, family-building age, and coming in and out and going through the fertility of it all, and the p- prenatal and the postpartum and the feeding. So, like, when we talk about feeding being personal and, like, building this brand being personal, it was because we all liv- we were living it in real time, right?
[00:06:30] And choosing to feed our baby Bobbie, for a lot of us, we, a lot of us combo fed, a lot of us breastfed as long as we could. and then used a product that we were also selling and also building. So it was so personal, right? And we believed it. And because of that, to your point of being very mom-centric, you know, we think of the policies, the mat leave policy.
[00:06:50] Someone on the team had an early, went into, um, labor really early and we didn't have a NICU policy. So in, like, 24 hours we created a NICU policy 'cause it's the one that we needed. So, you know, so, like- When you're motivated because you're going through it and it's your personal experience, you will run through a wall, right?
[00:07:08] And that's really what it was. It was like arm a team of moms to build something that we believed in, and you couldn't tell us we couldn't do it. and to your point, to what you were saying, the other side is, and it was a hyper-growth, fast-paced startup, that there's a certain pace that you are working and there's, you know, you don't have zero brand awareness to the brand awareness that Bobbie had in four years without working really hard and doing, you know, long hours and big campaigns.
[00:07:32] And when you love the mission, you're willing to go for it, you know? And, It was the best time of my career, and the campaigns we got to do was incredible, and the sets I got to be on, and the people I got to meet, and I'm so deeply proud of building that brand really from year one and getting to work with the most amazing, brilliant people.
[00:07:51] And there was a level of burnout after four years, and I had... You know, I joined at, when my first was 16 months. I had my second and came back pretty much as quickly as possible, and that's also a reflection of me. I wanted to go back. I was ready to work. I was like a sentiment to like being really, like loving the work.
[00:08:10] But a few years into it, and it kind of burns out.
[00:08:13] I joined when my first was 16 months. I had my second one and wanted to get back right away.
[00:08:19] So I took the minimum time, which again, is not on them. That's on me and a reflection of loving the work. But when you go at that pace for that long, I kind of had this revelation one day of like, "My kids have never had a mom that wasn't checking Slack first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, and I think I need to change this up.
[00:08:40] What are, what are we doing here?" You know? I was like, "And I think I could go do really meaningful work and take everything I've learned and go with me and build something on my own." So it was kind of hitting that, and I joke that I feel like I was kind of like grieving for like a quarter. Like I knew it was coming.
[00:08:55] You could feel it on your inside. So I feel like I was like mourning in real time, and then finally kind of hit that point where I'm like, "Okay, it's time to go." And it was a hard decision, but such clarity and such peace when it finally, when I finally made it.
[00:09:09] Mallory Lee: Well, congrats. That's a
[00:09:11] Shannon Curran: I know, so
[00:09:11] Cat Canada: you.
[00:09:12] Mallory Lee: and a very fun brand. So obviously, you brought, you brought the fun,
[00:09:16] Cat Canada: Aw, thank you. Yes, shout out to Bobbie. They're still doing really incredible work. I'm, I mean, I'm their biggest fan, and I've also like stayed best friends with so many of them. So I'm chatting with them all the time, to be honest.
[00:09:27] Shannon Curran: And I think we talk about this all the time on this show that careers really have seasons, right? Like, there is a lot of ... And I don't know if I've ever put it this way, but we talk all the time, almost every single woman that we talk to on this show has had a career, like, block that was just like your block at Bobby, right?
[00:09:45] Like, it was like we hustled. Mallory and I talk about how she was the, what, the mayor of ExactTarget. Like, she was the first one in, last one out. And it's like I had a similar situation one with my run at Quick Base and into, um, OpenView. And then sets us up to be in a place where maybe we just have a different relationship with work for a little while, and that's
[00:10:04] Cat Canada: " Jen," like, like- Hmm. Hmm. Like, "You know what? In a, in a
[00:10:08] Shannon Curran: someone once told me, and it was a woman that was much older than me, when I was at, uh, Babson, when I was, like, really young, and I was like, "I'm behind in my career." I was 24. and she ... But I wasn't VP yet, you know? Uh, and
[00:10:20] so she was like, "Shannon, life's or sh- life is short, but your career is long." And she's like, "It's going to have so many seasons, and it's gonna have so ... " And, and she's like, "Just, like, be in each one." You know? Like, it's ... And I, I feel like the further I get in my career, the longer it does feel. Like, I'm like, "Oh, I got
[00:10:39] so much time." Like, I'm like, you
[00:10:41] Cat Canada: I, like, actually think, not as poetic as that, that's so profound and exactly right, but in, like, my own way, I often like, "Girl, you're gonna be working for a long time. Like, buckle up. It's okay. Like, where you are right now is really great, and a lot of people look up to where you are right now, and know that you don't have to be at the end of your career in the middle of your career.
[00:11:05] Like, you will get there. Give yourself some time." but sometimes the, all the women I look up to are where I wanna go and what I wanna do. I'm like, "Why isn't that happening right now?" And it's like, no, but it is happening.
[00:11:15] It's un- unfolding. Like, it will happen. Just keep going.
[00:11:19] Speaker 7: Yeah
[00:11:20] Mallory Lee: Yeah. Yeah, that's so great. Brian and I joke all the time that he wants to retire, you know, early and, um, he's got all kinds of things that he would want to do, but I will just be working forever because it's just unfortunately or fortunately, I love it. And so
[00:11:38] I, I know there's a lot of time ahead of me, uh, even if we're fortunate enough to not really need it.
[00:11:45] Cat Canada: me. Yeah. Okay. That's funny you said that. So when I left Bobby, part of leaving Bobby was like, "I'm gonna f- find some time. I'm gonna take a breath. I'm gonna, like, chill." And then I launched a rebrand like eight days later. And my
[00:11:59] Shannon Curran: I know.
[00:12:00] Cat Canada: my husband was a little bit like, "The f**k?"
[00:12:04] Like, the... "I thought you were gonna re- You just launched a whole ass business in eight days." and now I've been, we've been running it for a year. We have s- over 1,600 member- Like, it's now, like, we have leads across the country. We're hosting events. We're launching a podcast. We're doing all these
[00:12:19] things. And my husband is just like, "This felt like a bait and switch. What's happening?" Like, "Can you chill?" I'm like, "I literally can't chill." It's just we are who we are, you know?
[00:12:30] Mallory Lee: Yeah.
[00:12:30] Shannon Curran: I tried to become a stay-at-home mom with our first, and I started consulting about one month later. So same boat. It was like, Why not? I need to stay, you know, in it.
[00:12:42] Mallory Lee: I need to make sure that I don't lose my connections or my
[00:12:45] touch."
[00:12:46] daughter. Yeah. And stay-at-home moms to me are the, actually the heroes. it's such hard work. It's emotional, it's physical, it's mental. Literally shaping your children every single day, and under- underfunded, underserved, under-supported.
[00:13:01] Cat Canada: You know, all these assumptions that you're just whatever, becoming like, placating life. It's amazing to me. Like, I think stay-at-home moms are really doing, like, the most heroic work, and I could never, I couldn't do it. I, it would be really hard for me. We are a great daycare family, you know? And,
[00:13:18] Stay-at-home moms are so commendable, and I look at them like, man, you just, like, have it together, and you're doing it, and your kids are so happy. And I'm thinking, I just actually interviewed Neha Roop for our, our podcast, and she wrote The Power Pause. And we talked a lot about how wonderful it is to be a woman and to be a mom at this time where we don't have to live in the binary.
[00:13:37] You know, we don't have to be a stay-at-home mom or a we're allowed to do both, and we are doing both. And we're seeing just, like, the influx of women doing, choosing to do both. And it's really so lovely that you can, to your point, the season. You could be a, a stay-at-home mom for a season of life and get to come back when you want.
[00:13:54] And that's happening right now, I feel so, like, happy that we get to witness this, like, real, like, revolution in how women are choosing to work.
[00:14:01] Mallory Lee: I'm with you. And anytime I interview with people and they wanna know about my background, I just say like, "Yeah, when we were having kids, I was consulting on and off and full-time on and off, and I just did what the family needed." And everyone's like, "That's awesome. You know, I wish my wife could have done that," or whatever.
[00:14:18] People totally respect it. And, you know, to your point, I think it used to have to be a much more binary choice. And I'm, I feel really lucky that it doesn't necessarily have to be like that for us. And, you know, I think yourself, Cat and the people that we have on here that we talk to, like we refuse to let it be binary, honestly.
[00:14:38] cows on the earth are watching like- And so, you know, good for us because we were just making it happen, whatever, whatever we need to do.
[00:14:45] We can it whatever.
[00:14:46] Cat Canada: Yeah. 'Cause women are so much more nuanced than that, right? Like, I could, w- you, I'm sure you guys have done it. You're breastfeeding and all you're thinking about is like, "Oh, this email and this thing and this empire I'm building, and the things that have to happen."
[00:14:57] And like, we can do that, and that's great. And in, in, in the past, it'd be like, "You're all, this is all you're doing," or, "This is all you're doing." And now it's like, no, actually, we have the capacity of many, of many talents and many interests and multitasking. Lord knows we can multitask, right?
[00:15:14] Mallory Lee: Yeah.
[00:15:15] Shannon Curran: Yeah.
[00:15:16] This was a revelation I had when I, I talk about this all the time. ref-I refused to give up either one of my identities. I just couldn't
[00:15:23] do it Like, I felt so tied to both of them. Like, having kids did rewire my brain completely, and I thought it wouldn't. I was sure that I would just have a kid and go back to and work, you know, 10 hours a day and be fine.
[00:15:35] My kids will be in daycare all day long and, and then I yearned for the connection of my children, right? Like, I wanted to be around, and I wanted to be the mom that goes to the 9:30, uh, oh, the, I got the text that they just finished their, uh, transportation unit in daycare. So I have to go. gonna go sit on some trucks or something.
[00:15:53] I don't know. But, like, it's, like, at 9:00 AM on Monday. And I was like, "Yep, I'll be there."
[00:15:57] and I want to be the mom that's able to do that. But I ... And I had a, I had a mom that was able to do that, which was amazing, right? Like, but I also, like, it's kind of funny. Like, I, like, want the career of my dad, too, right?
[00:16:09] Like, that's,
[00:16:10] Cat Canada: What? Mm. Oh,
[00:16:11] Shannon Curran: things and, and I felt so connected to both of them, right? Like, I ... And I think that's where it's, yeah, it is really interesting. Back to your point of being a stay-at-home mom, too. Um, my daughter was home a lot longer than my son was. She didn't go to daycare til she was, like, almost a year.
[00:16:27] And I looked and was like, "Oh my God, she doesn't know anything. I didn't teach her anything." Nothing. Nothing. Like, I had this
[00:16:36] thought, yeah, she already, she's been in daycare for a week. She knows three words. She's been in daycare for a week. And I was like, I had this thought of, like, I'm not built for this.
[00:16:45] Like, I'm not, like, and she was home... To be fair, I had, like, a, a partial nanny that was home with us, and she did teach her a few things. Like, no, no, no, no, she knows that. Uh, but I, but I was like, I had this thought of, like, all these things my son knew at this age because he had started daycare so much earlier, and I was like, "Oh, shoot."
[00:17:03] Like, I am not, like, my friends that are stay-at-home moms that have, like, a structured day where they, like, pretty much do school. They have, like, a unit that they do for, like, and 'cause they have, like, a three-year-old that needs to learn shapes, I guess. I, when do they learn shapes? Like, I don't know.
[00:17:16] Like, I,
[00:17:17] Cat Canada: Yeah
[00:17:18] I remember that. Shannon, I remember that was like visceral for me my first time around. So I had my first in 2020, so he was like a peak COVID baby. He was June 2020, so he was home and we didn't have any care, and like daycares were closed, and everyone was masked, and it was just such a weird time.
[00:17:36] Like, I feel like now, and like if I think about it too hard, it's like this weird existential like blip in reality. I'm like,
[00:17:42] Mallory Lee: Did it really happen? Did it Was that r- and global? Like, was that real? That was weird." But that was my first. And you know, he's now, you know... So all the moms who have like kindergartners or going into kind- like we were all the COVID moms, right?
[00:17:55] Cat Canada: And that was him. And, I remember having that same kinda like visceral of like, "I am not built for this." Like, I have no... I'm just trying to keep him alive, let alone like being solely responsible with his like cognitive development. I was like, there's people who study for a long time, who like go to school for a long time to be experts in this.
[00:18:15] It ain't me. And I had that same. I remember him when we were able to go, he started going to daycare. I remember him coming back. I'm like, "I'm sorry, he can wash his own hands?
[00:18:22] Oh my God, all the self-sustaining, all the things, and re- self-responsibility," and like it would blew me away.
[00:18:28] I was like, my child would've gone to kindergarten with me still like spoon-feeding him. Like, there's no way I would've known to like push him, "Go ahead, buddy. You can do these things." That it just, God, God bless caretakers, you know?
[00:18:41] Shannon Curran: Seriously, like I just, my son, oh, he's like, "Oh, we have to clean up that mess," and walks over and starts cleaning something up the other day. I'm like, "I did not, I did not teach you that." Like, I wish I had. I should have.
[00:18:53] Cat Canada: You
[00:18:54] Shannon Curran: do have to clean up that mess. Absolutely. I think it is a very...
[00:18:58] It's just, I think the word you used was nuanced, right? Like, it is. It's so gray. And like, I think you'll feel different. And like, Mallory, I don't know how it feels for you. I actually wanna know. I have never asked you this, but how does it feel like from a, like mental load perspective having kids that are older?
[00:19:17] Like, 'cause they're in school, but like they're like peopling out there without you. Like,
[00:19:23] Cat Canada: Wait, remind me how old they are. What are their ages?
[00:19:26] Mallory Lee: So our oldest just turned 10,
[00:19:28] Shannon Curran: and
[00:19:28] Mallory Lee: um, and our middle one is eight, and our youngest is six.
[00:19:33] So fourth grade, second
[00:19:35] Cat Canada: grade,
[00:19:36] second grade, Kindergarten. Okay.
[00:19:37] Shannon Curran: Kind of your older, like teenagers
[00:19:37] Mallory Lee: Yeah. And I do remember having so much anxiety about, you know, they're gonna go to real school, and they're gonna have homework, and it's so easy and fun, and like when you're a mom to a baby, the oxytocin is so high, right?
[00:19:53] and then they get older, and it's like, what does it mean to be an older kid's
[00:19:57] mom? And
[00:19:58]
[00:19:58] Mallory Lee: I just like dreaded all the homework stuff and, and dreaded the school stuff. But surprisingly, it hasn't been that bad. Um, we'll see how it continues because Grayson is our firstborn, very, very responsible, like barely ever has homework.
[00:20:15] You know how that stuff is. And I don't think it'll be like that with everyone. So
[00:20:20] Shannon Curran: thinking ahead.
[00:20:22] Mallory Lee: yeah, I think they're all gonna do their own, you know, unique things. But,
[00:20:27] it is weird. It's so incredibly crazy.
[00:20:30] Cat Canada: they have different needs the older they get. And some of them become more like emotional and social, and then there's homework, and then there's sports. And, so it does change quite a bit. But I think, you know, as like a boy mom, I'm just trying to still hold on to some of the cuddle time with the littlest
[00:20:48] yeah, like he's doing really great. Um, I think they have the right people. Mm. And they have more, like, support and then, and there's homework and there's stuff that... So it does take a village. Mm. But I think as like my, my strides to full-time, it's- Oh, the s- the sweetness. I also am finding, I mean, mine are still, as like I said, six and three.
[00:20:59] But my oldest now, the more... He's like so fun and funny, and they're inquisitive and curious, and what that allows for my career. It cha- Like, he can come home and be a little more self-sustaining, and he can like do his thing and, you know, there's a little less neediness, which is like what you want if we're like, you know, trying to raise these independent, highly emotionally intelligent children.
[00:21:17] but it also creates a different space, to your point, the seasons. Like, your career changes when you're not diapers. Like, everyone's potty trained in my house. Like, everyth- you know, like
[00:21:27] Shannon Curran: Oh, no one is potty
[00:21:28] Cat Canada: things... I know. Carry on, carry on, carry on. You'll get there. But like it changes, it changes everything.
[00:21:36] your work travel, your availability, your like, "Oh, we can l- " Like, it, it's easier to leave them. Like, it really is. Like, the season of the, your kid, your motherhood season and your kid season directly impacts your work season and what your like career is doing at that time too. And I'm seeing, I'm starting to move more into the freedom a little bit.
[00:21:55] Probably like, you know, Mallory, you're feeling that as well. Shannon, come, you're coming with us soon.
[00:22:00] Shannon Curran: I remember we went on a trip to like a cabin, and our boys were just off, you know, playing, fishing, doing whatever.
[00:22:09] Mallory Lee: And the other two families that we were with both had more of like a toddler still involved. And I'm seeing my friends just like chasing these kids around, and they're like running themselves ragged the entire weekend. Me and Brian are like sipping coffee, sitting on the porch. I was like, "I feel really guilty right now?" that this is, you know, getting kinda easier."
[00:22:28] one thing I wanted to say, Shannon, is don't worry. Uh, school will probably potty train him, so, you
[00:22:35] Cat Canada: he'll be fine.
[00:22:36] Mallory Lee: be fine.
[00:22:36] Shannon Curran: Yeah, he just moved into the big kid class, which he'll tell you, "I wanna go to my classroom." That's what he always said. That, I'm like, "You love your classroom." He
[00:22:42] goes, "They have good toys." class? Does he miss his old does. Aww.
[00:22:47] He does. but he's okay. Cat, for your context, my son moved out of his class, and then like three days later, my daughter started.
[00:22:55] So, like she took his spot. He was holding her spot.
[00:22:58] So, I know.
[00:23:00] And the daycare's very small. It's only three classrooms. And so he just moved through the door. And they did it,
[00:23:05] they did a really good job, like a really good job. They brought him in for an hour every day
[00:23:08] for like three weeks,
[00:23:10] and then they would let him have snack in there, and
[00:23:12] then he would like... It was like very gradual. They did an excellent job.
[00:23:16] and they moved him in a little early. he was an early talker, early walker, so they were like, "He'll be fine." and so I was like, "Okay." he was really excited for Willa to come with him, which I think we did a, we brought her with him a few times and she was like, they, they were together and it was good.
[00:23:30] I think everything was fine. But now he, really loved the teacher
[00:23:34] in the like little kid class, so like he's very sad that Miss Emmy is not his teacher anymore. but the teacher's aides, they go like between classes, so the good news is that his like favorite like teacher helper is actually now in his class, not in the other.
[00:23:46] So like they're doing a
[00:23:48] Cat Canada: Nice. Okay.
[00:23:48] Shannon Curran: it's just like they just are such an extension of our village, it's like crazy. Like I can't
[00:23:53] imagine
[00:23:54] Cat Canada: Totally.
[00:23:55] Shannon Curran: not having them. Like or even going to a bigger daycare c- daycare center, which we had planned to do, and then we switched last minute to this like, uh...
[00:24:02] They're big. They, it's not like a home daycare. It's like a, it's a center, but we know all of them. They've had my, all of my babies for so lo- And it's like, God, I'm so grateful. Man, I don't know what I And that's,
[00:24:13] Cat Canada: that's like such a big part, I think, early motherhood if you, if you are a daycare or even if you have a nanny, right?
[00:24:19] Like, or some kind of like in-home care, how quickly it becomes not just about you, right? Honestly, my kids are with other teachers, other adults more hours in the day than they're with me. like both like I can't take all the blame and I can't take all the credit, right?
[00:24:34] Of like they are, they have other people, and it, that village, like you said, those people, whoever it is, those caretakers have such like outsized impact on individually to us than like we have on them, right? They have 12 kids, and we think ours is the most special. And like I know that Miss Maya loves you the most.
[00:24:52] I'm like, I bet everyone feels that way, and like I hope they all feel that way, you know? But yeah, I'm with you
[00:24:58] of like the,
[00:24:59] it's
[00:24:59] Shannon Curran: It's our
[00:25:00] secret that you're the favorite.
[00:25:01] Cat Canada: you're the favorite, obviously. My second one lives life like that. He's like, "I'm here. You're welcome." Like, okay, you go. You go do that. but yeah, the, the, like the village and the outsized impact they have on you and your kid, and that it's like kind of great as a mom to be like, "Okay, like this isn't, this isn't all just on me."
[00:25:19] And that's actually is like a little bit of grace you
[00:25:22] Shannon Curran: Yeah, I don't know how to
[00:25:25] do that. Uh, that is, yeah, um, yeah, we'll figure it out. Cat, can you talk a little bit more about Rebrand? Like, I would love to hear about, like, how you started it, what inspired you.
[00:25:36] mostly for my own interest, but I wanna... I know our
[00:25:39] Cat Canada: Yes. Yes. Please. I love to. It's like my favorite thing to talk about. So Rebrand started, like I said, about a year ago, right on the heels of leaving Bobbi, and kind of the origin lore at this point was the job I had at Bobbi got re- got posted while I was still there, and I hadn't quite told everyone that I was leaving, and it became, it was, came to as like quite a shock to a lot of people 'cause I was like diehard.
[00:26:04] So I think it was very surprising to a lot of people, and it kind of like my phone kind of blew up, like, "What's happening?" So I took it and reposted it essentially. This is so silly, but LinkedIn is such like a big part of the story. It's like I reposted it to my LinkedIn of like, "Cat's out of the bag.
[00:26:18] Back on the market," like, "This is happening. Well, help me find my replacement. Let's like find someone to take this job." And in my like very small sliver of LinkedIn, that post kind of got picked up, and I got like hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of messages of the most like capable, smart, overqualified women who wanted this marketing like leadership job at Bobbi.
[00:26:44] And I took a ph- a couple calls, and every time I talk to someone, I'm like, "You're... They should hire you. I love you. You should go have it. I'm largely not gonna hire you, though. I'm on, I have three days left." You know? And it got a little bit of like, I was like dating for my ex-boyfriend before I had like packed up my toothbrush is like kind of what it's kind of felt.
[00:27:01] And I was like, "Wait, I'm not like quite ready to do this, but let's stay connected." Like you obviously... You know, I talked to people from like Nike, from Sephora, from like these big jobs and big companies and- My revelation was essentially like we all need to have real connection that's not LinkedIn, right?
[00:27:19] Like LinkedIn is fine for a lot of things. People love it, hate it, largely hate it. It's a little cringe, but there... It serves a purpose. It also has like a chokehold on professional networking, like where else are people finding each other? So... And my kind of revelation is like, but these job opportunities come up, and it's really your network matters, but your- the investment in your network matters.
[00:27:39] Meaning You only need a couple people who are gonna do the thing. Like you can go to these conferences, and we've all had this experience. You go to these big conferences, you're wearing your little badge, and you come home and you're like, "I didn't even really... I like met hundreds of people, but I only remember Sarah, who I just happened to sit next to at that happy hour, and we had the best conversation, and now Sarah and I are friends," right?
[00:27:59] And it's because there was a level of investment of like you're talking, you know them, you know their kids' names, you know what they do. You don't... It's beyond just the title. And that was really... That's like the impetus of Rebrand, was this revelation of leaving all these women and wanting to be together.
[00:28:12] And I was like, "Well, where should we go?" So I went back to LinkedIn and said, "How do we stay together?" And everyone said Slack, and literally two days later I launched s- Rebrand on Slack. And in day one we had like 300 people join, and now we're sitting close to 1,700. And it's all women who kind of feel the same way of like, "I wanna invest in my networking, but it has to be outside of these corporate networking events that are like awkward and you don't actually remember anyone.
[00:28:38] I wanna like know people. I wanna know their story. I wanna help them." And Rebrand has become... It's just so... I like... I'm obviously biased, but it's like kind of my like third little baby, right? And It's like warm and generous and smart, and it's just, it's just like such a wonderful little pocket on the internet
[00:28:57] for women who are largely what we're doing, right? So many of us are moms over at Rebrand. It's not, it's not marketed to only moms, but it happens to be. it's just like a certain audience at a certain age doing certain things, right? So there's a lot of moms doing exactly this, of building their careers, building their dream careers, maybe embracing fractional because motherhood is taking like up a bigger kind of like piece of the pie right now.
[00:29:21] Or they're thinking about going back, right? So it's just a lot of, connections, supporting each other, fractional workers who are doing a thing, or like first time founders. And it's really cool because it's these executive women who have done the things, not dissimilar to all of us, who have like held the job, built the brands, done the things for other people, and now they're at a place of like, "Wait, I could do this for myself.
[00:29:41] Maybe be it's more lucrative doing this for myself, and maybe I can like plan my own calendar to go to sit on trucks with my child or be at kindergarten pickup for me." And it's just so warm and inspiring. Like everyone's building and doing the things. And, yeah, now we're launch- like I said, we're launching a podcast, which it's just kind of the evolution of Rebrand has been really fun, and it feels Sort of quite frankly like the community that I needed at the time unknowingly, and I've just like forced people to be my friends in the last year, and it's lovely.
[00:30:14] I have 1,600 friends and
[00:30:16] Mallory Lee: Oh. Well, I wanna check it out for
[00:30:20] Cat Canada: You guys, join, join. I'll send you the link. Come on
[00:30:22] Shannon Curran: Thank you. I was gonna say, it's the-- You d- you just described the teacher's favorite. It's the teacher's favorite, you know? Like, there's-- It's your favorite It's your
[00:30:30] fa- your third child. That's
[00:30:32] Cat Canada: It is. I'm like, this is my little- this is my third little baby rebrand.
[00:30:36] Shannon Curran: I know. I love it. And what do you do on the consulting side? Like, what kind of companies do you work with, and, like,
[00:30:41] Cat Canada: Yeah. Largely, and like I said, the mom space, like coming from Bobbie, obviously the network, and, and before that I was always been in CPG. So before that I was at a company called Perfect Bar, which is a refrigerated protein bar company. So good. Love it. Shout out Perfect Bar. Like, still eat one every day.
[00:30:56] I'm like, at what point do we hit that diminishing returns 'cause we're going on like 10 years. I don't- my kids are obsessed. It's so great. The family story like sold itself as a brand marketer. so yeah, brand, you know, largely in brand marketing. I learned a lot on like brand capital B at Bobbie.
[00:31:12] Obvious- like we did a lot of brand campaigns. They invested early and a lot in brand, which allowed us to do some really fun, cool stuff. So in that space, you know, and I have like an app, a child's app that's like a fun, very cool Montessori-inspired app that my kid is obsessed with. I have some well-known baby brands that I'm doing like brand and impact.
[00:31:33] So I helped launch Bobbie for Change, when I was there, which is like the social impact advocacy side of the business that became really a tenet of the brand. If you guys are, have followed, you know, the paid leave, the maternal mortality crisis, the breasties, which is they're working on some amazing work around breast cancer awareness and feeding equity, and helped to kind of launch that while I was there and now it's flourishing and doing the most incredible work.
[00:31:56] But really kind of straddling that impact brand side of how do we do a brand campaign that has more than just a CTA of buy now? Like, what else are we doing? Like, how do we get people engaged? How are we building brand, um, loyalty, which is the product has to be good, but what else is happening?
[00:32:12] And that kind of like, what else is happening, how do we make a deeper level of this campaign is really kind of my specialty and my s- preferred sweet spot. so really those are kind of the brands that are like interested in that or want to start it. I think we're seeing, like, I don't know if you guys stay close to like the mom brand space, but the amount of brands that are now like at the Capitol in DC doing lobby days, like it's amazing.
[00:32:34] And we were, we were one of the first to do it in like a very public-facing way at Bobbie, and now we're seeing a lot of people doing, which is awesome. Like, the more people rallying and lobbying, the better, right? Around like better mom equity and mom policies. I think that's great. So that's where a lot of my, my work kind of sits in that space.
[00:32:52] Mallory Lee: This makes me want to ask you your opinion on the drama with the Frida brand
[00:32:58] Cat Canada: Mm. Yeah. it's a good question. I think it's a good reminder that the internet is forever, right? Like, what you post now, and I think it's a good reminder of the needs of a good copywriter, making sure things are edited. I think it's a really good practice that brands don't do of, like, auditing your stuff.
[00:33:17] Like, what you posted and what you stood for four years ago, is that still? Is there something happening in the headlines that would make this very off-brand or tone deaf? Which I think is a big part of what happened with them, obviously. I think it was an oversight and a miss, and the Epstein files really brought a lot of that to f- the very, like, floated a lot of it all the way to the top of what is allowed and not allowed, and what is funny and what's not funny, and what's inappropriate and what's tone deaf.
[00:33:45] and they really got deeply caught up in that. but I also know the Frida products, we, we love Frida products. So that nose sucker is like, goes so hard in my house, right?
[00:33:57] Mallory Lee: All of them.
[00:33:59] Cat Canada: they all go... And, like, the other parts of what the... The cradle cap. They were the first to create a real, like, postpartum kit, so I...
[00:34:06] Like, a baby brand that focused on the mom, and that went g- g- still goes gangbusters in Target. So, like,
[00:34:11] Mallory Lee: Yeah.
[00:34:12] Cat Canada: There's some people that deserve to be canceled in cancel culture, but, like, largely for brands, like, mistakes happen, and it was, like, big mistakes. But let's not write all the other good things that they do for parents, and all the product innovation and what they've done for moms.
[00:34:25] I don't wanna, like, deeply write any brand off for some mistakes that happened somewhere. I'd like to see, like, a turnaround, right? Like, how are we making... Like, what is the actionable things that come out of it? I think crisis comms could probably have been a little bit different and a little bit better, but,you I think they should interested,
[00:34:45] I'm more interested of where they're going next.
[00:34:48] Shannon Curran: Wait, maybe they did hire her and she just can't say it. No, I'm just kidding. There's a...
[00:34:52] Mallory Lee: would be great.
[00:34:53] Cat Canada: Lips are sealed. We never know.
[00:34:56] Shannon Curran: I don't know. I do think it's so fascinating, Cat, you're in such an amazing space because these brands are popping up. Well, they're realizing finally the economic mobility of moms, right? For good and for bad, For good and for bad, I will say I feel like there's a lot of shady stuff going on of like really taking advantage of the fact that new moms will pay for anything that will make their life better, right?
[00:35:18] Which I think is like, that I don't love, right? but I do think there is like a lot of, like talk about, I don't know what the market cap is here, but it's gotta be really high of like these brands that are aimed at moms that have the money to sol- like throw money at problems.
[00:35:33] Cat Canada: And are ready-- And here's the, like, the two stats that are, like, keeping me up at night, is this year, 2026 will be the first year that more first-time parents are Gen Z than millennials, which is really interesting from a brand, a marketing think about, like, your audience is different, right?
[00:35:53] The Gen Z's are here, you guys. They're having babies on purpose. You know, like, they're parents, they're adults. And let's respect... I think there's still-- It's, like, so classic, like, when millennials, when we were younger, like, "You just want ping pong and kombucha, and you don't stand for anything." Meanwhile, we're, like, making the companies that are, like, literally changing the world, right?
[00:36:10] It's like, put a little respect on our names, right? And, like, that's now, I think, we're literally grown-ups. And that's with Gen Z now. I'm like, you guys, they're grown-ups. These aren't high school. Gen Z's not in high school. Like, Gen Alpha is coming up quickly behind them, right? So, like, I think we need to, like, put some respect on Gen Z and, and know that, like, they're gonna parent a different way.
[00:36:29] They're gonna maybe not be sad beige millennial moms. Like, I'm a ref-- I'm, like, trying. I am who I am. But, like, we... You know, they're gonna be a different language, different need. They came up in tech. They're the first generation to, like, fully come up in tech. Like, I really wanna s-- I can't wait to see what brands do with that.
[00:36:48] And then the other side of the spectrum is that the biggest age range of pregnancies now are women into their forties. So there's more women in their forties having babies than ever before, and it's actually the biggest population having babies. And that's a whole different... You know, those are millennials going the different direction, but have spending power.
[00:37:06] You have more spending power in your forties than you do in your twenties, right? So it's so-- such a fascinating time right now in the mom-baby space because it's, like, two sides of the spectrum, and it's the first ever, right? Like, Gen Z's are here. The first time ever they're gonna be the most n-new, first-time new parents.
[00:37:25] And then on the other side, you have forty-year-olds having babies in a way that they've never had, at a rate that they've never had before. And now that's a whole different, right? They, like, know themselves a little bit more. They're smarter to marketing. They have more spending power. They're surrounded by people who already have babies, so they're, like, less in...
[00:37:41] You know, like, "I get it. I've seen what it's like." So I'm very interested to see how brands react to that and what, like, kinda where the industry goes a little bit with those two different, largely differing kind of populations leading the industry.
[00:37:55] Mallory Lee: Man, we're gonna see Gen Z words like on products and stuff. It's gonna be fascinating.
[00:38:03] Cat Canada: Z. I'm, like, trying to be cool. I only got TikTok in the last year, you guys, and I'm, like,
[00:38:07] Shannon Curran: It's
[00:38:08] Cat Canada: I'm so dumb, but I also so love it. I'm like, wait, I love it here
[00:38:13] Shannon Curran: I know. Well, so I've had it for too many years. I like am way too... And so I go through spurts where I have to like break up with TikTok.
[00:38:19] I like delete it for a little while, and then I'm like, "Ah, I miss it." And then I see my screen time go down by like three hours a day, uh, when I get rid of it. I'm like, "Shannon, Shannon."
[00:38:31] Mallory Lee: I unapologetically like TikTok. I like it. And you can find
[00:38:36] Shannon Curran: too.
[00:38:36] Mallory Lee: really
[00:38:37] Cat Canada: guys.
[00:38:38] And, like, culture is happening there if you're not there, especially as a brand marketer, and I have literally since leaving Bobbie, text Angela, shout out Angela, she's literally the best. Social media... She was the social media lead at, as I was leaving Bobbie.
[00:38:52] I was like, "You guys, I'm so s- I didn't get it." Like, I, I refused to get Ti- I was like, "I'm too busy. I don't need another one." I was, like, managing the social team and refusing to get TikTok, and she would, like, bring things up. This was actually the text I sent her the other day. She at one point in this Instagram caption, she said something about like, "Parents are unwell, not like the Alex Cooper kind of way," something, something.
[00:39:10] And I remember flagging that caption being like, "The hell are you talking about? Like, are people gonna get this?" I was like, "Are people gonna understand, like, what you're talking about? Like, I don't understand." And she's like, "Girl, yes, people are gonna understand who Alex Cooper is and unwell. Like, you are out of touch."
[00:39:26] She would never say that to me, but I like in the last... With all the, like, Alex/Alex drama, I text her literally like last week of like, " I just need you to know that I'm on TikTok, and I'm like deeply invested in the Alex and Alex stuff. And I now understand the caption that you wrote two years ago. I, like, get it now."
[00:39:40] And she's like, "Oh,
[00:39:41] my God. Welcome.
[00:39:43] Welcome to the inter- Welcome to the internet, girlfriend."
[00:39:46] Shannon Curran: Yeah, it's like the zeitgeist is TikTok. It's crazy. It's like even, like, one of my best friends is a middle school teacher, and she is like, "Oh, I've heard this..." Like, I had my Spotify just, like, running while she was over last night, and she's like, "Oh, my kids love this song."
[00:39:59] I'm like, "Yeah, 'cause it's on TikTok." Like, all the music is, like, you hear... Like, all the kids like that song. They like the chorus of that song because it's a TikTok sound that they've heard a thousand times. It's like, it's so different. It's like, it is really fascinating. yeah, for your podcast, you should definitely do TikTok.
[00:40:14] Cat Canada: Just a warning. Uh, we have not quite caught on yet, but you should definitely do it. Pro tip, you guys. Okay. I'm, like, desperately try- I'm also... It's like t- putting my face on though. It's also hard. Like, you guys, like, shooting yourself. I'm like, I could tell other people and other brands like, "Just shoot your face and say what it's like to be a founder." And now, and then I'm doing it, I'm like, "Hibity, hibby, boopa."
[00:40:31] You're like, "What do I say to you?" It's so hard. But- I do this
[00:40:35] Shannon Curran: I found
[00:40:36] it easy
[00:40:37] Mallory Lee: with like three people, two people, but if I'm alone, no,
[00:40:41] Cat Canada: people now. And like the way I say it, I don't know about you guys, I'm like, "Hi, I'm Cat. I do..." I'm like, "What happened? You just turned into a robot." Yes. I'm like, "What is happening?"
[00:40:54] Shannon Curran: Yeah, I, I found it was actually easy until I realized people were watching. That's like, 'cause I went through
[00:40:59] a phase where I first went out on my own where I would, like, do day in the life vlogs. I thought they were fun. I just like editing them. Like, and I like looking back at them. Like, I just
[00:41:06] like seeing, like And I was like, "Oh, no." When I had like 1,200 views on one of them,
[00:41:10] I was like, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. We're gonna have to pull back on this." Like, "This was not the plan." Like, no one's supposed to watch them.
[00:41:17] Cat Canada: and also why is it I had, like, one that, I don't know, it's got like 30,000 views or something, and it ha- It's literally me just, like, walking with a coffee cup, and it's just the coffee. I'm like, "Tell me why the one where I'm, like, lamenting every word and what I'm saying has, like, 180 views, and then the one of me just, like, walking with my dumb coffee has 30,000?"
[00:41:35] Like, that's the thing also, but I love about TikTok, I'm like, it is the wi- anyone could go... Anything could pop off. Anything... You know, there's some level of, like, everyone's equal. They're not, but do you know what I mean? In a way that, like, Instagram, it's not that. is a Millennial and TikTok is a Gen
[00:41:52] Shannon Curran: I apply it to my life.
[00:41:52] So I think that that's one vlog that- Yeah, that is so real. I always joke that like I'll send you a TikTok or you can see it in three weeks on Instagram Reels. Like that
[00:41:58] is
[00:41:58] Cat Canada: right. That is right. And my sister-in-law wa- is like, loves TikTok, and she would do that. I would, like, send her an Instagram thing like, "It's so funny," and she'd be like, "Ugh, it's so cringey. I saw that literally three weeks ago. I forgot
[00:42:12] Mallory Lee: It's really
[00:42:13] Cat Canada: my God." So now, yeah, now I'm in it with her, so I'm constant being like, "I get it now.
[00:42:18] I understand what you're talking about. I've h- I'm h- I've arrived."
[00:42:22] Shannon Curran: oh, yeah, that was in like 2005 or something like that. I know. It's good. Well,
[00:42:25] Cat Canada: Wow,
[00:42:26] Mallory Lee: it's about that
[00:42:26] Cat Canada: that's nice. Oh
[00:42:27] Mallory Lee: Save of the week
[00:42:29] Cat Canada: I could just, like,
[00:42:29] chit-chat with you for hours and hours. This was just, like, three little besties hanging
[00:42:34] out.
[00:42:34] Shannon Curran: it.
[00:42:36] Mallory Lee: the best.
[00:42:37] Cat Canada: So good. My
[00:42:37] Shannon Curran: We do have a final segment, Cat, for you. Yeah, so we have our save of the week. So it is a person, product, process, something that made your life as a working parent easier this week.
[00:42:51] uh, save of the week. What this, this week,
[00:42:53] Mallory Lee: in your very recent past. I have one that's from the tail end of last
[00:42:57] Cat Canada: That's the tail of the horse with the fairy. Yeah, you
[00:42:59] Shannon Curran: first.
[00:42:59] Cat Canada: you go first. Okay. So
[00:43:00] Mallory Lee: Okay. So we're at about like eight days out, so I think this should still count as a save of the week. I was traveling last week, and I left my laptop on the airplane
[00:43:11] First time I've done that and, uh, pretty mortifying.
[00:43:15] I didn't realize it until I was at my next gate trying to make my connection. So they sent me back. I tried to go back and find it. The plane was gone, the people were gone. It was like not happening. And so then I was trying to decide, do I stay in Atlanta and search for this laptop, or do I just get on my flight and be without a computer and hope that, you know, it just works out?
[00:43:41] And, decided to go ahead and leave it and get on the plane. And my awesome IT team had a new laptop waiting for me when I got home from this trip, and it was like easy. They did not make me feel like an idiot. This guy, his name's Matt. Hi, Matt. He was so kind. He was like, "This happens. Don't you even worry.
[00:44:03] Like, I'm just gonna ship you one. We should just pretend like it's never coming back." And I was like, "Okay." and so it was great. And to top it all off, Delta did send me my laptop.
[00:44:15] So now I was able to get all my clogged things off the laptop, and I have a new laptop. And so my saves are the IT group and Delta.
[00:44:26] Cat Canada: through the toughest things. You know? And sometimes they start in IT first too. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. That is amazing, and, like, deeply something I would do. I missed a flight two weeks ago. I am, like, somehow the most trash traveler for someone who travels all the time. I'm like
[00:44:38] Shannon Curran: Oh,
[00:44:39] Cat Canada: how is this possible?
[00:44:40] Like, how do you d- why do you do this? I just... So yeah. So leaving, I've, like, left g- all the things. Literally all... There's, like, nothing that I haven't done, so this makes me feel like if we weren't already, like, supposed to be to get connected, like, that story,
[00:44:53] Mallory Lee: You're my people.
[00:44:54] Cat Canada: we're locked in forever. Yeah.
[00:44:56] Mallory Lee: Yeah, I like it.
[00:44:58] Cat Canada: Oh, til I die. Til I die. Okay, actually, it's not, I guess my shout, mine would be... my, like, dear friend who lives here, and we had a day yesterday. We just had a day yesterday, and I, like, called her and was like, "Is it a huge imposition if my kids eat dinner at your house?
[00:45:19] Like, we need, I need a minute." We, like, had a whole thing, a whole thing yesterday, and she was like, without a blink she was like, "Absolutely, I already have food cooking." She has two kids, like, kind of the same age, and my k- they, like, love each other. So I was like, "Are you sure?" She's like, "Please." And you guys know this, like, sometimes having more kids that your kids get along with is, like, almost easier.
[00:45:40] You know what I mean? Like, they go and play, and they do their thing. And sure enough, I bring my, my boys over. My oldest looks at Dempsey and goes, "And guess what? Mom and Dad aren't even gonna stay." I was like, " Okay, bye." I was like, "Miss you too, babe."
[00:45:58] And I leave. Yes, and I was like, "See you later." We, like, text her while...
[00:46:02] Yes, my husband and I were at dinner. We text her. We're like, "Thanks for the sleepover. Like, we'll pick them up in the morning." But no, they ended up... Have, they had the best time. I got, like, a little, the break. My husband and I got, like, the minute of just like we needed, like, a moment to connect. We needed to think.
[00:46:17] We got it, and it was, like, such a save. My kids were so happy. They were fed. They were tired. They came home. They slept. They woke up this morning asking to go back. So having the, that village, like you said, your village is, you know, the people you make it too. So shout out to Elise. She really saved us this week.
[00:46:32] Shannon Curran: we love that. so mine is I've actually been training for a race for the last few months, and it's coming, it's imminent, which is a little scary. Uh, so I'm running a doubles Hyrox in New York at the end of, in two
[00:46:48] weeks. And weeks?
[00:46:50] I know, I know, guys, I know. Um, and so it's something I really wanted to do last September 'cause it came to Boston and I coach at a gym, I coach at an F45.
[00:47:00] And like, so a ton of my friends were doing it, but I was like so postpartum. I was like three months postpartum. And I was like, "Yeah, no, I don't think that's in the bag for your girl, at this time." So I like had so much FOMO and was like, I, I finally feel, 'cause I know I'm not, I'm not planning to have any more babies, so I feel actually really like good about coming back to the gym and like feeling strong again and knowing that my body is like mine for forever, hopefully.
[00:47:26] and so I'm not gonna have to like do this again. And so we decided that we were gonna run New York, me and one of my friends, Alex, who has a, a two-year-old as well, almost two-year-old. And, I will be running this race in two weeks, just shy of a year postpartum, and it has given me something like...
[00:47:42] So number one, I'm, I, I don't, it's gonna be terrible. Like, it's gonna be hard. But I, uh, but it's giving me this thing to focus on and to train for that is just for me. And it's feeling like it's definitely saved me many a we- I'm stressed and it's giving me like, it's like a thing to fit in, you know? Like, I was telling Mallory I was gonna do a long run this morning before our podcast we filmed this morning.
[00:48:03] It didn't happen, uh, 'cause I was like, "I can't do that and look okay." You know what I mean?
[00:48:07] Like, that's not gonna happen. but it is something that like is just mine that I've been like working toward and is making me feel like really, it's a very nice reprise, but from all the other identities I have.
[00:48:18] and as my husband said, he goes, "It's been really nice to watch you do something you're not that good at." And I
[00:48:24] Cat Canada: You're welcome.
[00:48:26] Shannon Curran: " "Thanks." Honestly,
[00:48:26] Cat Canada: finding joy.
[00:48:27] Shannon Curran: it was actually a funny comment because it, it, he's right. Like, I very rarely do things I'm not good at. and I'm not a good runner. It's extremely hard for me. and so he's like, "It's just amazing to watch you like really commit yourself to getting like better at something.
[00:48:42] Cat Canada: Good.
[00:48:42] Shannon Curran: cool." and it sounded silly, but yeah, m- he was like, "I like that our kids are watching you do that." I'm like, " That's good."
[00:48:48] Cat Canada: " Okay." Teaching them resiliency one mile at a time.
[00:48:52] Mallory Lee: That is important though. Yes.
[00:48:55] Shannon Curran: it is. So yeah, my training for my Hyrox, and it might not be my save when I do it, uh, we'll see how I feel, but, uh, but yeah, um,
[00:49:02] Cat Canada: Well, I need to hear how it goes. Let's report back. Bring me back, you guys. Bring me
[00:49:05] Shannon Curran: Don't you worry.
[00:49:06] Mallory Lee: she's she's gonna post it in the rebrand Slack
[00:49:09] in two
[00:49:10] Cat Canada: Yes. Yes, that's it. That's
[00:49:13] Shannon Curran: Yeah. I love
[00:49:13] it, I love it. Well, Cat, thank you so much for being here with us. I'm sure people can find you on LinkedIn if they, uh, if they wanna chat
[00:49:20] and join
[00:49:21] Cat Canada: find me.
[00:49:22] Shannon Curran: Cool?
[00:49:23] Cat Canada: Amazing. Thank you, guys. This was so fun. I appreciate you
[00:49:26] Mallory Lee: agree. We'll talk soon.
[00:49:28] Cat Canada: Okay.
[00:49:29] Shannon Curran: Bye.
[00:49:29] Mallory Lee: Bye.
[00:49:30] Cat Canada: Bye.
[00:49:30] Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to Full Stack Moms,
[00:49:32] Speaker: We'll be back with more episodes that help you see you're not crazy and you're not alone. If we might be your people, please make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:49:42] Shannon Curran: it is funny, I have friends that have, I, I have another friend that has girl, boy, same exact ages as mine, just, like, flipped, and her girl toddler is, like, mean, and my boy is so sweet and nice.
[00:49:56] It, yes, and I'm like, but I know that, like, but the energy level is very different. Like, my son is, like, s- oh my God. Like, the running, like, the everything, and her daughter will, like, sit down and color. And I'm
[00:50:10] Cat Canada: that's like such a different experience. Yeah. It's just like the breathing and everything is just- That's what we were talking about. That's what we were talking about. Of, like, boys are just the level of, like, rowdiness and ... Oh, my gosh. My husband's bringing me food. Thank you. I will not eat on your podcast, but he just brought
[00:50:21] Speaker 4: Yay!
[00:50:21] Shannon Curran: feel free.
[00:50:22] Speaker 4: Go husband.
[00:50:24] Shannon Curran: Go husband. Go
[00:50:25] Cat Canada: husband. Thank you.
[00:50:26] Shannon Curran: of the week. Save of the week.