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From BBC Reporter to Social Entrepreneur: How Genia Followed Her Curiosity to Build an Award-Winning Business as a Mother of Two
Genia Mineeva has crafted an unconventional career path guided purely by passion and purpose. From growing up in post-Soviet Russia to building a decades-long career at the BBC, then running communications for a major NGO, and finally creating Been — a social enterprise turning waste materials into luxury products — Genia's story is one of following your gut even when the path isn't obvious.In this episode, we explore how Genia navigated three major career transitions while raising two daughters in London without family support. She opens up about the realities of building a business while juggling demanding jobs, how she and her husband created space for each other's entrepreneurial journeys, and the creative solutions they found to make it all work financially.We also dive into the evolution from parenting toddlers to teenagers, including the modern challenges of managing tech-savvy 13-year-olds who can outsmart parental controls. What's refreshing about Genia's perspective is how she balances hopeful idealism with honest reflections on the trade-offs she's made and how they've shifted over time.Key Topics:Making career pivots as a working motherBuilding a social enterprise from curiosity about textile wasteManaging demanding careers without family support in LondonCreative solutions for childcare and school holidaysThe financial realities of both partners being entrepreneursParenting teenagers in the digital ageCreating work-life balance as a small business owner
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59:08
Can Women Really Have Kids and a Big Career? Karina’s Journey from COO to Mom Entrepreneur in Her Late 30s
For years, Karina Valencia was certain kids would derail her ambitious career. Growing up in a traditional Mexican household, she rebelled by dedicating herself to climbing the corporate ladder, working in the office of the CEO for companies like Citigroup and Palantir. But after her first marriage ended, she met her now-husband in her late 30s, and everything changed. After a challenging fertility journey that forced her to choose between her high-stress COO role and having a baby, Karina made the difficult decision to resign—and got pregnant one week later. When returning to work brought challenging discrimination, she decided to build her own company instead, creating Lonvia, a longevity consultancy staffed almost entirely by mothers.Timestamps03:10 – Why Karina's traditional Mexican upbringing made her reject motherhood09:50 – Building a global career at Citigroup and living in nine countries 15:00 – Going through divorce while climbing the corporate ladder at Palantir 19:45 – Meeting her husband and slowly changing her mind about having kids 24:45 – Multiple miscarriages and realizing work stress was affecting her fertility 31:10 – Quitting her COO role and getting pregnant one week later 36:15 – The identity shift from workaholic to new mother 42:55 – Facing discrimination and salary cuts when job hunting as a mother 47:50 – Starting Longvia, a company run almost entirely by mothers
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1:05:51
No More Playing Small: Award-winning filmmaker Shaina Feinberg on how motherhood unleashed her career ambitions
Award-winning filmmaker Shaina Feinberg joins Mikenzie to discuss her New York Times Op-Ed film "I Almost Quit My Career for My Kids. Then I Met Joan Darling" and how becoming a mother actually amplified rather than diminished her creative ambitions.In this conversation, Shaina opens up about the moment she almost gave up filmmaking due to the overwhelming pressure of trying to make it as a filmmaker while being a mother to two kids, and how meeting legendary director Joan Darling restored her sense of purpose. She shares practical insights about making it as artist parents in New York City, navigating motherhood in a male-dominated industry, and why focusing on "the quality of your experience" transformed both her parenting and her career.Shaina's films have premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and played at festivals worldwide including Hot Docs and Rotterdam. She's a former New York Times columnist, has been featured on This American Life, and is the author of four books. She's also the mother of two kids—a 10-year-old and 3-year-old—living in Brooklyn with her husband.You can watch Shaina's short film "I Almost Quit My Career for My Kids. Then I Met Joan Darling" here - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/opinion/motherhood-career-joan-darling.html Timestamps02:45 – Background on the film inspiration Shaina's husband's 10-week Lincoln Center gig left her as primary caregiver, leading to burnout and the decision to visit Joan Darling.07:15 – Three storylines in the film Her mother who gave up her acting career, Joan who pursued career without kids, and Shaina trying to balance both.11:20 – Early motherhood and career decisions Getting married, pregnant, and making her first feature film all at once, and how that opened career doors.16:30 – How motherhood changed her ambition Kids gave her structure, schedule, and permission to openly want career success instead of just making art casually.21:00 – Decision to have a second child The six-year gap, her father's death, miscarriage, and pandemic decision-making that led to baby number two.26:00 – Managing two kids vs. one How having two children is exponentially harder and childcare logistics in New York City.30:30 – Being a woman in the film industry Hiding her second pregnancy during COVID and gender disparities she's witnessed at film festivals.37:00 – Dealing with rejection as an artist How film festival rejections work, why persistence matters, and people dropping out at different life stages.42:50 – Joan's advice about quality of experience The transformative philosophy that changed how Shaina approaches both filmmaking and parenting.46:30 – Future projects and parenting philosophy What's next creatively and learning to let her family be themselves more.
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52:55
When Planning Meets Intuition: Charlotte on fast tracking her marketing career, navigating fertility challenges, and going freelance
Marketing strategist Charlotte Brown shares how an early endometriosis diagnosis shaped her career goals — fast-tracking her rise in the corporate world so she could start a family before 30. She opens up about navigating fertility challenges, a difficult pregnancy, and the realities of returning to work after maternity leave. Charlotte also reflects on the surprising way motherhood reignited her ambition and why she ultimately left her corporate job to go freelance. Her story explores the tension between planning and intuition, and how she’s building a career and family on her own terms.If you're a company looking for brand and marketing strategy, you can find more about Charlotte's freelance consultancy - https://www.lacuna.studio/Show Time Stamps06:30 – Climbing the corporate ladder with kids in mind Why Charlotte chose strategy roles, fast-tracked her salary growth, and planned for early motherhood in London.10:45 – Pregnancy, pressure, and navigating fertility with endometriosis Charlotte opens up about being told to have children before 30, and the emotional impact of managing timelines she didn’t choose.17:20 – A challenging pregnancy and redefining strength What it was like to be bed-bound with hyperemesis, and how it shattered her expectations of “pushing through” the pregnancy21:50 – Returning to work, loss, and the complicated in-between Charlotte talks about her miscarriage, returning to work, and the vulnerability of being open with her employer.28:40 – Leaving corporate: Burnout, reflection, and the leap to freelance Why Charlotte decided to resign, and how she created space to build a more fulfilling career around motherhood.36:15 – Building a sustainable life and embracing flexibility How she and her husband split home responsibilities, set boundaries with kids, and navigate work-life balance with intention.
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59:59
From Achievement to Meaning: Leila Zegna on hard work, authentic leadership, and the gifts of parenting a child with additional needs
In this episode, venture capitalist Leila Zegna shares her inspiring journey founding Kindred Capital while becoming a mother of three. When her first daughter was born with a rare genetic condition, Leila's identity as a high-achiever was challenged, forcing her to redefine success beyond metrics and accolades. She candidly discusses navigating the venture capital world while pregnant, and her evolution from valuing hard work to embracing authenticity, which is just one of the many gifts her daughter has taught her. This conversation offers powerful insights for anyone questioning how ambition and family can coexist.
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