Hi! My name is Sascha Mayer, and I am the cofounder and Chief Experience Officer of Mamava, the creator of the freestanding lactation pod and a mobile app that supports parents in their breastfeeding journey. I have been married for 25 years to my middle school teacher husband, and I have a 22-year-old and a 19-year-old. I am also very lucky to have my parents and in-laws doing well in their 80s, so I am in the family sandwich, but it is holding together fairly well at this point.
This isn’t a life hack, but having kids has taught me to be less of a binary thinker and to be okay with gray areas, a lesson I’ve applied at work. Fluidity is a natural state—you don’t need to have all the answers to move forward; it’s okay to be in a gray area.
It would be called Fundamentals First. My priority with parenting has always been the importance of good eating, good sleeping, and getting exercise. Built into these fundamentals are health, connection, discipline, sports, and nature. As this applies to business, you have to make sure the fundamentals are strong and your people are being cared for.
Vice Matriarch.
It’s really all the moments after becoming a parent because your priorities are reset and your time is even more precious, so you work more efficiently. You also care about the impact of your work on the world in a different way.
As my parenting responsibilities have lightened, and I don’t have the caretaking responsibilities of my own parents (yet), I am really focused on being of service to my broader community. Including my board position for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and a number of advisory boards for non-profits and start-ups in Vermont.
This one would only be new to the US! Government-mandated and coverage for 100% paid parental leave for six months for all new parents.
Having a family and wanting to breastfeed was what sparked the idea for Mamava, and drove my mission to create a company dedicated to making breastfeeding more equitable. So, having a family basically shaped everything about my personal and professional trajectory.
Unfortunately, 20 years ago the options for quality childcare were as bleak as they are today, so my strategy was to start early and to search for childcare providers as soon as I knew I was pregnant (literally before telling friends and family). I also recognized that the baby phase is ultimately really short, and as much as I liked my job at the time, I wanted to spend the majority of my time with my child, so I went to a four-day work week. I believe this affected our income more than my work career trajectory, as my employer was very supportive and I held a unique position that was valued in the organization.
