Was it really supposed to be this hard?

I realized something today: I became the exact kind of woman Lean In warned young women not to become.

I’ll never forget the story Sheryl Sandberg shared about a young Google engineer who asked how to balance career and children. When asked how many kids she had, the woman said she wasn’t a mother yet (and wasn’t even in a relationship!!!) but it was already on her mind.

The message was clear: don’t opt out before it’s necessary. Don’t slow down for a life that hasn’t happened yet.

And for years, I agreed.

But that advice is built on an assumption many women know isn’t true: that we get to choose when and how our children come.

That timelines cooperate.

That fertility is guaranteed.

That life unfolds neatly if we plan well enough. For many women, it doesn’t.

Some women aren’t “leaning out.” They’re (like me) navigating infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, caregiving, delayed timelines, or choices that never felt like choices at all.

The conversation about women and work has too often framed ambition and family as opposing forces and I reject that.

I don’t believe women should have to choose between success and being present for the people they love. I built Livlyhood because I was tired of that lie. Work should support your life, not consume it.

And if your career has taken more from you than it has given, I know that feeling all too well. So today I honor past Britt who made the difficult choice to walk away and build a life I love with my two miracles boys. 

If you’re feeling lost or like your job is forcing choices on you that don’t align with your priorities, I’m here 🫶🏻