Think you have to choose between being a great leader and a great parent? Think again. The secret isn’t perfect balance; it’s knowing when to how and when to shift your weight.

Jessica Toussaint, Director of Product Management and mom of three (including twins!), joins the podcast to share her experience of leading teams while raising kids. With 15 years of leadership experience and a heart-forward approach, Jessica breaks down how parenting actually made her a better leader – more patient, more present, and way better at handling chaos.

In this honest conversation, Jessica shares how she sets boundaries while still focusing on her career, how she handles the mental load of switching between work emergencies and sick kids, and why curiosity beats having all the answers. She shares practical strategies like blocking your calendar, using phone focus modes, and figuring out what actually counts as urgent.

Whether you’re already juggling leadership and parenting or wondering if you can handle both, Jessica’s advice will help you stop trying to be perfect at everything and start being intentional about what matters most.

Key Highlights

• The biggest lie we tell leaders: that you’re supposed to have all the answers (curiosity beats ego every time)
• How parenting increases your patience and puts work chaos in perspective. After all, if you can get three kids out the door by 7am, work drama doesn’t compare
• Block your calendar after 5pm and be intentional about which exceptions you make (hint: it’s about the outcome, not the person)
• Use phone focus modes to block work notifications after hours – your kids will call you out if you don’t
• The outcome test for urgency: will the impact really change in 12 hours?
• Success isn’t just the next promotion. Define what you want your life to look like, then work backwards
• You can’t lead well when you’re burnt out. Leadership has to enhance your life, not just your team’s
• Balance doesn’t mean 50/50 all the time – some days it’s 90/10 and that’s okay
• If you’re worried about balancing leadership and parenting, you’re already ahead of the game

Links Mentioned

Connect with Jessica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoussaint12/

Guest Bio

Jessica is an empathetic leader who loves connecting dots – between customer needs and business impact, or between teammates working toward a shared vision. She thrives on helping teams think strategically, find clarity, and deliver with heart.

In past roles, Jessica built teams that aren’t afraid to explore, adapt, and experiment – even if it means failing along the way – because that’s how meaningful outcomes are born. She’s a storyteller at heart, bringing people and ideas together to move teams and products forward with energy and purpose.

Outside of work, she lives in New England with her wife, three kids, and two dogs – which is to say she’s already well-versed in high-stakes prioritization, cross-functional negotiations, and keeping the peace among stakeholders with very different needs. In other words: fluent in chaos management.