The Roche Report

Before I started my maternity leave, I had recently finished a training program that IBM has called Cornerstone, which is a training program for Associate Partners who are on the executive track at IBM. One of the key messages from the program was to think about who your “authentic self” was and being intentional about being that authentic self both as a leader and at home. Coming out of that training, I have spent a lot of time thinking about being intentional about just who that authentic self is and, really, if I boil it down, who and what I want to be. Some of it includes reflecting on the typical things you would expect to think about from a work perspective (what kind of leader am I, what kind of executive do I want to be, how do I want to be known at IBM, what do I want my team to think of me?). Much of it has also played out on a more personal level, as my husband and I had our first child in November, I have been reflecting a lot about who I want to be as a mom, as a

With one week to go in my maternity leave, I have a trip that I have both anticipated and dreaded for the past 5 months. Anticipated for the fun of what it will be: wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma, celebrating the upcoming wedding of one of my dearest friends; dreading leaving my sweet, smiley baby at home. When she was born, I remember feeling like I would never be able to -- never would WANT -- to leave her side. And yet, life continued and I slowly ventured out into the world, but nothing so dramatic as leaving Charlie for 4 hours, let alone 4 days. Before leaving, I raced around the house trying to prepare and make my husband's life easier while he was home with her. I cried as I put Charlie to bed, explaining to her that Mom would wake her up on Monday morning. I read and read and read blogs about pumping while traveling; I fretted and planned and fretted and planned about what I would do and where I would pump and what it would be like. My worries about the travel kept me