Why do moms work — their choice or financial need?

There are 35 million mothers showing up in the workforce. 

They’re sitting in boardrooms, standing in classrooms, hunching over tables in the or, blending drinks at coffee shops, and hunkering down in home offices. Some are working full-time, some are working part-time, and some are hustling on the side while their main gig is being a mom. But whether it’s hourly, salary, or per diem pay, all of these moms are performing the juggling act of the century.

So — why do these 35 million moms work? Why do I work? 

Carry Media Founder Paula Faris | CARRY Media

Why are women who are statistically bearing the brunt of the implications of the pandemic such as childcare shortages, school closures and remote schedules still working?

And why does their why, individual and collective, even matter?

This question has become one of my prime reasons for launching CARRY Media. Even today the conversation surrounding a woman’s decision to work — whether out of necessity or desire is a polarizing one. Some of us are working and going against our better belief that our place is within the walls of our own homes, while others of us are fighting to bust through the glass ceiling. 

And CARRY Media is standing in the gap.

Our mission is simple yet incredibly pressing: To give working moms the mic, to share their stories in the most unfiltered way, and to advocate for the necessary changes required to redefine their experiences in the workplace. Because right now the weight on their shoulders as care-takers, bread-breakers, money-makers and let’s be honest…carry it all fakers is impossible for them to keep maintaining. And this is my rally cry.

Earlier this year, CARRY Media conducted our own research and found that 97% of moms in the workplace feel some level of mom guilt. My response to that statistic was this: Moms, when you sit in the tension of your guilt and the love of your work, remind yourselves of your why.

As a journalist, asking questions comes quite naturally. And in pursuit of hitting the heart of an issue or learning the most, I’ve learned the most hard-hitting question is simply, “Why?” And it’s one, as a working mom myself, I’ve asked myself often.

So, I’m personally putting that question out to my 35 million heroes. Mamas, why do you keep showing up to work?  

On March 11, CARRY Media launched a campaign giving the mic to moms to share why they work.

Video: CARRY Media's Why I Work campaign

Here is a small sampling of some of the “whys” coming in from the campaign:

• “To keep a roof over our heads.”

  – Diana, CEO of copywriting agency and mom of two from Charlotte, NC

• "To give my kids a big view of womanhood."  

  – Rachel, mission-minded leader, entrepreneur, and mom of two from San Francisco, CA

• “To create generational wealth."

  – Lauren, mental health therapist, and single mom from Chicago, IL

• "To maximize my impact and change statistics."

  – Michelle, CEO of a Give-Back Baby brand and mom of two from Charlotte, NC

The answers to the question, “Why do you work?” are so much more than the driving force behind why any one woman shows up to work each day. When held up to the light, they’re the antidote to some of the hardest moments of working motherhood — guilt, exhaustion, doubt, stress, etc. — and the very fuel that keeps 35 million of us going.

With our network, research and community, we’re aiming to provide information, support and solutions for working moms. We need each other and your why matters. We invite you to share your why with us and with working moms everywhere at carrymedia.com/whyiwork.

Paula Faris is the founder of CARRY Media. Photo courtesy of CARRY Media