Allison Venditti of Moms at Work
Photo of Allison of Moms at Work, Credit to Michelle Clarke
The Power of a Community
Ladies, meet Allison. Allison is the founder of Moms At Work, Canada’s largest community for working mothers. She offers career coaching through Career Love, corporate consulting as well as speaking engagements and events. Not to mention, and most importantly, she is also a mom to three little boys.
She has spent over a decade helping women in the area of Human Resources and is a Return To Work expert for new moms after maternity leave. She has interviewed over 2000 applicants for jobs, helped over 800 people return to work after maternity leave, injury and illness. As a coach, she has helped her clients launch businesses, negotiate $20,000 raises, get multiple job offers and start down the path of a career that truly excites them.
We were most impressed when we found out about the work she is doing to try to implement legislation to ensure that companies provide the salary ranges on job postings. Such a quick and effective method to help close the pay gap (this legislation already exists, by the way, we just need to sign it in!). Did you know that it takes 15 months for women to make the same amount that a man does in 12 months? In 2021. It is a shocking statistic and something that Allison is actively fighting to fix.
Read on to find out more about this extraordinary woman and what she is doing to try and make a much-needed change that could affect thousands of working women.
How did you come up with the idea of Moms at Work (P.S. Amazing job on your branding and website - it's gorgeous!)?
Moms at Work was started because nothing like it has existed. There are lots of sites and groups for moms, entrepreneurs, mom entrepreneurs, and fitness people but not for working mothers. Especially not one that just screams at me to "juggle it." Moms at work is a community, education, and advocacy group. We are giving a voice to our community, and that voice matters.
How did the pandemic affect your network?
Moms at Work exploded during the pandemic. More than any other group mothers were just expected to keep everything together. I watched as women were being laid off. For those that still had jobs, working moms were expected to continue to work as though they didn't have caregiving responsibilities and act as a safety net. We were forced out of workplaces due to the fact that systemically women, and particularly mothers, are paid a lot less ($0.82 for every $1.00 that the equivalent man makes). This gave us an opportunity, and one that I am fighting to use, to get the things that we need; which is legislation and how society views working moms.
What has been the most surprising outcome of creating your Moms at Work community?
I set the tone early on. This is an inclusive, strong, and powerful group. I have talked about pay transparency forever and a day and now I have 1000s of women who understand how the systems can hurt us (especially racialized women). There used to be a strong undercurrent of sadness and hopelessness and Moms at Work has lit a fire under people in all the best ways. Ontario has over 7 million women - we make up half the workforce. Time to start paying attention.
How can someone join Moms at Work?
We have a large and active Facebook group and also are on Instagram where we share lots of relevant information to working moms. Our newsletter will give you updates on all our free events, job postings, and more.
I also run a program called The Insiders that provides a slack group (for privacy), group coaching, and office hours. The program is 6 months long and costs less than 2 coaching sessions. We are all about creating a community with a professional network to stand with and call your own.
What do you want to be known for as a female entrepreneur?
I will change the way that Canadian companies manage maternity leave. I have been a return to work expert for decades. www.readytoreturn.com is launching May 4, 2021. Star Wars Day because I am a nerd like that.
“I would die happy if I could look back and say ‘I did that and no woman will need to go through that same awful experience again.’”
What inspires and motivates you when things get hard?
Moms at Work is where I was meant to be. I am happy in my community, with my work, and with people who are kind, open to learning, and making a difference. I am disabled and can not fluidly read among other hosts of problems. My mom got cancer when I was 13 and passed away when I was 24. I know how little time I have here on this great planet and because of my experiences I am one of those annoying people who just really enjoy what the sun smells like, feels plants, and listens to birds. But I also am hell-bent on disrupting the systems that make those moments so hard for others. So a bit of a swing.
What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew back when you were just starting out in your career?
Stop trying to plan it out. You lose the fun. When you spend your life trying to plan 10 years down the road you find it hard to handle the hiccups along the way. You will change jobs so many times with your career - look for those opportunities and when you see them jump for them and recover. What I want women to know about looking at jobs in general, is that you can say no at any point. Apply for the job. Do all the interviews and say no to the offer, if you choose. Stop getting in your own way and just try (for experience). You can say no at any point.
What is one thing women can do more of to support each other?
Get uncomfortable. Talk about the hard things. Vulnerability is good leadership.
What are you looking forward to the most in Moms at Work's future?
The 2022 election. Working women are angry - we have been sidelined. We know what we want and need and we are going to be very vocal about it. We also have an amazing speaker series coming up, many of them have never spoken to a Canadian audience.
Who is one woman who has inspired you and your career?
My mother. She loved her job. She was a teacher. She was good at it and told me to not overthink it. My old boss, Roona Maloney (hi Roona!). I got to watch her speak her mind, shut down idiocy, and, as an employee, I felt protected and empowered to do my job, make mistakes and come back stronger. I have had few other examples of that sort of strength and, as the mother of 3 boys, I try to show them the same qualities.