128: Burnout, Boundaries, and the Power of Asking for What You Need - with Leslie Forde, CEO and Founder of Mom's Hierarchy of Needs

Leslie Forde is the CEO and founder of Mom's Hierarchy of Needs, a long-time B2B marketer, a strategic advisor to HubSpot, and the author of Repair with Self Care. She also runs the longest running national parent study on pandemic and post pandemic mental health. In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, we talk about the emotional, mental, and logistical load carried by working women and why burnout has quietly become a default state for so many of us.

Leslie shares why women struggle to ask for what we need, how the past five years have reshaped the caregiving landscape, and what leaders and companies can do to support caregivers instead of unintentionally burning them out. We also unpack the rise of the Hype Women movement, the importance of making space for asks, and how community can fuel both confidence and belonging.

Here is what we cover:

• Why self care scores have dropped below pre pandemic levels in her national study
• Warning signs of burnout that appear long before we notice them
• Why high achieving women struggle to ask for help or support
• The unseen load mothers carry and how it affects work, relationships, and health
• What employers misunderstand about caregivers and the simple changes that matter
• Why ERGs often run on unpaid labor from women and how leaders can fix that
• The link between psychological safety, vulnerability, and the ability to ask for what you need
• How the Hype Women movement creates space for community, courage, and honest requesting
• Why many mothers feel like they are failing in every role and what actually drives that feeling
• How women can start reclaiming time, rest, and care in realistic attainable ways

Key Links:

Guest: Leslie Forde: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslieforde

Her book, Repair with Self Care:

https://a.co/d/fu3UGes

Mom's Hierarchy of Needs

https://momshierarchyofneeds.com

Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra

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