Suzanne Slaughter is rethinking how careers work for a generation of parents, caregivers, and high-performing professionals who want flexibility without stepping away from their skills.
She is the CEO and founder of Groundwork, a marketplace connecting experienced talent seeking part-time or fractional roles with early-stage startups that need high-quality operators without committing to full-time hires. What started as a simple idea shared on LinkedIn quickly turned into a rapidly growing network of thousands of candidates and companies looking for a better way to work.
In this episode, Suzanne shares how becoming a mother led her to question traditional career paths, why “career breaks” are often misread by employers, and how AI is accelerating both the need for and acceptance of flexible work. She also breaks down how Groundwork is building a new hiring model by surfacing off-market talent and helping startups confidently hire part-time professionals who are just as capable as full-time operators.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Meet Suzanne Slaughter
(01:16) Why Suzanne built Groundwork
(04:25) Why startups embrace fractional talent
(06:27) Fixing fractional work's branding problem
(09:08) How Groundwork matches talent and startups
(15:56) Building a two-sided marketplace
(17:59) Word-of-mouth drives Groundwork's growth
(21:11) Career seasons in the AI era
(25:11) Save of the week: Summer bucket lists and parenting saves
(29:43) Groundwork's mission for working parents
Connect with Mallory Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorylee/
Connect with Shannon Curran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran/
Connect with Suzanne Slaughter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-slaughter-3aa15557/
Check out Groundwork Careers: https://www.groundwork.careers/
Produced in partnership with Share Your Genius
www.shareyourgenius.com
