Sara Madera Of ‘Plan Creatively Career Coaching for Working Moms’ On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
A coach can clarify, support and hold clients accountable, in the kindest way. This is helpful for all employees, and particularly women who have ambitious goals for their career as well as at home, and aren’t willing to drop any balls. These incredible women can push themselves to burn out, so a coach can guide to support them to focus on the right elements for them.
Despite strides towards equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership and management roles across various sectors. In this series, we would like to discuss the barriers to female advancement in these areas and explore actionable strategies for change. We are talking with accomplished women leaders, executives, and pioneers who have navigated these challenges successfully, to hear their experiences, tactics, and advice to inspire and guide the next generation of women toward achieving their full potential in leadership and management roles. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sara Madera.
After leading organizations and departments across the globe, Sara became a career coach after realizing the favorite part of every job was helping her team realize their goals. A naturally good listener and mother of 2, she is a career coach for working women, helping moms thrive at work and at home, while still finding time for themselves.
She has a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelors of Fine Art and worked in theatre, events, run an arts education non-profit, managed internal communications for a large multinational company, and led teams, associations, as well as hospitality and media groups. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, and Business Insider, among other publications.
She is an ICC and ICF accredited coach, with certifications in facilitation and strategic planning.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve had a wonderfully varied career that has taken me all over the world! I started in theatre and events, working at Disney, including opening Hong Kong Disneyland, ran an arts education non-profit in New York City, led marketing and communications teams in Hong Kong and Singapore and managed employee communications across the Asia Pacific region for a large multinational company. But my favorite part of all of those jobs was always developing people, so I turned my attention to being a career coach — and quickly discovered my people were working moms!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I had an amazing client that I supported in finding the right career for her after having a kid. She reengaged me when she started her role to support her through the transition. I helped her to process through all she was learning, create impact, focus on priorities, and manage her hours (she was pregnant with a toddler at home), and she was promoted within 3 months of starting her job.
Honestly, 98% of the women I work with walk away increased confidence, which I love! This is one of the biggest factors in creating success at work and at home.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
When I started back to a full-time role after my second kid was born, the leadership team celebrated birthdays and holidays by going out to dinner after work. We were in hospitality, so it was a chance to check out the market and the competition. My first week at work there was a group event, but I declined. I knew the transition for my small kids was already significant that week, and I wanted them to take comfort in mommy come home for dinner and bedtime. I communicated this to the team, even though it was uncomfortable, both as a new employee and mom new back to the workplace.
The General Manager heard me, and that was the last evening event. After that, these outings took place at lunch time, which made it possible for me to attend. I was grateful, of course, but also, I realized that I could crate change by speaking my truth. I created opportunities for more moms to be a part of the leadership team without having to sacrifice family time and by being clear about my needs, they were met. This was a defining moment in my leadership journey as a working mom, and this stayed with me. When I was working well above my level a few months later, I asked — and received — a promotion.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve worked in different jobs and industries across the globe, and my favorite part of all of those roles was developing people, which is what led me to being a career coach, particularly those in transition, like moms. So I like to believe that I am this person for many!
As a leader and as a career coach, I’ve supported women in getting promoted, finding the right job, tweaking their message, giving feedback on resumes and LinkedIn, processed and coached through defining moments, celebrated little moments and big, and been there in times of learning.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
“Playing Big” by Tara Mohr is a book by a coach for women who want to take up more space in the world with their ideas and work. Much of my coaching is based on this book, and I’ve gone deep in learning through her programs. I can’t keep a copy of her book on my shelf, because I keep giving it away to friends and clients. When I first read it I thought — she’s writing just for me. And I’ve heard that from everyone who’s read it.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
The one that is coming to mind right now is that “you don’t have to be a hero.”
Someone said this to me a few weeks before I went into labor with my first kid, and it was the thought I kept coming back to through the first 12 hours of unmedicated contractions. Then I took heed of the advice, and got an epidural.
It’s actually a great sentiment to have in your back pocket though, as a check to recognize your motivation for action. It can help to evaluate whether you are doing something to appear strong, or because it’s something you really believe in and want to fight.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I became a career coach for working moms. during the pandemic, because I saw that it was mostly women leaving their jobs. It wasn’t the great resignation, but the she-cession . Many working moms, who already had very full plates were then asked to become teachers, nurses, and researchers, while running a household 24–7, and maintaining their jobs. At some point, they hit their breaking point and said “I can’t quit my job as a parent, so I need to quit my day job in order to survive.” As a working mom myself, I get it, and I realized, as a trained coach I have the skills to help and support this population, and that’s when I quit my job and started my business.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 31.7% of top executive positions across industries are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from leadership and management?
It’s a matter of both bias and expectations that are holding women back from leadership and management roles.
There is bias against women in society, in policies, in companies, and in individuals, both consciously and unconsciously. So much so that to even get to the point of considering leadership roles can feel like we’ve already climbed a mountain.
The second part of the equation is expectations, which may include ideas like “because we are women, we will have kids”, and therefore “we will be less committed to our jobs.” Or ideas that “we aren’t tough enough” or “too emotional.” But just as harmful are the expectations that we put on ourselves to be the “perfect worker/boss/leader” and the “perfect mom,” which leave us unhappy and burned out
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become leaders and managers?
Statistics show more diversity of thought increase revenue, productivity and culture in companies, so why wouldn’t they want to ensure that there are women sharing their point of view on strategy?
Additionally, recent studies show that the brain undergoes changes when we become parents, and it increases our ability to be more present, empathize with others, collaborate more effectively, and respond to stress in a more adaptive way. And while this isn’t specific to women, mothers are more likely to feel the effects of parenthood earlier based on the physical changes, so are likely to reap these benefits sooner.
Lastly, I quote Lawyer Barbie from the movie who says, “This makes me emotional and I’m expressing it. I have no difficulty holding both logic and emotion at the same time, and it does not diminish my powers.” While men are certainly learning this quality, for now it’s a woman superpower.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
1 . Family Friendly Policies
By providing parental leave and benefits for employees, employees will feel supported during this change in their lives, building loyalty and a sustainable structure.
2 . Flexibility
Let’s face it — the pandemic changed how we worked, and allowed women the opportunity to be present for their kids while still maximizing productivity. Why would we want to stymie this?
3 . Models of Achievement
If there are few women in leadership at your company — find out why. Ask and then make the changes to support women in achieving the highest levels. Because seeing successful women- particularly those with kids- begets more women in leadership.
4 . Address Bias
So many biases are deep seeded, and may be unconscious. Many companies may say they are equitable, and yet women continue to be held to different standards, get feedback on their personalities, and face additional challenges. What learnings are taking place, what conversations are being had, and how are managers being held accountable to ensure the workplace is equitable?
5 . Coaching
A coach can clarify, support and hold clients accountable, in the kindest way. This is helpful for all employees, and particularly women who have ambitious goals for their career as well as at home, and aren’t willing to drop any balls. These incredible women can push themselves to burn out, so a coach can guide to support them to focus on the right elements for them.
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
Universal support for families — paid leave and childcare, as well as the biases that go with them for both men and women. This will level the playing field and allow women to showcase their knowledge and skills on the timeline that works for them, without sacrificing career or kids.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
In coaching women at different stages of their careers, I’ve found that exploring what they want their lives to look like in the future has helped us determine what steps to take now. Sometimes that looks like the corporate ladder, sometimes it looks like starting their own business and sometimes it means gathering new skills that will propel them forward. I want to give space for each woman to define her version of success, including leadership roles — because that could be CEO of her own business, CMO of a start-up, VP at a multi-national, manager at a mid-sized non-profit — helping women to feel empowered in their version of success is so much more effective than them working to live up to someone else’s expectations.
How would you advise a woman leader about how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?
I work with clients from a variety of male dominated industries, and we start by being clear on what is important to them and where they want to go — what’s the end goal. And we use this as an anchor, to give them a space to come back to themselves and feel grounded. This is helpful on days when they feel their voice has been drowned out, or don’t feel themselves.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
Is there a demand for authoritative leadership? I’ve certainly never led that way, because that doesn’t help the team understand the problem, have buy-in or grow.
Rather, to respond to the needs of those both above me and below me in the hierarchy, I do my best to clearly outline any problem and my expectations, in order to gather the best solutions. This usually means being crystal clear on what I want or need so I can drive the conversation as needed. I find it’s the pre-work or personal work that allows me (and my clients) to be authentic while striking the right balance with each stakeholder.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Free high-quality childcare. A place where kids can go safely to learn, grow and connect. This will take the pressure off of parents and allow them to grow in their careers, self-development, and find joy across their lives without this financial and time burden.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Thank you for asking! On my website, you can sign up for my newsletter: www.plancreatively.com
I’m also on Instagram (@plancreatively8), LinkedIn (Sara Madera and Plan Creatively- Career Coaching for Working Moms) and Facebook (Plan Creatively)
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Sara Madera Of ‘Plan Creatively Career Coaching for Working Moms’ On How We Can Increase Women’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.