Labcoats and Lullabies, Episode 2, Part 2: Navigating Workplace Expectations and Knowing Your Limits

Labcoats and Lullabies is a special video interview series under the Nourish and Navigate banner dedicated to working moms in science. Hosted by Kriti Chaudhary, associate director of partnerships and strategy for Vedic Lifesciences, the series tells authentic stories of women who balance the rigor of sciences with the realities of motherhood.

Here, Kriti Chaudhary, associate director of partnerships and strategy for Vedic Lifesciences, is joined by Julia Weibe, PhD, Director, Scientific Affairs & Marketing, MartinBauer Nutraceuticals and Anina Krey, Global Director, Nutraceutical Unit, MartinBauer Nutraceuticals.

Part 2 of this episode focuses on how these nutraceutical industry leaders tackle overwhelming situations, build resilience, and grow their careers one manageable step at a time.

Partial transcript:

Kriti Chaudhary: So, what was this one moment where everything collided? Like this one moment where you felt that there's work and there's kids, and then there's a lot of stress. What was maybe one chaotic moment of your life if you can take us through, and how did you manage that, more importantly, maybe something for our viewers? How, how do you manage stressful times? For all, for all the new moms out there and all the young moms, maybe some helpful tips on how to manage stress.

Julie Weibe: So, so for me, it was when Covid started, I was in the last, I had six months left of my MBA, so I had to hand in otherwise it would have become more expensive. I had to pay extra fees. I had already extended. Covid started, our business kept running because it was considered a health concern, a health business. So I worked full time. My husband as well, he was in the rum industry, so they did alcohol for sanitizer then. So he had to work. I had to work. The kids were at home for three months. I was with the MBA at night every time at from ten to one.

Chaudhary: So did you have exams?

Weibe: Yes, I had exams online. And the kids were at home and the school, they sent a lot of homework for the kids and you had to print that, prepare it, and give it to the kids, scan it in and send it. It was not, then everyone had a computer, so it was not set up properly and this was when I thought, I will go mad. This is really I, I don't know how to do it. And then I decided, I called the teacher and I said, I'm sorry, I'm not a teacher. I can't handle that. I will do with them what I can, but I cannot follow the rules here. I, I just can't do it. And then I called the, the university and I said, listen, there is a problem, with Covid, and I'm not the only person having this problem. Can you please find a solution? And there will be more people like me needing an extension. And they did. And that was really cool. They did. And they gave to everyone a Covid extension.

Chaudhary: Well, that's what they say. Sometimes you just have to ask for it. Sometimes you just have to voice your opinion. That's what we even tell everyone in WIN. That I mean, if you don't ask for it, we don't know that you need it.

Weibe: Exactly. You need to call people and they will understand. They said, yeah, true. Everyone who does this MBA online, of course, does this because they have a job and maybe kids and cannot go there and be on campus. So there will be more people with the problem. So and that was then solved. And then I got good advice from a friend and he said, how do you eat an elephant? A slice, slice by slice. So this stuck with me from that time. And I thought, okay, now I take it slice by slice. I do what I can.