Two girls who are just as passionate about jobs as they are about their lives outside of them. Join Annabel & Shannon for the work week watercooler chat
Returning to Work after Maternity Leave? We asked a Mum of 3
Shannon goes back to work tomorrow after almost six months off after having her baby, and to use her words, she's "freaking out a little." So she asked Allie Williams to talk her through it. Allie is a senior tech leader, a mom of three under five (ages 1, 3 and 5), and the founder of a community of women returning from maternity leave on Instagram. Her first piece of advice? Archive your entire inbox on day 1.
In this episode, Allie gives her day-one playbook for a success first week and beyond. We also talk about baby brain, the A+ effort problem, how to decide if your role still fits, and the small group program she runs called The Recalibrated Leader.
Links
Join Allie's community on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/allie.williams.advisory/) @allie.williams.advisory (https://www.instagram.com/allie.williams.advisory/)
Find out more about The Recalibrated Leader program on her website www.alliewilliamsadvisory.com (https://www.alliewilliamsadvisory.com/)
1 Oct 2026
Why your workplace culture might be too comfortable
Quiet offices don't mean happy offices. I sat down with HR leader Taryn Klein to talk about why comfort kills workplace culture, what leaders miss when everything looks fine, and why "maybe" is the worst answer a boss can give. Baby on my chest, hot takes on unlimited PTO, and a rule I'm taking back to my team: yes, no, no maybes.
Meet the guest
Taryn Klein has more than 20 years of HR leadership experience. She works with CEOs, business leaders, and HR professionals to build more resilient workplaces.
Key takeaways
A quiet team is telling you something. Listen for who stopped talking.
Leaders can hold people accountable and show empathy in the same conversation.
Asking "what can I do less of?" takes pressure off the person who won't ask for help.
Perks like unlimited PTO mean nothing when leaders don't use them.
Employers owe you clarity, and you decide what works for your life.
Links
Taryn's website (https://www.tarynmconsulting.com/)
Taryn's Substack (https://substack.com/@tarynmconsulting?r=3b1ike&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page)
Off the Clock Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/off_the_clock_pod/) and Substack (https://substack.com/@lifeofshanmarie)
25 Sept 2026
Workplace fashion: The surprising evolution that will change how you dress
Shannon and Annabel break down how corporate dressing actually evolved — from the Cue pencil skirt that was basically a uniform out of university, through COVID killing the pantsuit, to the Lululemon-golf-polo era some offices are living in now. They get into why "dress for your day" makes more sense than a fixed dress code, the awkward conversation Shannon had to have with an employee about a crop top, and how to actually dress for work postpartum when you've got real functional needs and not just a belly to work around.
In this episode:
The Cue pencil skirt rite of passage, and why Annabel's twelve-year-old dress still holds up
COVID as the real turning point for corporate attire
"Dress for your day" — why the same person can wear jeans and trainers one day, dress pants the next
The crop top conversation Shannon had to have as a manager, and what it taught her about unspoken rules
Annabel's take on the fake-shoe sneaker and the jegging — why she'd rather you just wear the jeans
The psychology of first impressions — Annabel's split-second-face study from her political science degree, and what it has to do with trust
Why tech doesn't get a hoodie pass just because "I just code"
Postpartum dressing: button-ups for pump access, the "tunic transition phase," and high-waisted skirts with a belt
Cost per wear — why a blazer that works with jeans and your one nice dress beats a wardrobe of single-purpose pieces
Mentioned in this episode:
Uniqlo Ponty pants (https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E479298-000/00?colorDisplayCode=32&sizeDisplayCode=003) (buy many colors, just genuinely great).
Quince knit dresses (https://www.quince.com/women/jersey-long-sleeve-maxi-dress?color=kalamata-olive) (maternity, not postpartum-friendly if you're breastfeeding)
Follow Off the Clock and subscribe wherever you listen. Follow along on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/off_the_clock_pod/) and Substack (https://lifeofshanmarie.substack.com/) too
18 Sept 2026
Career Reset or Burnout? The 7R Framework with Nat Sang
Shannon and Annabel sit down with Nat Sang, founder of the 7R reset methodology, to unpack the seven-step framework (recognize, release, reframe, reclaim, redesign, rebuild, reset) built from Nat's own experience of burnout, a layoff, and finding purpose in her 50s. The conversation covers what it actually takes to recognize you're ready for a change, how to release old identities without guilt, what "reclaiming" yourself looks like as a working parent, and why this framework isn't only for people ready to quit their jobs. Shannon and Annabel close the episode with their own debrief, including a personal story about recognizing what you don't want outside of work, and an unexpected parallel to Michelle Obama's take on reclaiming her time as an empty nester.
Guest: Nat Sang, founder of the midlife reset and creator of the 7R Reset methodology. After 30 years in professional leadership, Nat's role was eliminated in a company restructure. She turned the experience into a framework for recognizing burnout, rebuilding identity, and deciding what comes next, whether that means a full career pivot or simply doing your current job differently.
Resources & links:
Nat Sang / The Midlife Reset (https://nsangauthor.substack.com/) on Substack
The 7R Reset framework (https://themidliferesetwithnat.com/)via Nat's website
Follow Off the Clock (https://www.instagram.com/off_the_clock_pod/)
10 Sept 2026
Mentors — how to build your personal advisory board
This week Shannon and Annabel dig into mentorship: what it actually looks like, why one mentor isn't enough, and the five-seat "personal advisory board" framework. Shannon shares why she signed up to volunteer for Step Up, a Chicago mentoring program for young women early in their careers, and the mistake she made networking purely for visibility earlier in her career. Annabel talks through how a recurring quarterly check-in with a senior leader she admired eventually turned into a job offer, and why the people at that level tend to talk to each other. Both share how they've gotten tactical about asking peers for direct feedback instead of waiting for it to show up.
In this episode:
The five seats on a personal advisory board, and what each one actually does
Why your manager isn't automatically your mentor
The moment Shannon understood what a sponsor is, from her time in consulting
How to ask peers for feedback without it being awkward
Why mentoring doesn't need to be a formal, ongoing arrangement
3 Sept 2026
Work benefits vs salary 2026: the trades that are worth it
We talk benefits this week, and not the boring HR-brochure kind. Annabel and Shannon get into healthcare, parental leave, flexibility, and the stuff that actually decides whether you stay in a job or walk. We compare notes on Australia versus America, because the gap is bigger than either of us realized until we started pulling numbers. We also get into paid parental leave as a real business strategy, not just a nice gesture, and why unlimited PTO might not be the flex it sounds like. Grab a coffee (or a martini, no judgment) and settle in.
Takeaways
Benefits aren't a perk anymore, they're a primary driver of who takes a job and who leaves one
Paid parental leave is a strategic retention move, not charity
Flexibility and time off only work as a benefit if the culture actually lets you use them
Chapters
00:00 The importance of employee benefits
07:53 Healthcare benefits and work-life flexibility
14:56 Paid parental leave and caregiver support
19:57 Comparison of benefits: Australia vs. America
26:04 Paid parental leave as a business strategy
32:19 Flexibility and time off as a choice
40:22 Financial and lifestyle security
26 Aug 2026
WE ARE BACK! The re-launch with two new team members
After a longer-than-expected hiatus, Shannon and Annabel reopen Off the Clock as two women, with two babies and two very different takes on the chaos of returning to work after maternity leave. This is a candid catch-up on four-month-olds, unexpected IT issues, sleep training, identity shifts, and the strange relief of realizing work can survive without you.
Shannon and Annabel are back with a brutally honest, funny, and surprisingly practical conversation about what changes when motherhood collides with corporate life. Shannon shares what it felt like to fully disconnect after leave and why it changed how she thinks about boundaries, while Annabel talks through coming back with a clearer head, a packed inbox, and a fresh strategy for easing back into work life.
If you’ve ever wondered how to stay ambitious when your life, schedule, and brain are all being rewired at once, this one will feel extremely relatable.Off the Clock is back, and so are the real conversations about career, identity, motherhood, and the messy intersection of all three.
Perfect for anyone navigating parental leave, returning to work, or just trying to keep up with life while the world keeps moving.
27 Nov 2025
Kicking off the Holiday Season
In this episode, Shannon and Annabel dive into the holiday season, discussing their personal experiences with Thanksgiving and the upcoming festive celebrations. They explore the evolution of work holiday parties, the importance of socializing in the workplace, and share their best and worst holiday party stories. The conversation touches on trauma bonding, office party etiquette, and the fun of Secret Santa gift exchanges, all while emphasizing the significance of building connections with colleagues during this festive time.
10 Nov 2025
Should I stay or should I go? The ultimate career question
Annabel and Shannon discuss the merits of staying at a company for a long or short period , and what this means to a hiring manager and your career.
3 Nov 2025
Welcome to Off the Clock!
Annabel and Shannon welcome you to their debrief on the work week, unpacking the funny, awkward and slightly messy persona beneath the corporate woman.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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