Building your village, thriving in motherhood, and making an impact in a male-dominated field

“Being a mother is the most rewarding experience, but is also the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Earning university degrees, building a career as a woman in a male dominated industry - all of these things are challenging, don't get me wrong, but motherhood takes life’s challenges to a whole new level.”

In this episode, member of Pros&Babes’ MoMBA community and mom of two Megan Sutton joins founder and CEO Kinia Romanowska to discuss how she discovered her love for engineering and how she’s made her voice count in a profession where women (and even more so mothers) are still a minority. Megan also talks about how motherhood came into the picture as her career was growing and shares her experience becoming a mom for the second time when the pandemic stripped her family of critical support systems. 

This episode is a must-listen if you’re looking for insights on how to make your mark in a male-dominated profession and lean into support systems for a smoother transition into working-motherhood. 

Megan Sutton, a materials engineer, joined Pros&Babes’ MoMBA program in March 2021, when - as she says - she felt ready to move past survival mode and go after dreams and goals that hadn’t yet come to life. Megan’s growth journey has propelled her towards a life vision that is true to her values, where consistent steps and conscious decisions compound into lasting progress over time.

You can reach out to Megan on LinkedIn @Megan Sutton, M.Eng., P.Eng. 

To learn more about the results Megan and other ambitious mothers have achieved within the MoMBA program, visit http://momba.prosandbabes.com 

0:00 Intro

3:21 Meet Megan

5:16 An inspiring career

8:43 How the path to engineering sprouted out of a mid-teen crisis

10:59 An early change of heart and getting her foot in the door

15:42 Working your way to success (while building a better world)

21:17 Moving her career forward while planning for family 

25:56 Key lessons from one of life’s most rewarding and challenging experiences

27:10 Support brings peace of mind: childcare during the back-to-work transition

28:38 Family and expert help in the time of COVID-19 

34:38 Building community with like-minded women

36:45 How knowing your values can get you out of survival mode

42:02 Tips for a smooth transition into working motherhood

45:32 Get in touch with Megan

46:37 Endnotes 

If you’re enjoying the show, I’d be so grateful if you left us a review so we can reach more moms, just like you. No one should be alone with the crushing overwhelm of trying to balance family and career life.


Want more support from moms just like you? Join us for live sessions for support and networking: https://www.prosandbabes.com/stem-mom-webinars


Kinia Romanowska, BA, MA, is a well-traveled award-winning journalist turned entrepreneur, maternity leave strategist, and working parent whisperer. A wife and mom of three passionate about making sure the next generation doesn’t experience the “Motherhood Penalty,” she is the founder and CEO of Pros&Babes and creator of the MoMBA (Mom MBA), the pioneering 360-leadership and personal development program for the busy, ambitious mom in Canada. She is the host of the “Engineer Your Success, Leadership, and Life Harmony #likeamother” podcast.