Welcome to The Double Shift, Relaunched.

Some of you may not know the story of how I got into this work. Throughout my 20s, I was an “all-in on Lean-In” corporate feminist, climbing the ladder at exciting New York media companies as an editor and digital strategist. But at 32, I found myself as a new mom without a job and with a 6 month-old with health problems, convinced I was a failure and that “everyone else had this working mom thing figured out except for me.” That was a huge turning point for me in my understanding of myself and the world. And basically for the last 6+ years I've been on a mission to make society and workplaces more equitable for moms and caregivers.

Although this has changed a bit in recent years, for the most part, media aimed at moms tries to convince us that we are one app, one workshop, one lunch packaging strategy, and one self-help hardcover away from "making it all work" and "having it all." The core belief is that what's difficult about being a mother in the 21st century can be fixed with personal micro-solutions.

I created The Double Shift because I believe the opposite. We are interested in systemic solutions to personal problems, because there's nothing wrong with us moms. What is broken is our society. And together, we can start to make more meaningful connections, explore big ideas and start to make in-roads to make a more just world for everyone.

For the last few months, I've been publishing a revamped newsletter full of reporting about the forces that shape family life in America and big ideas about challenging the status quo of motherhood. That will continue to show up in your inbox weekly. Today I'm relaunching that newsletter which is available for all the read on a new platform, Ghost. I chose Ghost because it’s an open source platform that has tons of great user experience and design features that I think you all will love. Hooray! Plus, it’s a platform that’s aligned with my values. I chose it over a popular venture-backed for-profit startup with shady editorial practices or a big tech company I already don’t trust.

One of the reasons I'm relaunching this community is that writing or producing a podcast as a journalist is too much of a one-way street. I truly believe that meaningful change that we want to see in our homes, our communities, or workplaces, our government and our society will come when mothers stand up and demand a better world. If the last two and half years have taught us anything, it's that no one is coming to save us. We can't do all of this alone. I believe building community is the most meaningful and impactful path forward, which is why I  want to invite you to be a part of this social change laboratory for moms.

Today I'm so excited to share that we are relaunching our Double Shift Member community, which starts at $7/mo.

*While we often center mothers in our work, everyone who cares about care is welcome, regardless of gender identity or parental status.

So, what are the community's values?

Our membership community is for building connections around political, social and workplace change, transforming families and building a more just future for everyone. We believe in:

Solidarity — not advice
Bold ideas — not life hacks
Curiosity — not judgment
Thoughtful research and analysis — not uninformed flame throwing

What do members get?

An audio version of the newsletter to listen to on your favorite player.

A MUCH BETTER WEBSITE that fosters you all getting to know each other and the ability to comment on public posts and members-only private threads, that I'll be sending out in addition to the weekly newsletter. I have some juicy topics LINED UP!

Access to members-only hangouts on Zoom (and in person!) Check out the upcoming events at the bottom.

This is the start of the list. More benefits coming, based on member feedback! You all are the drivers of this community, and I'm excited to collaborate with you on how it evolves.

Your paying membership allows this to be one of the very-few non-corporate spaces left on the internet. Membership supports me in creating this newsletter and running this community. I'm so grateful for those who think my work is valuable and can support it financially through membership.

Even if you don't have bandwidth for "activism" or "big projects," come for solidarity and inspiration. You are already enough. Come to know that you are not alone.

What does my membership pay for?

• A fair wage for my time.
• Paying talented independent workers who contribute to this project a fair wage.
• The costs of running a small business, from website hosting to accounting software.
• Keeping the thoughtful reporting and commentary in the newsletter free for all, allowing our ideas and values to reach the most people possible.

Making sure everyone who wants to be a part of this is very important to me. If you’d like to be a member and it’s not in your budget right now,  reply to this email and I’ll get you set up, no questions asked.

Additionally, I count on Double Shifters to cover the cost of donated memberships, so if you are in a position to pay more, consider signing up at the supporter or champion level ($14 or $30/mo) which helps to keep membership accessible, and enriches our community with the perspectives of moms with different financial circumstances.

To celebrate our relaunch, we are hosting a virtual 'Fireside Chat' with the one and only Erin Grau. She's the co-founder and COO of Charter, a media and services company that aims to transform every workplace. She's also a "founding mother" o the new advocacy organization, Chamber of Mothers.

You may know Erin because she shared her story with us back in 2019 about advocating and getting better paid family leave at The NYTimes. If you missed it, or want to jog your memory, go back and listen to the Double Shift episode "Paid Leave, We Can Do Better," and the followup episode we made about Double Shifters who were galvanized to advocate for better policies by listening to Erin's story.  She has been inspiring Double Shifters for years with her tactical prowess and determination to make workplaces better for moms and caregivers. And now with her new company, Erin is on the forefront of promoting ideas about workplace change around the country. Join me in conversation with Erin as we talk tactics, and why she believes there's so much more we need to change so much more about our workplaces beyond family leave policy. And of course, take your questions!

In celebration of our relaunch, this event which would typically be for members-only is open to all. RSVP here. Members will be automatically invited and will get an audio version of the conversation in their feeds the week after the event.

Save the Date: August 4th at 12pm EST. Building Community Outside Your Comfort Zone. Stay tuned for more!

Whew. I'm going to take a nap now.

xo,

Katherine