Work/Life Integration vs. Work/Life Balance

I’ve been out of the corporate workforce for 12 years, since I had my first child; deciding to instead of returning to corporate, open a small photography business.  Having a small business and being a full time mom is a juggle and a struggle - what I have realized about having both a career and a family is this—It’s not so much about work/life balance, it’s more about work/life integration.  If we’re expected to make sure the human race lives on by making and adopting little humans, women, who make up 47% of the workforce really need services that help on a number of levels.  I recently read an article in Fast Company Magazine on one of the Top 20 innovative companies of 2020, Maven Clinic; from the article: “Maven connects workers with medical specialists via video chat or messaging for a fraction of the cost of an in-person visit. It was founded on the idea that access to better care before, during, and after pregnancies benefits employers as much as patients (by requiring fewer sick days and, ultimately, keeping parents in jobs)."  With women making up nearly half of the workforce and slightly outnumbering men in college grads, Let's keep these women empowered; let's realize the strengths these women with families have instead of pointing out flaws, let's raise each other up instead of cutting each other up.  I look forward to reading about more companies like Maven Clinic that understand the modern needs of working women that are raising families; lets see how we can empower these current women leaders to raise our future leaders.