Turning Personal Challenges into Community-Wide Success

Read Julie Nguyen's story on how she leveraged personal pain points to create a purpose-propelled community to shape how new moms navigate modern workforce challenges.

It's an ambition that doesn't always feel easy to achieve. According to a Women in the Workplace report conducted by McKinsey with LeanIn.Org, one in three working mothers (particularly those with young children) were considering reeling in their careers or exiting the workforce altogether in 2020. 

Despite the progress society has made in championing gender equality, there's still some room for improvement, particularly when it comes to supporting the 'working moms': the mother who wants to both grow her career and raise a family. 

Julie Nguyen could relate to the struggle women face when it comes to balancing home and work life. Originally from Austin, Texas, Nguyen and her husband moved to Dubai, where she gave birth to their first child. While on maternity leave, she contemplated her accomplished career in marketing and corporate innovation and what it would start to look like as a new mom living in a foreign country. 

She also noticed that many other women in her expat community who had relocated to Dubai often did so for their husband's career, leaving her to wonder—what about us? 

Rather than ponder that question on her own, Nguyen rallied the support of fellow career-driven mamas who could help her answer it. The result is Crunchmoms, a platform dedicated to helping moms define success on their own terms.

Through events, workshops, and networking opportunities, Crunchmoms gives its members the tangible tools they need to advance their careers. But to Nguyen, what's more important is its strong sense of community. Rather than focus on what the women can get from the group, it's more about how they can support each other's individual needs. 

As she puts it: “When women have the right support professionally and mentally, you never know what new opportunity [will come] up or how they might start something new for themselves. It's a modern approach to business that's both mindful and impactful. Business models are changing; we must start with creating a community with a purpose.”

Because of this approach, Nguyen recognized early on that the definition of purpose is different for everyone. If Crunchmoms wants to give these women what they need to thrive, it requires actively listening to input from the group and letting that feedback be the guiding force to drive its mission. 

What helps her gather feedback from her Crunchmoms is prioritizing face-to-face connections. While it would be easier to move everything online given the virtual tools available, there is something to be said for the feeling that happens when the women gather for intimate and in-person meetups. 

It shows that building a career doesn't always need to be about hard skills and all-business-all-the-time; it's equally valuable to have a group to share ideas with and foster the confidence needed to be successful. 

Nguyen's story shows how she leveraged personal pain points to find solutions and then pay them forward. Not only does the benefit reach the immediate Crunchmoms network, but it will also shape how new moms navigate the workforce in the generations to come.  

The Crunchmom community is an example of how we never have to figure everything out on our own—we can find strength in each other and tackle our challenges together. After all, it truly does take a village.

Discover how Impactika Consulting helped guide Crunchmoms' community-first approach to business by reading the case study.