Uplift wants to ‘rewrite the script’ on what it means to be a working mom

In a daily newsletter, Kari Clark chronicles experiences with a robotic vacuum and an experiment with marshmallows. A mom hack fits alongside reflections on failing while building a business.

With Uplift, Clark is looking to help working moms thrive, both in raising kids and in careers. She’s also looking to do so in a way that fits their busy schedule, as each email newsletter is designed to be read in about a minute. Clark is looking to “rewrite the script” about being a working mom to reach everyone.

“The story isn’t told,” she said, as focusing on growing a career and having kids are often considered separate conversations.

Clark, who moved to D.C. after working as an executive at Google for eight years as an executive in marketing and product management, is drawing from her own experience.

“Each time I had a kid I got much better at my job,” said.

After the birth of Chloe (pictured above), she made the switch from marketing to product management. She thought about the big shift this way: “If I’m going to leave my daughter at home, I want to make sure I’m really challenged at work and really love what I’m doing, and make sure I’m using my best strengths.”

When Rowan was born, Clark focused on her own well-being. She adopted healthier habits, gave away half of her possessions as she looked to de-clutter and began meditating. She said the amount of change brought a chance to reflect.

“Anytime you have a big life change…It’s a really good time to adapt new habits,” she said.

In building her business, she spoke with more than 70 women with a variety of similar experiences. Along with the way, she’s picked up lots of strategies. There’s lots of tactical advice, like making a list of accomplishments to celebrate too-often overlooked wins. Equally, there are reflections about sustaining relationships. The goal, she said, is to “parse all of that into something you can digest and do in a minute.”

Saving time is also a big theme for Uplift’s coaching program, which Clark is also piloting as part of Uplift. Clark said she is looking to break down sessions into shorter check-ins that don’t necessarily have to happen in person, and offer strategies for tasks that can be accomplished in shorter increments, supplemented with check-ins.

“The real magic will be in the coaching program that helps you bring these insights to life,” she said.