📣 Jobshare Revolution is getting a Glow Up! While we build fresh new episodes, enjoy our Best Of series — hand-picked mindset, lesson, and interview episodes with a new intro, chosen to help you implement your job share sooner. Stay tuned!

This powerful visualization exercise will help you envision what it's like to work in a job share in under 15 minutes.

There are several barriers to job sharing that those interested in sharing roles need to overcome, but the hardest barrier to overcome might be you. It takes people a while to wrap their heads around job sharing. After all, there are two people, meaning two personalities bringing two sets of ideas into one full-time position. They're sharing their income, profession, and personal lives, even. It can seem brilliant but tricky to pull off successfully until you've experienced job sharing firsthand.

So before you come across any outside obstacles or barriers to creating your job share, I need you to make sure you are not standing in your way. Visualizing the day-to-day life of one week as a job sharer with this powerful exercise will enable you to slip into the job share mindset and embrace what it's like to job share in less than 15 minutes.

Links mentioned:

• FREE Guided Audio Visualization Exercise (to accompany Episode 65)
• Work Muse Job Share, Live Life + Slay Work Facebook Group

Episode Website: workmuse.com/65
Transcript here.

Send Melissa a Text Message.

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Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

📣 Jobshare Revolution is getting a Glow Up! While we build fresh new episodes, enjoy our Best Of series — hand-picked mindset, lesson, and interview episodes with a new intro, chosen to help you implement your job share sooner. Stay tuned!

Finance leader Liz Stapleton Zerella's moxie landed her a rare senior job share arrangement at Clorox with partner Michelle Shalauta.

What the duo did next is remarkable. If you're wondering if job sharing will negatively impact your career progression, not only does research prove the opposite—According to The Job Share Project, over 70% of job share teams who apply are promoted together—but Liz and her job share partner Michelle successfully navigated a nine-year partnership in four roles while also winning promotion as a job share. As if that weren't impressive enough, they worked in a predominantly male division of Clorox in finance where job sharing was unheard of.

So friend, take that to heart. Both are possible for you too. 🫶

We had this phone meeting before this podcast was even a thing, and I think you'll find our conversation unique and special—like being a fly on the wall for two former job sharers who’ve finally connected as part of a secret society of job sharers to dish on what it was really like. I hope you enjoy it!

Links mentioned:

• Fast Company article: Is Job Sharing the Solution to Our Flexible Work Problems?

Episode Website: workmuse.com/64
Transcript here

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

📣 Jobshare Revolution is getting a Glow Up! While we build fresh new episodes, enjoy our Best Of series — hand-picked mindset, lesson, and interview episodes with a new intro, chosen to help you implement your job share sooner. Stay tuned!

It's 2026, and women are STILL making less than men. Women’s Equal Pay Day marks how far into the year women must work to catch up to what men earned last year. And in 2026? The numbers really don’t add up.

In fact, the U.S. has taken a MAJOR leap backwards in 2026 for gender pay equity—from women earning just 83¢ in 2025 to just 81¢ in 2026 for every dollar that a white non-Hispanic male makes. 🤯

The gender pay gap has barely budged, despite decades of advocacy. Why is this STILL happening? And more importantly, what actually works to close the gap?

In this episode, we dive into:

✔ The Equal Pay Day stats—how far women have come and where we’re still stuck.
✔ Why the pay gap isn’t just about salary—and how caregiving, career breaks, and job types widen the divide.
✔ The truth about workplace flexibility and pay equity—are women penalized for remote and flexible work?
✔ How job sharing creates pay equity and career advancement opportunities for women.
✔ What YOU can do to advocate for yourself and push for real change in the workplace.

Why This Episode Matters Now

Women have fought hard for equal pay, but progress has been painfully slow. With new challenges like AI-driven hiring biases and workplace flexibility backlash, and the first year of the Trump presidency pushing the TradWife Movement and culture shifts encouraging women to return to the 1950s—we need solutions that move the needle.

Whether you're negotiating your salary, re-entering the workforce, or advocating for systemic change, this episode gives you the tools to take action.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• 👉 AAUW Equal Pay Day Calendar
• 👉 How the Working Mom Exodus of 2025 (450K in the first 7 months of 2025!) could be a contributor to women losing 2 cents more per dollar in 2026. Catch up: Ep 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58.
• 👉 Episode 62: International Women's Day: What Google's Calendar Omission Means for Equality
• 👉 Explore job sharing: workmuse.com/guide

Read the full transcript & show notes: workmuse.com/63

**Update: The most troubling pay disparities by ethnicity:

• Black women: Fell from earning 67 cents in 2025 to earning 66 cents for every dollar a white non-Hispanic man makes in 2026.
• White women: Fell from earning 80 cents in 2025 to earning 77 cents for every dollar a white non-Hispanic man makes in 2026.

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

📣 Jobshare Revolution is getting a Glow Up! While we build fresh new episodes, enjoy our "Best Of" series — hand-picked mindset, lesson, and interview episodes with a new intro, chosen to help you implement your job share sooner. Stay tuned!

Why Did Google Erase International Women's Day? And Why DEI Matters More Than Ever.

Something happened on International Women’s Day that I can’t stop thinking about—and I bet you missed it too.

Google quietly erased International Women’s Day in 2025 from its calendar app. And it's STILL missing in 2026. Not just that, but they also removed other major cultural observances like Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Pride Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Coincidence? I don’t think so. It’s not just about a missing calendar event. This is happening at a time when Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under attack, despite overwhelming research proving that diverse companies outperform their competitors.

If you care about gender equality, representation, and creating a future where all voices are valued, this conversation is for you.

Here Are 3 Key Takeaways From This Episode:

1️⃣ DEI is NOT just ‘good PR’—it’s a business advantage.
Companies with diverse leadership teams are 39% more likely to outperform their peers financially. Ignoring DEI isn’t just wrong—it’s bad business.

2️⃣ Representation matters more than ever.
Silencing historical and cultural observances is a deliberate act, one that signals to marginalized communities that their contributions don’t matter.

3️⃣ Women’s careers (and leadership opportunities) depend on work structures that support them.
Job sharing isn’t just about flexibility—it’s a career accelerator that allows women to balance work and life while moving into leadership roles.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Research: McKinsey & Company's "Diversity Matters Even More" Report (2023)
• Article: Google & Apple's Calendar Controversy (NY Post & Politifact)

More From Me:

• Want to explore job sharing? workmuse.com/guide
• Join Job Share, Live Life + Slay Work community for like-minded folks who value flexibility AND their careers
• Follow me on LinkedIn

Episode Website: workmuse.com/62
Transcript here.

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

📣 Jobshare Revolution is getting a Glow Up! While we build fresh new episodes, enjoy our Best Of series — hand-picked mindset, lesson, and interview episodes with a new intro, chosen to help you implement your job share sooner. Stay tuned!

To beat imposter syndrome and manifest your job share, you have to believe you can job share.

Once a skeptic, I've become a believer after leaning into manifestation during my most challenging season of life. You might be thinking, "Easy for you to say, Melissa. You're one of the lucky few who've job shared." I know it may be easier said than done, but I also know there are more job sharers (past or present) out there than you think—probably even in your circle.

There's a dirty little secret that plagues nearly all job sharers, including me—it took us longer to job share than we would have liked. Much, much longer. Had we faced down our fears of the "right timing, the "right boss," or the "right job" sooner, we could have reaped job sharing's massive personal AND professional benefits sooner.

In Episode 61's Mindset Minisode, I distill two personal obstacles you need to understand about job sharing and a powerful 1-minute exercise to help you manifest your (fill in the blank—job share/promotion/new job/work-life goal/flex work practice). I also divulge the mantra I've adopted over the past year that keeps my imposter syndrome from ever rearing its ugly little head.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Work Muse Job Share, Live Life + Slay Work Facebook Group

Episode Website: workmuse.com/61
Transcript here.

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

Welcome to Part 2! Goals are only as good as the systems you create to support them. Today we're diving into the HOW.

Don't have your workbook? 👉 Download it FREE: workmuse.com/bestself

You'll get the complete workbook with all 5 exercises plus a bonus, and gentle email guidance on your timeline. Pro Tip: Save both episodes 59 & 60 to work through at your own pace.

In Episode 60, you'll discover:

Day 4: James Clear Your Year—Habits That Stick

• "You fall to the level of your systems" - James Clear
• The 4 stages of habit formation: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward
• James Clear's 7 best tips + 2 personal mantras
• Real success stories:
  • How Mike became a runner: one mile he couldn't finish → 50K trail race
  • How I became vegetarian 14 years ago and why it stuck
• Identity shift: BE a reader, not "read more"
• Power of environment and community
• Your action: Identify 1-3 habits and build systems to support them

Day 5: Manifestation & Who You Want to BE

• The neuroscience of manifestation (Dr. James Doty)
• My manifestation story: from hardest season to incredible opportunities
• Oprah's wisdom: "You become what you believe"
• The 6 steps to manifest (get clear, ask, be flexible, do the work, release limiting beliefs, lean into joy)
• James Clear: "Every action is a vote for the type of person you want to be"
• Your action: Who do you want to BE? (Not what you want to do)

Day 6 BONUS: Ikigai & Job Sharing

• What is Ikigai? Japanese philosophy for finding purpose
• The 4 circles: What you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, what you can be paid for
• The Ikigai exercise: Find careers at the intersection
• What is job sharing? Partnership sharing one full-time role
• My story: Nearly a decade in 24/7 media
• 6 things job sharing gave me:
  1. Leave work at work (truly unplug)
  2. Goodbye to guilt
  3. SuperTeam results
  4. Organic boundaries
  5. Equality at home (most profound)
  6. Work BFF (#1 factor for work happiness)
• How job sharing might support your Ikigai
• Your action: Complete the Ikigai exercise, reflect on job sharing

You did it! You've reflected, let go, chosen your word, set goals, learned habit science, explored manifestation, decided who you want to BE, and discovered your Ikigai.

Most people never do this work. But you showed up.

Remember: You become what you believe. This year is yours. 💛

Resources:

• FREE Workbook
• Free Job Sharing Guide
• Facebook Community
• Connect on LinkedIn

Episode Website: workmuse.com/60

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

Let Go, Choose Your Word & Set Achievable Goals in 2026.

What if you could approach the new year without all the pressure? In this episode, I'm sharing Part 1 of a gentle, science-backed approach to setting intentions that actually work.

Before you listen: 👉 Download your FREE New Year Reset workbook: workmuse.com/bestself

When you sign up, you'll get the complete workbook with all 5 exercises plus a bonus, and email guidance, with flexibility and on your timeline.

In Episode 59, you'll learn:

Day 1: What to Leave Behind

• A powerful camera roll exercise to reflect on the past year
• How to decide what no longer serves you (without judgment)
• How to identify the "rocks in your backpack" to release what's holding you back

Day 2: Choose Your Word of the Year

• Why one word is more powerful than multiple resolutions
• How to choose between words of reflection, change, or connection
• Real examples from my past Word of the Years and those who've joined our reset the past three years 💡

Day 3: Setting Achievable Goals

• The SMARTER framework that actually works
• Why most people fail (they forget the HOW)
• 5 goal-setting mistakes to avoid, and how to break goals into micro-actions

Why this matters: The past year has felt rough—from economic and political uncertainty, to AI disruption and job market challenges. When everything external feels chaotic, the most powerful thing you can do is center yourself internally.

Pro Tip: Save episodes 59 & 60 to work through all five exercises (and the bonus ✨) on your timeline.

Resources:

• FREE Workbook
• Facebook Community
• Connect on LinkedIn

Coming in Part 2: James Clear's habit method, manifestation science, and Ikigai for career purpose.

Episode Website: workmuse.com/59

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌

70% of women who took career breaks struggle with decreased confidence when trying to re-enter.

Add in ageism, the motherhood penalty, and AI screening resumes? People are hitting their heads against the wall in this brutal job market.

But what if you could bypass the nail-biting interviews altogether?

Here's job sharing's best-kept secret for career relaunches: Find your partner FIRST. Have them pitch you as a team. Get built-in mentorship as you upskill on the job—like an old-school apprenticeship.

Instead of explaining resume gaps and competing against uninterrupted work histories, you're partnering with someone already valued and trusted. You're offering a high-performing team, not asking for a chance.

In episode 58:

• Why relaunches are harder than ever (ageism + AI HR + motherhood penalty)
• The confidence crisis no one's talking about
• 👩🏽‍💻 5 strategic moves for mothers relaunching or transitioning careers
• 💡 The alternative path: Partner first, bypass interviews, upskill together
• Why this is my absolute favorite way to start job sharing
• 🎉 Series wrap-up: Making sure you're not part of the exodus

Here's the genius: You're likely coming in for a final-round interview with your partner in the room. An all-star employee vouching for you. Faster upskilling than starting solo. A personal cheerleader and built-in mentor.

You're not starting at a disadvantage. Your success is their success.

This wraps our 7-part series. When we started: 212K women left in first 7 months of 2025. ❌ October BLS data: 450,000 have left. 😵 Understanding how to make sure you're not one of them is critical.

Featured Research:

• Fortune analysis on the mother's workforce exodus
• Mom Relaunch
• iRelaunch

Resources:

• FREE Guide to Job Sharing 👉 workmuse.com/guide ✅
• Transitioning or relaunching? 🤔 DM me on LinkedIn
• Join Work Muse Facebook Community

Nearly all job sharers create their own arrangements. You can too. Believe you can and put a plan into place.

2026, watch out! It's time to make all our dreams come true—yours and mine.🥂 🥳

Episode Website: workmuse.com/58
Transcript: workmuse.com/58transcript

Send Melissa a Text Message.

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTS

Thank you for supporting my bootstrapped social good company and mission!

“I love Melissa and Jobshare Revolution.” <– If that sounds like you, please consider leaving me a 5⭐ rating and review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5⭐ , and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This helps me support more people—just like you—to find TRUE work-life balance. 🙌🙌