As we wrap up 2025, I wanted to revisit this powerful conversation I had with Neha Ruch during one of the first episodes of TNOTY. We'll be taking a short pause of our own, and we'll be launching Season 2 of TNOTY later in January! Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the latest.

About the episode: I’ve talked to a lot of women about their careers—but what Neha Ruch said about “nailing the dismount” when leaving a job? That stuck with me, and I knew I wanted to learn more.

In this episode, Neha, the founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause, opens up about the quiet grief of stepping back from work, the invisible expectations placed on modern mothers, and the mindset shifts that helped her, and thousands of others, reclaim their career and life narrative on their own terms. She and I dive into the real stuff: the pressure to “lean in,” the fear of losing your spot, the quiet guilt that follows moms into daycare pickup lines and exit interviews.

Neha shares the practical strategies and hard-earned insights that help women take intentional pauses from work, stay connected to their ambition, and return with clarity, confidence, and strength.

What You’ll Discover:

• Why Neha traded a dream job for a different kind of fulfillment (18:30)
• How to talk about being “on pause” in a way that feels strong and self-defined (25:09)
• Why women need to start “nailing the dismount” when stepping back from a job (28:11)
• How motherhood can spark, not stifle, creativity and reinvention (38:01)
• Practical tools for navigating finances, identity shifts, and career pivots (47:18)
• Neha responds to listener questions about how to approach a pause (53:04)

Whether you’re a parent navigating your own pause, a partner trying to understand it, or simply someone rethinking what success looks like—this conversation is a guidepost. Neha's groundbreaking work is shifting how we view, understand, and talk about career pauses.

Neha doesn’t just talk about redefining ambition. She shows us how it’s done.

You can watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dMf4v5Ah4Dk

For a full transcript and more, check out our blog post: https://www.lindsaycz.com/show-notes/neha-ruch-30

To connect with Neha Ruch, check out:

The Power Pause site: www.thepowerpause.com

Find Neha on Instagram @neha_ruch