Episode 3: Featuring Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan
Your best employees are walking out the door—not because they became parents, but because you didn’t know how to support them. Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan reveal why 100% of parents believe becoming a parent made them better employees, yet the “motherhood penalty” and manager assumptions are costing you top talent.
Listen
Watch
In This Episode
- The retention crisis hiding in plain sight—why well-intentioned managers make career-killing decisions “on behalf of” returning parents without including them
- The motherhood penalty vs. fatherhood bonus—women face a 4% income decrease per child while men see a 6% increase, despite both groups reporting improved skills
- Why every parent says they’re better employees—empathy, time management, resilience, and adaptability skills that organizations desperately need
- The personal NICU story that sparked the research—Mason’s experience managing a business while navigating parenthood’s emotional intensity
- The 95% reality check—practical strategies for employees to advocate for themselves when companies won’t provide adequate support
- Three organizational quick wins to stop the talent bleed—mentoring programs, parent ERGs, and coaching for managers and employees
- The transition arc framework—why parenthood isn’t a “switch off/switch on” moment but requires partnership and planning
Episode Highlights
[01:47] – Mason shares the NICU experience that changed everything—12-hour days balancing joy, fear, and running a business
[04:47] – Mark on what surprised him most: “There are very few things in life that really change you. Parenthood changes people.”
[06:20] – The research revelation: Every single parent interviewed said becoming a parent made them a better employee—yet workplace penalties persist
[22:09] – The “good intention trap”—why managers who make decisions without including parents slow careers or kill them entirely
[23:43] – Mark’s advice for parents: “Don’t think about it as turning the switch off and on. Look at the arc of the whole transition.”
[24:54] – Mason’s first step: “Go to HR and ask: Does our corporation want to support working parents?”—plus three organizational quick wins
[27:14] – The ownership imperative: “Do not expect your manager or company to put everything in front of you. Own your leave.”
Resources Mentioned
- The Parenthood Advantage: Building Corporate Cultures That Value Working Parents by Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan (DG Press, October 2025)
- Special offer: Get 25% off using code COURAGE at checkout
About Our Guests
Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan are Managing Partners of The Dagoba Group, a global consulting firm advancing inclusive leadership, employee well-being, and organizational culture. They are authors of the bestselling The Inclusion Dividend and co-authors of SET for Inclusion and The Golden Apple. Their work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. Both live in New England with their families.
Courage to Advance is produced by SparkEffect. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
