The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR 282 - The Career Tradeoffs No One Talks About: Liz Bronson (VP People, Skimmer)
Liz Bronson, VP of People at Skimmer, joined us on The Modern People Leader to talk about intentionally “flatlining” her career for a period of time to prioritize parenting.
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Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode282
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(08:30) From teaching to HR: early roles, mentor, and learning the business
(10:54) VMware era: growth, recruiting focus, and family move to Austin
(11:55) Consulting chapter: building “Liz Bronson Consulting” and supporting startups
(13:18) COVID shift: reevaluating priorities and deciding “it’s my turn”
(15:12) Landing at Skimmer: growth, doubling, and why it is working
(20:53) Intentional career “flatlining” for parenting and how she made it work
(24:52) The “do it all” myth: stress, trade-offs, and household coping strategies
(30:57) The career trade-offs no one talks about
(32:14) Negotiating the partnership reset with her husband and what changed post-2020
(41:49) The “must-have list” and choosing roles that fit life stages
(45:08) The job-search grind after a reset, protecting mental health, and rebuilding momentum
(48:27) Building a caregiver-friendly workplace, parental leave returns, and flexibility in practice
(51:13) Influencing leaders, the business case, and the “why” behind policies and RTO mandates
(55:36) Career advice for HR leaders, understanding the business, and becoming a stronger partner
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Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.