Mothers Who Lead: Scarlet Muehlbauer

Each month Maturn will be highlighting a current member of the Maturn community who is growing both their career and their family.

This month our highlighted member is: Scarlet Muehlbauer

Company and Position:
Flying Embers, Director PNW, and International Expansion

Age of your kids :
My son Hayden is 10.5 months, and my stepson, Keaton is thirteen.

How has Motherhood grown you as a leader?
I’ve always defaulted to a masculine and direct leadership style, as I assumed I needed to embody specific characteristics to succeed in my male-dominated field. Motherhood has helped me embrace my natural empathetic style and understand that leading from vulnerability is my superpower, not weakness.

What are some of the unique challenges you have faced in growing your career and your family or what you observe being challenges for other mothers doing the same?
A significant challenge for me, in navigating career and Motherhood, particularly in the US, is the absence of paid parental leave. I saw this as an opportunity to help further develop my organization’s culture and advocate for necessary bonding time with my son. So, through my pregnancy, I worked alongside HR to propose and help proudly develop a 12-week paid family leave program.

Do you have any advice, thoughts or quotes for other mothers who are growing their careers and their families?
Maturn’s Motherhood Leadership Program has helped me understand the importance of identifying and acting in alignment with my core values. Returning to my career after a challenging pregnancy journey to Motherhood has brought many difficult decisions, but making choices based on my values, whether they are current or aspirational, has helped guide me, prioritize my calendar, and begin to define boundaries. Thank you Jen and Sonja!