From Columbus Business First, Women of Influence is an interview series showcasing some of the most powerful women in the Central Ohio business community. Hosted by Eleanor Kennedy, Assistant Managing Editor.
https://columbusbusinessfirst.com
Preview: Geben's Heather Whaling (plus a podcast recommendation)
Heather Whaling gave birth to her son five weeks early in an Akron hospital.
She spent the next 13 days with him in the NICU, hours away from her life in Columbus and the firm she had just recently founded, Geben Communication.
"It was the most stressful experience of my life," Whaling said.
But there were some stressors she didn't need to worry about: whether she would still be getting a paycheck, or have a job when she was ready to go back to work. As the founder of her firm she was in control of those things, but she knows not all parents are.
That's why Whaling is a passionate proponent of generous paid leave policies for new parents, something she talked about in a recent taping of our Women of Influence podcast. We'll share our full conversation with Whaling next week, but for now, check out our preview episode to hear more about how her own experience shaped her company's policy, what that policy looks like and why she thinks it makes good business sense.