Lauren Smith Brody of The Fifth Trimester On How To Write A Book That Sparks A Movement

Authority Magazine: Lauren Smith Brody of The Fifth Trimester On How To Write A Book That Sparks A Movement -- Listen Share Books have a unique power to spark movements because they name and validate experiences that often feel invisible. Books have a unique power to spark movements because they name and validate experiences that often feel invisible. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure to interview Lauren Smith Brody. Lauren Smith Brody, the Founder and CEO of The Fifth Trimester and a Co-Founder of Chamber of Mothers, is a leading voice on supporting working parents and advancing gender equity at work.

Lauren’s work grew out of her book The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Success After Baby (Doubleday, 2017), which she wrote toward the end of her first career in media. Today, she drives gender equity at scale across the Fortune 500. Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share the “backstory” of how you grew up? I grew up as the quintessential eldest daughter in a family deeply involved in journalism. Both of my parents worked in the field, so storytelling and media were always part of my world.

Being the oldest came with its own responsibilities, especially since my youngest sibling is 15 years younger and adopted. I naturally took on a big role helping care for him, which gave me an early appreciation for family dynamics, shared caregiving, and empathy — lessons that have stayed with me throughout my life. After college, I moved to New York to pursue a career in journalism, following a path that felt familiar. I spent the majority of my career at Glamour, where I learned the ins and outs of publishing, through both feast and famine times.

Becoming a parent during those years gave me an up-close perspective on how workplaces operate and how — even with good intentions and nice managers — they often fail to support people during life’s transitions. This was very much “girl boss” era, and we all kind of thought if we just tried hard enough, dressed the part, worked the longest hours, that was enough to guarantee lifelong career satisfaction. Enter parenthood! Returning to work after my first maternity leave was a pivotal moment. Even though I loved my job and was good at it, the transition back was far harder than I had anticipated.

That experience made it clear that the challenges women face after having a baby aren’t just personal, they’re systemic. I realized that I had so much working in my favor. If it was hard for me, it had to be so much harder for so many others. That realization inspired me to research and write my book The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom’s Guide to Style, Sanity, and Success After Baby, a guide for helping working parents navigate the return-to-work period and for helping workplaces better support them. When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life?

Can you share a story? My dad was a journalist and deeply involved in promoting literacy. I remember he gave a speech for a literacy foundation and instead of opining or lecturing, he read our family’s copy of Goodnight Moon aloud to the audience, and then said, “Imagine if you couldn’t read these words to your child.” That moment helped me understand how powerful books can be — not just as stories, but as tools for connection and learning. It planted an early seed about the way words can build belonging. What was the moment or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world?

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The article provides valuable insights on storytelling and advocacy that can significantly influence brand strategies, making it relevant and impactful for professionals in the industry, though the concepts of authenticity and connection are not entirely new.