Egg Freezing, IVF, and Owning the Narrative: Rosanna’s Take on Career, Motherhood, and Leading with Transparency

Published on Hirewell Talent Insights | The Balancing Act Podcast

What happens when you stop hiding the hard parts and start leading with them?

In this raw and refreshing episode of The Balancing Act, host Sarah Sheridan welcomes her friend and manager, Rosanna, to talk about everything from agency recruiting to egg freezing, IVF, and becoming a first-time mom.

Rosanna has been a recruiter since 2008 and spent the last decade building out Hirewell’s Corporate Functions team. But the conversation goes way beyond titles and tenures. This one’s about transparency, timing, and trusting your gut, even when the path is uncertain.

Freezing Eggs at 31 and Talking About It at Work

Long before she met her now-husband, Rosanna made the decision to freeze her eggs. It wasn’t a crisis move, it was a proactive one. She’d seen friends struggle with fertility and wanted options. What set her apart? She didn’t keep it quiet.

Rosanna kept her IVF treatment appointments on her calendar because leading with transparency was her way of making space for others to do the same.

Her openness gave colleagues permission to ask questions, seek advice, and talk about their own journeys, without shame.

IVF, Working, and Leading Through It

Years later, when she and her husband faced fertility challenges, Rosanna turned to the eggs she had frozen. The IVF journey wasn’t easy but it worked. And once again, she chose to lead out loud.

She didn’t mask appointments or sugarcoat the emotional toll. Instead, she made space for honesty. That transparency? It changed the culture on her team.

“When you share what you’re navigating, others feel safer doing the same.”

What Employers Can Actually Do

Rosanna’s not here for vague platitudes or performative perks. She wants real support: funding, flexibility, and conversation.

Companies like Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have raised the bar with fertility benefits. But even smaller orgs can make a difference with payment plans, flexible scheduling, or just fostering a culture where these conversations aren’t taboo.

It’s not just about maternity leave anymore. It’s about pre-boarding, re-boarding, and everything in between.

What Egg Freezing Really Looks Like

Rosanna walks through the process: appointments, hormones, retrieval, and the emotional rollercoaster. For her, it was easier than expected physically, but emotionally taxing. That’s why she journaled through the whole experience.

“I journaled whenever I did it and I’ve looked back and kind of read through that to take me back to that place…”

Looking back now, those entries serve as a reminder of the unknowns she faced. When you’re in it, she says, you’re locked on the end result. The journaling helped her mark the moment, even if she didn’t fully grasp what it would mean until later.

Leading with Empathy and Experience

Going through IVF and becoming a parent shifted how Rosanna shows up as a leader. She became even more aware of just how much people juggle outside of work, whether it’s their own health, family stress, or the daily chaos of parenting.

“It just makes you realize like people are always going through something… and then becoming a parent is really what made me become more of an empathetic leader.”

Her approach isn’t about solving every problem, it’s about staying grounded in the reality that work and life are never separate. And the more leaders recognize that, the better they can support the people on their teams.

Her Advice? Don’t Wait.

Rosanna’s biggest piece of advice to her younger self, or to anyone listening in their 30s and unsure is simple:

“Freeze your eggs. Even if you don’t end up using them. Even if you’re not sure you want kids. It gives you options. And you deserve options.”

She’s clear: It’s not a guarantee. But it’s a tool. A way to use time proactively instead of letting it pressure you.

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Key Takeaways:

• Talking openly about fertility and family-building can change workplace culture.
  
• Egg freezing is a tool, not a guarantee, but one that can reduce pressure and create options.
  
• Managers should create safe, flexible environments.
  
• Real support for working women starts long before maternity leave.
  

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Balancing Act for an honest, empowering conversation about fertility, leadership, and leading without pretending it’s easy.