Making It Work: Michelle Keefe on Leading with Trust, Parenting Through Travel, and Building a Family-Friendly Culture

Published on Hirewell Talent Insights | The Balancing Act 

What does it really take to lead a high-stakes HR function while parenting a child through changing schedules, sports seasons, and late-night grilled cheese requests?

In this episode of The Balancing Act, host Sarah Sheridan sits down with Michelle Keefe, VP of HR at Bose Professional, to talk about the real logistics behind raising a family while building a powerhouse career. Spoiler: it involved spreadsheets, 4 a.m. childcare handoffs, and a lot of trust.

Climbing the Ladder, One “Figure It Out” at a Time

Michelle’s career path is built on grit and resourcefulness. Starting as an office manager and assistant, she leaned into every stretch assignment that came her way. Until one day, she found herself launching a telesales office in Ireland, managing everything from hiring to construction to tax setup.

“I just had to figure it out,” she says. That mantra became a cornerstone of her leadership style.

Juggling Travel and Toddlerhood

Between her son’s ages of 4 to 12, Michelle traveled constantly, sometimes across time zones, always with a carefully color-coded Excel sheet to track who was picking up, dropping off, and cooking what.

“Somebody had to show up at 4 a.m. when my husband left for work. You can’t drop your kid at daycare and say, ‘See you in two weeks.’ You just make it work.”

She credits a strong local network of family and friends, and lots of carpooling, as her survival strategy. But the hardest part? FaceTiming with a crying 10-year-old from halfway around the world.

Leadership Lessons from Motherhood

That emotional tug-of-war shaped her leadership approach.

“Everybody has something going on outside of work. Not just parents. It could be sick parents, pets, anything. You hire good people, then treat them like adults.”

Michelle brings that empathy to her role today, coaching managers to trust their teams and focus on outcomes over face time.

Designing Policy That Actually Helps Families

At Bose Professional, Michelle finally got to do what many HR leaders only dream of: create family-first policies from scratch. That includes topping up state leave so employees get full pay, and making hybrid work the default, not the exception.

“We want people to want to work here. That means trusting them to handle their lives and their jobs.”

Why Trust is the Whole Game

At the end of the day, Michelle’s biggest leadership takeaway is simple:

“Do the right thing, even when no one’s looking. If you can’t trust your people, you can’t offer flexibility. But when you can? That’s where the magic happens.”

Key Takeaways:

• Flexibility only works if trust comes first
  
• Don’t underestimate the power of a carpool and a shared spreadsheet
  
• Good leadership starts with understanding people are more than their jobs
  
• Family-friendly policies require intention, not just compliance
  

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Balancing Act for an unfiltered look at what it really takes to grow your career and your family, without burning out. https://talentinsights.hirewell.com/topics/the-balancing-act

Sarah Sheridan