What if one of the biggest drains on women’s time, energy, and leadership potential is something we rarely name?

In this episode, Kelly sits down with Dr. Allison Alford, clinical associate professor at Baylor University, communication scholar, executive coach, and author of Good Daughtering, to explore the invisible labor of “daughtering.”

Allison shares her unconventional academic journey, from earning her PhD as a mom of two to building what she calls a “portfolio career” that blends teaching, research, consulting, and coaching. But at the heart of this conversation is her groundbreaking research on daughtering, the emotional, cognitive, and relational labor adult daughters perform to keep families connected.

Together, Kelly and Allison unpack how daughtering shows up as a third shift of labor, how it impacts working professionals, and why self-awareness and boundaries are critical for women who want sustainable success.

If you’ve ever felt stretched thin between work, family, and the invisible expectations placed on you, this episode will help you feel seen, validated, and empowered to recalibrate.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Building a “portfolio career” across academia and consulting
Earning a PhD as a working mom and refusing to quit
Defining daughtering and making invisible labor visible
The four dimensions of daughtering: tasks, emotions, cognition, identity
The “kinship shift” across a daughter’s lifespan
Daughtering plus-plus in the sandwich generation
The concept of first, second, and third shift labor
How divided attention impacts women in the workplace
Boundaries, calibration, and permission to pull back

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Career Slay
00:23 – Introducing Allison Alford
01:51 – Childhood curiosity and “cruise director” energy
03:55 – From international studies to communication research
07:47 – The PhD journey as a mom of two
11:29 – Conflict resolution coaching at McCombs
15:49 – Starting a coaching business
17:58 – Building a portfolio career at Baylor
20:32 – What is daughtering?
23:58 – Defining daughtering in four categories
27:26 – The kinship shift across the lifespan
31:00 – Setting boundaries without guilt
33:38 – The mission behind Good Daughtering
37:21 – First shift, second shift, third shift labor
42:43 – What makes a fulfilling career
44:20 – Advice to her 20-year-old self
45:52 – Three words: Relationships, Innovation, Energy

Guest Resources

Book: Good Daughtering
Podcast: Hello Mother, Hello Daughter
Coaching & Consulting: Good Talk Communication Consulting
LinkedIn: Allison Alford, PhD

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Please consider subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing to help us #slaythefearincareer. And if you're looking for one-on-one career coaching, connect with Kelly:

Website: careerslay.com
LinkedIn: Kelly Poquiz Burke
Instagram: @careerslay