A Day In Her Life
Are you interested in how other women get it all done? Do you like a "What's in her bag?" or a "What's on her nightstand?" Are you overwhelmed by seeing highlight reels on Instagram and want to finally hear some authentic, real women talking about their real life?
Same.
Join Ellie as she sits down each week with women to discuss their daily lives - the struggles, the wins, their favorite parts. Let's normalize what our every day lives look like, and learn from each other's shared experience.
Let's have some fun!
A Day In Her Life
Episode 136: A Day In Her Life with Mary James - Pharma Analytics Leader and Breadwinner Mom of Two
On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Mary James, who leads an analytics group at Real Chemistry (a pharmaceutical marketing and communications company) and is raising two little ones, a 9-month-old and a 2.5-year-old. Mary is the primary earner in her household, while her husband is a stay-at-home parent, and she gives an honest look at what it actually takes to keep work, kids, and sanity moving forward in a season that feels nonstop.
Mary describes her days in three words: dynamic, relentless, and funny, because if you don’t laugh… you might cry.
In this episode, we cover:
- The 5 a.m. OrangeTheory era (and the real reason she’s doing it) - Mary is in her “rebuild my strength postpartum” season, and early workouts are the only time that’s truly hers.
- Her tiny morning ritual that keeps her from disappearing - A simple “for me today” list - a few selfish, non-negotiable things that serve her before she starts serving everyone else.
- The workday strategy that protects her brain from constant context switching - She time-blocks calls, aims for “three key things,” and shares a few meeting hacks that might save your sanity.
- The 5 p.m. hard stop (and why it matters when you’re the breadwinner) - Their household runs on a daily handoff. She signs off at 5:00, not because it’s easy, but because it’s how they keep resentment from building.
- Dinner realism: kids at 6, adults later, and no shame about it - Family dinner happens when it happens. Otherwise, it’s “survival food,” frozen options, and DoorDash in a season where time is the luxury.
- Outsourcing that feels like getting your life back: laundry pickup - This is the one she’s not giving up. Pickup, drop-off, done. (Now they’re just figuring out the “put it away” part.)
- Friendship in the trenches: Marco Polo, audio notes, and staying in it without texting back instantly - A genuinely workable approach to keeping friendships alive when your hands are full and your phone is always being stolen.
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Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock