Working mothers keep falling behind because of two overlapping barriers: the "broken rung"—the missed first step up to manager—and the motherhood penalty, a measurable drop in pay and promotion after childbirth. In this transatlantic collaboration with executive coach and former midwife Rachel Erasmus, Erica unpacks the data, the identity shift no one prepares you for, the manager moments that make or break a return, and nine proven fixes to keep women rising. The problem isn