Power Mom Danette Duron-Willner

Danette Duron-Willner

Employee Relations Expert and DEI Leader

✨ Advisory Board Member

"Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Her Power Moms Story:

I realized the need for building community and finding support in ways I never imagined possible when I became a working parent. I often mentor new career professionals and when these proteges share their aspirations to become first time parents, I feel compelled to lean in even more to the mentoring relationship, primarily because I didn't have a much needed mentor during that really difficult time in my career and life journey. I recall being overwhelmed with the reality of managing a progressing career, being offered an opportunity to prove my skills for a promotion, while managing a high risk pregnancy for the third time (the first two pregnancies resulted in miscarriages) and shouldering the responsibility of being the only wage earner in the house. OVERWHELMING I SAY!

One of my mottos is a failure to plan is a plan to fail. With this in mind, and because I was still running hard on a career track, I created a pretty extensive leave of absence plan to cover the 12 weeks I was preparing to take as maternity leave. I presented the plan to my VP well in advance of my due date; she rejected the 12 week plan stating "most directors take six weeks of maternity leave." Long story short, I stuck to my plan and unfortunately experienced intense ostracism and isolation on the job before taking leave. It would be another five years before I received the promotion I had been poised to assume when I took my twelve weeks of maternity leave. I have become a fierce advocate for empowering and mentoring in ways that honor the mental and physical well being of working parents, and especially those who are new to the journey of being both...a working, parent.

~Danette Duron-Willner

She is the Owner/Principal Consultant at Clearheaded LLC:

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Her Bio:

Danette is the owner of Clearheaded LLC, an HR and Employee Relations Solutions company. In addition to owning her own company, Danette’s career has allowed her to serve in positions benefitting multi national companies as in-house legal counsel, a leader of employment compliance programs and an executive leader of teams and programs in support of workplace diversity, equity and inclusion strategies.

Danette has served as a leader in her community as a past member of the regional board of directors for the Anti-Defamation League, the Hispanic Bar Association of Michigan, past President of the Library Board of Trustees in her community and a current board member of Global Detroit. Danette also served two terms as a governor-appointed commissioner for the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan.

Although Danette had very little exposure to hiking and camping when she was growing up, as a parent to a high-spirited son, she found herself voluntold to lead a cub scout troop years ago, which she miraculously survived. Now, Danette is a proud mom to a soon-to-be Eagle Scout and to a (velcro) Goldendoodle dog, both of which she enjoys capably navigating the outdoors with on regular hikes and time in nature.

Danette is thrilled to join the Power Moms Network to remain connected to the power of mentoring and influencing early career professionals who are navigating the complexities of becoming first time parents. She calls this “mentoring her past self” and has made mentoring a personal mission to empower soon to be moms (including non-birth moms) with PTO (preparing the others) when taking maternity/parental leave in a way that helps prevent a career from jumping off track. She truly believes we are better together; supporting each other through the complexities of parenting.

Connect with Her Directly:

Her Personal LinkedIn | Her Business Website | Her Business' Instagram | YouTube | Send Her an Email (ClarityIsKey@ClearheadedLLC.com)