We're thrilled to announce that Liz O'Donnell, founder of Working Daughter, is the winner of our second Disciple Award.
At Disciple, we believe in empowering extraordinary community leaders who are making a real difference. Liz's mission - to ensure no caregiver is alone while helping them balance work and care - is both vital and inspiring.
With over 11,000 members in her online community, Working Daughter has already had a profound impact, and we can't wait to see how her new app will make it even easier for caregivers to access the support they need.
We sat down with Liz to talk about her journey, the challenges caregivers face, and how having her own independent platform will transform her community.
Interview with Liz O'Donnell, Founder of Working Daughter
Q: Tell us about Working Daughter—what is it, and why did you start it?
I started Working Daughter because I became a working daughter myself. I was living a busy life as a full-time working mother and the primary breadwinner for my family when my parents, both in their 80s, started needing more care.
At first, I didn't even realize I was stepping into a caregiving role, but then a crisis hit—both of my parents were diagnosed with terminal illnesses on the same day. Two different doctors, two different hospitals, two different illnesses. I felt completely unprepared and totally alone. None of my peers were talking about this, and there weren’t many resources out there.
I vowed that when I got to the other side of it, I would do something to change that. As a writer, I decided I’d write a book. But a friend, who was a serial entrepreneur, encouraged me to start a community as well. So, I created a Facebook group, and that's where the first mission of Working Daughter was realized: making sure no one goes through caregiving alone.
Q: What are some of the struggles caregivers face that people might not understand?
Of course, there are the obvious challenges - caregiving is sad, stressful, and time-consuming. But what people often don't realize is that caregivers start grieving long before their loved one passes away.
Every time a parent or loved one loses an ability - whether it’s driving, remembering, or managing daily tasks - it’s a loss. I remember taking my mom to the grocery store and watching her struggle to move through the aisles with her walker. It would take forever, and I'd feel frustrated without fully understanding why. Looking back, I was grieving the capable, independent mom I used to know.
There’s also a societal expectation that caring for an aging parent should feel like an honor or a blessing. But in reality, many caregivers feel exhausted and overwhelmed, sometimes thinking, "I can't take this anymore." At the same time, they know that when it ends, it means they've lost their parent. That emotional contradiction is difficult to navigate, and that’s why having a judgment-free community is so important.
Q: What does Working Daughter do to support caregivers, and what impact has it had?
We have two main missions at Working Daughter. The first is ensuring that no one has to go through caregiving alone. We achieve that through:
- Community: Our private Facebook group has over 11,000 members who support each other 24/7.
- Content: We provide guides and resources like "Seven Things to Think About When Moving a Parent into Senior Living" and "Six Ways to Address Caregiver Guilt."
- Coaching: We offer one-on-one and small-group coaching to help caregivers navigate conversations, manage guilt, and balance their own lives while caring for someone else.
The second mission is making caregiving and careers compatible. Caregivers often struggle to stay employed, and workplaces don’t talk much about elder care. We help people navigate career challenges while caregiving, and we also work with companies to create a more supportive culture for caregivers in the workforce.
The impact? One message I received from a caregiver said: "You are a life jacket, a parachute, a coach, a comforter. Thank you." Every week, we see caregivers post about losing a loved one, and almost always, they say they couldn’t have gotten through it without this community. That’s what keeps me going.
Q: How will having your own app help you support caregivers?
I'm so excited about this because right now, our community and resources are fragmented. The content is on the website, events and support groups happen on Zoom, policy advocacy is tracked through Google Forms, and discussions are happening inside Facebook. It’s a lot to navigate.
With an app, we can bring everything together in one place. It will make it easier for caregivers to find support, access resources, and even connect with others in their local area.
For example, right now, if someone in Chicago wants to meet other working daughters nearby, they post in the Facebook group, or maybe someone caring for a person with dementia wants to get together with others in the same situation - but later, they might not be able to find the post again. Facebook just isn’t built for that. With our app, members will be able to connect more easily, access support faster, and build even stronger organic networks.
It will also make it easier for members to find the content and guidance they need, when they need it, instead of searching through multiple platforms. I truly believe this will help the community grow in an organic, meaningful way.
Q: How can people support your work?
If you know caregivers—especially in the workplace—introduce them to Working Daughter. We want to make sure more people get the support they need. And if you’re an employer, talk to us about creating a caring culture. We’d love to help make that difference on a larger scale.
Final Thoughts
Liz and the Working Daughter community are doing incredible work to support caregivers through one of life's most challenging experiences. With her new app, she’ll be able to expand that support, making it more accessible and easier to navigate for thousands more caregivers.
Congratulations again, Liz! We can't wait to see how Working Daughter continues to grow.
👉 Learn more about Working Daughter here: www.workingdaughter.com
