Chapter News

At PMI-LA, some of the most meaningful conversations happen when project management intersects with real life.

That was certainly the case during our recent multi-chapter session, The Boardroom Baddie’s Guide to Radical Motherhood & Career Excellence, led by Dr. Syreeta Rios, DBA, PMP.

Rather than delivering a traditional leadership presentation, Dr. Rios brought attendees into an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, boundaries, caregiving, and the invisible mental load many professionals carry every day.

And for many attendees, one line from the session immediately stood out:

“Perfection is not in scope. Done is in scope.”

Project Management Skills Don’t Stop When the Workday Ends

One of the strongest themes throughout the session was the idea that project management doesn’t only happen in the office.

Dr. Rios connected familiar PM concepts like scope management, retrospectives, delegation, resource planning, and risk management to the realities of navigating work, caregiving, personal responsibilities, and everyday life.

From coordinating schedules and managing competing priorities to setting boundaries and communicating under pressure, many attendees recognized that they were already applying project management skills far beyond their formal roles.

The session reframed those responsibilities not as personal shortcomings to “push through,” but as complex systems that deserve visibility, structure, and support.

The Mental Load Conversation Resonated

A major focus of the discussion centered around the “mental load” — the invisible planning, remembering, organizing, and emotional coordination that often happens behind the scenes.

Attendees participated in a reflective exercise where they identified the tasks they constantly carry mentally but rarely discuss openly.

What made the conversation impactful was how relatable and grounded it felt.

There were stories about:

• Taking meetings from the car during school pickup
• Managing overlapping responsibilities
• Navigating burnout and guilt
• Learning to delegate more effectively
• Building systems instead of relying on constant self-sacrifice

The discussion highlighted something many professionals experience quietly: leadership today often extends far beyond job titles and deliverables.

Boundaries, Delegation, and Sustainable Leadership

Another key takeaway from the session was the importance of treating boundaries as a leadership skill rather than a personal weakness.

As Dr. Rios shared during the session:

“Boundaries are not selfish. They are strategic.”

The conversation challenged the idea that high performance must come at the expense of personal well-being.

Instead, attendees were encouraged to:

• Delegate more intentionally
• Treat wellness as a necessary part of sustainable leadership
• Build stronger support systems
• Let go of unrealistic expectations of perfection

For project professionals used to solving problems and carrying responsibility, this message clearly resonated.

AI as a Practical Support Tool

The session also explored how AI tools can reduce mental overload in practical, everyday ways.

Rather than discussing AI as a distant trend, Dr. Rios demonstrated real applications for scheduling, meal planning, organizing calendars, drafting communications, and simplifying recurring tasks.

For many attendees, this reframed AI not as a replacement for leadership, but as a support tool that can create more space, clarity, and focus.

Why Conversations Like This Matter

At PMI-LA, we believe professional development is most valuable when it reflects the realities professionals are actually navigating.

This session resonated because it combined practical project management thinking with honest conversations about leadership, resilience, community, and sustainability.

It was a reminder that behind every project plan, deliverable, and meeting is a person balancing competing priorities — and that leadership often requires empathy and adaptability as much as technical expertise.

Thank you again to Dr. Syreeta Rios and everyone who joined the conversation and shared openly.