From Mom to CEO: Navigating the Challenges of Returning to Work After a 25-Year Maternity Leave

"- if you want something done, ask a mom."  - Kristen Nash

The skills and wisdom acquired from raising four children are limitless. I know how and when to be a cheerleader, coach, therapist, drill sergeant, nutritionist, and tutor. I know how to thin-slice any situation. Scheduling a circus is my superpower, and when a perfectly crafted timetable for six people changes on a dime, I quickly adapt on that very same dime. 

I recognize people’s strengths and weaknesses and how to use them both for unification and progression. I’ve lived the sunk cost fallacy more than I care to admit, but I now know when to push through, when to walk away and when to run. I know how to hustle, how to be efficient and corral cats. I can do all these things while making dinner, googling how to do grade 10 math, and then finding a tutor for grade 10 math. Basically, if you want something done, ask a mom. 

I raised four great children and that job, albeit ongoing, required less time, and I was finally ready to pursue a paid career. 

CEOship. I’m ready for you. 

After a year of ego-bashing rejections, my full-time job search waned. My once confident eagerness to change the business world became lacklustre and meh. Applying for jobs got pushed down the to-do list until there were none. The dichotomy of questioning my skills while confidently knowing my abilities was a weird place for my brain to live, and my internal thoughts became negative and believable. Being home all day gave me all the time I needed to ruminate and become incredibly innovative in creating new worrying, worst-case-scenario thoughts. 

I felt as though I was on the periphery of everything that once defined me. I was Emma, Isak, Nate and Sadie’s mom. My kids needed their friends, school, and sports more and didn’t seem to need me. The business world certainly didn’t seem to need me. I felt purposeless and unmoored. I needed to do something, but not knowing what that something was, became an added stumbling block. I’d wake up every day hoping for a directional epiphany. When it didn’t happen, complacency became my companion and robbed me of my ambition and happiness. I became someone who wasn’t me. 

The only consolation was I knew I was not alone. So many women my age were feeling the same effects and were in the process of forging their own new trails, independent of who “needed” them. Regardless of the number of inspiring stories I read about women redefining themselves, I had to take my own first step. I’m typically not afraid of things and usually push to do hard things, but this felt overwhelming, and I rationalized and recoiled after each false start. After enough self-pity, I finally did as I’d done with my kids; I pushed myself to do the scariest thing and just did something.

I taught my kids that epiphanies don’t often come while they are passively involved with life…mindlessly watching Netflix while scrolling social media, YouTube and watching others live their lives. The inspiration for our lives comes when we take action, take chances and step out of our comfortable, soft, safe spaces. 

So, I volunteered to teach 16–18-year-olds 7:30-8:15 am Monday through Friday. I did that for a year before deciding to go back to school. After a year of school and teaching, I got a call from Sano State with a potential job opportunity. This came into my life at the same time I had to commit to a program in school. Guess what had been on my mind for the previous semester? Psychology. Coincidence? Definitely not. 

I’m two months into work, and I love it. I’ve been able to add work with school and teaching (not without tears and sacrifices from my family with egg on toast as a staple dinner menu). I’m finally back to busy, which is where I do my best work. I find with busy, I more effectively utilize tools I’ve learned to settle my anxiety with more objectivity and mindfulness. I am happy. 

In a short paragraph, it sounds like I’ve wrapped up all the things with a tidy bow. I don’t want to trivialize how difficult things were along the way and continue to be. Learning PCs when familiar with Mac…hard. IT issues, mind-blowingly-throw- the computer-through-the-window…hard. Having limited time for myself when all I want to do is have a nap…hard. Being trained and surrounded by people my kids’ age who see me as old when I feel as young as but wiser than them…hard. It’s all hard, but I know on the flip side that the undefined course continues to lead me to new heights and places I didn’t originally have mapped for myself. I can take the first step. I can do hard. I can do anything (except grade 10 math). 

 CEOship, I’m ready for you.

Are you ready to re-enter the workforce, but not sure where to begin? We can help! Click HERE to connect, or call 587-333-6349. 💙

Disclaimer

Our content is for informational and educational purposes and is not a replacement for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you're facing mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Every individual's situation is unique, so use the information here at your discretion. While we strive for accuracy, the field of psychology is ever-evolving, and our content may not always reflect the latest research. Please prioritize your privacy by avoiding sharing personal information in comments or interactions. Your well-being is our top concern, so use our content for educational purposes, but remember to rely on professionals for your specific needs.