Celebrating (nearly) a year of self-employment after maternity leave

Last August, within months of returning to work after coming back from maternity leave, I left my job. Kissing goodbye to a regular payroll and stepping back into the vast unknown of self-employment. Some might say that was a crazy decision, with an 18 month old baby, to end regular income like that, but I knew it would’ve cost me more in terms of my happiness and fulfilment to have stayed in the role I was.

Home

It wasn’t a crazy decision to move into self-employment, I’ve done it before 2018-2020, I worked in a number of exciting contract roles within central Government, working on Brexit and COVID-19.

When I eventually took up a permanent role in September 2020, I was looking for a place I could call home, a little job security and a community I could grow into. With this role, I could continue to work from home way beyond the lockdown restrictions until the world had reopened but I was still at home, and at times, I questioned if this has been one of the factors that has held me back.

I’ve not had too much time to think about this! In 2021, we got a puppy and then I fell pregnant in 2022, so while our house was becoming a loud buzz of chaos the sense of challenge and excitement within my career had reached an all time low. Things were quiet and I felt underwhelmed by the lack of progression.

Perspective

Nothing quite gives you perspective on what’s important in life than having a baby. I’d be asking myself, when my son looks at me and see his mother, will he be proud of who he sees?

I know it’s a big question but actually, by staying put in a role I wasn’t happy with, I knew I wasn’t fully honouring my values and ultimately wasn’t being truthful with myself.

Over the last 9 months I’ve taken time out to reconnect with myself. I’ve climbed up mountains, scribbled on countless journal pages, workshopped my career (that was fun!), listened to infinite amounts of podcasts and countless other activities to indulge in reconnecting with my values and to scratch the surface on my life purpose.

Movement

They say that often the more vocational roles in life are ones that no-one’s surprised you’ll do. I don’t think anyone in my life was surprised when I re-opened the doors of my personal training business in 2023. A decision sparked heavily by the positive experience of exercising throughout pregnancy and after childbirth to look after my mental wellbeing.

I setup my business to fill the gap I couldn’t find in my local area. I wanted classes dedicated to postnatal care that would incorporate weights and take place in a gym setting. From the moment i found out I was pregnant to 6 months postpartum, I just didn’t feel like I could safely work out in gym classes so I did workouts at home. Even as a qualifed personal trainer with a pre and postnatal qualification from 2015, I noticed how hesitant and nervous I was about working out.

I was hesitant to exercise, even as a qualified personal trainer! I wondered what it was like for the women around me who don’t have the knowledge I had?

Naturally, with a first time pregnancy, there will be nerves and reservations, which is why I think it’s so important to empower and educate women on what they can do, based on the latest research.

Mission

What will I be doing in five years’ time? I’ll be coaching.

Whether that’s fitness, life or executive coaching, I’ll be working with women to help them to lift and expand into the space they deserve. I firmly believe that every woman has a right to move, without anxiety, and more importantly, to enjoy movement! I’m of the mindset that it’s not about forcing yourself to do the things you don’t want to, but to find your own version that works for you. For me, I want to help more women understand, see and feel the practical benefits of weightlifting.

Equally, when it comes to our careers, women are being disproportionately held back because of having children and the repercussions on confidence is immense, I want to change that.

I’m not sure what I plan to do with this platform, perhaps to document my business plans in the context of coaching women during and after pregnancy? To share my career ups and downs as a self-employed mama? To share the latest things I’ve been reading and listening to, not only as a useful resource for my audience, but to help me create an archive of the lessons I’m learning. Whatever it looks like, I welcome you on this journey.