Taking a maternity break is an experience like no other. It’s filled with joy, challenges, and inevitable lessons—some of which transform not just your personal life but also your business. When I took my first maternity leave, I quickly realized that stepping away from work was not just about adjusting my schedule; it was about reevaluating how my business operated.

These breaks forced me to confront hard truths about my coaching and entrepreneurial practices. Today, as I am on my second maternity leave as I write these words, I reflect on three transformative lessons that helped me build resilience into my business.

Lesson 1: You Will Lose Opportunities but Gain Better Ones

When I took my first maternity leave, I knew it would mean pausing parts of my coaching work. One of the projects I regularly coached for was a corporate design thinking program, running every few months on a fixed schedule. Unfortunately, one of those intakes overlapped with my maternity leave.

I informed the corporate client well in advance, assuring them I’d be back for the next round. They promised this wouldn’t be an issue. But after my leave ended, things didn’t go as expected. 

For months, they were noncommittal about when the program would resume for me. Eventually, I learned through other coaches that my replacement during my leave had become a permanent fixture in the program.

At first, it stung. I’d poured my energy into that work during a whole year and had outstanding results with the teams I coached, and being replaced felt like a personal loss. But I also knew I had to shift my perspective. Instead of focusing on the door that closed, I trusted there would be new doors opening soon.

And there were. Not long after, I was invited to coach for a social impact startup competition. It was an exciting and meaningful opportunity to mentor founders working on challenges that truly mattered. That contract became one of my most rewarding projects and even led to more long-term opportunities. Although by pure coincidence, this year it overlaps with my second maternity leave.

This time I’ve proactively offered a trusted colleague as substitute but the client didn’t take me up on my offer, as it turns out they already had a wait list of coaches excited to do this job. 

Will I be invited back next year? I don’t know but…

Even if that client decides not to bring me back afterward, I know this: every closed door has the potential to redirect me toward something even better.

Takeaway: 

Losing clients or projects is part of the journey, especially when life demands you to step back. You might lose opportunities when you take a break, but don’t let that discourage you. 

Trust that the right opportunities—ones that align with your goals and values—are still ahead of you.

Lesson 2: If Your Business Can’t Operate Without You, It’s Not a Business—It’s a Job

When I was preparing for my first maternity leave, I had a big realization: my SaaS business, Le VPN, depended too much on me. I was working almost full-time, making critical decisions, and overseeing daily operations. If I stepped away, the business might come to a standstill.

That wasn’t the kind of business I wanted. I didn’t want to be a business operator. I wanted to be a business owner—someone whose business could thrive without their constant involvement.

So, I made a plan. Over six months, I worked on empowering my team to take over the day-to-day operations. I documented processes, delegated responsibilities, and focused on building their confidence to make decisions without me. And because every coach needs their own coach, I worked with a leadership coach who helped me identify blind spots and prioritize what mattered most.

By the time my maternity leave started, my team was running the business smoothly without me. And when I returned, I realized something incredible: they didn’t need me full-time anymore.

That shift transformed my relationship with the business. Instead of being caught up in daily tasks, I focused on providing strategic direction. Today, I spend just a couple of hours a week on the business, analyzing results and guiding the team’s vision. This freedom allowed me to pursue new projects, like my coaching practice for executive women in tech transitioning to entrepreneurship.

Preparing for that first maternity leave forced me to address a hard truth. If your business can’t operate without you, it’s not scalable. You’re not building a business; you’re building a job for yourself. But by creating systems and empowering your team, you can build something that works for you—even when you’re not there.

Takeaway: 

If stepping away from your business feels impossible, it’s time to take a hard look at how it operates. Focus on creating systems, delegating tasks, and building a team that can thrive without your constant involvement. A scalable business doesn’t just run—it grows, even when you’re not in the driver’s seat.

Lesson 3: Constraints Spark Creativity and Efficiency

When I became a mom, I quickly realized my time was no longer mine alone. Before having my daughter, I could put in extra hours, work weekends, or tackle projects late into the night. That flexibility disappeared overnight.

In the first six months of her life, I didn’t have full-time childcare. My mom stepped in to help a few days a week, which gave me around 15-20 hours to work. Later, we found a solution for four days a week, but even then, my available time capped at 30 hours weekly—far less than I was used to.

You’d think that losing time would mean losing productivity, but the opposite happened. I became laser-focused. With so little time to waste, I only worked on what truly mattered. I learned to say no to distractions and projects that didn’t align with my goals. Every hour I spent working had to count.

What surprised me even more was how these constraints unlocked new levels of creativity. Instead of overthinking or dragging out decisions, I became quicker at problem-solving. I found ways to achieve results in less time by streamlining tasks, simplifying processes, and prioritizing ruthlessly.

In that first year of balancing motherhood and work, I achieved more than I ever had before. I started my coaching business for executive women in tech, developed new programs, and saw results that outpaced any previous year in my career—all while working fewer hours than ever.

Motherhood taught me that limits aren’t obstacles—they’re opportunities. Constraints force you to focus on what’s truly important and to get creative with how you achieve your goals.

Takeaway:

Don’t fear constraints, whether they’re time, resources, or energy. Instead, embrace them as opportunities to sharpen your focus, prioritize what matters most, and unlock new levels of efficiency and creativity. Sometimes, having less time pushes you to achieve more.

Celebrating Resilience and Progress

As I prepare for my second maternity leave, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. These breaks have not only shaped me as a mother but also as an entrepreneur. They’ve taught me to let go of control, trust my team, and focus on long-term growth rather than short-term gains.

This journey has also deepened my respect for all the incredible women out there—especially mompreneurs—who navigate these challenges with resilience and grace. International Women’s Day is a perfect moment to celebrate these achievements, no matter how big or small.

If you’re a mom, an entrepreneur, or both, know this: you’re not alone. Taking breaks, whether for maternity leave or personal growth, doesn’t mean losing progress. It means recalibrating, learning, and coming back stronger.

If these lessons resonated with you, and you’re ready to start building a resilient business that can thrive no matter what life throws your way, I’d love to help.

Sign up for my Inbox Club newsletter for weekly insights, actionable tips, and inspiring stories to keep you moving forward—whether you’re scaling your business, taking a break, or both.

And when my maternity leave is over, I promise you’ll be the first to know about my next coaching program for executive women in tech who transition into entrepreneurship.

Here’s to progress, resilience, and the courage to embrace every season of life!