Comeback Coach: Recent Episodes
Jessica Chivers
Feeling shaky after maternity or another long leave from work? COMEBACK COACH is the wobbly-bottomed podcast about kickass comebacks with coaching psychologist and author, Jessica Chivers. She’s exactly what you need when you’re riding the return-to-work rollercoaster.
Ask me a Q
Quick link to register interest in the Raising & Rising leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles – CPO’s and HR professionals please leave your details if interested for your people.
Hello Bright Minds this episode is an unexpected and delightful turn of events off the back of seeing my mate Katy Fridman for coffee a couple of weeks ago. We’d been talking about the state of the employment market for senior professionals who want to work less than full time.
Katy is the Founder of Flexible Working People, a career platform helping professionals build part-time and flexible careers. She’s grown a community of more than 100,000 professionals and talks to hiring managers and internal recruiters every day of the week.
Katy was about to pilot a four-day sprint for senior professionals who want to land flexible roles and we put a post on LinkedIn and asked if people wanted us to do an episode. The answer was a resounding YES and as well as many public comments I had people DM to tell me about their experiences.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, you’re about to eavesdrop on a coaching conversation with a woman who wants to do big things in the world of philanthropy. She has a bold ambition to work with Melinda Gates and create a movement that leads to many, many more big female philanthropists around the globe. Female financial empowerment is her driving force and I gave her my ear to help her think about how she moves from where she is now to where she wants to be. She works as a senior fundraiser in the UK and USA and is a mother of two girls age 4 and 19 months.
If you are a mother in a senior role who is looking to go further in your career you might like to be part of the second Raising & Rising one day career leadership retreat in London on Monday 12th October. It’s a space for ambitious women to think deeply about their next career step and formulate plans to achieve it alongside being the parent you want to be. It’s designed and hosted by me and my colleague parenting coach and author Anita Cleare. We’re both seasoned coaching professionals working with senior women in corporate roles for over 20 years and the first cohort was made up of women who’s employers had sponsored their places.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
My guest today is Donna Nichol, from Chloe James Lifestyle who started her career in fashion buying and gave into her urge to open an independent store of her own 16 years in the place I call home: St Albans.
Earlier this year Donna took a month out of her business to go travelling with her husband and when I saw her photos on Instagram and just how happy the break had made her I thought I need to get her on the podcast to show other business leaders whether in corporate life or running small businesses that they can do this too.
I wholeheartedly believe – and research bears it out – that top performers know how to rest and sometimes an extended period of rest or change of scene such as a sabbatical or extra long holiday is exactly what we need to stay fresh and energised about leading in business.
RESOURCES & REFERENCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Raising & Rising Leadership Career Retreat for Mothers.
- Chloe James (Donna's business)
- Chloe James instagram
- Jessica's e-mail: jc@talentkeepers.co.uk
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who's just come second in a recruitment process for a job really wanted.
LINKS REFERENCES IN EPISODE
- Executive coaching for 'overlooked professionals'.
- Raising & Rising register of interest.
- Raising & Rising career retreat (for mothers in senior roles).
- Comeback Community employee experience.
I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, author of “Mothers Work!” and executive coach who is on a mission to get more women into top jobs. I’m so pleased you’re here and listening to this JESSICA episode of COMEBACK COACH. These episodes are where I get into the psychology of something I think could be of value to the Bright Minds I coach in service of fuelling their careers.
If you’re looking for help returning to work after a break then please dig into to the massive library of COMEBACK episodes where you’ll find oodles of practical inspiration in the stories of my guests. You can also DM me your Qs on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk and if you are a Head of L&D, Head of Talent or Chief People Officer seeking coaching for returning employees take a look at our website www.talentkeepers.co.uk for how the Comeback Community employee experience programme drives engagement and supports line managers to have the right conversations with their team member who’s taking leave. Also on the website you’ll find our approach to executive coaching for leaders at five pivotal moments including promotion and when preparing for Partnership.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Helen Rickards, who last year was made redundant from the German insurer Allianz after 25 years. It was traumatic. She’s now back in role at Lloyd’s of London and she’s loving it. You are about to eavesdrop on a wonderfully uplifting tale of how Helen got back to work. We talk about networking, the nuts and bolts of making LinkedIn work, what it’s like to be suddenly without structure and purpose, how the perimenopause affects self-worth and the moment she knew she wanted to work for her new CEO.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is for anyone who is currently grappling with a drop in motivation at work or a loss of drive to push forward in your career after a break from work – a break that has shifted your identity in some way. I want to let you know that it’s normal. And that your drive is still there. It’s just staying quiet for a while – and that accepting it will take time for that mojo to resurface is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.
I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, author of “Mothers Work!” and executive coach who is on a mission to get more mothers into top jobs. I’m so pleased you’re here and listening to this JESSICA episode of COMEBACK COACH. These solo episodes are where I get into the psychology of something I think could be of value to the Bright Minds I coach and they’re in service of fuelling their careers.
If listening sparks a question or you’d like to say hello and tell me how the episode has moved you, you can DM me on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk or e-mail jc@talentkeepers.co.uk.
Resources flagged in the episode:
- My book, Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work (Hay House, 2011).
- How to settle quickly when promoted into a new peer group: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/newpeergroup/
- Strengths Profile that we use with coachees returning to work from a break: https://www.strengthsprofile.com/
- Comeback Community employee experience programme: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/comeback-community/
- Log-in to Comeback Community for our coachees: https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/
- Executive coaching for pivotal career moments: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/executive-coaching/
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my chat with Suzy was deeply engaging for me as a fellow psychologist – and therapeutic at times - and I think it’s a great big, warm, virtual hug for anyone who is wrung out from taking care of children, partners, direct reports and all the other people who you give to in your life.
We talk about themes connected to Suzy’s latest book, How to be selfish, which is about vocalising your needs and your wishes and tending to yourself. You can get more of Suzy on Instagram @suzyreading.
I hope you take some learning from it.
- Register interest in joining the next Raising & Rising career leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles.
- Free Career Fuel diagnostic tool and report.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this is an episode written from the heart on my 47th birthday about audacity being a behavioural muscle we can develop in service of fuelling our careers and getting more women into top jobs. I'm Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist, executive coach and author of "Mothers Work!"
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR AUDACIOUS ACTS & ASKS AT WORK - link to Google form or copy and paste: https://forms.gle/aUjrEiTAxbQtHzzm6
- Register interest in joining the next Raising & Rising career leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles.
- LinkedIn State of Women in Leadership report 2026
- The Village by Stylist.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
My guest today is Microsoft’s AI Workforce Lead for Government who recently returned to the business after her second maternity leave. Rakhi Sachdeva moved from India to the UK in 2015 and she’s risen in one of the world largest technology companies without a traditional tech background.
Rahki is a wonderful example of the power of not waiting until you feel fully ready before you put yourself forward for opportunities at work - and on that note, if you are a mother in a senior role who is feeling stuck or torn about whether or when to push for the next significant step up I would love you to be part of the second Raising & Rising cohort in London in October. It’s a very special one day leadership career retreat for 12 women with me and parenting expert and author Anita Cleare and you can find out more at www.talentkeepers.co.uk/rising.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds and welcome to the first episode of season 10 of COMEBACK COACH with the author of the brand new book, People Glue: Hold onto your best people by setting them free. If you have ever craved more freedom at work, if you are a business leader worried about losing your best people or if you are a Chief People Officer tasked with generating a new talent attraction and retention strategy, this is for you. As a coaching psychologist who works with employers to help them keep and fuel their most talented people at pivotal career moments I found Helen’s book fascinating. And as a person who’s highest value is freedom, I lapped this up.
Links to things we talked about
Retaining talent diagnostic for HR
Helen’s people manager development list
Helen’s Freedom Index
Sigal Barsade and companionate love at work
People Glue by Helen Beedham
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this is the third of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what the people I and my colleagues coach, actually get from coaching. I’m Jessica Chivers, a chartered coaching psychologist and executive coach of 20 years.
I’m the founder of a boutique coaching business called The Talent Keeper Specialists, and this year we turned 13 and completely refreshed our website. We added a new page called Success Stories where you can watch short films of real coachees honestly reflecting on their experiences of executive coaching.
You’re about to hear from three women in the world of asset management; Meena Santhosh, Selina Tyler and Karina Langan. I first worked with Meena when she was at BlackRock and we’ve had three coaching engagements – one after each of her three maternity leaves and she’s now at Robeco. And then you’ll hear from Selina Tyler who’s had fantastic career progression since we first worked together when she was at Federated Hermes. She’s now the Head of UK at Jupiter Asset Management.
Both Meena and Selina had their coaching paid for by their employers and you can watch more success stories and read about the five professionals we coach at www.talentkeepers.co.uk.
The third person you’ll hear from is Karina Lanagan, who is the Head of HR at TT International, another asset management client of The Talent Keeper Specialists. Karina talks about the power of comeback coaching from an employer perspective and the positive ripple on line managers.
I hope it’s a useful listen and as ever, if you have questions or comments you can e-mail me jc@talentkeepers.co.uk or DM on Instagram using the handle @comebackcommuk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this is the second of three bonus episodes of season nine where I’m lifting the lid on what people really get from coaching. If you’ve listened to any COACH episode of the podcast you’ve heard coaching in action. Now’s the time to hear the impact and the positive ripple effects of coaching.
Please enjoy the reflections of Laura Scougall, the Head of ITV Academy who was also my guest on episode 94 where we talked about redundancy risk on maternity leave, being open at work about the demands at home, having an autistic son and how to get back to sleep.
After Laura you’ll hear from Kirsty Duncan, ITV’s Head of Learning, Development and Wellbeing with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for 8 years.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, on a whim at the end of the final episode of season nine with Jeremy Bradbury from ITV (episode 117) I wondered aloud about doing a few bonus episodes about what people really get from coaching. This was inspired by the conversations I’ve had recently with a series of past coachees for a 'Success Story’ page on our new website. Listener Suzy heard that and voicenoted me on Instagram saying “yes please”. So here we are.
Sincere thanks once again to Little Dish for sponsoring the whole of season nine.
Now please enjoy my chat with Jessica Duncombe, an intellectual property lawyer from Kilburn & Strode and there are more executive coaching success stories at www.talentkeepers.co.uk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today loves his job and is incredibly appreciative of the support he received from his employer, ITV, when illness came out of nowhere. This year Jeremy Bradbury had two months away from work with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and took around four months to phase back to full time. ITV has been a client of The Talent Keeper Specialists for eight years and I had the pleasure of working with Jeremy in a coaching capacity as he transitioned back to work.
For new listeners, my colleagues and I work with professionals at pivotal career moments, including returning to work after a break. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience programme is designed to keep employees feeling confident, connected and cared for before, during and after leave - and we work with line managers as well as the people taking leave. It’s about maintaining employee engagement, shrinking the time it takes to feel comfortable and fuelling ongoing sustainable performance and progression. Have a look at our newly revamped website to find out more: www.talentkeepers.co.uk.
This episode and the whole of season nine is generously sponsored by Little Dish. The home of happy, healthy mealtimes for kids.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Jessica's FREE fortnightly note, Pivotal.
- Watch our coaching Success Stories.
- Take our new FREE Career Fuel diagnostic - and get a personalised free report.
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Contact us about executive coaching.
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds,
I am worried about what's happening to mothers in UK Plc. In February I am hosting the first Raising & Rising retreat with my colleague Anita Cleare. It’s a small, intimate gathering of 8-12 mothers (of children 0-18) in senior roles to give them space, tools and encouragement to explore what they want next in their careers. These women are the ‘talent pipeline’ to become Partners, Managing Partner, Heads of Department and Board members – some sooner, some later. They are the women their organisations want to keep and rise.
Our expectation is that employers will sponsor your place and that you will not self-fund. I
This episode is the story of why it's taken me 14 years to create Raising & Rising and the statistics about the difficulties mother face in raising their careers compared to fathers and childfree men.
Here's the link to watch the replay of the HR webinar I mention in the episode, "What's Stopping Women Stepping Up" plus more stats about the load mothers are carrying at work compared to fathers and childfree men.
Best wishes,
Jessica
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, Stephanie Ogden, loves her job. She is the UK CEO of the global insurance company HDI Global and she was an absolute treat to chat to because she was so open and honest. We get into the nitty gritty of how to step away from your business when you are holding the top job or another really senior role. But this is not just an episode for senior leaders – if you work in a big organisation, a male dominated environment or you are ambitious for more in your career this listen will be worth your time.
This episode is sponsored by Little Dish, a company who's values chime with mine and I am delighted to have their partnership.
Raising & Rising A leadership career retreat for mothers in senior roles is happening on Monday 9th February 2026. Details here.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Mind, I start this episode by sharing a piece of academic astonishing research that demonstrates, unequivocally, the powerful and positive link between values and career success. Values frequently come into the work I do with leaders who are having a challenging time at work or in combining work and home. I do a lot of work with professional women with children who place importance on achieving at work and value being present and emotionally available for their children which can sometimes be very, very hard.
I hope you enjoy my musings on the psychology of values and strengths and how they relate to career and wider life success.
Best wishes,
Jessica
RESOURCES & REFERENCES
- Raising & Rising leadership retreat
- Self-affirmation increases reemployment success for the unemployed (research by Julian Pfrombeck, Adam Galinsky et al)
- OECD report
- The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kauffman
- The Coaching UnpACT Podcast with Hazel Anderson Turner and Rachael Skews
- VIA Strengths tool (free)
- Strengths Profile (free version available)
- Coaching Through Burnout: A Burnout Prevention Toolkit for Busy Leaders and their Teams by Hazel Anderson Turner.
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- Little Dish
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds,
QUICK LINKS to things in this episode:
HR webinar on female talent not stepping up.
Raising & Rising leadership retreat early bird registration.
Women & Men receive different developmental feedback.
Anna Marthur’s new book, The Uncomfortable Truth.
Little Dish x The Felix Project
My guest today is the wonderfully warm and open psychotherapist, speaker and author, Anna Marthur. You might know Anna from her podcast, The Therapy Edit or her books or you might not know her at all – in which case you are in for a treat. She’s written many books that I think will speak to you, dear Bright Mind including “Know Your Worth: How to build your self-esteem, grow in confidence and worry less about what people think” and her latest, “The Uncomfortable Truth: Change your life by taming 10 of your mind’s greatest fears.”
I wanted to get Anna on to talk about:
- The cost of trying to please everyone.
- Overcoming the pain and shame of being passed over for promotion.
- Dealing with failure.
- The art of saying no.
Anna and I have both recently collaborated with Little Dish, the wholesome children’s food company. Little Dish are the season nine sponsor of COMEBACK COACH and I am super proud to have their support because we both want to make life easier for working parents. I do that as an executive coach, providing a powerful and confidential thinking and problem-solving space and Little Dish does it by creating easier evenings with their delicious, nutritious and quick-to-cook meals. One thing Little Dish is doing at the moment that has brought an even bigger smile to my face is their ‘Buy One Give One’ campaign with The Felix Project to end school holiday hunger.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Quick link to register interest in the Raising & Rising leadership retreat for mothers in senior roles in February 2026 – CPO’s and HR professionals please register and we'll be in touch about places for your senior female talent.
Hello Bright Minds, today you are going to eavesdrop on a coaching conversation with a senior woman who is 2 months back from a 10 month maternity leave who wants to show her leadership team she is committed and wants to progress. She’s the only mother in her part of the business and she feels she’s competing with younger colleagues who can work long hours and have little or no immovable demands on them outside of work.
Our conversation starts by Louise – not her real name - outlining two challenges and we quickly move into stakeholder mapping and working out the perceptions she needs to create in two or three key people’s mind. We end with some thinking about energy management and creating ‘rules’ for when she’ll stay late and which after work drinks are worth going to.
My absolute heartfelt thanks to Little Dish, the award-winning children’s food company, for sponsoring this episode of COMEBACK COACH. Find out more at www.littledish.co.uk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, today’s guest has had a squiggly career, graduating as a graphic designer and making it up to creative art director before moving into an MD role and then into entrepreneurship. She’s the co-founder of The Hustle Factory where she and her co-founder are disrupting the outplacement world. Outplacement is when an employer supports an employee to bounce back more quickly after redundancy, something Astrid experienced two years ago when she was made redundant from her role as Head of Brand at a food company. She has two children age 7 and 2 and has very recently relocated from London to Ireland.
Thank you Little Dish for sponsoring this season of COMEBACK COACH. Little Dish make delicious food kids love using wholesome, nutritious ingredients and I’m sure is just the thing Astrid has been wanting to reach for during the chaos of unpacking boxes over the summer. Little Dish champion children’s nutrition and they want to make mealtimes easier for parents. My children, Monty & Artemis, had Little Dish meals when they were toddlers and they’ve recently expanded the range to include meals for bigger kids. Have a look at www.littledish.co.uk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds,
*Here's the* link to register your interest and get early bird access to the exclusive gathering for 12 senior talented professional working mothers who are future Directors, MDs or Partners to help them feel equipped to take the next career step. I'm running this with Anita Cleare in 2026.****
E-mail me: jc@talentkeepers.co.uk to discuss an executive coaching engagement for you or an employee/group of employees.
Today's episode:
Networking and business development are often on the minds of coachees who are exploring whether/how to get on the Partner track. It's a key area I've been working with a few coachees lately, and whether you're a Partner, an MD, Principal or CEO, if you shy away from networking events or repeatedly come away from the flat, frustrated or feeling it was a waste of time, this episode is for you.
I take us through seven key things my coachees are doing when they go to professional gatherings that lead them to see themselves as effective networkers and able to generate new business and career opportunities.
They are:
- An optimistic, positive mindset about professional gatherings as a useful tool for growing your network for commercial or career gains.
- Clarity on both your career goals and your professional/commercial objectives.
- Having criteria for what gatherings you go to and therefore being selective about what you say yes to.
- Purpose, planning and preparation before attending a professional gathering.
- Asking enjoyable questions and listening intently to the answers.
- Making elegant exits from conversations that aren’t right for you and elegant entrances to the ones that are.
- Diarised time to follow up after the gathering with a focus on making a helpful difference.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I’m trying something new for this season of the podcast and that’s to bring you a couple of expert voices on topics that are coming up in coaching conversations with the people I, and my colleagues, are coaching. Today I am bringing you a conversation with chartered psychologist Nicola Jane Hobbs who is the author of a new book, The Relaxed Woman: Reclaim Rest and Live an Empowered, Joy-Filled Life.
The "GUTS" in the title is a new theory of stress, which I hadn't come across before: Generalised Unsafety Theory of Stress. Nicola talked me through this which I found fascinating.
Nicola Jane Hobbs is a chartered psychologist specialising in the psychology of rest. She holds a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology and has over a decade of experience supporting women’s health and well- being through yoga, meditation and therapeutic practice. She is the founder of The Relaxed Woman, a community devoted to supporting women to recover from stress and burnout through coaching and workshops. Nicola lives in Brighton, UK with her partner, Justin and their son, Huxley.
This episode is sponsored by Little Dish, the wholesome children’s food brand which is on a mission to make the healthiest, tastiest food for kids. I am so happy to have their partnership because they want to make the lives of parents easier, which is something that completely aligns with me and my work with ambitious and often overloaded professionals.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, you are in for a treat with this first episode of the new season. I am so pleased you’re here and you are about to hear a magnificent tale of grit, perseverance, honesty and so much warmth from my guest Nora Prida-Bay from Jupiter Asset Management. She had an 8-year career break and it took her 118 interviews to land a job back in banking. You are going to get the inside track on the way she approached job-hunting and how she kept going in the face of all those rejections.
I think Nora is one in a million and you can connect on Instagram @secondbecoming as well as LinkedIn. If you want to hear more from people coming back from a career break listen to episodes 25 and 32. And if you’re interested in hearing more from women in finance, I recommend episodes with four of my past coachees:
- Episode 13, Liz talks about rebuilding credibility and getting your head back in gear after maternity leave.
- Episode 41, Pippa reflects on what she gained from coaching and how to pitch for sponsorship by your employer.
- Episode 56, Selina, who’s also now at Jupiter Asset Management talks about interviewing whilst pregnant and holding a Board position outside your day job.
- Episode 67, Divya talks about how and why she studied on maternity leave and what its like to have an incessant need to achieve.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
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- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I have a completely wonderful powerhouse for you today who returned from maternity leave eight months ago. Her dream job came up whilst she was away so she decided to return six months early and on day two of her comeback there was a wholescale restructure of the entire business which changed everything. She’s just returned from a company celebration trip to Miami in recognition of her being one of the business’ peak performers and I think you’re going to love her. She had a brutal birthing experience which left her in awful shape mentally and physically so to see and hear her glowing now is an absolute joy. You’re about to listen to Lucy Watkins, Head of Productivity, Programs & Enablement at Salesforce.
REFERENCES FROM OUR CONVERSATION
- Lucy Watkins on LinkedIn
- Lucy's playbook
- Tim Ferris podcast episode I referenced
- Therapeutic journaling podcast episode
- Lucy's meditation coach
- The PT Lucy worked with
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
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- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest coachee today is Emilia, which isn’t her real name. She’s been an avid listener of the podcast and got in touch about having a coaching session to support her in making a lateral move in a large multinational healthcare company. Not long after we arranged to speak she e-mailed to say her line manager was going to be leaving and could we talk about how she navigates shifting from peer to boss in her current team on an interim boss.
There was so much ground we could have covered and the 45 minutes whizzed by. Emilia has got several significant professional transitions running in parallel which could be overwhelming if she expects too much of herself at once. She’s dealing with the fallout from an authoritarian boss; she’s navigating moving from being a peer to being the boss, all the time knowing it might be temporary; she’s also needing to be considered about how she enters her new peer group and lastly she’s attempting to limit the impact the new role will have on her family. It’s a lot of effort, a lot of thinking and all on top of delivering the things she previously delivered – with a smaller team. If I were the HR Business Partner of Emilia’s part of the business I would be talking to her about sponsoring executive coaching to support her over the next 6-9 months.
As ever I hope you get something useful from eavesdropping on this one time coaching conversation. It’s recorded in one take so what you hear is exactly how the conversation played out.
I referenced an article I wrote titled Promoted into a new peer group? 5 actions to settle quickly.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, today I’m talking to Danielle Wallington who lives in St Albans, the place I’ve called home for 23 years. Danielle was an events manager who had her flexible working request turned down after maternity leave with her first son. From that setback came her first business “Milk & Fizz” where she used to her events management skills to bring mothers together for a different type of gathering to what was on offer at the time. She’s now the founder of Flock Here – a social networking app that connects women who work from home to places to work from and people to work with. She’s been through some massive setbacks in the business which is why I wanted to bring you this conversation. Self-employment isn’t an easy choice and it’s not for everyone and this is a chat you’re going to get a lot from if you work for yourself and have small children or if you’re wondering about self-employment as an option; if you’re a woman working in events or if you’re needing to hear a tale of grit to boost your own motivation.
If you’re a long time listener you’ll know that COMEBACK COACH is part of a broader package of support: the Comeback Community employee experience. It’s a blend of online resources, coaching, live expert Q&As, career development tools and line manager support that we deliver in many large and small organisations that who want to support their returning colleagues and get them feeling comfortable back in their roles as smoothly and swiftly as possible. Find out more and help us start a conversation with your HR team at www.comebackcommunity.co.uk/introduce.
REFERENCES
Flock Here
Danielle on LinkedIn
Kings Global Institute for Women’s Leadership events
Gender differences in the association between unpaid labour and mental health in employed adults: a systematic review
How I built this podcast with Guy Raz
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
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- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is 53 year old journalist Samantha Downes, who last year took up the post of senior news reporter at The Express after many years working freelance. She joined The Express in November after specialising in pensions and investment journalism as an investigative reporter for both trade and national publications including the Financial Times, City AM, and Pensions Expert.
She’s a mother of two teenage girls and writes about midlife, parenting and money issues for her own substack. She’s written two books and has another underway and is also a financial commentator on TV and radio. We met a couple of months ago at the House of Lords at a breakfast hosted by another podcast guest, Baroness Helena Morrissey – episode 102 – to launch a report about the gender ISA gap.
I think you’ll love Samantha’s honesty about returning to employment and her raw self-reflections about ambition. I really could have listened to her for much longer than we had time for and at the end of the episode I share my thoughts on why and how mothers careers come in and out of bloom – and it’s not to do with the age of their children.
References
The power of small wins – HBR article by Teresa Amabile & Steven Kramer.
Visualisation podcast episode with Maya Raichoora.
ADHD & Hormones - episode 207 of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing podcast with Kate Moryousef.
Danna Greenberg paper - Identity and the Transition to Motherhood: Navigating Existing, Temporary, and Anticipatory Identities.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I wonder whether you’ve seen the Netflix hit Buying London with Daniel Daggers and his team of agents at his property firm DDRE? It’s a lot of fun and very glamorous and my guest today is one of the team who you won’t have seen on screen. I met Serge Cowan on a flight to Nice last September when he was going out to look at a property in Monaco and we got into a deep conversation about his life, including his four children. Serge is a global real estate advisor at DDRE who has sold properties in 27 locations and deals with DDREs international sales. Serge’s 16 year old daughter Emily makes an occasional entertaining double act with him on Instagram and there’s a link in the show notes.
In 2002 Serge set up a property business which he told me he felt like he was married to. His wife worked with him too and alongside their professional life they spent five years trying to have a child. In 2007 along came baby Maddie who was born with cerebral palsy who very sadly passed away in 2017. Maddie’s early years also coincided with the recession of 2009-2012 which hammered the business Serge had built. By 2018, a year after Maddie’s death he realised the marriage wasn’t right and their divorced was finalised in 2024.
You’re going to hear us talk about:
- A father’s perspective of the strain and emotional difficulty of raising a profoundly disabled child.
- Battling the SEN system and local education authority for a child with cerebral palsy.
- His marriage coming to an end and walking away from the business he’d built
- Serge’s experience of ‘chronic anxiety’
- Negotiating with French estate agents
I hope you enjoy and extract something useful from my chat with Serge.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, today I’m talking to Baroness Helena Morrissey, ex CEO of Newton Asset Management, founder of the 30% Club and founding ambassador of AJ Bell’s Money Matters campaign to help women feel good about investing. She’s also the mother of nine children and author of A Good Time to Be a Girl.
- We talk about how to ask for a promotion and the power of holding silence when you do.
- The gender ISA gap, pensions and investing for children.
- Helena’s experience of returning to work after nine maternity leaves.
- The psychology of what we wear at work.
- Helena’s top tips for returning to work after a break.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, today I’m talking to Francesca Woodhouse who is the MD of UK Workplace Advisory at Edelman and mother of four children. She works full time and is married to Lewis who also works full time as a Head of Communications. You’re going to hear Francesca talk about:
- The need to proactively managing your career.
- Moving between freelancing and employment.
- Key habits that support working full time and caring for four children.
- The difference having a true partner at home makes to your life.
- Francesca’s experience of being a disgruntled middle manager.
Before we glide into the conversation with Francesca, three thank yous to listeners who’ve left a review of COMEBACK COACH on Apple Podcasts since the last episode:
Simone wrote: “Wonderful podcast on the realities of corporate career life. Always get great inspiration and some actionable tips to try out.”
Lizi left this review: “I really enjoy listening to the podcast and hearing how other women manage the career and family juggle but mainly I just love hearing Jesica’s take on the world. It’s impossible not to feel uplifted, energised and inspired listening to her.”
And thank you to Geeko1003 who says: Jessica expertly navigates the emotional and performance issues for everyone at work. The tools, tips, and insights help to create an inclusive workplace.
MORE FOR YOU
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- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, in this episode we go beyond the comeback and discuss the habits, resources, ways of working and ways of thinking that help support career development when you have young children.
We recorded this episode in front of a live audience at Arcadis, London - one of our treasured clients.
My guests are all professional women who have 13 children between them and they've all previously been on the podcast. They were tremendously candid for which I am truly grateful.
- Emmie Faust – exited founder, investor and founder of Female Founders Rise. Past coachee of Jessica. COMEBACK COACH past podcast guest episode 52.
- Amanda Newman – Accenture. COMEBACK COACH past podcast guest episode 21.
- Rachel Maguire– Earl Kendrick. COMEBACK COACH past podcast guest episode 19.
- Liz Twiney– BlackRock. Past coachee of Jessica. COMEBACK COACH past podcast guest episode 13.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Brights Minds, I’ve been thinking a lot about displays of emotions at work because of the increasing number of women I’ve been coaching over the last 12 months who’ve described being taken by surprise by their tears and worrying about the implications. It tuns out there’s some pretty complex psychology at play when it comes to how crying at work can potentially affect our reputation.
I’m Jessica Chivers, a psychologist and executive coach. For the last 20 years I’ve been coaching leaders, senior professionals and high potential individual contributors during career transitions and challenging times. The work always involves an element of increasing their understanding of themselves and I’ll often bring in evidenced-based insights from the world of psychology and related disciplines to help with that ('psychoeducation').
In this episode I cover:
- My new comeback coaching research published by the British Psychological Society.
- Why we cry (including some gender differences). [05:41]
- What’s been happening for the women I’ve been coaching who have been crying at work. [08:19]
- What co-workers are likely to be thinking when they see a colleague cry (where I explain ‘cognitive scripts’ and ‘attribution theory’) [11:06]
- What the research tells us is the best thing to do to mitigate any negative downsides of crying at work. [18:30]
- What managers need to do when they see a team member cry (where I explain some nasty gender biases) [22:11]
- What repeated crying at work might be telling you. [25:37]
REFERENCES
- Becker, W., Conroy, S., Djurdjevic, E. & Gross, M. (2018). Crying is in the eyes of the beholder: an attribution theory framework of crying at work. Emotion Review, 10(2), 125-137. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917706766
- Elsbach, K.D. and Bechky, B.A (2018). How observers assess women who cry in professional work contexts. Academy of Management Discoveries, 4(2), 127-154.
- Gelstein, S. et al (2011) Human tears contain a chemosignal. Science, 331, 226-230 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1198331
- Malle, B. F. (2006). The actor-observer asymmetry in attribution: A (surprising) meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 895-919. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.895
- Tiedens, L.Z. (2001). Anger and advancement versus sadness and subjugation: The effect of negative emotion expressions on social status conferral. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(1): 86-94.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest coachee today is Amber (not her real name), a past coachee of mine who I worked with years and years ago and is now on the brink of making a second career change. She wanted to have a space to think about how to navigate relationships with different organisations that she’s in parallel recruitment processes with. Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of working with coachees years down the line after their first coaching engagement and it’s so wonderful to see how they’ve changed and to reconnect.
If you would like to have a (free) one-time coaching conversation with me that we will record and share as an episode of COMEBACK COACH, take a look here.
Link to tickets for the LIVE-IN-REAL-LIFE GATHERING for the recording of episode 100: BEYOND THE COMEBACK - Raising your career through the Primary School years (26/2/25).
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I am really happy to be back with a very vibrant episode to kick off season eight where Marketing Director Caroline Smith from the toy shop, The Entertainer talk about:
- Making sideways and strategic ‘downward’ career moves.
- Finding unexpected fresh drive and ambition after maternity leave.
- Job search challenges and strategies.
- Being the wildcard candidate.
- Nourishing your professional network.
- Using LinkedIn to showcase your expertise.
- Discipline and structure during the job-search journey.
- Caroline’s advice for making a comeback.
If you're listening before 19th February 2025 you're in time to get a ticket for the LIVE recording of episode 100: "BEYOND THE COMEBACK: Raising your career through the Primary School Years" in London on 26/2/25.
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, keen eyes might notice that this episode is out a day earlier than usual. I’ve chosen to release this episode of Tuesday 3rd December to tie-in with International Day of Person’s with a Disability. And it feels fitting to have saved this episode to the last in the current season on COMEBACK COACH because we’re talking about the power of a sabbatical to refresh, re-energise and have a bit of a rest, which I hope you’ll get later in the month.
My guest today is Beth Wooller, a Strategic Sourcing Manager at Sainsbury’s Head Office where she’s also the founder and Chair of Enable, the first ever Sainsbury’s Disability Network. Beth started her career as a Management Consultant at Deloitte, having graduated from Cambridge University and has a lifetime of experience living and working with a hearing loss. She is dedicated to helping people with disabilities and differences excel and focuses on raising awareness, increasing confidence and simplifying workplace processes to better support people with disabilities. Beth has recently been listed as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100.
11 years into her career and feeling burned out, Beth took a sabbatical from her corporate role to reset, continue her disability work, and gain her professional qualification in Interior Design with the National Design Academy.
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
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- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds,
This is the penultimate episode of season seven of COMEBACK COACH and it’s inspired by my 16 year old daughter Artemis, who wants to become a pilot. This is something she decided upon at the start of the year and since then I have had many happy drives around the M25 to Heathrow airport to watch A380 planes come in and take off this year. Plane spotting is actually a lot of fun.
My guest today is Rebecca Andrews is a pilot and a few months ago she returned to the flight deck after her second maternity leave. We’ve been chatting over WhatsApp for about six months and we recorded two separate chats. In the first part you’re going to get to hear how Rebecca was feeling about returning to the air before she started her re-induction training in the simulator. Then in the second chat you’ll find out how she’s feeling now that she’s back at work and into the reality of working parenthood and managing two pilot schedules alongside two little children. Yes, she’s married to a pilot.
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
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- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my conversation today is with Laura Scougall, Head of ITV Academy. Knowing Laura is a chatty, confident person we decided to make it a freeform conversation without any pre-agreed questions so it’s a bit of a random episode that covers a lot of ground.
We talked about:
- How to get back to sleep after being up with a baby or an 18 year old in my case.
- Coping with being placed at risk of redundancy and dragged out of your maternity bubble to think about finding another job.
- Not introducing yourself in meetings with an apology.
- Why I walk around my garden barefoot when I first wake up.
- The daily additional stress of being a working parent of a little boy with autism.
- Being totally open at work about what’s going on at home.
- Having the confidence to ask colleagues to reschedule a meeting that you can’t make last minute.
- Being generous with positive feedback.
Laura’s wobbly moments and tips for coming back to work after maternity leave which includes leaning into the chaos.
I hope you get plenty from it and if you do, please would you leave a short review and a rating wherever you listen. Thank you so much.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Sarah Banks from Arcadis, the global design and engineering company.
Sarah has two little children and was promoted after both of her maternity leaves.
We have a wide-ranging conversation including:
- Challenges and benefits of after work socialising.
- KIT days.
- Being the main earner in her family.
- Being surprised by feeling a drop in confidence.
- Worrying about not being able to do her job when she came back.
- The shadow board that Arcadis has put in place in the Places part of the business to bridge the generational gap between employees and the leadership team and avoid groupthink.
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds. My guest today is someone who wanted a platform to talk about her experience of continuing to work on and off during breast cancer treatment with the single goal of helping others find their way through this really difficult time.
Tara Ferguson is an Associate Director within the People team of a medium sized bio-tech business. She’s worked in a number of different sectors and types of business, in roles ranging from People Business Partner to Lead Coach to Employee Wellbeing Manager, in a career spanning over 20 years. She lives in Scotland with her husband Andy and teenage daughter Charlotte - enjoying cold water swimming, CrossFit, reading and time with family in her spare time.
We talk about:
- Deciding not to walk away from work completely for the duration of her treatment.
- Coming back on a phased return at the end of last period of chemotherapy.
- What best in class line manager support looks and sounds like.
- The impact of a medically induced menopause.
- How businesses can hang onto women and turn the tide of the numbers of women walking away when they hit menopause.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds,
I hope you’re on good form and thank you for choosing to listen to this episode of Comeback Coach. Dan Hewitt is the Head of Talent Management and Development at Ocado, the UK online-only supermarket HQ-ed in Hertfordshire just down the road from me.
When Dan came back from a few months of paternity leave he thought he was going to stay in a comfortable place professionally, not striving for the next job. This was so he could focus on family, but that was not to be and Dan moved into a bigger, stretch role.
REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE
- Summary paper of Erik De Haan’s meta-analysis of coaching using only randomised controlled trials.
- What Can We Know about the Effectiveness of Coaching? A Meta-Analysis Based Only on Randomized Controlled Trials
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is inspired by the previous where my guest, Ramona Aning from Ketchum, talked about how her CEO is open about family time and downtime.
I'm geeking out on "psychological job control" and "segmentation norms" which are talked about in a new paper in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology titled The competing influence of psychological job control on family-to-work conflict.As ever, there are practical takeaways from the episode which include the five questions bosses can ask in team meetings and 1:1s to ensure their people are getting the downtime they need.
The paper I refer to was published in 2023 and can be found here: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joop.12426
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
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- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I am really happy to be back with a very vibrant episode to kick off season seven. We ended season six with an episode on the psychology of focus and attention and how to adapt your day when you wake up absolutely shattered. And you loved it and you told me so and I’m so thankful that you did because my brain runs on little drip-drip doses of positive feedback.
Today I’m bringing you a conversation with Ramona Aning, a coachee of ours from Ketchum, the PR and marketing communications consultancy. She returned to her role as an account director after maternity leave earlier this year and we go into depth on:
- Holding boundaries at work, and how Ramona became adept at this.
- The signs Ramona spotted during the recruitment process for her role at Ketchum that told her it was going to be a place where she could be herself.
- How she found people to connect with on maternity leave via the Peanut app and how helpful those friendships have been as she returned to work
- Plus Ramona’s wobbliest moment as she returned to work.
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I hope you’re on good form and by the end of this episode got a better sense of how you can help yourself find focus, sustain your attention and experience traction. I'm Jessica Chivers, a coaching psychologist, author and developer of the Comeback Community employee experience, of which this podcast is a part.
The idea for this episode has been stirring in mind for some time because focus is a frequent source of conversation with coachees who are returning to work from maternity leave with less time on their hands than they had pre-baby. If you’re not a new parent or a parent at all I think you’ll get plenty from listening to the psychology and my personal hacks that I’m going to share with you.
REFERENCES
- Ficca, G., Axelsson, J., Mollicone, D. J., Muto, V., & Vitiello, M. V. (2010). Naps, cognition and performance. Sleep medicine reviews, 14(4), 249-258.
- Leroy, s. (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109 (2) 168-181: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597809000399
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- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, I'm inspired to bring you this episode as I've been invited to be part of a 'Human Library' at CIPD's Festival of Work where my title is "How to not burnout as a parent of a neurodiverse or challenge child." Journaling or 'free-writing' as a I call it has been one of my consistently useful coping tools, especially over the last two years, and I'll be talking about that.
I'm talking you through the science of a very specific journaling protocol that has a very significant evidence base in the academic research literature. It was developed by Professor James Pennebaker in 1986.
Here are the links I mention in the episode:
Caremail: https://www.subscribepage.com/comebackcommunity
Huberman Lab podcast 20/11/23 A Science-Supported Journaling Protocol to Improve Mental & Physical Health: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/a-science-supported-journaling-protocol-to-improve-mental-physical-health
Professor James Pennebaker research: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/pennebak
Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing (summary of research findings) by Baikie & Wilhelm (2018) published in Advances of Psychiatric Treatment: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/emotional-and-physical-health-benefits-of-expressive-writing/ED2976A61F5DE56B46F07A1CE9EA9F9F
Therapist Uncensored podcast episode 225 with James Pennebaker: https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/neuroscience-proven-writing-protocol-james-pennebaker-225/
Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GK5817W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, at the end of 2023 I read about a landmark legal victory for a former Avon Fire and Rescue Service employee, Sasha Acheson, who won her sex discrimination case against the organisation. Reading that piece got me curious about the experiences of female firefighters after they’ve notified their employer that they’re pregnant; what it’s like to have to shift from active frontline duty to something else and what it’s like to return to an environment where you may not have a single colleague near you who understands what you’ve been through.
My guest today is NOT that former employee but a Emma Young, a female firefighter who has a lot to say about what it’s like to be a pregnant woman in the fire service. Emma has a 15 month old daughter and she’s currently pregnant with her second, a pregnancy that she found out about just as she was returning from maternity leave.
You’re going to hear about:
- How Emma navigated the lack of maternity policy and the difference a good line manager can make in uncertain circumstances.
- Lack of knowledge in the fire service around the needs of a person who is put on modified duties.
- The impact of a disconnect between what organisations say they want to do to be inclusive and what happens in practice.
- And as ever, my guest’s wobbliest moment as she returned to work, a high point and Emma’s three top tips.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Ask me a Q
Hello Bright Minds, my guest coachee today is Sabeha, a first time mother based in London who has returned to work for a Californian tech company. It's a conversation about the tension that exists within us when we want to give more to work and also be present at home - and the specific challenge of working for a US organisation who comes online as your working day is drawing to a close.
In this coaching session we explore:
- How to experience more joy, not just “getting through it” as a working parent.
- Wanting to work more hours than you’re able to.
- Discomfort and tension leaving work before you feel ready to, to be with your child(ren)
- Tensions with our partner about what time we go ‘on duty’ caring for our child(ren)
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Yvette Bramley, a woman who describes herself as a full time mum and part time business psychologist. She works with the Quality Team at Lexxic, a specialist psychological consultancy and the focus of her role is ensuring the quality their delivery and reports through training, audits, spot checks and actioning client feedback. She proudly tole me after we’d chatted that was she was always a “weird” kid growing up and hopes she continues being the weird one. She also told me – and I quote:
"Patience does not come naturally to me and I am a control “freak” but it works for my family. However, my daughter has taught me to be more relaxed and spontaneous. I no longer live life focusing on the next qualification or physical achievement. I now live to have fun and experience as much joy daily as possible".
Yvette is my most energetic guest yet and you’re going to hear about:
- Why KIT days are a brilliant thing to do when you’re on maternity leave.
- Getting comfortable with changing your mind about career development activities you simply don’t want to find the time and energy for now you’re a working parent.
- Recognising how successful you already are and remembering to question self-talk that suggests otherwise.
COMEBACK COACH is part of a broader package of support that we call the Comeback Community employee experience. It’s a blend of online resources, coaching, live expert Q&As, career development tools and line manager support that we deliver in organisations such as ITV, Lily’s Kitchen, GAM Investments, Federated Hermes, Veolia and more. Find out more and help us start a conversation with your HR team at www.comebackcommunity.co.uk/introduce.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
This short “JUST JESSICA EPISODE” is about managing rumination, how to keep healthy habits going when you’re consumed by work and the psychology of mindful meditation. It’s inspired by a particular coaching conversation I had one Tuesday a few weeks ago. I put these episodes together myself without the lovely Chris cleaning up bumps in the sound or adding in the swanky intro and outro and I hope you get something from it. If you do I’d love it if you shared it with someone else who you think might like it too.
Click here for "DAILY CHECK-IN" tool you can download and print for your wellbeing.
The meditation mantras I mentioned in this episode:
Hummee Hum – The Other is you by Mirabai Cieba (12 mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CFI0hslXv8
Ramadasa by Satkirin Kaur Khalsa (12 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVewRvqNrE
The article I mentioned about meditation and the DMN on the Mindfulness Association’s website: https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/science-of-mindfulness/meditation-and-the-default-mode-network/
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, this is a very different episode to anything I’ve done before. Brian is a chap whose energy, openness and actions around supporting fathers I’ve admired on LinkedIn for quite some time. Throughout the time Brian and I have been in each others’ orbits he’s worked for Amazon as a Program Manager in Luxembourg, whilst also training to be a coach. In June last year (2023) I spotted a very candid post from Brian about expecting to be made redundant so I got in touch to offer my condolences and to tell him how much I liked reading what he was writing about what he was anticipating and we started swapping voice notes. I do love a voice note!
I asked Brian whether he’d be up for coming on the podcast later in the year when he’d made his comeback and then a thought occurred to me: why don’t we document, through voice notes, what’s happening for Brian on the run up to redundancy and what happens next. I do all of this with you in mind dear listener – I’m constantly thinking about how I can bring you ideas, insights and tips to make your comeback smoother, easier and more enjoyable. I’m also always wanting to bring you the hard stuff that people are going through and the emotions they’re experiencing as a way to give you hope when you’re going through similar struggles.
At the end of the episode you’re also going to hear from Dr Madeline Stevens who is the author of Strategic Redundancy Implementation: Re-Focus, Re-Organise and Re-Build. She knows a lot about how to help people through redundancy.
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MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Michaela Thomas, a clinical psychologist I’ve been really looking forward to chatting to because we’ve been batting voice notes back and forth for about a year and then I heard Michaela on a podcast I’ve been lapping up over the last 9 months (Kate Moryousef's ADHD WOMEN'S WELLBEING) that was the galvanising stroke to get Michaela on.
I originally wanted to have a chat with Michaela about how to keep partner/spousal relationships feeling good once you have a baby and go back to work and the pressure ramps up drawing upon her own lived experience as well as her professional insight. She’s the author of a book called The Lasting Connection – which is about developing compassion for yourself and your partner - and has a podcast called Pause Purpose Play. I’ve since learned that Michaela also has a special interest in perfectionism and she has an ADHD brain and is starting to do more work in that area too. Given my recent diagnosis of ADHD and our growing interest in neurodiversity as a coaching team my mind I thought wow, let’s get Michaela on to talk about her return to work and all of these things. So, you have an extra long episode today because there’s so much I wanted to chat to her about.
If you like what you hear from Michaela then you can find her on Instagram @the_thomas_connection and Facebook @TheThomasConnection.
*Michaela is going to be joining me on Tuesday 21st May 2024 12 NOON for a live Q&A on* HOW TO LIVE & WORK WELL WITH AN ANXIOUS MIND AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES*. The Q&A is part of the Comeback Community employee experience programme and once our clients have had first dibs we open spare spots to all absolutely free*.
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MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Lianne Baker, Head of People & Culture at Enfuse who had surprise baby number three last year and we caught up at the end of her five month maternity leave. Lianne is an award-winning People professional with over 15 years’ experience working within TV for Endemol, publishing for Condé Nast, recruitment, hospitality and now for Enfuse, a digital transformation management consultancy. Since joining Enfuse Group, she has been focused on culture and engagement, bringing in forward thinking and inclusive policies. Enfuse Group is recognised as a Great Place to Work, Top 5 Best Companies and best new Management Consultancy at the MCA Awards.
Lianne has previously spoken up about the importance of flexible working to enable parents to parent as well as have a career in addition to writing various articles of managing IVF and Fertility treatment alongside work.
You’re going to hear about:
- How to have smooth harmonious relationships with family members who care for your children.
- Wanting to work during maternity leave and how to communicate that to your team.
- Tips for returning to a new role and/or a new organisation after a period of extended leave.
- Owning your decisions and tuning into what’s right for you and your family.
- Knowing your worth and feeling good at work.
- And as always the wobbliest moment and peak moment of my guest’s return to work experience.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Ros Kwok, a woman I was introduced to after asking one of the wonderful Partners at our past podcast sponsor, Rayden Solicitors if she had a client who had had to return to work due to a change in financial circumstances following divorce. Thank you Emily Watson for coming up trumps in less than 24 hours! And you’ll also hear from Emily at the end of the episode where we talk through several questions about divorce, spousal maintenance and arbitration.
LINK TO "MOTHERS WALK" on 8/3/24 for International Women's Day
Ros is originally from Singapore and came to study in the UK. She became a stay at home mum after she had children and when her youngest went to nursery she took a part time job in a nursery and after four years became a freelance photographer. When the divorce happened she was told to get a proper job, was forced to sell all of her photography equipment and then made 50 applications for jobs, and got only one interview. That interview was with John Lewis – I love JLP sooooo much – but even that didn’t work out. Fast forward to today and Ros IS working for John Lewis and she’s worked her way from an entry level role to being a fashion merchandiser and instagmmer for JLP.
Today Ros is thriving and this episode talks about how she got there. I think many employers are recognising just how destabilising any big life can be for their people and divorce is right up there. If you’re going through divorce or it’s on your mind I’m sending you all the love because I know how hellish it can be. I’m a child of divorced parents and I have people around me going through divorce at the moment. To you all I send love and hope, more of which at the end of the episode.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Andrea Byrne, one of the faces of ITV News and a past coachee of mine. She anchors the BAFTA award-winning daily news programme Wales at Six, as well as ITV’s national bulletins. This includes ITV Weekend News, Lunchtime News, Evening News and News at Ten and Prince Harry is among the many high-profile names she has interviewed.
Andrea also presents the current affairs programme Wales This Week; hosts her own fertility podcast ‘Making Babies’; and is a Tedx speaker. She has recently been nominated for several broadcast awards for her documentary work.
She is an ambassador for ‘The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme’ and a Non-Executive Director for Hockey Wales. Andrea is married to Wales and Lions legend Lee Byrne. She is passionate about wellbeing and pioneered the introduction of Mental Health First Aiders in ITV’s newsrooms.
Away from the newsroom, she is a keen yogi, a novice stand-up paddle-boarder and a budding novelist!
In this conversation with Andrea you’re going to hear about:
- Remembering how good you are at your job before you start back.
- Why it’s a good idea not to expect too much of yourself when you first return to work.
- It not being selfish or wrong to want to have time to yourself or not liking every moment of parenthood even when your child was very hard ‘won’ as Andrea’s daughter Jemima was.
- Pitching to be involved in projects and activities that are outside of your role.
- The time it takes to adjust to working parenthood.
- And a few random bits about the psychology of perfume and what wearing stretchy clothing does to our minds.
- We do also talk about baby loss and miscarriage towards the end where Andrea shares something harrowing that happened to her when she was about to do a very significant day of broadcasting.
- And as always you’ll get to hear the wobbliest moment and peak moment of my guest’s return to work experience as well as her three top tips for returning to work after a break.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, and welcome to the start of season six of COMEBACK COACH. I am so pleased to be back sharing stories and coaching sessions about returning to work and onward career development after a break. My guest today is Joanna Jacobs who took a career break straight after maternity leave from Vodafone. Prior to that she was living in Shanghai and working for Sainsburys, sussing out whether China would be a viable market for them and now she’s the HR Director for UK Twinings Commercial. In between Vodafone and Twinings she experimented with a few things including the library assistant role (which wasn’t for her!)
If you are thinking about taking a career break or you’re on one now you are in for an energising treat because this is a conversation that shows it IS possible to have a gratifying and stretching career after a significant career break.
You’re going to hear about:
- A useful way to think about your career break when you describe it to recruiters and potential employers.
- The power of experimentation and doing dramatically different work to what you used to do.
- How to set about finding a new role in the sector you were in before.
- Also Jo’s wobbliest moment when she returned to work and her top tips for coming back from a career break.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds and welcome to another JUST JESSICA episode of COMEBACK COACH where I’m reflecting on three things that have been top of mind for me lately that I think could be useful to you too. I’m a coaching psychologist, author and founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists which is home to the Comeback Community employee experience of which this podcast is a part.
A few weeks ago I went away for three days, two night by myself to my favourite hotel in Cornwall. It’s something I booked in September – when they were doing an offer - in anticipation of needing a break from home. None of the girlfriends I asked to go with me could commit and so I decided to book to go solo. And this solo trip brings together three things I wanted to mull over here:
- Knowing your needs
- The power of a solo trip to develop your intuition
- How to focus on your career as well as your job
In this episode I mentioned an article on Psychologytoday.com and our COMEBACK CONVERSATION live Q&A listings.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Phil Bush, a Credit Control Manager for Euromonitor International in London where he’s worked for 17 years. He responsible for managing a department that collects unpaid debt for the business and minimises financial risk to the company. He lives in Brighton with his partner Jo and their 15 month old daughter Sadie. He’s a runner who has been very keen to do the London marathon and finally this year got to do it after applying and being unsuccessful for the previous 8 years. He’s also a community-minded man who volunteers for the charity Fairshare.
We talk about:
- Why he took a sabbatical not Shared Parental Leave.
- How he supported his partner's return to work (to a new job).
- The difference having a supportive partner makes to a woman's return from maternity leave.
- Coping with hospitalised baby.
- What a 'supportive' employer looked like for Phil.
- Volunteering whilst on sabbatical.
- Feeling strange separating from family to go back to work after intense months together.
- Finding a new normal as a family.
- Deciding to have counselling to deal with the shock of an ill child.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Gemma Hill, a Heart FM radio presenter whose maternity leave was covered by non other than the formidable Anna Whitehouse AKA Mother Pukka but even still she says, maternity leave was still pretty terrifying.
We talk about:
- Not being instantly delighted that you're pregnant
- 3am worries about going on maternity leave
- Having a bl**dy brilliant maternity leave cover
- Miscarriage
- How staying in touch with work can reduce anxiety about going back
Gemma started on air age 20 on stations around the Midlands and the North, before hanging up her headphones to pursue what she calls “a real job.” She was a national sales manager for a construction company for 6 years living in London with a stable job, a pension, maternity pay, but binned it off to chase the dream again when she was offered a job in Birmingham on the Free radio Breakfast show (for which she did her demo in Pat Sharp’s towel cupboard.) After a couple of years she made her move to Heart, where she did the breakfast show across the west midlands for 3 years before moving to Drive. That’s where she is today and where she was when she found she was having a (surprise) of a lock down baby.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
My guest today is Andy Lancaster who took three months leave for planned eye and shoulder surgery from a job he loves at CIPD Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. We count CIPD among our clients and love working with them.
Andy champions and leads the vision for innovative workplace learning and has been at the heart of CIPD's transformation to digital and self-directed learning, with its professional development opportunities now accessed in over 180 countries.
He has more than 30 years’ experience in learning and organizational development in a range of sectors and has a research Masters' degree in instructional design. He regularly speaks at conferences, writes, and contributes to research in evidence-based learning. His award-winning book “Driving Performance Through Learning” is published by Kogan Page and he is currently working on a new book on social collaborative learning called: “Organizational Learning Communities” which is due out in 2024.
In this episode:
- How to prepare for leave as a leader of a big team.
- Why being vulnerable is good for us and the people we lead.
- Coping with brain fog and pain management.
- Three aspects of returning to work: the physical, the mental and the social.
- The unexpected good that can come out of sick leave.
- Why we shouldn’t rush to pick up exactly the same job we had before we went on leave.
- The difference between being resilient and being a hero (and why none of us should be heros).
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Kerry Hickman, a past coachee of ours at Ramboll. Since qualifying as an Accountant at 21, she’s had a very broad commercial career in Accountancy, Audit and Financial Management before landing in roles that manage Sales & Customer Insight. She’s travelled across sectors including consultancy, media, FMCG, currency and public sector, and worked both in the UK and internationally.
We talk about:
- Being made redundant when you've just come back from maternity leave.
- Working with a career coach - why, what, how?
- Using LinkedIn to find openings. opportunities, learn and expand your network.
- How to set about landing a quality PT role.
Live Q&A tickets mentioned in the episode for 31/10/23: HOW TO HOLD YOUR BOUNDARIES AND WHAT IS A GOOD ENOUGH PARENT?
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, today you’re going to eavesdrop on a one-time coaching conversation with "Zara" (not her real name) and get some expert tips on making a career change from Natasha Stanley at Careershifters. I said I'd include a link to the 8 week Career Change Launchpad experience that I talked about with Natasha that 3000 people have been through over the last 10 years.
My guest coachee today used to be a diplomat and we’re talking at a point when Zara has applied for roles that she’s overqualified for and although she’s been invited to interview she hasn’t secured the job. After her last interview she was told they were not convinced she would settle and were concerned that she would leave because of the nature of the work and the income.
EPISODE MARKERS
- 2:32 Coaching conversation with Zara.
- 38:50 How to make a career change with Natasha Stanley, Head Coach & experience designer at Careershifters.org.
- 51:51 Three summarising tips for making a career change.
- 54:04 Tips for people who have been on a career break and want to change careers.
- 56:28 Zara's update one month on from our coaching session.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Cecily Motley, an accomplished entrepreneur with a proven track record of growing companies and brand building in competitive markets. She is the founder of JustParent, a new company working to close the gender pay gap by helping small companies offer more paid parental leave.
Previously, Cecily co-founded Motley London, a VC backed, direct-to-consumer brand making world class design affordable. Whilst she was there she was both the pregnant employee and the CEO trying to put good parental leave provision in place. Which led her to her next venture. She lives in London with her husband and two year old son.
You’re going to hear about:
- Putting yourself under stress at work before you give birth
- Worrying about what people will think of your commitment as you become a parent
- What it’s like to be a venture capital backed entrepreneur
- Why it’s good to define your leave period and stick to it
- Not finding your tribe on maternity leave
- The positive power of a partner who takes shared parental leave
- What Cecily hopes her new venture, JustParent, will do for the take-up of Shared Parental Leave among men who work in SMEs
- And as always the wobbliest moment and peak moment of my guest’s return to work experience.
REFERENCES FLAGGED IN THE EPISODE
- If employers really want to increase the uptake of men taking Shared Parental Leave, here’s how: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/employers-fathers-taking-spl/
- The single best thing you can do for mothers in your organisation right now: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/the-single-best-thing-you-can-do-for-mothers-in-your-organisation-right-now/
- What do business leaders think about SPL: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/business-leaders-shared-parental-leave/
- Expectant fathers at work: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/breakingthebias-iwd2022/
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is an HR leader who recently returned to a new job in a new organisation after being bereaved. Having met at university Helen Rowell and her husband Mike married in 2015 and went on to have a son together, Alfie, who at the time of recording is five.
In March 2022 Mike was killed in a skiing accident, leaving Helen to raise Alfie alone. One of the many decisions she needed to make was how to approach her career. Up until that point she had worked full time for a global bank, progressing to Director level at the age of 33. After a period of leave Helen has now returned to work having made some radical changes.
You’re going to hear about:
- Choosing the attitude that’s going to help you the most.
- Remembering who you were before the bereavement.
- How employers can support bereaved colleagues including the importance of a bereavement policy.
- Signs you’re ready to start thinking about returning to work.
- Deciding to start a new job, in a new organisation.
- The difference a brilliant line manager makes to your self esteem.
- The joy and purpose Helen found in setting up a charity, Brightest Star and why she started The Widowhood podcast with Rosie, another young widow.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds and welcome to an impromptu and somewhat experimental "Just Jessica" episode of COMEBACK COACH, the podcast for people returning to work after a break. I’m Jessica Chivers, a coaching psychologist, author, founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists and developer of the Comeback Community employee experience of which this podcast is a part.
I started to write this fortnight’s edition of Caremail – that’s our newsletter for people returning to work and looking for support for that transition and career development beyond their break – about the happiness and opportunity that can be found in rejection and thought: I wonder if I might turn this into an episode of the podcast. So here I am experimenting! If you listen all the way through and like it please let me know and maybe I’ll do some more. If you’re on Instagram an easy way to tell me what you think is via a DM and you’ll find me @comebackcommuk.
3 SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS FOR YOU
- What are you repeatedly asking yourself to do that is draining for you?
- What piece of self-knowledge are you repeatedly ignoring?
- Where would your time be better spent?
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Divya Manek, a senior portfolio manager at BlackRock and a mother of two beautiful girls who I had the complete pleasure of coaching when she returned to work two summers ago. Day to day Divya’s work involves being close to market developments, being close to clients and what they want and making sure client money is managed in the best way possible. She manages 5 people directly and 6 indirectly and she cares hugely about supporting the people around her. And she works extremely hard, you might think too hard when you listen to this.
We talk about:
- Doing maternity leave your own way – and not comparing yourself to what others are doing.
- Studying for a qualification on maternity leave
- Having an incessant hunger to achieve
- What it’s like to ask for and receive family support on maternity leave
- The mindset to employ when a colleague says something hurtful
- Divya’s tips for making your comeback.
Here's the link to the Live Q&A with Dr Mandy Lehto on taming your overachiever gremlin and spotting the signs of burnout (26/9/23 8pm BST) that I mentioned during this episode. Complimentary tickets available via this link.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds,
Chantelle Angel started her career as a Montessori teacher before going onto work for a children’s disability charity where she became pregnant with her first child. That baby is now 3 ½ and she has another son who is 17 months. Chantelle is now a qualified paediatric sleep consultant working with a range of parents, mainly in the UK, although she’s reached as far as Singapore and the US.
You’re going to hear about:
- Common baby sleep issues and what you can do about them
- Chantelle’s transformative experience of being helped by a sleep consultant
- The science behind why babies who are cuddled off to sleep are more prone to waking and crying later in the night
- Top tips for settling babies
- And as always the wobbliest moment and peak moment of my guest’s return to work experience.
Here's the link to the Live Q&A with Dr Mandy Lehto on taming your overachiever gremlin and spotting the signs of burnout (26/9/23 8pm BST) that I mentioned during this episode. Complimentary tickets available via this link.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free expert 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright MInds, in this episode you're going to hear from Georgie Siddall, an operational risk manager who took voluntary redundancy in 2019 when she recognised she was burnt out trying to keep the show on the road at work and at home with three sons under 10.
One of her sons is on the autistic spectrum and with no family around to help share the load, life was really challenging for her and her husband. She made her career comeback in July 2021 when she landed a job at Santander, one of three organisations she had on her “want to work for” target list. Alongside her day job she also co-Chairs Santander’s Enable network because she wants to make a difference to colleagues who have different needs.
Georgie and I met on LinkedIn on GCSE results day 2022 when I posted about my son, being permanently excluded from school for persistent disruptive behaviour four months ahead of his exams. He has ADHD and ASD and my golly it’s been quite a ride and in the end he smashed his GCSEs which was just brilliant and he’s now got his sights set on a Russell Group University to study economics and finance.…I am so proud!
Anyway, back to Georgie. It’s a beautiful story of really coming through after a very difficult time and finding a job you love. You’re going to hear about:
- the signs of burnout
- how Georgie came to the decision to take voluntary redundancy
- how she got herself ready to return to work
- how to ask for compressed hours and make it work
- the joy and meaning that can come from doing ‘off the side of your desk’ work – and how to make that work when you’re already working really hard in your day job
- what makes Santander a great employer
If you're reading this before Tuesday 26th September 2023 you're in time to come to our live Q&A with Dr Mandy Lehto on HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF BURNOUT & TAME YOUR OVERACHIEVER GREMLIN.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Jess Heagren, founder of That Works For Me – a platform that connects employers with people seeking flexible work - and author of the Careers After Babies report. Jess previously held strategically important roles at Direct Line Insurance, NIG and RBS Insurance. She’s wonderfully honest and generous and I was so happy to have this chat with Jess where among other things we talked about:
- Coming back to work too soon
- Preparing for a good return
- The joy of spreadsheets
- Career progression and
- Identifying a family-friendly business culture
If you’ve been listening a while you’ll know that this podcast is part of the Comeback Community™ employee experience. This is a solution we deliver for progressive employers to keep their people feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work – be it sick leave, maternity leave, shared parental, adoption, bereavement or sabbatical.
If you think the experience of people returning to work after a break could be better where you work, please come over to comebackcommunity.co.uk/introduce. There you’ll find a quick and easy way for you to tell us who in your HR team we should be in touch with.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Well hello, it’s good to be back. I wonder how you are? Our season four finale was all about how to make full time work work when you have a young family and today we’re turn our attention to career progression, ambition and in particular the role of sponsorship in elevating women’s careers.
Although COMEBACK COACH is a podcast for people returning to work from any type of extended leave, the majority of you wonderful Bright Minds are female - and most of you are coming back from maternity leave. Plenty of you have you sights set on taking your career further when you return from leave which is why I think you’re going to love hearing from Kathryn McCulloch, who’s four months back from her second maternity leave and on Denton’s first Global Women’s Sponsorship Programme.
Kathryn is a partner in Dentons’ Dispute Resolution group, whose key areas of practice and expertise include aviation, drone (RPAS) regulation, wills, trusts and estates, and corporate/commercial disputes. With a strategic focus on reaching early resolution to claims, Kathryn looks to achieve timely resolution of disputes through alternative dispute resolution tools, including formal and informal mediation. She’s both a fixed wing and a drone pilot, and a proud mama to two young boys.
Also in this episode we’ve got Romana Bruderer-Schwab, who’s Denton’s Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity manager and supports the ID&E agenda in more than 80 countries. Romana was born in the U.S., is based in Edinburgh and describes herself as a global citizen who has a penchant for learning, amassing new experiences and growing as a person and a professional. She is passionate about tilting the scales of equity and justice in favour of the underrepresented.
In this conversation you’re going to hear about:
- The difference between sponsorship and mentoring.
- Why sponsorship programmes are needed for women in the law.
- How self-doubt can affect the most accomplished people when they take a break from work.
- How a Type A personality prepares for maternity leave.
- Kathryn’s wobbliest moment when she came back from maternity leave and her advice to people coming back from extended leave.
COMEBACK COACH is part of the Comeback Community™ employee experience designed to keep employees feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work – be it sick leave, maternity leave, shared parental, adoption, bereavement or sabbatical.
If you think the experience of people returning to work after a break could be better where you work, please come over to comebackcommunity.co.uk/introduce. There you’ll find a quick and easy way for you to tell us who in your HR team we should be in touch with.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, this is a special season finale involving six guests who are making full time work work with young children. I wanted to do this episode after I read a statistic that didn’t shock me as much as sadden me in a report published earlier this year called “CAREERS AFTER BABIES”. 848 women took part in the research which found 85% of women leave the full-time workforce within three years of having children.
Upfront disclaimer, all voices in this episode are women who are in a partnership with the father of their children. The guests are drawn from our Instagram community where I put up a poll one Saturday morning in February asking whether they worked FT or PT. I was surprised that the majority in our community answered that they work full time and then thought…haha, let’s do a podcast about working full time and ask these mamas to be part of it. I didn’t hear from anyone who is solo parenting and working full time and so we’ve got the voices who volunteered to chat to me.
When I reflect on the DM’s people sent me on instagram and the voices of the women you’re about to hear, there appear to be four key factors that enable women to continue to work FT when they become parents.
- Mindset and attitude of the individual: wanting to work full time and enjoying your work.
- Your employer having a positive and supportive attitude towards of compressed hours.
- Your employer having a positive and supportive attitude to working from home.
- And number four relates to a woman’s partner: having a partner who is positive about you working FT and is committed to sharing the load equally at home
In this episode you’re going to hear those factors brought to life.
My guests are:
- Carina Hoskisson, Engineer at Caterillar.
- Caoimhe Burins, Audit Manager at Dell.
- Rebecca Knight, an Executive Assistant in financial services.
- Kirsty Trude, HR business partner in an international charity.
- Chrissy, who works in the NHS.
- "Anna" who works in the police.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Mind and welcome to episode 61. Today my guest coachee is Natalie Trice, a PR consultant and trainer and the author of three books. She’s also an ICF-accredited career coach for PR and comms professionals.
She’s worked in PR for 25 years and put everyone and everything in the media spotlight. From Epson printers, Discovery Channel documentaries, and Betty Crocker cakes to Animal Planet celebrities, vegan bags and coastal holidays.
Today she specialises in PR mentoring and training for brands and experts so they can get themselves in the media, and a lot of this work is based on her second book, PR School.
She lives by the sea in Devon (which she’s also written a book about) with her husband, two teenage sons and their two dogs, Coco and Dotty.
Our coaching conversation is about Natalie’s changing identity as she moves away from being a “hospital mum” – and you’ll hear what that means – and towards an empty nest and re-finding her focus on a love of learning and teaching. It’s a conversation about knowing what your big career dream is and what it will take for Natalie to get there.
As you’re listening, if you’ve got a question or want to tell me about your return to work please find me on Instagram @comebackcommuk because I really do love hearing from you.
And did you know, this podcast forms part of our Comeback Community employee experience designed to keep you feeling confident, connected and cared for when you take extended leave from work? If you think your organisation needs to improve the way it cares for people taking any kind of extended leave I’d be really grateful if you’d tell your Head of HR or Chief People Officer about this podcast and send them a link to comebackcommunity.co.uk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello, Bright Minds and welcome to episode 60 with Sophie Giddings and Sam Crossley who are the job-sharing Marketing Directors at the gorgeous pet care brand Lily’s Kitchen who we’re proud to count among our clients.
I coached Sophie when she returned from maternity leave and as you’ll hear, returning to work as part of a job-share wasn’t plain sailing but they have very definitely got there.
In this episode we talk about
- Being the first job-share at Lily’s Kitchen
- The benefits to businesses and individuals of job-sharing
- Challenges Sophie & Sam encountered and how they’ve evolved how they work together
- Educating the business about how to work with them
- The best way to handover to your job-share partner
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Elena Gorman, a UX designer at an experience transformation studio in the north of England. She’s a mother two of two, married to Tim and has two naughty cats, Bella and Isaac, and lives in Gateshead.
Elena experienced PND after her first child and again after her second. Whilst working as a project manager she stumbled across UX design and fell in love with it and it’s totally changed her career and where she sees it going. She also has PhD in theology and wanted to be a costume designer but never followed it up.
In this episode we cover:
- knowing what your career needs are
- being prepared to take a risk
- how to make a career change
- how to expand your professional network
- making yourself visible to the people who might have the job you really want
- planning how you’ll cope with post-natal depression with your second child after having severe PND first time around
- and how brilliant professor Sue Black is
A book Elena read that helped her through her PND is What Am I Thinking: Having a Baby After Postpartum Depression by Karen Kleiman
She also found “Squiggly Careers” very helpful for her career change by Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper – and when we’d finished recording she said she was taking some time this afternoon to go and read “She’s in Ctrl” by Anne-Marie Imafidon. This reminded me of the advice Emmie Faust gave in episode 52 about coming back from burnout and how she was learning to stop doing, doing, doing and to be able to take time to sit and read.
I also wanted to mention the work of an organisation I first read about in The Times over a decade ago called careershifters – their website is a go-to destination for people who want to make a career change and a member of our coaching team, Shiobhaun, does some work with them so I can whole-heartedly say what they’re doing is good quality.
Finally, Elena talked about the environment Professor Sue Black has created at the University of Durham, and that’s uncommon practice.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guests today are Times journalist, Paul Morgan-Bentley and his husband Robin. Paul is the author of a brand new book, The Equal Parent, which explores the falsehoods behind parenting roles. Paul and Robin both went through their own work comebacks after taking many months of Shared Parental Leave after having their son Solley through surrogacy.
We talk about:
- their surrogacy journey
- how they each prepared to return to work
- how they share the load at home
- the uncommon practice things they do to that enables them to have gratifying careers and a happy home life.
If you like what Paul’s got to say and you’d like to hear more insights from his book, The Equal Parent, I’m doing a live Q&A with him on Tuesday 28th March 8-8.45pm GMT. Complimentary tickets here.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Emily who has over 12 years Account Management experience. She’s worked in two of the big London Advertising agencies and her most recent role was at a CRM agency as an Account Director.
She’s married to Tom, they have two daughters, Mollie who is 3 and, Mila who is nearly 1 and after nearly 4 years away from her career she’s fired up to make her comeback.
In this conversation I help Emily get into the right mindset for finding the role she wants and how to reach out to the brands she’d like to work for.
Did you know, this podcast forms part of our Comeback Community employee experience designed to keep you feeling confident, connected and cared for when you take extended leave from work? If you think your organisation needs to improve the way it cares for people taking any kind of extended leave I’d be really grateful if you’d tell your Head of HR or Chief People Officer about this podcast and send them a link to comebackcommunity.co.uk.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale at Lombard Odier Investment Management. She’s a past coachee of mine who I wanted to get on the podcast because of her experience of interviewing whilst visibly pregnant and starting a new role in a new organisation after maternity leave.
Selina has 18 years of investment management experience and joined the business from Mirabaud Asset Management. She’s also held other senior roles at Hermes Investment Management and Man Group.
Her role is focussed on driving the growth of LOIM’s UK wholesale franchise and strengthening the firm’s distribution proposition for intermediaries including private banks, financial advisers and wealth managers. She also oversees a team of four, seeking to promote the firm’s thematic and sustainability propositions to clients across the UK wholesale network.
Alongside her investment responsibilities, Selina is also a member of the advisory board for CityHive, an independent organisation which aims to foster diversity, inclusion and sustainability across the investment management landscape.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, this episode is a conversation I’ve been looking forward to having ever since one of the coaches in my team at The Talent Keeper Specialists - the wonderful Shiobhaun - coached her and told me about what a star she is.
Rowena Tolley is a trademark partner at intellectual property firm Kilburn & Strode, based in the London team. They work with clients of all sizes across all industries, protecting their brands and inventions.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, welcome to 2023. If you're feeling a bit flat and need help cranking up again professionally, this episode is for you. Please share generously with your team mates.
In this very short episode I share five tips for getting your head back into work as easily, smoothly and enjoyably as possible. Here they are in a nutshell:
- Do something difficult.
- Do something easy.
- Walk - article on divergent thinking and walking here.
- Half a half day away day with yourself.
- Connect with someone you admire or envy.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guest coachee today is Rachel, asenior marketing and insight professional and mum of two boys who recently returned to work after an extended period of sick leave after suffering from burnout.
.
Four key takeouts from this episode:
.
- Assume people want to help you and that you deserve to be helped. Share what your ‘dream’ help would be and let them negotiate downwards if needs be! (For Rachel this was having one set of grandparents have the boys after lunch every Saturday until Sunday morning for 6 months).
- Career change is possible and that it takes time – how much time depends on how much you need your current salary.
- Setting aside time for exploration of possible different career options is vital – this is the foundation for making a plan for HOW you’re going to make the shift.
- Having an end date for the exploration phases focuses the mind – for Rachel this is five months (at which point she’ll turn 38).
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Emmie Faust is a past coachee, exited Founder, an Angel Investor, mother of four and passionate about supporting women. She recently launched Female Founders Rise to champion female founders and has aspirations to launch a micro-fund to invest in impact-led female-founded businesses.
We’re talking about Emmie’s experience of coming back from burnout and long covid and it’s a wonderfully candid conversation.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free CAREER 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Workby Jessica Chivers.
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Hello Bright Minds, my guests this time are Emma & Mark James. Emma is a buyer at TJX Europe and Mark is a primary school teacher. They have two children and Emma returned to work from maternity leave a few months before we had this conversation.
Mark has just changed his work pattern to do three days a week and Emma works full time.
We talk about sharing the load at home and the great things that can happen when daddy works part-time.
I hope you enjoy(ed) it.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about MANTRAS FOR HAPPINESS & SUCCESS. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about BUILDING TRUST. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about FAILURE. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about FLEXIBILITY. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about GUILT. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about AMBITION. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about SPEAKING UP. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
Here's the Carla Miller event Jessica mentioned on 15/11/22 12 noon GMT.
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Jessica talks to six brilliant women in big jobs talk about SUCCESS. This is a snippet from career panel Q&A we hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists' 10th birthday celebration (TTKS is the business behind the Comeback Community employee experience of which COMEBACK COACH is a part).
The six women:
- Daisy Allington - Chief Operating Officer, Cognitant
- Justine Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock (EMEA)
- Debbie Dalzell, Global HR Director, GAM Investments
- Dr Melinda Rees, Chief Commercial Officer, Psyomics
- Jane Stiller, Chief Marketing Officer, ITV
- Selina Tyler, Head of UK Wholesale, Lombard Odier
MORE FOR YOU
- DM Jessica a Q on instagram @comebackcommuk
- Join a free 'Comeback Conversation' Q&A event
- Watch five coachees talk about working with us
- Tell your HR team about Comeback Community with this 1 minute explainer film ...
Hello Bright Minds,
I wanted to pop up and say hello and share a little bit about the tricky time I've had this year which has delayed season 4. That's what you'll hear in this 10 minute 'episode'.
If you'd like to be in touch about anything I mention:
- e-mail jc@talentkeepers.co.uk
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
Whilst season 4 is in the making I'm going to bring you 8 snippets from a brilliant career Q&A panel I hosted as part of The Talent Keeper Specialists 10th birthday gathering in London on 29.9.22.
The Talent Keeper Specialists is the business behind the Comeback Community™ employee experience, of which this podcast is a part.
Much love and best wishes,
Jessica
Hello Bright Minds and welcome to episode 41, withmy guest Pippa Rudling, one of our very recent coachees. Pippa works for an institutional investment platform, in a sales & client relationship role, working with investment consultants and pension scheme trustees. She has two daughters – Poppy 4 and Jasmine 1 and I worked with Pippa when she was coming back from her second maternity leave.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
Hello, it’s me, Jessica Chivers for a different kind of episode to usual. It’s just me today – no guests - and in this ‘COACH’ episode I’m exploring seven Qs to ask yourself before you return to work. I’ve chosen these because over the last 18 years of executive coaching with people returning to work I’ve found these are the ones that really help set you up for success.
The seven Qs that I unpack one by one:
1. Why am I returning to work?
2. What will a successful return look, smell, sound and taste like?
3. What’s the best that could happen?
4. How are we going to share the load at home?
5. What expectations do people have of me?
6. What resources and support do I need?
7. What’s gone well?
My guest today is Verena Hefti MBE, the founder and CEO of the social enterprise, Leaders Plus. She’s also the host of the Big Careers Small Children podcast on which I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest talking about how to progress your career when you work part time. Verena has three children and we’re talking when Verena is 6 months back from returning from her third maternity leave.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
Hello I’m Jessica and my guest coachee today is Jo, a Learning & Development Professional, who’s returning from maternity and redundancy to a new organisation in a brand new sector. She’s had a 13 year career in L&D and is taking up the role of Head of Performance and Capability three days a week – something she negotiated after applying for what was advertised as a full time role. She’s not new to making sector moves having worked in Healthcare, Education, Pharmaceuticals and now recruitment. She lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and son Albie.
If you would like a free coaching session with me for season four of the podcast click here.
KEY TAKE AWAYS
- Take the time to be inducted, to get to know the business and what stakeholders need from you – and take time to reflect on what’s going well, what’s energising you and where you might need some more support.
- Put to one side any self-inflicted pressure to deliver in your first 100 days – this time is for laying the foundations.
- Sector moves are entirely possible, so don’t let anyone pigeon-hole you. Jo has worked in healthcare, education, pharmaceuticals and is now moving into recruitment.
- Your identity is a composite of the roles we play and what we value. When you start a new role you’re excited about and want to excel in, lower your expectations to be the best friend, wife, parent etc because this is the time you’re putting the professional part of you front and centre.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Carla Miller, host of the 'Influence & Impact for female leaders' podcast which sits in the top 20 management podcasts in the UK Apple charts most weeks. Her book Closing the Influence Gap: A practical guide for women leaders who want to be heard is available for pre-order now.
We talk about:
- Choosing to be a solo parent
- Challenges associated with returning to work as a solo parent
- Increasing your impact when returning from maternity and other long breaks
As mentioned in the episode: FREE TICKETS TO INCREASING YOUR INFLUENCE & IMPACT AT WORK with me and Carla on Tuesday 15th November at 12 noon.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Chris Ashton-Holt, a Director in EY’s Consulting business, leading the Project Development offering within their Sustainable Infrastructure team. He has worked there for nearly 12 years after joining straight from university, and within EY he focuses on setting large infrastructure projects up for success, with a particular focus on low carbon electricity generation including nuclear power.
Chris has just returned from 4 months of shared parental leave following the birth of his fourth child and first daughter, Elodie. Chris has previously taken time off after the birth of his 3 boys Lucas (now 12), Leon (6) and Elias (4).
We talk about:
- Genuinely sharing the mental load with his wife
- The experience of taking SPL
- Why it's worth taking SPL
- Working PT in a big job
- Being a father to four children
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Emily Wheen, a senior Recruiting Lead at Google, managing a team that recruits the best technical, sales, marketing and partnerships talent for Google Cloud in APAC. She’s originally from the UK and has spent the last 10 years living and working in Asia with her husband. She’s currently based in Singapore, where they’ve spent the last 5 years, and prior to that lived in Tokyo. Emily had her first baby in 2020, was promoted on maternity leave, and returned to work in 2021 post 6.5 months of leave.
Despite COVID, and not being able to see family and friends in the UK for 2+ years, she says she had a very positive experience of becoming a mother. However, when it came to returning to work she was diagnosed with post-natal depression and anxiety which led to Emily taking an extra 2.5 months of leave and a serious knock to her confidence. She returned to work for the second time in October 2021 and says she finally feels like herself again.
LINK TO FREE EVENT FLAGGED IN THE EPISODE
Tuesday 28th June 8-8.45pm BST with Lucy Dodd and Amanda Newman
"How to go gently and make a sustainable return to work after sick leave"
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Beatrice Gloor, whose life changed dramatically when she was en route to a client meeting in Silicon Valley. Beatrice has 20 years’ experience as a Senior Relationship Manager and leader in highly demanding, volatile, fast-paced global corporates.
In 2015 Beatrice was in a car accident which caused an aneurysm, six mini strokes, severe concussion, internal injuries, loss of short term memory and various cognitive impairments. She was out of the business for about a year and despite all predictions she made a full recovery which was twice as fast as those with similar injuries. She's a true go-getter who was born and raised in Switzerland and has lived around the world.
LINK TO FREE EVENT FLAGGED IN THE EPISODE
Tuesday 28th June 8-8.45pm BST with Lucy Dodd and Amanda Newman
"How to go gently and make a sustainable return to work after sick leave"
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
Hello I’m Jessica and my guest today has been in the civil service for 12 years since she gained a Masters degree in Economics.
She’s expecting her third child and has two young children already – a 6 and a 4 year old – and without any family nearby it makes it very hard to carve time out for themselves, although she says she really got into gardening over the last 3 years and turned into a plant enthusiast!
Our conversation is about preparing for leave as a leader and we’re talking when Christina is 6 weeks away from going on maternity leave. As you’ll hear, Christina is very energised and wants to put herself in the best possible position for her return by having useful conversations and growing her network before she goes.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
Hello and welcome to the first episode of season three of Comeback Coach, the podcast for people returning to work after a break.
Sally Williams is a journalist at ITN who presents the weather and reports for ITV London News. She returned to work after her third child and having had a career break in the US when her husband’s work for ITN took them there. She got a call from her boss when her daughter was 4 ½ months old asking if she’d consider coming back freelance one day a week. She did and she’s now a permanent member of the team doing work she loves.
I had a big smile on my face all the way through my chat with Sally – she really is a born storyteller and entertainer and I think you’re going to love it.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
Hello and welcome to the last episode of season two of Comeback Coach., the podcast for people returning to work after a break.
It felt fitting for this season finale to talk to someone from Rayden Solicitors, the award-winning Tier 1 family law firm that’s sponsored the podcast from the beginning. And my guest is Abby Westell, Legal Director at Rayden’s which involves lots of client contact, running the office, managing the team, supervising junior lawyers and business development.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Danielle, the Head of Master Planning and Landscape at a multi-disciplinary property firm. She started a phased return to work when her baby was 8 months old and she’s now been back four months. We’re talking about the path to partner and the support she’d like as she makes that transition.
As you’re listening, if you’ve got a question or want to tell me about your return to work please find me on Instagram @comebackcommuk because I really do love hearing from you.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Cheney Hamilton, founder of Find Your Flex, the flexible job site that’s on a mission to create a better work culture for future generations. It was developed off the back of her 16 years employment in recruitment advertising, which came to an end after she had her second daughter.
She’s married to Liam and they have three children who are 6, 4 and 2. Their eldest child, Bea, was born with hip dysplasia and it was an incredibly difficult time for both Cheney and Liam.
Liam was the first man in his organisation to take Shared Parental Leave, and that kicked in when Bea was five months old and Cheney returned to work full time. Childcare outside the family wasn’t an option at the time because of Bea’s condition and Liam found being home alone with Bea a challenging time. Yet despite all their trials, they’ve triumphed.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Deborah, a lawyer who specialises in inheritance and trust disputes. We’re talking when Deborah has been back at work from maternity leave a few months and she’s feeling that the world of work is very different to how it was before she went on leave. She wants to get a sense of control and find time for herself.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
EPISODE CONTENT:
6:17 Building a routine - and flexing routines but still achieving what’s important.
8:08 - Ideal day is IN THE OFFICE not WFH
18:55 - Why you should mark exercise/hobbies/alone time in your work diary.
20:26 - Ultradian rhythm and why you shouldn’t just ‘power on through’
25:37 - The power of having one long day in the office a week
29:26 - What did Debbie take away from the coaching session?
30:55 - Starting new hobbies (that fits better with life right now: Debbie moves from ceramics to making YouTube films)
32:46 - The psychological state of ‘flow’ and the benefits
34:05 - Why everyone needs a creative hobby (according to Debbie)
34:48 - do housework when your children are awake and do things for yourself when they’re sleeping
54,000 women a year are forced out of their jobs due to pregnancy or for taking maternity leave and 77% have encountered some form of discrimination in the workplace. Those stats are lifted from the back of the brilliant book “Pregnant Then Screwed: The Truth about the Motherhood Penalty and how to fix it” by my guest Joeli Brearley.
It’s not right, it’s not OK and in many ways I hope this episode doesn’t resonate with you. It was a joy to chat to Joeli because she’s a woman taking action on something important and I’ve long admired her.
I hope you enjoy it and if you want to tell me about how it’s helped or inspired you please come and chat to me on Instagram or twitter using the handle @comebackcommUK.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
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BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
My guest today is Katy, a marketing professional who’s been back at work from her second parental leave for 18 months. She returned during the pandemic to a wholesale restructuring of the marketing team which led to her heading for redundancy. However, two weeks before she was due to leave, role that was perfect for her came up and so she stayed – but it’s only for a year. Our conversation took place when Katy had been in this new role six months and she’s feeling uncertain, a little insecure and wanting to fortify her confidence.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
.
.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
My guest today is Claire Garwood, a civil servant at the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency. She went through four rounds of IVF and two miscarriages before conceiving her now three year old twins.
She went through so much to get where she is today and I think you’re going to find this encouraging and heart warming especially if you’re going through IVF or you’ve experienced miscarriage.
- NHS information about IVF: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/
- NHS information on miscarriage: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/miscarriage/
- Tommy’s charity: https://www.tommys.org/
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
.
.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Alex is looking to re-engage with the working world after a four year career break raising two children. We’re talking when Alex is four months away from her son starting nursery and as you’ll hear, she doesn’t have a career path to pick up on and she’s questioning whether now is the time to turn her hobby into a business rather than try to return to employment.
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THINGS REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE
- Olive & Blossom – team building company based around flower arranging.
- Conversation of Inspiration podcast – episode with Anna Lewis (illustrator)
- Playing Big by Tara Mohr
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HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
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.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
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If you're curious, here's a POST COACHING SESSION UPDATE FROM ALEX:
December 2021:
"I'm currently revising for the RHS exams in February. I've come to realise that RHS qualifications are not a prerequisite in my career plan, but they are central to my self-confidence and therefore worth investing time in. I did not hit the target of speaking to 10 organisations by September and this was predominantly due to feeling that I am neither a qualified HR professional, nor a gardener so how can I pitch a gardening team building service without demonstrating expertise in either field? I know others might be able to blag it, but I've decided to only blag half and pick up the market research and networking once the horticultural exams are behind me. Plus I'm enjoying learning about plants of course!
In the autumn, I attended a local course for budding social entrepreneurs and the topics of valuing your lived experience, self-belief and having to step out of your comfort zone came up every week. Self-doubt is so widespread! But it was a very kind and enthusiastic bunch of people so I'm sure that we'll be supporting each other in the months to come."
Rachael is a seasoned HR professional who started her career in in-house recruitment and spent much of her 15 year HR career partnering businesses and connecting teams including for a luxury floral company. She finished her corporate HR days in a cyber security growth company as an HR Business Partner covering EMEA and beyond and this is where we pick up the return to work story.
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HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
.
.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Katie is an HR professional with over a decade of experience in financial services who’s making a move into a different role of which she has no experience. She’s returning to work after her second maternity leave into a new role that’s never been done before – no ‘playbook’ and no one to have a handover with. Our conversation takes place two weeks before her start date.
I mentioned an article about how to raise your visibility when you work remotely.
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THINGS REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE
- Olive & Blossom – team building company based around flower arranging.
- Conversation of Inspiration podcast – episode with Anna Lewis (illustrator)
- Playing Big by Tara Mohr
.
.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
.
.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Amanda Newman is a senior manager at Accenture and mother of four. She’s also the woman behind The Career Mum community, which has a global membership of over 5000 people. Amanda had all of her children whilst she was at Shell, where she held various project manager roles before doing a brief stint at Microsoft and then moving to Accenture.
Her youngest are five year old twins and in this episode we’re talking confidence.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Sara is an Associate Director at a recruitment firm where she manages a team of Consultants and is the lead personal contact on over 40 client accounts. When she returned to work after having her first baby she discovered that the career she had found so energising and rewarding, was no longer a good fit and that her professional achievements no longer felt like success. Sara’s currently on maternity leave after having had her second child and a career change into a field that better suits her needs is on her mind.
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HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
.
.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & progression: www.comebackcommunity.co.uk/careerfuel
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
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**RESOURCES JESSICA SUGGESTED TO SARA
Job Sharing**
- https://www.thejobsharepair.com/ - and do see Hannah & Rachel on Instagram for lots of inspiring case studies.
- https://www.roleshare.com/ - platform for finding a job share partner
Values & Core Needs
- https://www.truity.com/test/holland-code-career-test
- https://www.viacharacter.org/
Places where flexible roles can be found
- Flexible Working People FB group run by Katy Fridman: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167881057080826
- https://www.2to3days.com/
- https://www.ten2two.org/
- https://daisy-chain.com/
Rachel and Hannah AKA "The Job Share Pair" worked their way up through the corporate ranks to HR Director level. They were both – and still are – really committed, motivated, determined women, passionate about work and not wanting to take a step back.
Their first babies were born six days apart and they began job sharing when they returned from maternity leave and really found their groove and made it work brilliantly well. In 2020 they set up their Instagram account The Job Share Pair to loudly and proudly spread the word about job-sharing as being an excellent way to retain female leaders. Originally a hobby, this passion project has become a business and they’ve left their corporate lives behind.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Maternity leave
- How they came to be sharing a role
- What a job share is and is not
- The benefits of job-sharing for the team, the organisation and the job sharers
- When one of the pair goes on maternity leave
- How to find a job share partner
- How to approach a line manager about the idea of a job share
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more understanding?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & progression: www.comebackcommunity.co.uk/careerfuel
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Resources Hannah & Rachel shared
- Daisy Chain - Daisy Chain (daisy-chain.com)
- Investing in Women - Home
- Roleshare.com
- Flexible Working People Facebook Group
- www.thejobsharepair.com
- thejobsharepair on facebook, instagram and linkedin
- Join our facebook group "job sharers unite!"
Emily is a partner in a small law firm who’s returned to work after her second maternity leave. She’s been back six months and her confidence has taken a significant knock not least due to returning remotely. She’s really missed the ‘sounding board’ type conversations she enjoyed with colleagues when she returned to work the first time.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & progression: www.comebackcommunity.co.uk/careerfuel
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Ria Ingleby made a mindful return to work after cancer treatment to her job at Headspace.
We discuss:
- Characteristics of a mindful return
- 'Gliding in' not 'hitting the ground running'
- Self-compassion
- Being kind and gentle
- The power of journaling or 'free writing'
For the resources and links mentioned in the episode visit:
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & Progression:
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
The coaching conversation is with Julia, a landscape architect who was furloughed after maternity leave with her second child and then made redundant. We’re talking just a few weeks into Julia setting up her own practice when she says she’s riding an emotional rollercoaster and struggling with the idea of business development.
We talk about:
- structuring her time
- focusing on one thing at once
- finding different ways to build connections with potential clients other than networking events.
HOW WAS YOUR RETURN TO WORK?
Could your return to work have been smoother? Could your line manager have been more empathetic?
We’re on a mission to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Our Comeback Community™ employee experience is designed to do just that.
We work with employers such as ITV, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen and we’d love you to tell your HR Team about us.
Share these two short films (less than 2 minutes) with your HR Team today:
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHAT is it?
- Comeback Community employee experience – WHY do you need it?
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK
- FREE Career Fuel guide for Professional Impact & progression.
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Torey’s tale of IVF and moving jobs to lessen her stress and help their chances of success might be familiar to you. I talked to Torey at the start of her fourth week back after maternity leave to her role as a senior people engagement consultant at Orbit, a not-for-profit housebuilder. Torey talks about how she started to rebuild her confidence before she started back at work and how she’s keeping imposter feelings at bay. A coach has been key to changing the unrealistic expectations she has of herself. She constantly reminds herself to be patient; that it’s OK to ask lots of questions and that it will take time to get up to speed again.
Torey is a Senior people engagement consultant at Orbit, a not-for-profit housebuilder.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
You’re feeling disconnected from the job you once loved then you’re made redundant after two months being back at work after maternity leave. In this COACH episode coaching psychologist Jessica Chivers works with Debora, an interior architect, who feels she’s lost her sense of purpose and says “I’ve completely changed my worldview since having my daughter.” She craves flexibility to spend more time with her child and wants to continue to use her problem-solving skills and creativity to help others.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
My guest today is Liz Twiney who works for an asset management firm in London. We’re talking when Liz is 3 months back from her first maternity leave and we cover rebuilding credibility, what to do when you can’t have traditional KIT days, guilt because you love your job and how to invite people for a catch up when you’re working remotely.
Five takeaways from the conversation with Liz:
- When there’s a choice to back yourself or not, let’s choose to back ourselves.
- Sometimes it’s in your own head that colleagues will think you won’t want to keep progressing when you’ve had a baby.
- Line managers – ask your returning colleague for input and their opinion because it really stokes feelings of credibility.
- Don’t compare yourself to others “This is my situation and this is what makes me tick.”
- Put things in perspective. Try to find the fun in everything, have a hobby that’s a release from the daily grind and back yourself. Liz’s top tip (3 in 1!)
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Stressed, tired and determined to meet the work demands and expectations she’s set herself, Rosie is an academic with two young children and additional caring responsibilities She works 4 days a week for a university, where she's been for 9 years. The pandemic has significantly increased her caring responsibilities due to supporting family members and she’s struggled at times with the stress of trying to deliver professionally whilst looking after her family’s and her own wellbeing.
In this COACH episode we explore how Rosie can get through the acute period of stress she’s in at the moment and how she can help herself longer term.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
WARNING: This episode includes very naughty words.
Wendy found herself feeling out of control, crying at work and sitting in a mental health seminar at work thinking “I’m not OK.”
Wendy Lancaster is a landscape planner and mother of two who experienced crippling levels of anxiety when she returned to work after her second maternity leave. Wendy works with developers and local authorities to protect the character of landscapes, built environments and important views. She’s often the lone woman in meetings with master planners, transport consultants, drainage engineers and ecologists. She has two children age 6 and 2 and says she’s married to a wonderful man who’s massively supportive of her career who has stepped back from his own to allow Wendy to focus on hers.
It’s a really honest conversation about how out of control she felt when she first went back to work and why she decided to see a therapist.
I hope it’s useful.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
For all the references and resources Eve, Anna & Mia mention see the Maternal Mental Health page on our website.
SPECIAL EPISODE for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 exploring:
- Pre-natal depression.
- What England’s new maternal mental health hubs should look like.
- Doulas – who are they, why use one and how to choose her?
- Post-partum psychosis – what is it?
- Psychosis, risk factors and bi-polar disorder.
- How other cultures look after new mothers.
GUESTS:
Anna Ceesay: Journalist and founder of Motherdom.co.uk, the first UK online media platform to address issues of maternal mental health. Anna experienced pre-natal depression at eight months pregnant.
Mia Scotland: Perinatal clinical psychologist, doula, author of Birth Shock & Why Post Natal Depression Matters.
Evie Canavan: Coordinator of UK Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week for Perinatal Mental Health Partnership and postpartum psychosis survivor.
Fiona is an ambitious teacher on maternity leave yearning to give and do more professionally but who also wants to dedicate a large proportion of time to her children. In this COACH episode we explore what Fiona really wants, ways she could achieve it, constraints and come up with a way of looking at her situation which changes everything.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
When your confidence is growing and you feel like you’re on an upward trajectory and then, among glowing feedback, your manager tells you he thinks you’re still a bit lost. How do you handle that?
In this episode we hear from Valeria, an associate director at one of the world’s best known management consultancies, who’s four months back from maternity leave.
We talk about how to spend the early weeks back from leave:
- The importance of taking the time to understand what’s changed where you work
- Stakeholder mapping
- How to rebuild relationships
- The power of seeing yourself as a fresh pair of eyes
- How to handle the wobbles induced by a manager telling you he thinks you’re still a bit lost.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
You’ve been furloughed for five months then made redundant from a job you love. In this COACH episode coaching psychologist Jessica Chivers works with Laura Gelder-Robertson, an incredibly smart innovation strategist who’s now looking to rekindle her own innovation consultancy in the wake of unemployment.
Laura’s a mother of two young children and married to a man with a new big job of his own. We’re talking at a point when Laura feels there’s a lot to do and that she hasn’t quite got the focus she’d like.
Are you away from work? There are free goodies to support your return over on comebackcommunity.co.uk where you’ll also find a blog post with Laura’s stunning visuals about her goals and how she’s going to get there plus an update on what Laura's done since the coaching conversation.
This episode is sponsored by Rayden Solicitors, an award-winning, Times Top 200 family law firm.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast.
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Claire Thomas, one very customer-focussed senior director of sales at the technology company, Hitachi Vantara. She was professional services sales woman of the year 2018 - a wonderful accolade to take with her as she went on maternity leave. Read her LinkedIn article about returning to work.
Claire talked so thoughtfully about purpose and values. As a coaching psychologist I know how being clear on your values can help guide career decision-making and bring fulfilment at work and at home. If you’re curious about your values and want to get clearer on your purpose I can recommend the free values in action survey that was created by the grandfather of positive psychology, Professor Martin Seligman.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Emma is a solicitor in a top 20 law firm who’s keen to progress her career after maternity leave, raise her visibility and still have time for her two young boys and husband. In this COACH episode Emma and Jessica explore tactics for making those things happen. Spoiler: they come up with a doable plan that doesn’t involve magic-ing up 48 hours in a day.
Are you on extended leave from work? Preparing for leave? Or recently returned? Find free goodies to support your return over on www.comebackcommunity.co.uk.
What did you think of the episode? Got a question about returning to work? Chat to Jessica on Twitter @ComebackCommUK. Also find us on Instagram @ComebackCommUK.
If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Season 1 sponsor is Rayden Solicitors
The conversation is with Rachel Jackson, previously of HP and Cisco where she worked in technology sales for 20 years and also sat as Vice Chair on the Inclusion Board and led the UK Back to Business employee resource group.
“Build your support squad before you go back to work; ask for help before you’re at breaking point and establish a really good self care routine,” are just three of the cracking pieces of advice Rachel says she’d put in her playbook for how to navigate the early months returning to work from extended leave.
Rachel had two maternity leaves during her time at Cisco, returning after her second child in 2019. She recently took the decision to step out of her career to run with her deep interest in the world of inclusion. She now runs her own business, A Different Me, which aims to positively impact the lives of working mothers in corporate organisations. As you’ll hear Rachel can remember her time returning to work as if it were yesterday and she’s got a series of cracking tips for how to handle the early months back at work.
RESOURCES FLAGGED IN EPISODE:
- A Different Me, Rachel Jackson’s business
- Rachel on Insta
- Rayden Solicitors - season 1 sponsor - Times 200 family law firm
- How to Own the Room podcast with Viv Groskop
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Chloe is a PR professional who feels in limbo having come back from one maternity leave and knowing she’s going to be going away again in six month’s time. She’s come back to work that leaves her feeling unmotivated and out of control. Our conversation focusses on what Chloe wants from the next six months and how to make it happen. We talk about three key themes:
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Recognition
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Promotion
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Progression
Our season 1 sponsor is Rayden Solicitors.
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions, let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
“Imposter feelings can be where your strengths lie,” says Caroline Flanagan. Caroline talks about coping with constant low-level anxiety and how she handled imposter feelings when she returned to work after her first maternity leave to a U.S. law firm - where she was the only female lawyer with a baby.
RESOURCES FLAGGED IN EPISODE:
- Baby Proof Your Career by Caroline Flanagan
- Rayden Solicitors - season 1 sponsor - Times 200 family law firm
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions , let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Nicola returned from maternity leave to a role that she’d trained a long time to do but that her heart was no longer in. She talks about how she’s struggling in a male dominated team and experiences casual sexism on a day to day basis. Her mind has been ignited by the world of diversity and inclusion and she’s keen to explore other opportunities within her blue-chip firm. However, she’s been asked to ‘respect the hierarchy’ and not make attempts to reach more senior figures outside of her team to get her voice heard.
Three resources Jessica flagged in this episode:
- Women’s Progression in the Workplace King’s College London & GEO research
- Rocking the Boat by Debra E Myerson
- Mentor Mums
BE IN TOUCH & FREE GOODIES TO SUPPORT YOU:
- Twitter: @ComebackCommUK – talk to me, send me your questions , let me know about your return to work experience and what you think of the podcast
- Instagram: @comebackcommuk
- www.comebackcommunity.co.uk
- Comeback Conversations - FREE, monthly, online problem-solving sessions with Jessica and special guest.
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers
- If you’d like to have a coaching conversation with Jessica for a future episode of Comeback Coach please contact us via the website.
Comeback Coach is the wobbly-bottomed podcast about kickass comebacks for people riding the return to work rollercoaster. If you're on maternity leave - or away from work on for another reason - and want to come back feeling prepared, positive and filled with self-belief, this podcast is for you.
I’m a coaching psychologist, author, founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists and most recently the developer of Comeback Community. I’ll tell you more about each of those things in the episode, but for now, thank you very much for choosing to listen to this very first episode of Comeback Coach. There is SO much great audio content out there that I am really and truly delighted that you’ve selected this.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- The Talent Keeper Specialists
- Comeback Community™
- FREE Comeback Conversation online events
- Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work