The Solopreneur Guide to Maternity Leave
Preparing for maternity leave is never easy.
"When do I tell work?"
"How much time do I get? What if I need to go out early?"
"How much of that time is paid?"
"Will I feel ready to go back? What if I decide not to come back?"
I had all these questions and more during my first pregnancy, including questions about how to handle interviewing because I was also transitioning roles at the same time.
But what about when you're a solopreneur and you are literally the entire business? Freaking impossible. (Acknowledgement this is a US-based article and other countries have much better support systems for working moms!)
This was my struggle during my second pregnancy. By this time I had quit my corporate job and struggled to envision what a maternity leave would look like as a business owner. And to be honest, I didn't have anyone to look to. No one I knew had taken this route. No one I knew had to essentially create a maternity leave from scratch and think about how to keep a business going at the same time. Talk about isolating!
One thing I knew for sure - I was taking a maternity leave. I knew that for my own physical and mental health I needed space just to spend with me and the new baby, BUT I had some serious fears.
Will I lose all of my clients?
Will it be like starting from scratch when I come back?
Will I feel ready to come back if I make a return commitment to my clients?
Will I have anything to come back to?
My business feels as much of a child to me as my actual human child. I couldn't imagine letting it fall apart, and so I spent a HUGE mental load thinking and preparing for this. And, fortunately, I can say I made it to the other side.
My sample size here is 1, but here's what I learned in the hopes of passing it along to other women also wondering what the heck they're supposed to do when nurturing a pregnancy and a business at the same time.
Think about…
Your ideal leave. Throw away all the doubts and what-ifs for a minute and just think about your ideal situation. Allow this to create some clarity and be your starting point. You're working toward making this happen.
The financial piece early on. What's the minimum amount you think you'll need to cover your expenses or keep your business afloat during your ideal leave period? Start banking toward that as early as possible.
Delegate, keep, or stop. What business tasks are must-dos that need to be delegated while you're out? What do you want to or need to keep doing yourself? What can just stop altogether? This was the most helpful piece for me to think through. I automated as much as I could regarding invoicing and payments. I found a contract worker to help me maintain clients that had existing contracts, and I kept writing and social media for myself because I just enjoy these activities and believed they'd give me some much-needed personal time. Anything else - got dropped.
What you can prep for your return before you go out. This piece of advice came from my good friend Amy who had just started her own consulting practice the year she had her second son. Amy said, "Before I went out I set up a meeting with my major clients about two weeks before I planned to ramp back up - just to check-in, stay top of mind with them, and be able to say 'yup, that's still my return timeline' or 'nope, I need more time.' "
Being flexible for the unknown. I don't care if this is your first, second, or tenth kid. You never know really what to expect and allowing yourself the grace and permission to change your mind and listen to your body are key. I never expected to have a colicky baby, but I did and the return I had planned for 8 weeks later, turned into 16 weeks because there is no way I could have mentally returned to coaching in the shape he and I were in after those first three months. And that was okay.
My hope is that one day we'll have a federal paid leave program that provides for the entrepreneur moms of the country. We are hard-working, innovative, risk-taking, and just as much a part of our economy as any other business. Until then, consider me a resource if you're planning this time for yourself. You deserve it and your babies deserve it - human and business!