Becs Bradley believes that the real support for mums returning to work should acknowledge the shift in beliefs and values that happens after a huge, life-altering moment like becoming a parent. These changes can lead to feeling of self-doubt, chaos and even guilt. Becs helps mothers to find clarity through the chaos by building harmony between work and parenting responsibilities. Mums will regain a sense of self, while feeling powerful, guilt-free and in control throughout the process. Through her 1:1 and group coaching sessions she will support you to navigate all stages of planning parental leave and returning to work, while working though anything that’s holding you back. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind what she does, how she herself balances work and family life, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The short answer? Women simply don’t get the support they need to transition into parenthood and then back to their careers-and that support is so desperately needed. Yes, there are growing programs out there to help women return to work. I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t that enough? But here’s the thing: those programs tend to focus solely on logistics-like how to arrange childcare or when to take KiT days (Keep in Touch days). Don’t get me wrong, those things are important, but I believe we need something more.
I work with a lot of ambitious, career-focused women who already excel at handling logistics. They might need some guidance navigating tough conversations, but they certainly don’t need to be shown how to schedule childcare. Yet, many of them still feel ‘chaotic’ and struggle to recognise who they are or what they should be doing. What’s missing in the conversation is the transition.
The real support for parents should acknowledge the shift in our beliefs and values that happens after those huge, life-altering moments like becoming a parent. These shifts leave many women feeling different from who they were before. When they return to work, they expect to pick up right where they left off, but something feels off. They can’t pinpoint what it is, and that leads to self-doubt and questioning everything from their decisions to their identity.
Many of my clients come to me describing the same feelings: a constant state of chaos, feeling like they’re doing everything wrong, guilt about not being in multiple places at once, and even strained relationships with their partners. Add hormonal changes and the challenge of returning to work on top of all that, and it’s no wonder so many women feel like they’re in day-to-day survival mode!
When you’re exhausted from lack of sleep, navigating a career, and discovering a new version of yourself, having external support can be game-changing.
People often say women-and especially mothers- we can’t “have it all”. I call total BS on that. Women can have it all, and plenty of us do. I want to change those outdated ideas about what it means to be a successful career-driven woman and a parent.
By helping women reconnect with themselves, we can redefine the rules of what being a parent and a professional looks like. If I’m not here doing that, then who will?
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
When I started my business, my vision was bigger than just offering a service-it was about creating a movement. A movement that builds and supports a growing community, an army of women who want to break free from societal expectations and reclaim their fire.
There are plenty of organisations advocating for policy changes to help parents re-enter the workforce (and stay there), and while that’s essential, if we’re being honest, those changes often focus on the future, not on the women who are struggling right now. The ones who feel lost in the moment, caught between the pressures of parenthood and the demands of their careers, without the support they truly need.
Changing policy and shifting societal expectations is a monumental task-but we don’t have to wait for that to happen. We have the power to create change for ourselves right now. That’s why I began by building a community of women who are empowered to make real, impactful changes in their own lives-and for each other. Through 1:1 coaching and, very soon, group coaching, I guide women to step out of hiding and fully embrace their transitions into becoming working mums. This isn’t about fitting into someone else’s idea of what motherhood or career success should look like; it’s about owning your own path, whatever that may be.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough for me was accepting that I can’t do it all on my own. To build something that creates the kind of change the world needs, I had to recognise that I needed to invest in myself and the support around me.
I have a husband, two children, a dog, a full-time leadership role, and I run my own business. For a while, I thought success meant doing it all by myself-blood, sweat and tears, all while keeping a smile on my face. But I quickly learned, the hard way, that it’s not only impossible, it’s also not the best thing for me, my business or my family. Don’t get me wrong-I work hard, and I do a lot. But I also know when to ask for help. Whether it’s from my friends, my family, my team or my coach, I’ve come to understand that I can’t grow on my own.
We’ve been conditioned from a young age to believe that if we want something done right, we have to do it ourselves. But in reality, that’s just not true. We are social beings who learn and grow from each other. No one can be an expert at everything, and collaboration is essential for continued growth-both personal and professional.
The biggest breakthrough for me was realising that success doesn’t come from doing everything single handedly. Success comes from the collaboration and support that have allowed me to help many women find their own clarity, knowing that they are exactly where they need to be in that moment. When they can step out of the chaos and feel clarity and confidence in the decisions they’re making for themselves and their families-both at home and at work-that’s when I know I’m truly creating the change I set out to achieve.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Argh the million-dollar question!
What works for me will be unique to me, and the GOLD in finding “balance” is when you spend time and focus on discovering what will work best for you and your family.
One of the reasons I love working with my clients 1:1 is when they discover clarity through finding what truly works for them – it’s such a privileged position I find myself in during those big ah-ha moments!
For me, “balance” is really diverse. I actually don’t like the word ‘balance’ because it leads us to believe we need to be at a constant state of ‘equal.’ And let’s face it, that is just not realistic. I prefer to find “harmony” or “synchronisation” over “balance”. These words better recognise the give-and-take that is required to juggle all the things in our life. This distinction also allows me to put my guilt to one side on any particular day for not prioritising one area in my life, because I know the tables will flip the other way at any point!
One of my favorite tactics to manage this each day is to make a list of my top priorities that day. This list has my top 3 or 4 realistic achievements to complete for the day based on what I need to do and the energy I have to do it. Those could be three things that are purely ‘home’ tasks or ‘work’ tasks or a combination of the two, but this gives me a clear focus and a measure of success.
On my list today is:
- Write/draft newsletter text and socials
- Make notes for this interview piece
- Spend time after picking the kids up from school on activities they choose to do – not the iPad!.(A family Friday night in because I have been away so much working this week).
- Put the washing on before it overflows!
This tool becomes incredibly important during the school holidays when our schedule is truly thrown up in the air. Having a list like this makes it easy to bring my husband into the list planning! (I keep telling myself – and him – that he loves it!). Together, we can determine our priorities for the day or week – the non-negotiables – and put a plan in place to make sure we both get the stuff on our lists done (without having to sacrifice our family time). Then at the end of the week, we can feel a sense of accomplishment having completed our priority tasks while still enjoying family time with our two happy kids and the dog!
