The first day I returned to work from maternity leave, I saw my baby's face staring at me from the boardroom table.

It was one of the creepiest and heart-wrenching moments of my life!

I realised some mothers understood this when I recounted it, others didn't,

But every single mother who had an honest conversation with me about returning from maternity leave encouraged me deeply.

Not from the text book rules

Not from the parroted lines passed on from people who had no clue or assumed they knew everything

But from the lived experience

The raw and sensitive expectations

The disappointments and the victories

And the sheer honesty that we didn't have all the answers

But will eventually be alright

I know I wasn't the only mother who benefitted and still benefits from honest conversations around returning from maternity leave encouraged

And if you're a mother-to-be, a mother of a newborn, a mother of older children or just an genuinely curious ally to mothers of newborns, this conversation is for you.

There's nothing new we're going to say

But the shared experiences will be the honesty we need to carry on, be better allies, be kinder and excel at work

Not despite the bundles of joy we have but because of them.

We're keeping the numbers intentionally small to keep the conversation intentionally intimate, private and confidential.

Interested? We look forward to hosting you.

Know someone who could benefit? Your gift of a ticket or sharing this event with them to consider could go a very very long way.