Key Takeaways
- Founders should build robust systems and hire exceptional talent early to ensure business continuity during maternity leave.
- Redundancy in leadership and decision-making processes is crucial to avoid being a single point of failure.
- Reassess the definition of maternity leave; it’s about reprioritization, not just absence from work.
Lessons from Maternity Leave as a Founder
Navigating maternity leave as a founder poses unique challenges, particularly in the context of two contrasting experiences. During the third pregnancy, the founder of Wander Beauty faced a crisis while preparing for a sale process. Complications arose when a key team member left just before delivery. The early arrival of the baby at 35 weeks resulted in a month-long NICU stay, and the founder was in the ICU for eight days. This left no time for a proper handoff, complicating the leadership structure at Wander Beauty.
In contrast, 5 Sens, a project initiated as a passion, flourished during the founder’s absence because of proactive decisions made from the outset. Key among these was the choice to hire senior-level talent early, rather than opting for less experienced staff. This strategic investment in capabilities ensured that the business could operate independently during the founder’s leave.
The experiences highlight several critical lessons for founders:
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Establish Redundancy Early: Entrepreneurs often underestimate the necessity for multiple layers of leadership. It’s vital to distribute knowledge and decision-making within the team long before a maternity leave becomes necessary.
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Hire Responsibly: Investing in top-tier talent from day one may feel financially daunting, but it pays off when the business can run smoothly without the founder’s presence. Great talent requires minimal direction once they have the appropriate context.
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Create Sustainable Systems: At 5 Sens, processes were documented, workflows automated, and decision-making frameworks established in anticipation of future needs. Conversely, at Wander Beauty, the founder often filled the role of the system, leading to complications during recovery.
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Build a Support Network: Establishing relationships with trusted partners—vendors, investors, and advisors—can extend the support system during critical times. Being transparent about circumstances can encourage support when it’s most needed.
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Redefine Maternity Leave: Unlike conventional corporate policies, founder maternity leave does not have standard safeguards. Instead of seeing it as a period of absence, it should be viewed as an opportunity for reprioritization, balancing family responsibilities with company needs.
The founder emphasizes that the time to prepare for maternity leave is not once pregnancy is confirmed but from the moment a company is established. While 5 Sens thrived during maternity leave due to its foundational preparation, Wander Beauty presented challenges because the founder had not prepared the organization to function independently.
For those currently anticipating maternity leave, the advice is clear: start documenting processes, hire capable operators, and empower them with decision-making authority. Life may introduce unexpected challenges, so focusing on building a resilient team becomes imperative for lasting success.
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