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 Work by 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 Work by 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.

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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:

1. An optimistic, positive mindset about professional gatherings as a useful tool for growing your network for commercial or career gains.
2. Clarity on both your career goals and your professional/commercial objectives.
3. Having criteria for what gatherings you go to and therefore being selective about what you say yes to.
4. Purpose, planning and preparation before attending a professional gathering.
5. Asking enjoyable questions and listening intently to the answers.
6. Making elegant exits from conversations that aren’t right for you and elegant entrances to the ones that are.
7. 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 Work by 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