The Soulful Catalyst: Rebuilding Your Career Identity After Becoming a Parent

Have you ever felt like you’re starting from zero after becoming a parent, even though you spent years building your career?

In this episode, I’m joined by Susie Powis, a career transition coach who supports women, particularly parents, through some of the most challenging professional moments of their lives, whether they’re returning to work, navigating a career change, or ready to accelerate again after putting their ambitions on hold.

Susie spent 20 years in senior corporate roles before stepping into coaching, and her work is deeply personal. She’s doing the work she wished she’d had when she was returning after maternity leave, and she’s also partnering with businesses to support working parents through these transitions, because that’s where retention and confidence are really won or lost.

What struck me most in this conversation was Susie’s honesty about the identity shift that happens when you become a parent, and how rarely we talk about it. We dive into why so many women struggle with confidence when they return to work, even when they were thriving before, and what it actually takes to rebuild that sense of self.

In this episode, we explore:

The identity crisis of returning to work, and why so many women feel like they’ve lost themselves somewhere between maternity leave and the office door

The confidence gap after parenthood, and why it has nothing to do with your actual skills or capabilities

Creating boundaries that actually stick, and the mindset shifts required to protect your energy while building a career you love

Why businesses need to do better, and how Susie is working with organisations to support working parents at the structural level

This episode is for you if you’re a parent navigating a career transition, if you’ve ever felt invisible at work after returning from leave, or if you’re wondering whether it’s possible to have ambition and presence in both your professional and personal life.