Prep your Career for Life with Baby

A step-by-step roadmap to master the transition from parental leave to workplace success.

Based on the RETAIN method by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership

You’ve invested heavily in your career, and now you’re facing a new challenge: how will growing your family fit in with your professional ambitions? 

  • Are you wondering how to navigate parental leave and return to work without losing momentum? 

  • Worried about falling behind or being put on the 'mommy track'? 

  • Concerned about how to balance your career and personal life without burning out? 

These are real concerns for new parents, and you’re not alone in feeling this way. You’ve built your career, and now you’re figuring out how to keep it moving forward while embracing a new chapter in your personal life. 

That’s where the Prep Your Career for Life with Baby program comes in. Over the course of 10 weeks, you’ll gain the confidence, strategies, and skills to navigate this transition with ease, so you can flourish in both your career and your personal life without compromising one for the other. Let’s make your transition into working parenthood less stressful and more successful. 

Program Structure: 

  • 10 Weeks: Each week, you’ll focus on one key area, whether it’s building a solid return-to-work strategy, addressing workplace dynamics, or learning how to maintain balance in your career and family life. 

  • Step-by-Step Roadmap: A clear, actionable plan for how to master the transition from parental leave and achieve long-term success—without the stress or uncertainty. 

  • Professional Cohort: Join a community of other professionals for support, networking, and shared learning. You’re not alone in this journey! 

  • Personalized Coaching: Receive tailored guidance to help you navigate your specific challenges, whether it's career progression, work-life balance, or personal well-being. 

By the end of the program, you’ll be able to: 

  • Refer back to your step-by-step 3-phase Action Plan throughout your return to work transition. 

  • Successfully transition back into your work routine with a solid plan that aligns with your career goals. 

  • Avoid burnout by creating a personalized balance between work, life, and self-care. 

  • Build confidence in your career trajectory, knowing that you’re not falling behind or being sidelined by parenthood. 

Is this for you? 

If you’re ready to take control of your return-to-work journey and create a plan that sets you up for success, this program is for you. 

Spaces are limited for each cohort to ensure personalized attention. Sign up today to secure your spot and start preparing for a successful return to work.

Lead Your Leave™ modules

12-month access to Lead Your Leave™ - self-paced online modules by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership covering the 10 most important steps in planning your return to work based on the book The Parental Leave Playbook (included).

10-week Cohort

90 minute sessions to plan your transition into working parenthood with a supportive cohort of like-minded professionals.

Assessment + 3-Phase Action Plan

Complete the Parental Leave Transition Assessment™ to develop your individual step-by-step plan for a successful transition into working parenthood.

10-Week Cohort Schedule

  • Session 1 - Kick off

    Week of March 10, 2025

  • Session 2

    Week of March 17, 2025

  • Session 3

    Week of March 24, 2025

  • Session 4

    Week of March 31, 2025

  • Session 5

    Week of April 7, 2025

  • Session 6

    Week of April 14, 2025

  • Session 7

    Week of April 21, 2025

  • Session 8

    Week of April 28, 2025

  • Session 9

    Week of May 5, 2025

  • Session 10 - Wrap up

    Week of May 12 2025

Sign Up for Early Access

What’s Included

The Prep your Career for Life with Baby Program starts with you completing the Parental Leave Transition Assessment™. You will have 12 months access to the self-paced modules Lead Your Leave™ by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, based on The Parental Leave Playbook. You'll also receive the eBook and have the option of participating in 10 virtual cohort sessions (90 minutes each) to discuss your transition with like-minded professionals. Additionally, you'll get a personalized 3-Phase Action Plan for a successful return to work.

Optional add-ons include an Individual PLTA review + goal setting session, and a 1:1 coaching package for further support.

~ The Parental Leave Transition Assessment™ and Lead Your Leave™ are trademarks by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership.

  • You will complete the Parental Leave Transition Assessment™ online and receive a personalized report to develop your individual step-by-step plan for a successful transition into working parenthood.

  • Lead Your Leave™ - self-paced online modules by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership covering the 10 most important steps in planning your return to work based on the book The Parental Leave Playbook (included).

  • 90 minute sessions to plan your transition into working parenthood with a supportive cohort of like-minded professionals.

  • 10 Touchpoints to Transition Smoothly, Strengthen Your Family, and Continue Building Your Career  (Beacom & Campbell)

  • Become crystal clear about where your strengths and weaknesses are and what you should be focusing on.

    Individual session to review your Parental Leave Transition Assessment™ (PLTA) personalized report and develop specific goals to be accomplished during the program.

  • Get more 1:1 time with Heike Mitchell, PhD.

    5 hours of individual sessions to explore your unique circumstances and fine-tune your 3-Phase Action Plan.

  • Heike Mitchell, PhD

    Psychologist

    Heike Mitchell is the organizer of this program and will run the virtual cohort sessions. She is certified as a RETAIN Parental Leave Coach and perinatal mental health provider.

    Read more

  • RETAIN Parental Leave Coaching

    The Prep your Career for Life with Baby program is based on the RETAIN Parental Leave Coaching model, a science-based approach to supporting new parents during their return to work.

    Services
Sign Up for Early Access

  • The program is based on a solid background of psychology including:

    • Authentic Excellence - Flourishing & Resilience in a Relentless World (Crace & Crace, 2019)

    • Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, and Hackett, 1994)

    • Planned Happenstance Learning Theory (Krumboltz, 1996)

    • The RETAIN Maternity Leave Transition Coaching Model (Beacom, 2013)

  • The PLTA is a self-assessment designed to identify a new parent’s unique assets and liabilities in what we call their “6-S system for transition success”— six areas of impact that have an oversized affect on a new parent’s ability to navigate their parental leave transition with ease, and successfully and sustainably return to their career.

  • No, for privacy reasons the virtual sessions will not be recorded. You can always access the self-paced online modules Lead Your Leave™ for 12 months.

  • No, everything you will need to participate in the program will be provided, including the eBook: The Parental Leave Playbook - 10 Touchpoints to Transition Smoothly, Strengthen Your Family, and Continue Building Your Career.

    Purchasing additional literature recommended during the program is optional.

  • This program will not be useful if you are not planning to return to work within 1 year after welcoming your baby.

  • The program is for professionals who are expecting a baby and have not yet returned to work, including those currently on leave.

    If you have already returned to work, you will not get the most out of this program. If you are planning on having another baby in the foreseeable future, you are welcome to join. Please specify your circumstances when registering.

  • If for any reason you cannot complete the cohort program, you are welcome to join a future cohort.

FAQs