Please be aware that by clicking onto the above link you are leaving The Mortgage Mum website. Please note that neither The Mortgage Mum or Mortgage Intelligence are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site accessible from this page.Returning From Maternity Leave With The Mortgage Mum’s Managing Director, Sarah Tucker Multi- Award winning team Wide range of lenders Bespoke service, tailored to you Available at all hours, including after bath time! Get in touch for an initial free, no obligation chat with an advisor about how we might be able to help.It’s gone really quickly, but there’s been a lifetime of learning in this year. It’s going to be an emotional one – any mum out there will understand what I’m saying. The first year is a big one both for mum and baby. They learn so much in that first year, and change so much – and so do we.Welcome back!So welcome back. Thank you so much for supporting the podcast while I was away. I’m sure you loved the episodes from the guest hosts – we had such a brilliant mix of content for you.This is going to be a little episode today – a really organic hello and welcome back, and a chat about coming back from maternity leave. I get a lot of questions around owning a business and having children, how we manage it, and how does it feel? Having a baby as a managing director is not something you see very often, certainly not in this industry.How has the last year been?Well, it’s been amazing. It’s been difficult. It’s been heartbreaking. It’s been life changing. Leaving to go off on maternity leave as a managing director of a business that talks about flexible working, that champions mums and women is still a challenge.It’s not like we’re all breezing through careers as mums and wives. But it’s so good to have a safe space that allows you to work that out for yourself and make your own choices rather than being limited by the structure you’re working within.I really wanted to role model what having a baby should look and feel like. I wanted to take the space after having a baby. I set this business up when my children were two and five after a stint on The Voice, and I was carried by that drive to achieve something beyond the show.Deep down I always felt there was an opportunity to help other women do what I was doing. That momentum has carried me for years and put me on a roller coaster ride I couldn’t get off.There have been lots of ups and downs. Owning a business is difficult, challenging, rewarding and amazing. It’s a lifestyle – and I was very keen to get off of the ride for a bit, while simultaneously not wanting to get off the ride at all. This is the complexity when you’re a business owner.Learning to let goAs my due date was approaching, I reluctantly realised that I was very emotional a lot of the time. My emotions were larger than my logic, so it was time to step away and hand over the baton. I was so happy with my choice of Sally. She was amazing – before my maternity leave, during and after.It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the management team, but I hadn’t ever left it in the hands of others for longer than a few weeks. I was nervous to let go. I had some imposter syndrome, wondering if they did great without me, what would I do when I’m back? What would my role be?I’ve grown into the role of a leader and manager, having previously been a mortgage broker. Anyway, I let go and Jack was born. Once he was born, it was easier to let go because I was thrust into the world of motherhood again: breastfeeding, sleepless nights and not knowing this small, tiny human. I had to learn all about him.It was months later that I realised that Jack was my full stop. He gave me the chance to take a deep breath in and have a renewed sense of purpose and energy – and some new learnings.I have been driving for so long, so fast. I kept saying to people, I’m 100 miles an hour normally, and I’m having to learn how to be 10 miles an hour. It’s really hard and challenging for me because I’m used to driving my Ferrari at 100 miles an hour. I don’t have a Ferrari, just so you know. But I’m used to living fast, and I had to slow down.The beauty of slowing downBut you know what? There was so much beauty in slowing down. There was so much good. I learned to be kinder to my body, that had been through so much. I had been very hard on myself about what I ate and how much I trained. It took a lot mentally for me to be disciplined, to have the body I wanted to have.All of a sudden, I had a postpartum body, and I didn’t want to go back to being like that so soon. So I had to learn to love my body. And funnily enough, I’ve lost the weight in the last few months without actually having to hustle for it. Just walking, fresh air. Walking is great.That’s definitely something I’ve taken from maternity leave into my working life. I love walking with the pram, even in the rain. I did learn a lot in my maternity leave with Jack, and I slowed down. And in slowing down, I realised there was so much beauty that I was missing in life by moving so fast before.Creating a work spaceSo I’ve come to my new chair – because I built an office during my maternity leave. It’s something I’ve always wanted. I gave it up in COVID because my husband was working from home full-time – so I lost my lovely pocket office in the house and worked in the bedroom.I always felt a bit gutted about it and dreamed of an office space where I could record podcasts in peace and feel inspired and motivated. So I feel really lucky that’s happened.I worked hard for that, though. I’ve just realised – Roxie Nafousi says, we’ve got to stop this ‘lucky’ syndrome. We shouldn’t say we’re lucky for having certain things because we work hard for them. So I’m going to say, I worked really hard for this office. I’m really glad I made it happen – it was a great decision.It’s added to the value of our house, as well. So I’ll be talking about the garden office at some point. I want to invite the man who designs them, Jon from Hawksbeck, to a podcast soon. He’s fabulous and I think lots of you would benefit from finding out how they’re built and what to look out for. There are a lot of rogue people out there building them to a poor standard.Returning to workI came back a month ago. I was very excited to come into the office and have some space, because I haven’t really left Jack before coming back to work. For us, childcare is a nanny: school hours, four days a week at the moment, although I may need some more hours.She’s amazing and Jack’s really happy. I get to see him, obviously, when I pop in to go to the loo or have some food, I see him through the day, which is lovely. But there’s a lot of work to do and it’s like a whole other identity wraps itself around you.I’ve been really fortunate to have had two experiences on This Morning already, and that gives me great excitement that having a baby does not mean giving up your career. You are just putting it on pause.And trust me, you will learn so much if you allow yourself to pause and you deep dive into the world of postpartum and motherhood and embrace the lessons it teaches you. Then, bring those lessons back to your business.Learning and growingI am a different managing director today than I was before having Jack. I believe it’s going to benefit the business and my family, hugely. Having another baby has brought me home – to myself and to my family and it has reminded me why I set this business up in the first place – and how easy it is to get dragged away. You can be pulled from pillar to post, and find yourself floating somewhere between overwhelmed, exhausted and happy. They go hand in hand as a business owner.It’s really important to step back. If you are thinking about having a baby and you have a business, don’t be afraid of it. You will change, but don’t be afraid to change. Change can be the best thing for you and your company.We pivot and move and we should always be growing. Growth is not glam. Growth is not what we see on Instagram. Growth is uncomfortable. It’s shedding a skin. But shed that skin because you’ll grow a new one, and the new one will be even better.We have to let go to bring in space for new things. So I’m coming back to the Mortgage Mum with renewed energy. I want to make sure we’re giving you the content you want. I want to make sure we’re giving amazing service, which we always have done – that’s one thing that has never changed.But I also want to be educating people. I want to be getting this in schools. I want to make a difference in the world beyond getting you the best mortgage.Looking aheadThis is for those women out there who need to know what returning from maternity feels and looks like. It’s a bit messy. I’ve just verbally downloaded, here. This is the real-life version of me.Ask me your questions. Tell me how you want me to show up here. I’m still going to get guest hosts, because they’ve been brilliant. But I also want to do some thought podcasts like this.Let’s see what this year brings for The Mortgage Mum Podcast. I’m also going to be launching a new one, which I’m really excited about, called Manifest with Me. I cannot wait to share some manifesting tips with you.Thanks for listening. Please feedback to me if you got anything from this, or whether you just spent 12 minutes of your life listening to the ramblings about me returning back to my role of Managing Director.The Mortgage Mum as featured at FSE Week 2021Watch Sarah Tucker, Shelley Walker and Sonya Matharu talking about the current housing market at FSE Week 2021.Read the latest reviews for our incredible teamCheck out our Awards and Nominations Top Mortgage Employer 2023 MI Awards Excellence Awardees 2023 Shortlist Best Broker Overall Best Mortgage Industry Newcomer Change Maker Finalist - Best Mortgage Broker 2023 Finalist - Best Mortgage Administrator 2023 Finalist - Diversity & Inclusion Broker Champion 2023 Winner - Insurance Quality Awards 2023 Winner - Mortgage & Insurance Quality Awards 2023 Top Mortgage Employer 2022 Mortgage Introducer HSBC Award 2022 2022 Awards Finalist - Insurance Quality Award 2022 2022 Awards Winner - Best Newcomer Firm 2022 The Together' Rising Star for Mortgage Brokers The British Mortgage Awards 2022 The Mortgage Strategy Awards 2022 SFI Awards - Best Newcomer 2021 Business Leader of the Year Mortgage Broker of the Year Innovator of the Year Marketing Campaign of the Year Money Marketing Awards 2021 - Best Mortgage Advice Firm Finalist Financial Reporter Women’s Recognition Awards Equality Employer of the Year Finalist – 2020 Mortgage Introducer Awards – Best New Broker Finalist – 2020 Would you like to hear more from The Mortgage Mum?Join our mailing list to keep up to date with our latest news, updates and podcasts 1 Step 1 Your full name email keyboard_arrow_leftPrevious Nextkeyboard_arrow_right The Mortgage Mum have an affiliate relationship with Check My File, where you can get a 30-day free trial. Check My File sees your data from all 3 credit reference agencies, not just one, and is consistently rated excellent on Trustpilot. Your trial, and the subscription, can be cancelled at any time. Beyond the 30 day free trial the service is charged at £14.99 per month.If there’s anything you’d like to chat about, whether that’s our services, our mortgages or insurance, just get in touch…We always aim to provide a high quality service to our customers. However, if you encounter any problems, please find our how to make complaint procedure.If we are still unable to resolve them, you can take your complaint to an independent Ombudsman. Our advice is covered under the Financial Ombudsman Service here . *Some of the products listed are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we may refer you to a 3rd party for these services.Most images of The Mortgage Mum team supplied on this website are to the credit of Stephen Wallace Photography.The Mortgage Mum Limited is an Appointed Representative of Mortgage Intelligence Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under number 305330 in respect of mortgage, insurance and consumer credit mediation activities only. Registered address: THE MORTGAGE MUM LIMITED 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 6EB. Registered Company Number: 11723322. Registered in England & Wales.The Mortgage Mum Specialist Finance Ltd (TMMSF) FCA No 999350 is permitted to provide regulated and unregulated advice. TMMSF is an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA No 460421.Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. TMMSF Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Company number: 14619044. Registered office 539-541 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 9LJ. Registered in England & Wales.A fee may apply for mortgage advice and, if applicable, you must ask your adviser for details before making any decision relating to a new mortgage as the actual amount will depend on your personal circumstances, but we estimate the typical fee to be £995. Commercial products including bridging, secured loans, business loans and commercial property will have a different pricing structure which you will be advised of before any applications are made on your behalf. Some of the products listed are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we may refer you to a 3rd party for these services. We always aim to provide a high quality service to our customers. However, if you encounter any problems, please find ourhow to make complaint procedure.If we are still unable to resolve them, you can take your complaint to an independent Ombudsman. Our advice is covered under the Financial Ombudsman Servicehere . *Some of the products listed are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we may refer you to a 3rd party for these services. Most images of The Mortgage Mum team supplied on this website are to the credit ofStephen Wallace Photography.#J-18808-Ljbffr