Growing Pains |  Where Business Owners Come to Plan Maternity Leave – Details, episodes & analysis

There was a moment in this conversation with Heather Chauvin that stopped me in my tracks. She said, “If you’re not going to create space for how you want to feel, you’re going to have a lot of space for how you don’t want to feel.” And I felt that in my body. Because so many of us, especially in early motherhood, are taught that struggle is part of the deal. That exhaustion, resentment, and self-sacrifice just come with the territory.

But what if that’s not actually true?

Heather is a leadership coach, former social worker, and mom of three who rebuilt her life after a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Her work is all about helping women stop abandoning themselves in the name of being a “good” mother, partner, or business owner. This conversation is honest, clarifying, and filled with the kind of perspective shift I wish I had when I was newly postpartum.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What Heather means when she says “a well-resourced woman is the secret”
• Why labeling our struggles (like “imposter syndrome”) often blocks true healing
• The one journal prompt that changed how she showed up in motherhood and business
• How Heather rebuilt her life from a hospital bed—without financial privilege or backup
• What to do when your body reacts before your brain can explain why
• Why “wouldn’t it be nice if…” might be the most powerful question you ask all week

Mentioned in the episode:

Time Rich Reset http://heatherchauvin.com/alyson 

Connect with Heather:

Website: heatherchauvin.com

Emotionally Uncomfortable Podcast: heatherchauvin.com/podcast

Instagram: instagram.com/heatherchauvin_

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

When Didiana De La Osa joined my maternity leave program, she was pregnant, growing a mission-driven business, and determined to take real time off after her son was born. Just a few months later, she’s wrapping up her first maternity leave, and she did it without pausing her momentum or compromising her values.

Didi is a board-certified behavior analyst and university professor who supports clinicians and parents in building ethical, effective autism therapy practices. When we first connected, she was preparing to step away for the arrival of her baby boy while onboarding a new clinical contractor, setting up systems, and making sure her team could keep delivering high-quality support in her absence. In this episode, she walks us through the decisions she made to protect her family time, professionalize her operations, and return to a stronger, more sustainable business.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:
• How IVF shaped Didiana’s perspective on asking for support and creating space for recovery
• Why she applied for our Bond Fund and what she did with the grant
• The operational systems she put in place to delegate confidently and avoid burnout
• How her maternity leave helped her expand her long-term vision (including credentialing in new states)
• What it actually looked like to be present with her baby for 3 months while still staying connected to her mission
• Her honest advice for Type A business owners who struggle to let go

Connect with Didi

www.premierbhconsulting.com

www.instagram.com/pbhcgroup

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

What if growth didn’t have to be loud, measurable, or tied to a to-do list?

In this reflective episode of the Maternity Leave Roadmap series, I’m sharing what early postpartum really felt like and how disorienting it was to go from clear, daily business progress to the invisible work of motherhood. If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind just because your growth doesn’t look the same, I hope this episode reminds you that this season still counts. You are growing, even if no one else can see it.

Want the full Maternity Leave Roadmap?
Get the complete audio and video series, email prompts, templates, and step-by-step planning tools inside the members area:
mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Need more personalized support as you prep for maternity leave?
The Bond is my 1:1 container for business owners navigating leave planning with live support, team delegation, and real-time coaching.
mastermaternityleave.com/bond

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
• Why postpartum growth doesn’t look like business growth
• How I navigated the identity shift that happens after baby
• What it felt like to lose a sense of progress in early motherhood
• The deeper lessons I could only learn by slowing down
• How my anchor activity helped me stay grounded in the quiet

This Episode’s Homework:
Return to your anchor activity with curiosity. Can you let it be enough for now? Take ten minutes today to reflect on how you’re growing without trying to measure it.

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Hey and thanks so much for listening to the Growing Pains Podcast. Today I'm breaking down what's happening over here and what you can expect from us moving forward.

Looking forward to continuing to give new business-owning mamas a soft place to land :) 

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

In January 2012, FOCUS missionaries Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira had $25,000 in debt and a deep desire to break free. A short — and zealous — seven and half months later they wrote their last check to Sallie Mae and closed the doors on debt forever. Since kicking debt to the curb, they’ve focused on saving, investing and giving in a way that set them up for total financial peace for a lifetime.

Upon hearing their story, a few people asked them money questions — and they answered. That snowballed into hundreds of answers, speaking at events, providing financial coaching and founding WalletWin.

Jonathan and Amanda live in Omaha, Nebraska with their three daughters.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN + AMANDA:
www.walletwin.com
www.instagram.com/walletwin

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Sean and Kay Bowser are the current owners of Nash Taps, LLC; a mobile beverage catering company that uses classic vehicles to create "one-of-a-kind" experiences to its clients and their guests.

Nearing the end of a 20-year military career, the two saw an opportunity to provide an incredibly unique service to their Nashville community and decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge in late 2019; officially launching the company in the Spring of 2020. Despite major setbacks due to the pandemic, Nash Taps has been proud to serve over 500 clients and events in the last years. Primarily geared towards private events, Nash Taps is perfectly suited for weddings, corporate functions, birthdays, golf outings, backyard barbeques, and everything in between.

Along with their budding business, Sean and Kay are also parents to four children: Amara (12), Deklan (8), Thatcher (6), and Lion (4). They love soccer, wrestling, baseball, hanging with "Mom and Dad" and pouring as many Strawberry Lemonades as they can from their parents' trucks!

CONNECT WITH SEAN + KAY:
https://www.instagram.com/nash.taps/
https://www.nashtaps.com/

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You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Lauren Golden is an award-winning entrepreneur, best-selling author, speaker and coach whose mission is to help one million women take their next step of courageous action. From overwhelmed mom with loads of personal debt to multi-million-dollar lifestyle entrepreneur, Lauren’s own transparency and resilience has inspired women worldwide and helped them pursue a totally awesome life, one step at a time.

As founder and CEO of The Free Mama, Lauren has developed programs that have transformed the lives of tens of thousands of women in dozens of countries across 5 continents, and altered the trajectory of how moms balance family and work. She is a dynamic and sought-after speaker who shares her strategies to make big, bold shifts in life and business, making her a popular choice for events, sharing the stage with the likes of Tony Robbins, Russell Brunson, and Trent Shelton.

Justin Golden is the mastermind behind That PPC Guy, a boutique Google Advertising firm specializing in whitelabeling. Justin has skyrocketed from managing a staggering $2MM in annual ad spend as a Digital Marketing Director to becoming a renowned paid media specialist at a top-notch marketing agency in Houston, TX. An entrepreneur at heart, Justin launched That PPC Guy to challenge the status quo of pay-per-click advertising. Now a certified Google Partner, he serves a diverse and interesting range of clients, commanding over $5MM in annual ad spend. Justin is a husband and father and can be found vlogging about his RV travels around America.

CONNECT WITH LAUREN + JUSTIN:
https://www.instagram.com/laurengoldenfreemama/
https://thatppcguy.com/

_______________

You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Chris and Melissa Smith are entrepreneurs and the co-founders of Family Brand. From their early marriage struggles and almost divorce, they have learned that life should be lived by design, not default, and that your family is your life’s most important work. They inspire and teach families through their ‘Level-Up Your Family’ Program how your family can intentionally grow together, design a life you love, build relationships that last, & create a purposeful family culture and brand. The proud parents of five, Chris and Melissa host Family Brand, a podcast that debuted at number two in the Kids and Family category on Apple.

CONNECT WITH CHRIS + MELISSA:
https://www.instagram.com/ourfamilybrand/

_______________

You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Cody and Christy have been married 20 years and entrepreneurs for 6 and 7 years respectively. Cody supports businesses through digital marketing consulting, and Christy helps entrepreneurs host impactful and profitable events. They are raising 3 active teenage boys in the beautiful state of Colorado, and they strive continuously to prioritize their family commitments above their business calendars.

CONNECT WITH CODY + CHRISTY:
https://www.instagram.com/codybuildsabusiness/
https://www.instagram.com/your.branded.event/

_______________

You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com

Meet Brooke:

Brooke has spent most of her life "creating." No matter the season of life, she has been a creator. Art. Relationships. Photography. A Fitness Community. After her early years of marriage and babies, followed by helping a family member through a long season of cancer, she embraced a new calling to help women find joy in prioritizing their own health and wellness. She spent a decade teaching at her local gym before launching out on her own to create her fitness membership at btribalfit.com. She has witnessed the power of community to transform and believes it is the key to sustainable long term mental and physical health in women.

CONNECT WITH BROOKE:
https://www.instagram.com/brookerobinsonfit/

Meet Finley:

Finley spent 20 years of his life caring for and developing teenagers and young adults in a local church as a pastor. When he wasn't helping raise his 3 kids, he spent his nights and weekends working alongside his wife Brooke in their various businesses, art, photography, and now fitness. 18 months ago he left his job in order to work full time as a creator and coach alongside his wife and helps manage their business @btribalfit. On the side, he also has started writing a newsletter for parents of 3-13 year olds, passing on what their family learned to the next generation of parents.

CONNECT WITH FINLEY:
https://www.instagram.com/finrobinson/

Check out their business page at https://btribalfit.com/

_______________

You don't have to choose between growing your business and your family.

Grab the Maternity Leave Roadmap for $29: www.mastermaternityleave.com/roadmap

Send in your maternity leave questions! connect@mastermaternityleave.com

xx Aly
www.instagram.com/alycaffrey
www.mastermaternityleave.com