I have received so many questions about what direction I’m going with my career post-maternity leave. Great question and I’ve been working very hard behind the scenes on figuring it out! I’m excited to share some details with you today.
MATERNITY LEAVE
This Friday will mark 12 weeks of maternity leave, although I haven’t taken a full leave from working. I have kept my blog going almost daily since Finn’s birth for two reasons. First, I didn’t really have a choice from a financial standpoint. Second, it was enjoyable to document this time of life. My blog has been a huge blessing during maternity leave for the flexibility it offers in when I can get the work done as well as the connection it has created during a time where I’ve needed and valued support from other women and moms.
I received about six weeks of maternity leave from the studio for the marketing work that I did, but not the teaching. During the first four weeks I was still doing some work from home.
I am grateful for the leave that I have been able to take. Even though I’ve worked a little through it, I truly felt like I could focus on Finn and soak up his newborn days. While I shared that some of the days have been long and lonely, I wouldn’t trade this time we’ve had together for anything.
I also think it’s been very healthy for me to take a break from working so much. For the last 10 years or so I have consistently worked seven days a week and let a lot of my personal life get wrapped up in work. I have done a lot of thinking about my working habits/schedule as well as my desires for my personal life. I miss the days of weekend getaways, going to see concerts, trying new restaurants, etc. While I know these things aren’t going to happen right away with a baby, I definitely want to set the intention to get there again. Moving forward I am seeking more balance and space when it comes to work and life.
This can be difficult to do when you are self-employed and really enjoy your work but Finn has given me so much perspective in his short 11 weeks of life!
UP NEXT
I’m shifting my focus for right now to online platforms, teacher trainings and out of town workshops and retreats. Here’s what I’ve got lined up.
WANDERLUST 108
I am a presenter for Wanderlust 108 events in Toronto and Cincinnati. I’ll be acting as the run lead and getting everyone warmed up for the 5K and then running it with them! The Toronto event is September 15 and Cincinnati is October 6. If any of you live in those areas, I’d love for you to attend and to meet up with you guys!
VIDA HOT YOGA 200-HOUR TEACHER TRAINING
I am BEYOND thrilled to share that I’m leading a 200-hour power yoga teacher training in Kingsport, Tennessee at Vida Hot Yoga. We begin on September 28! If you live anywhere within driving distance and are interested in completing yoga teacher training, please consider joining us!
The training takes place over the course of eight immersive weekends. I’m very grateful that the studio owner is also a mom and a lifelong resident of Kingsport. I’ll be bringing Finn with me and they will be assisting me with childcare in a way that I will still be able to see and breastfeed Finn throughout the training weekends.
You can find all of the details on the training on Vida’s website and you are also more than welcome to email me for more information or with questions.
STUDIO B TEACHER TRAINING + WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Last year I visited Studio B Power Yoga in Harrisburg, PA to teach a weekend workshop. In early 2019 I will be returning to lead one of their 200-hour teacher training weekends at their new Hershey, PA location. I’ll travel back a couple months later to lead another weekend workshop that will be open to the public.
MEXICO FITNESS + YOGA RETREAT
I’m partnering with the owner of Studio B Power Yoga to lead a fitness and yoga retreat in Riviera Maya, Mexico next June. It will be five nights of fitness, yoga, sweat, sand and FUN! Stay tuned for dates, pricing and more info on how to register!
ONLINE YOGA PLATFORM
Finally, I’m working with my website developer to build an online yoga platform where I will offer streaming classes on a subscription basis. There will be everything from power flow to deep stretch to prenatal yoga classes and they will range in length from 10 to 60 minutes. Look for more details on how to join soon. We’re planning to launch this fall!
MY NEW WORKFLOW
My workflow moving forward will look much different than it did previously. I will continue to focus on writing blog content most days of the week. I’ll start scheduling 3-4 days per month to go to a studio to film classes for the online platform. The post-filming editing required for that will be time consuming but I’m so excited to get back to teaching! I’ll also be working on writing the manual for our 200-hour and getting all of my ducks in a row for training.
I’ll continue to look for opportunities to schedule weekend workshops and other trainings…so let me know if you want me to come to your local studio and I’ll reach out to the studio owners!
This is all going to be a lot of work but it’s work that I feel passionately about and that allows me the freedom and flexibility to spend the majority of my time taking care of Finn. I’m going to have to be creative about getting it all done, and setting those work/life boundaries that I am looking for, but I know I can figure it out.
Thanks for following along!
xo
Jen
