Lizzie is a mum to two sassy daughters Olivia and Lottie and runs a successful coaching business helping women returning back to work after maternity leave. She works with private clients and also supports organisations to invest in their valuable talent. Her mission is to make it easier for new mums to return to work after a period of leave so that they don’t feel like they have to choose between their children and their career.

 

Home is?

 

A mixture of chaos and cuddles with my two daughters and wonderful husband. We recently moved from Richmond out to the countryside in Sussex so that we can have more space to burn off the insatiable energy that toddlers seem to have.

 

 

Give us five words that best describe who you are?

 

creative, caring, fun, collaborative and practical.

 
 

How did you end up doing what you do?

 

When I went on my first maternity leave I realised how many women were struggling to manage the dual demands of early parenthood and a career that they cared deeply about. So many of my friends were downshifting their jobs because they couldn’t find a way to make both work, whether it was due to a lack of flexibility at work or a dip in confidence. I had experience of working in the corporate world and also had recently qualified as a leadership coach and it was at that moment when I felt a pull to do something about it and my business Work Life Mother was created.

 

 

What is the best part of what you do?

 

 

Seeing women take action and do things that they once talked themselves out of.

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What was your Plan B?

 

Probably run a B and B or something - I love hosting and meeting new people.

 

  

Professionally, who do you most admire and why?

 

 

Jacinda Ardern - she is completely pioneering the way for women to show that they can be leaders, have babies and also lead in a compassionate way without having to adopt masculine behaviours or be aggressive to get to the top.

 

 

What is your view of a ‘balanced life’?

 

Making intentional choices that align with your priorities without being pulled in the direction of what others think you ‘should’ be doing. There is no one version of what balance looks like but it is about getting to the end of the day or week and knowing that you made decisions that were right for you and your version of success.

 

 

What do you do to relax and enjoy yourself in London?

 

It has to be food related - either browsing food stalls in borough market or going along Bermondsey street for tapas and cocktails.

 

 

What is your biggest London extravagance?

 

Meeting up with girlfriends for lunch - somewhere up high where you have a great view of the city.

 

 

Where is your favourite place in London?

 

Taking my girls on the Thames clipper on a sunny day and seeing all the sights of London from the water - you get such a different perspective when you are on the river.

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You can find out more about Lizzie on her

instagram account https://www.instagram.com/worklifemother/

or linkedin page https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-martin33/