In this episode of Elevate, Sue Reeve from Consider it Done is joined by Sophie Maunder, founder of MATRI Parental Coaching. Sophie reached CEO level in high-pressure communications agencies while raising two boys on her own, and left a senior corporate career not because she had run out of ambition, but because she could not stop thinking about the women she kept watching disappear from the workforce.

Together, Sophie and Sue explore what really happens when women take maternity leave, and why the return is so much harder than anyone admits. Sophie is honest about her own experience, clear-eyed about the data, and full of practical hope: with the right support at the right time, the women who feel forced out can instead choose to stay.

This is essential listening for any woman preparing for maternity leave or finding her feet on the way back, and for any leader who wants to keep talented people and build a workplace where parents are genuinely supported.