Now Is The Time for Career Returners

Going into 2019, I believe that there has never been a better time for women on a career break to get back into the workforce. Women are taking charge and speaking up, with the #MeToo movement taking the lead. Companies are taking huge leaps in embracing diversity, setting goals and achieving them, as evidenced by Intel. Even the government is in on the act, with California being the first State to mandate female representation on public company boards. When I read Amel Zahid’s insightful article on the top 10 wins for gender equality in 2018, it further reinforced my belief that now is the time to act .

I started Mom Relaunch as I felt the time was right for me to channel my energies into helping other women gain financial independence. This has always been something close to my heart – growing up in a time and place where a woman’s role was confined to the kitchen, I was able to cross the barrier (with much support from my husband), not only to grow my career but also to discover and realize my zeal for entrepreneurship – and I wanted to pay it forward. With so many talented women out there who want to return to work but face the various barriers to returnship, I took the step of removing, or at least chipping away, some of those barriers by providing a platform and support system for those in need of one.

When 2018 came to an end, I took a look back at the steps I had taken to provide that platform. Was it hard? Yes. Was it frustrating at times? Yes. Was it all worth it? A resounding yes. Last year was all about experimenting for Mom Relaunch. My team and I spent time exploring various business models to make it work. And while I am proud to say that we have helped several women relaunch their careers, our key challenge was how to scale our business model to build a sustainable path that is successful in the long-term. I feel we have learnt more than we have managed to achieve and it is with these learnings that we approach 2019.

From the learnings, we have tightened up our business model in a myriad of ways. Two of the key changes are that we will focus more on projects and that we will have a streamlined and selective approach for women who want to join our program, ensuring that aptitude and attitude take precedence.  If 2018 was a year of experimenting and learning, 2019 will be a year of focus and achievement.

Kudos to companies who have changed or created new policies in making work culture more suitable for moms and career returners. I hope to work with you on making positive change and impact to further traverse the diversity gap.