Does becoming a mother reset your career? With Ally Mitchell
February 17, 2026
Becoming a parent changes everything - even the way you work. In this episode of The Future is Human podcast, host, Ella McCann-Tomlin, welcomes Ally Mitchell, Chief of Staff at Mews, to explore how pregnancy, birth, maternity leave and pregnancy loss intersect with career ambition, mental health and organisational culture. Drawing on her 15+ years in people operations, Ally shares raw, vulnerable insights into the isolation of being locked out of your work life while on maternity leave, managing anxiety and perfectionism and what leaders and organisations must do to genuinely support working parents.
Becoming a parent changes everything - even the way you work. In this episode of The Future is Human podcast, host, Ella McCann-Tomlin, welcomes Ally Mitchell, Chief of Staff at Mews to to explore the full spectrum - maternity leave, mental health and everything in between.
What You’ll Learn:
- How you can use the Eisenhower Matrix as a parent returning to work
- Why "I'm sorry for being sick" undermines your credibility
- The critical difference between paternity and maternity leave disruption
- How Ally reframes her high-functioning anxiety from a liability into a strategic asset
- The invisible grief of pregnancy loss at work
- What managers must know about supporting returning parents
This raw conversation reveals why the intersection of motherhood and work can be navigated with intention, empathy and vulnerability.
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