Takeaways

• Kylie says that having the time off after having a baby as an option is so key. Creating a plan, having the time available for you means you’ve got it and the time off is available if you need it.
• Plan for baby-proofing your business:
  
  • Step 1–figure out what you really want. How much time do you want to take off? 2 months? 6 months? 1 year? Everyone is different. You don’t know what the time postpartum will look like for you, so allowing yourself to take time off is the key, regardless how long it will last. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
  • Step 2–figure out your numbers. Figure out what you made in the past year, how much per month, and figure out what you want to aim for during that maternity leave. You want it to be profitable when you’re coming back. The goal isn’t to press pause, you want to still be making cash.
  • Step 3–What needs to get done? Brain dump of all the things your business needs to continue. Then sort it into 3 columns:
    
    • What you can outsource (doesn’t have to be just business!)?
    • What you can automate?
    • What you can do in advance?
• Kylie says that she encourages people to get creative. She helps a lot of women who work with clients and she encourages them to be honest with them that they want total maternity leave. If they don’t understand, they’re probably not the right people for you. Let them know what your plans are and get creative: recording sessions, inviting experts to come in while you’re gone.
• Kylie says that while you’re pregnant, listen to your body. You’re growing a human! Some days you might not feel like you can get a lot done. That’s okay. When it comes to your to-do list, think of things you can do on your phone, taking notes etc. while you’re not feeling great, and then when you do have good days where you feel good like you can get stuff done, take action. But never overdue!
• Just before baby comes, start reaching out to your team and start batching, setting up those systems to be automated.
• Following your intuition is key. You might not know how long of leave you want to take, but the goal is to prep for more than enough time.
• Kylie doesn’t like to use the word “balance.” Work life “balance” will never be 50/50. She says it can easily lead to let down if you’re trying to always split time in half. Don’t drive yourself crazy. Sometimes we have to let go of balance. Some days you might be giving 80% to your business 20% to your baby–and THAT’S OKAY! Those days will happen and days where you don’t even touch work will happen. Let those days come and don’t put pressure on the balance of it all. Give yourself grace.
• Kylie makes a great point about seasons. There are seasons of good and hard times with a new baby, but they all will pass. So take time to soak up the good and bad.

Highlights

• (1:37) A little more about Kylie!
• (2:29) Why taking time off after having a baby is a gift.
• (3:15) How to baby-proof your business.
• (4:20) Step 1 to baby proofing your business–figure out what you want.
• (6:30) Money talk–don’t run from the numbers.
• (7:52) Brain dump of all the things your business needs to continue.
• (8:31) The power of outsourcing during maternity leave.
• (10:08) What to focus on the last couple months before you have the baby!
• (12:27) Every pregnancy looks different.
• (14:30) Following your intuition for what you want.
• (16:14) Work life balance with a new baby.
• (18:02) Seasons with your new baby.
• (20:09) Allow yourself to have time off during these massive life transitions.
• (20:35) One of the best books Kylie’s read.
• (21:18) What it means to Kylie to make an impact.
• (22:41) Where you can connect with Kylie Kelly.

Quotes

“It’s a gift to have that time.”

“You can be hustling your butt off in your business, or you can just pause.”

“Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.”

“Don’t run from the numbers.”

“There’s still ways to deliver value that doesn’t have to be you in front of the camera during your maternity leave.”

“It’s a transition no matter what number child you’re introducing to the family.”

“It might not be perfect and that’s okay.”

“Everything is a season.”

Resources

Connect with Kylie:

Website: https://www.kyliekelly.com/blog

Instagram: @kyliekelly

Books Recommended in the episode:
How are you really? by Jenna Kutcher