PAUSING FOR FAMILY ISN’T A CAREER ENDER. IT’S A CAREER REDIRECTION.

Some seasons require you to step back but that doesn’t mean you’re stepping down.

Taking time off to raise a family is not the end of your professional journey.

It’s often the beginning of a more powerful, purposeful one.

It’s career reimagination.

It’s career repurposing.

It’s a strategic redirection of your brilliance.

Look at women like Michelle Obama, who transitioned from corporate law to motherhood, to First Lady, to global icon blending purpose with presence.

Or Kate Addo, a Ghanaian powerhouse, who pivoted from media to public leadership with grace and intention.

From Ibukun Awosika in Nigeria to Tabitha Karanja , Caroline Mutoko in Kenya, we see women who paused for family, then reemerged with even more clarity, courage, and contribution.

And I’ll be honest ,

I’ve lived this too.

There was a time I held a VP position— a seat

earned through sweat, strategy, and sacrifice.

But life changed.

Family needed me.

And I had to choose.

So, I stepped down.

I had to reimagine my career pursuit in this season.

I had to see myself beyond boardrooms,

Delegate name tags, attachée title

To something simple and aligning

I became a home-based coach, not because

I lacked ambition, but I had to reimagine what success looked like in that chapter.

It wasn’t giving up.

It permitted me to pivot.

To honour my responsibilities without abandoning my gifts.

To adjust without losing myself.

I had to repurpose my expertise in a way that didn’t conflict with motherhood but complemented it.

And that redirection became the foundation of a deeper, more impactful calling that I now teach and live every day.

So to every woman who thinks she’s "lost" her career because she chose family , no you are not a looser .

You haven’t lost it. You’re reshaping it. You’re not behind. You’re simply being rerouted. You don’t have to start from scratch, you get to start from wisdom, expertise, experience, talent .

There is always a way to resurface.

And you’ll return with more clarity, more empathy, more depth and more power than ever before.

- coach Alice .