16. Laid Off After Maternity Leave: How to Take a Career Break & Come Back Stronger

Worried that stepping away from your career will cost you everything you’ve worked for?For ambitious women of color, a layoff or career break—especially after maternity leave—doesn’t just feel like a pause. It can feel like you’re losing momentum, falling behind, or quietly wondering if you still “have it.”You did everything right. You built the career. You showed up. You delivered.Now you’re trying to figure out how to come back without starting over—or settling for less.In this episode of The Ambitious Woman of Color Podcast, Jessica Lynn Rojas sits down with Tatiana Washington, a senior partnerships and revenue leader, to talk about navigating layoffs, taking a 7-month intentional career break, and returning to leadership at the same level—with clarity and confidence.If you’ve been in a season of pause, pivot, or unexpected change and thinking, “Did I just mess up my career?”—this conversation will meet you there.Jessica and Tatiana break down what it actually looks like to step away and come back stronger, how to move through the identity shift that comes with career breaks, and why your value doesn’t disappear just because your timeline changed.In this episode, we discuss:• Being laid off after maternity leave and what that really brings up• How to take a career break without losing your edge• The identity shift that happens when you step away from work• Why your experience still counts—even after a pause• Reframing career breaks as part of your story, not a setback• Navigating fear, scarcity, and “falling behind”• Building a career that supports your life• Exploring new paths, income streams, and leadership opportunities• Returning to work at the level you actually deserveAbout Tatiana WashingtonTatiana Washington is a partnerships and revenue leader with 10+ years of experience driving growth for mission-driven organizations. She’s known for building strategic relationships, scaling impact, and advocating for more sustainable, flexible career paths for women.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatiana-washington/Work With JessicaIf your career didn’t go according to plan—a layoff, a break, a pivot—and now you’re trying to figure out your next move without starting over, this is exactly the work I do with my clients.We get clear on where you are and where you want to go.We position your experience so it reads like an asset—not a gap.We build a strategy to re-enter, pivot, or level up—based on your life right now.And we shift the identity piece so you stop second-guessing and start making moves with confidence.✨ Book a 1:1 Coaching Consult: https://www.jessicalynn-wellness.com/scheduling📩 Join Dear Ambitious WOC: https://www.jessicalynn-wellness.com/email-list📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicalynnrojas/Subscribe & ReviewIf this resonated, make sure you’re subscribed. And if you haven’t yet, a 5-star review helps more women of color find this podcast and feel seen in their experience.