Launches, Leads & Labour

In this episode, I’m joined by Kathryn Love, mantrailing instructor, scent geek, dog addict, and the woman multiple people told me I had to get on this podcast.Kathryn runs Trailing K9's and has spent the last six years specialising in mantrailing and tracking (after transitioning from full-time canine behaviour work). She’s also a mum of two, a four-year-old and a brand new four-week-old, and somehow juggling that alongside eight dogs, a business, and real life in rural Wales.This is the episode for any founder who’s pregnant and thinking, how on earth am I going to make this work?We talk about the real pivot Kathryn had to make when she realised this pregnancy didn’t come with the same “safety net”, including cancelling a huge amount of travel and restructuring her business fast, while still pregnant, so she could keep income steady without burning out.We cover:why the first six months can actually be the most workable stage to adapt your businesswhat Kathryn delegated immediately (and why it mattered)how she communicated hard boundaries to clients, and why being “too nice” is what breaks youthe mindset shift from “working for your business” to making your business work for youand the practical reality of staying visible and generating leads when life is loud, messy, and unpredictableIt’s honest, funny and deeply reassuring, especially if you’re trying to plan for maternity leave without pretending you’ll go back to work the same way.(And yes… she really did teach with a baby strapped to her.)

In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Snow, founder of Your HR Handled, an HR partner for small businesses (including loads of pet pros) who need support with everything from contracts and handbooks to tricky staff issues.Megan became a mum seven months ago, and she’s brutally honest about the part nobody really prepares you for: the moment you realise the plan you had in your head, “I’ll just work while the baby sleeps” , isn’t real life. Her daughter wouldn’t be put down in those early weeks, breastfeeding was far more intense than she expected, sleep was unpredictable, and the mental load of having enquiries and HR issues landing on your phone while you’re in the newborn trenches is something you can’t understand until you’re living it.We talk about the pressure self-employed women feel to reply instantly, how she handled client work right up to her due date (and even tried to finish a contract from the hospital), and the turning point where she realised she couldn’t just “power through”, she needed boundaries, longer lead times, and a way to protect the quality of her work when she was running on empty.This is a proper reassurance episode for any new mum in business: the messy reality is normal, you can adapt without losing clients, and your business doesn’t have to fall apart just because your life has changed.To connect with Megan, please click here.

When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t have the “this is the most magical moment” reaction.My first thought was about my business, and I’m saying that out loud because I know I’m not the only one who’s felt it. I’d built momentum, I was growing fast, and in one moment my brain went straight to worst-case scenario: clients will leave, income will drop, and I’ll have to rebuild from scratch.In this first episode of Launches, Leads & Labour, I’m sharing my own story from the beginning, the fear, the guilt, the mindset spirals, the parts I kept private, and the practical changes I made to keep the business steady while my life changed completely.You’ll hear what I simplified, what I delegated, how I started planning in 30-day blocks instead of trying to control the whole future, and the one question that stopped me spiralling when my hormones (and my head) tried to convince me everything was falling apart.If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or you’re heading into a season where your capacity is shifting, this episode is your reminder that stability is something you can build, and ambition doesn’t have to disappear at all, it can adapt.