Reframing the In-Between!

What Motherhood Taught Me About Growth

A few weeks ago, I started building my website as part of my journey back into the professional world. What started as a process to present my projects quickly turned into something much deeper: a reflection on who I am, what all I’ve accomplished, and how I’ve changed over the past six years.

For a long time, I’ve wrestled with how to “package” my career gap. On paper, it’s six years of stepping away from work to focus on raising my two daughters. But in reality, it’s so much more than that. Those six years were filled with learning, resilience, and creativity - just not the kind that shows up neatly on a traditional resume.

As I sat down to write my story for my website, I kept asking myself: How do I explain this gap in a way that highlights not what’s missing, but what’s been gained? And that’s when it hit me: This wasn’t a gap. It was growth. A transformation!

During this time, I became more than I’d ever been before. I became a logistics expert - coordinating family schedules and pulling off last-minute plans like a pro. I was a conflict mediator - navigating sibling battles with the finesse of a seasoned negotiator. I was an event planner - organizing everything from birthday parties to learning pods. I was an entrepreneur - dreaming up and launching new ideas. And most importantly, I was a mother - learning patience, perspective, and perseverance in ways I never thought possible.

But when it comes to re-entering the workforce, those experiences often feel invisible. The traditional hiring world tends to see only the gap. It doesn’t look for the growth. And honestly? That has made me question my own worth at times.

Building my website has been a chance to rewrite that narrative—not just for the world, but for myself. It’s a declaration that I am more than my career gap. I’m a mom AND a strategist. A caregiver AND a creator. A woman who paused to focus on her family, but who also grew into a stronger, more resourceful, and more capable professional because of it.

This process has also sparked a bigger question: Why does society undervalue the experiences of caregiving? Why don’t we celebrate the skills parents gain during these so-called “gaps”? And how can we, as moms, take charge of redefining what those years mean for us?

I’m not claiming to have all the answers, but I believe this conversation is long overdue. That’s why I started Empower the Gap, a space for moms like me to explore these questions and navigate the transition back into professional life with clarity and pride.

If you’ve ever struggled to explain a career gap, or if you’ve found it hard to see the value in your journey, I’d love to hear from you. What have you learned during your time as a parent that has changed how you approach work and life? How do you reframe growth that doesn’t come with a paycheck?

Let’s start a dialogue about what it means to grow, thrive, and succeed in ways the world doesn’t always see.

Together, let’s redefine the gap.