Creating a maternity leave plan for your business with Cassandra Vantriet
In this conversation, we reflect on how life transitions (like becoming a mom) push you to be present and flexible when entering a new phase of life. We also share our experiences with building a conscious maternity leave, learning to embrace changes and adapt to everything that momhood brings, highlighting the impact on work and life balance.
More podcast episodes you’ll love:
Mom Update: Lessons on how to work less and live more - www.digitalbloomiq.com/how-to-work-less-and-live-more
Becoming a mom and what it's taught me about business - https://digitalbloomiq.com/pod/becoming-mom-while-running-business
Finding balance in your online business - https://digitalbloomiq.com/pod/carina-groombridge
Listen to this episode below:
More about Cassandra:
Cassandra is a multi-faceted entrepreneur, having founded three successful product and service based businesses with more in the works as she sells her latest business Woash, an online space crafting multifunctional herbal remedies and timeless designs for everyday lifestyle care and transitions into motherhood.
Cassandra’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/cassandravantriet/
Podcast Shownotes:
In this podcast, we talk about the impact of pregnancy and motherhood on a business owner. Here's a summary of the conversation:
Cassandra is 37 weeks pregnant at the time of recording this aand shares that she's had a relatively easy and joyful pregnancy with some unique experiences like vivid dreams and shortness of breath due to the baby's size. She mentions that it has been an overall positive journey, despite some minor challenges like enhanced seasonal allergies.
Then we delve into the concept of a "cocoon period," where Cassandra talks about her desire to protect her pregnancy experience and limit the influence of others' opinions and stories. She emphasizes the importance of experiencing things firsthand to absorb the true essence of the experience.
The conversation touches on the complexity of pregnancy experiences, how they can vary greatly, and the pressure to share everything on social media. The pregnant person also talks about her decision to build a supportive team for her pregnancy, including a midwife and doula.
The discussion shifts towards the impact of pregnancy on the business. At the time, Cassandra still owned a wellness company called Woash, which focuses on natural remedies like teas and tinctures. She describes the evolution of her business, the challenges faced, and the impact of COVID-19 on her operations.
We also discuss how major life changes, such as moving to a new city and living in a mountainous area, have contributed to the business challenges.
In the next part of the conversation, Cassandra discusses their decision to sell her business, Woash, which she is proud of but no longer has the capacity to manage. She reflects on her identity as a mom and how it impacts their values and life choices. She explains the process of letting go of the brand and her role, allowing space for a new phase in her life. She also emphasizes the importance of being present and flexible during maternity leave and expresses her excitement for the journey ahead.
Cinthia also shares her experience her maternity leave, initially struggling with control and planning but ultimately learning to be flexible and adapt to the changes brought by her baby. We discuss the importance of focusing on what feels satisfying and allowing the journey to unfold. We also mention the impact of the baby on our work and life, as well as the need for balance and trust in the process.
Overall, the conversation revolves around the intersection of pregnancy, personal experiences, and business ownership, emphasizing the importance of protecting one's unique pregnancy journey and building a supportive team for both personal and professional aspects of life.
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00:03 Hey Cassey, how's it going? Good how are you? I'm so excited to be chatting with you. I think this is your like third a podcast episode with me.
00:16 Yeah, I'm excited to be back and all of our podcast has been such different topics. So I'm really excited about this one.
00:22 So thanks for having me. Yeah, so I've had a lot of my audience and clients ask me about the mom journey, right?
00:33 And this is definitely like not a mom podcast. Maybe some of you are listening for the first time. This is like a marketing podcast.
00:40 But I feel like nowadays when you have your own business, everything just gets like mixed in and what I experience both during pregnancy and mom life really impacted what was coming out on the business side.
00:52 And you're in the thick of it now, how many weeks pregnant are you? I'm 37 weeks, just over. So yeah, I'm happy with you on all the fronts.
01:05 It's just, yeah, it's a facet of kind of being an entrepreneur and a business owner and it takes a big portion of it.
01:13 So it's, yeah, I'm excited to get into it. Yeah, yeah. So I guess how are you feeling at this stage of the pregnancy?
01:21 Like, do you have a lot of symptoms? Are you physically feeling? And how has it been up until now as well?
01:30 Because I know first trimester and third trimester can be very different. Yeah, honestly, I'm super grateful. I've had the most useful pregnancy.
01:39 It's been honestly such a joy. I've had first trimester was great. I did, you know, experience some of the this.
01:48 Some of the weird things that nobody ever mentions, like, very vivid dreams, like, very significant vivid dreams, which was super bizarre.
01:58 And then, yeah, kind of waves of not being able to sleep through the night. Right now, obviously, I'm, like, very short breaths just because I, the baby's so big and this thing on my diaphragm.
02:10 I remember that. It's like you've never talked. Well, I know, I'm like, if I'm going to get going, I'm like, I'm sure I'm doing nothing and nothing through your conversation.
02:19 But yeah, honestly, it's been really useful and I'm super grateful for that. And yeah, it's been, there's been even days where I'm like, why, I don't even feel pregnant, which is crazy.
02:30 And then there's other days where, and kind of getting more into this last bit, it's kind of like enhanced my seasonal allergies, which has been the worst.
02:37 So I love it nasally. But other than that, it's been, It's been such a great journey so far and I'm really grateful for it.
02:47 Yeah, yeah, I've been kind of following you on Instagram and when you announced your pregnancy, you also talked a little bit about a cocoon period and I was like, oh, that's so interesting.
03:00 Tell me a little bit about that because I really relate to that. I don't think for me, I would label it as a complete cocoon, But it was definitely like just a going inward because you're so, you're basically forced to pay more attention to your body.
03:17 And there's this other being in you who's kind of part of your experience now. And so one way or another you're just, you're in like a different world almost.
03:27 Is that what is maybe that's what you're feeling as well. And I kind of spoke out about that it really came down to I really wanted to like protect my experience.
03:38 I really wanted it to be mine and and the babies and my husbands. So we honestly didn't share publicly. Like we shared it with our close family and friends.
03:46 Everyone we saw earlier on but it when it came to kind of more of that public announcement that we see so common these days I really wanted to protect that.
03:57 I just felt like I wanted to experience it firsthand and I really this is kind of my approach to life in general is I really have to jump to feet into things and experience some fully for myself.
04:09 If I kind of ask somebody, you know, hey, what was this like, it kind of like falls a little bit on deaf ears for me because I really have to get in there to experience it to really absorb what that was like.
04:21 And that's really how I approach the pregnancy. I really wanted to kind of protect us like me in the baby and without kind of everyone's opinion or story or their experience and really just feel it for myself.
04:36 So for the first, yeah, I think it was probably about a month ago. We probably announced. I think more generally what that was that cocoon phase and it was really about protecting this experience and me really kind of putting blinders on to the world.
04:53 So I could really feel into my body, the baby, what we wanted to do are approach kind of what our experience was going to be like and kind of how everything was going to unfold if that makes end.
05:05 So I just feel in general that there's a lot of negative stories or just a lot of heaviness that can come up around pregnancy and everyone's journey is so different and I'm so again grateful for mine and I know not everyone's is like that but I just felt like if I was going to coming from a bit of more
05:32 of like a fear base, or re, or other people's stories kind of impacting mine and really adding to that fear where I really wanted to just like trust my body, trust the baby, trust this experience that it was gonna be exactly how it was supposed to be for us.
05:50 And that's really what that cocoon phase was, was really protecting that. And I truly feel like that was the right decision for us.
05:58 And it just allowed me to build this foundation of what I wanted the pregnancy to look and feel like and also how I wanted to plan for the birth.
06:08 That's a go-to happen. And that's really been able to kind of build that strong foundation for us to kind of go into it.
06:18 Very much how we want to execute it and how we want it to be the beauty of social media as we get to see all the different options.
06:36 But then, like you said, sometimes it can be a distraction. And I think there is pressure to like share everything.
06:45 And it's like, well, actually, no, you need to just be intentional think about it or experiment. Like we've all gone through different phases of sharing maybe a little too much.
06:56 It didn't feel right or just different moments where and with pregnancy too, everybody, like he says, very different. My pregnancy as well was, I felt fine, most of it.
07:08 I mean, I think I went through a little bit of nausea at the beginning, but it wasn't like, there was no vomiting.
07:12 I didn't have like horrible, like, debilitating. Like, yeah, some women have like, really debilitating pregnancies, and that's, that's totally valid.
07:24 So it can feel like, oh, is there something wrong with me? I'm not suffering. You're going to have 100% hear other people's stories and also to, like, with anything, you know, there's unsolicited bikes, you announce something and I love that piece.
07:40 Like, I think there's a place for, and there's a place for, like, us to relate and connect to each other.
07:45 I think there's also a place for that cocoon to be able to text or be able to put blinders onto the world.
07:50 And that's an everything. And I also felt, and I don't know, Maybe if you felt that because I had such an easy first trimester and then the second was so great, and even the third, there's been times where I have felt a lot of guilt for having such a great busy, you know, peaceful experience so far.
08:11 And I haven't felt safe in certain situations to share that, where I kind of always felt like or in some situations or around certain people, I have felt that it was kind of like a battle of who had it worse.
08:28 I mean, there's a hike. And I just felt weird sharing that like, oh, like this is what I did or this is what we did or this was my approach when something did come up or whatever.
08:40 And it just put me in a really weird space. And this whole pregnancy's been such a reflection and such a kind of like observing and reflecting on certain things.
08:52 And it really like brings up kind of like what you value and kind of make choices. And you make decisions from a very different place because you're making it from a protective space.
09:04 So yeah, it's been an interesting kind of emotional rollercoaster really navigating other people in their experiences, but also in my own at the same time.
09:13 Totally. Yeah, yeah. I think it's pregnancy and babies are just triggering because also like just until recently women have been able to express like you can imagine how many years like there was just no space for us to even talk about and share the experience and all the different definitely came out
09:40 on Instagram like sooner than you. But I found there were so many different stories. And I was lucky, like we found actually a really good Dula slash midwife like program me and my partner.
09:57 And that helped us because we found a community where it was very like neutral. Like there were all other pregnant couples.
10:04 And And it was like everything goes, right? And so that helped us build that foundation where it was like everything outside that, it was like people will just, oh, you're dumb, you're dumb, you're dumbies too small, you're dumbies too big.
10:16 Like there was all the different opinions, right? It was like, but just finding that safe space where you feel like the right medical professionals are in the right, whatever other type of professional you need, right?
10:29 But yeah, I remember turning to my partner and sang to him like it feels to me like Christmas every day.
10:35 Like my pregnancy felt like that. Like every day was it's so special. And of course, there were like by the end, yeah, I couldn't time out on shoes, but it felt like Christmas.
10:48 I know me trying to show their check well driving. I'm like, oh, that's really difficult now. Like there's certain things now that the babies grown quite a bit, but yeah, I'm so funny.
10:57 And I agree with you. I think building your team out so important, and figuring out what that looks like for you, and it can be, you know, like, an OBGYN.
11:07 It can be a doctor, whatever that is for you, for us, it's, yeah, we have a midwife and we have a du-la, and we're preparing for a home birth, and I just built out this amazing team and the classes we took were really interesting, and it was like, it fed kind of what my beliefs were, and it was, it's
11:24 called hypnobirthing, so it's all about like, com breathing and meditation, and really trying to get into a very different head space when you're getting birth.
11:34 And they all just kind of overlap to complement each other. And I just at this point feel so supported by the team that we've created.
11:42 And I think that's so important and I don't know if I would have made those same decisions if I would have came up early hearing a lot of other people's fears or stories or, you know, and then that potentially could have affected who I brought on as a team or how we plan to have birth.
11:59 And you never know what's going to happen. And we're open to all things and and grateful for the medical system that is there if needed.
12:08 But yeah, it's such an interesting journey. Yeah. So let's talk about how this has impacted your business, right? So tell us maybe for those of listening, don't know, like tell us a little bit about your business.
12:24 And then tell me how just everything has impacted kind of going forward now for you. Yeah, totally. So I own a company called Woosh.
12:34 We launched in September 2018, so the end of 2018. And it is a online wellness business. We really focus on creating all natural remedies, so through teas, tankers, and then kind of accessories to compliment that.
12:51 And basically, I've been doing that for the past and for a long time. That's been almost five years, I guess.
12:57 Something like that, I can do. And it's been, yeah, started, this was just an idea that I had that really stemmed from my travels overseas.
13:07 Kind of throughout my 20s where I was really able to kind of see other cultures, just how they utilized herbs in their like natural day in their kind of like everyday life from using it for medical but also using it for, you know, just kind of like ceremonial or within their cooking culture or whatever
13:26 it may have been but they really relied on it and I felt like we were missing that kind of in North America and I really wanted to kind of embed the natural benefits of herbs in our daily life and in our daily routines and that's really where it comes from.
13:39 So this idea just stem from that built it from nothing and then obviously built it over the past five years and I'm so proud of what I've created and the team that really helped support it along the way and everyone that kind of had a hand in it you included.
13:56 And you still have a hand in it just like the mark that you left on our SEO is is still so impactful to this day and such an asset to us.
14:04 And yeah, it's been such a wild ride. It was kind of like, the first year was really about testing the market.
14:14 What are people after proving our concept? Does this work? Does this not work? And so really kind of playing with the market.
14:22 And again, that trial and error, me jumping to feed into everything. That's really what it was. And then kind of at the end of year one, I was sitting there and I was kind of more chasing that.
14:34 Kind of the success framework of people around me. So again, kind of relating that back to looking externally and being like, how did they get to this point or this milestone or this marker?
14:45 And I felt like I was chasing someone else's framework of success. And I kind of had to repivate the business and be like, that isn't really where we want to position ourselves.
14:56 We're trying to position ourselves in like grocery stores and big box stores where I was like, no, this products a lot more intentional, a lot more boutique.
15:05 So we kind of pivoted back, and scaled it back a little bit. If that makes sense, and then kind of from there, we kind of really hit the ground running.
15:13 And we really added in, we brought on you for the SEO. We brought on like a marketing manager. We brought on social media people.
15:21 We brought on like all these key people with like really essential skills to help us really grow the business online.
15:29 And it was going so, so well and it was really exciting and we were on this upward trajectory and it was really great.
15:35 And I was able to work with such amazing people and then obviously COVID happened. And funny enough, the first year of COVID really was a great year for us because everyone was really focused on wellness.
15:46 All right, the moment that like kind of that comforting bit. So that was really great and then kind of post that.
15:52 We've definitely felt like the hit of the impact of COVID after that in certain ways in the business. And it's been, yeah, it's been a little bit of, to be honest, like, yeah, a little bit of a struggle of kind of what to do next, where to take it, how to get kind of back on not trajectory.
16:12 And then kind of coming into so many different life changes. We moved cities and then now that work and then we moved to like five acres and now we're living kind of out in the mountains and and then we wanted to start a family and What I really kind of noticed with kind of preparing for that family
16:32 stage was things start you really start questioning your values and you're how you want to spend your days and what that looks like and and now I've kind of come to the point where I'm so proud of what we created and we built this really solid foundation for woe to really like expand and grow from But
16:50 I just don't personally have the capacity to kind of blow it up or give it the tension that really really needs.
16:59 At this point, so kind of over the past six months was when I really thought long and hard about the hard decision to sell it.
17:06 And that's kind of where it's brought us to is in this little baby kind of put the pressure on making that decision and what that looks like for me.
17:15 So that's where we're currently at and so we're just kind of in the talks with a few different buyers of what that could potentially look like and just finding the right buyer that's really going to be able to take that foundation and that vision and really kind of run with it.
17:33 Yeah, oh I love that and it's so it's so fascinating how like you probably would have gotten with her with her with her baby, right?
17:43 But it does get to question, having another being coming into your life, you start to realize like, not just your values by yourself, but as a family, right?
17:57 And so, and how you're going to live that, right? Because that's what, that's what the baby and the new human sees, right?
18:05 They see how you're living your life, right? Not just what you're saying, you're going to do what you actually do.
18:11 And so suddenly, it's like, I found like, there's just no more excuses. Like, I can't bullshit my, you know, I can't bullshit this little baby.
18:22 I don't know if that's like the experience you had to. It sounds like maybe the questioning and, yeah, the introspection, right?
18:30 Of part of that feeling into your body. Oh, 100% it really came down to, you know, like, who do I want to be as a mom?
18:36 And who do I want to be as a person like as a mom and attached to this baby, but also as an example of like who I am individually like I am I'm going to be setting an example for this baby and I think it's really important to.
18:53 I can only be my best self if I can show up for myself and really give that example to our child.
19:05 And I felt like it kind of came down to like, a lot of reflecting, and it was a back and forth.
19:13 Like I had like my dear friends, Jesus. They were like, yes, talking about this for so long. And it was, I was hanging on to different elements of it.
19:23 For what, like at first, of course, it's like, oh, you have to sell a business, oh, you failed or I just debated kind of like closing it down.
19:32 And then when I kind of got into that, I was like, I just rub like the emails I get every day.
19:37 And like the comments we get, I just, I know that the world still needs it. And I'm so proud of what we created.
19:44 And it's so impactful. And it's still impacting people's lives in such a positive way that I just feel like it's life is an ended, or sorry, and I feel that like, yeah, the world just like, people still love it so much.
19:58 And I'm like, why would I take that away? I just need to remove my cell from it, so it was like, I need to separate myself from the identity of woe.
20:07 So that was kind of like the first delaying was like, I can still move on, and it can still live on, and we can be separate.
20:16 And then I was really hung up on the brand. And I was like, well, I built this brand and I've been a really big front facing of it.
20:24 And I was like, but I feel like so connected to the brand. So I was like, maybe I would. So that was trying to figure out very unique ways of kind of like selling, I guess, the formulations and getting so close to rebrand them and that kind of thing.
20:39 And that was what that was an interesting phase. And I was like, but why am I so hung up on the brand?
20:44 Like, I can create another brand, or whatever, and then that really drove me into this reflection space that that I love the creation portion of it.
20:56 I loved creating something from the thing, building out this whole story and this whole meaning behind something and bringing something physical into the world that really like impacted people in a day-to-day basis.
21:12 And when I realized that I was like if I love that phase so much and that's how I want to spend my day to day is the creation portion is like then it's like I can fully let go of that.
21:26 I don't need the brand to be able to do that. I can just do it in a new facet. So there was a lot of kind of like delaying of trying and really getting to the root of why I was so hung up on it Yeah, and kind of and then going through that grieving process of like letting bits and pieces of it go and
21:45 then I'm a type of person where I kind of have to try something on so I like had to like mentally and energetically like try on like I'm no longer.
21:54 I'm no longer the T lady, I really had to step into that and know what that was like and when I kind of did that practice, I was like, okay, I think I'm ready.
22:04 And that's when I made like the hard decision to really just to let it go and to kind of open up that space.
22:11 For someone to come in and to buy it and and since I've done that, like the biggest weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
22:16 I feel like I'm stepping into this new version of myself because I feel like when you're pregnant, you're kind of grieving and letting go of this old version of yourself.
22:28 And you know, five years ago when I created an ocean of very different person today. And I've discovered and learned so much through that business and building it and growing it.
22:37 And through this kind of cocoon phase two, and I just feel like I have such a deeper understanding of myself and who I want to show up as.
22:45 And that leads into kind of like what I want my day to day look to look like, and I really, what I loved about woosh was in the beginning it's like you're doing all the things and you're creating all of these different things and elements and it made to your day like very different all the time and that's
23:01 what I love so much it's like I love the variety I don't want to do the same thing every day.
23:06 So we're really what it comes down to is like how can I cultivate all these different aspects that I've noticed that I love that while creating motion and like create a whole new business that really feeds that for kind of what's coming.
23:24 Which I'm really excited about. Yeah, I love the identity piece because I felt like my body was changing so much like you look really different, right?
23:35 You're like, you're like, even some people say factions, your face change, and so it's almost like you have this opportunity to become, you are a different person.
23:47 And so you get to reinvent yourself. And that happens, FYI, and Tomom would, too, like, there's this huge breaking of identity, and some things are very aggressive.
23:59 I mean, again, in my experience, at least, just some things felt like ripping off the band-aid, And I was like, I don't want to be this way anymore.
24:08 What is the next thing? Like, there's no, it's like, you're on a cliff. And it's like, what's the next jump?
24:12 Like, you got to do it. And so that, that's exciting, because it does allow you to just become more flexible and being the person you really want to be instead of using it to hold you back.
24:27 And I think a lot of moms, sometimes she'll opposite like having a baby like limits them almost like to not, but I feel like it can be like a leap forward of like, okay, this is why I want to become, while also, you know, taking care of another being and all the things that happen there, right, and all
24:50 the kind of like this other, you get this other job, right, and you have, you have, you learn, all these new skills, you're going to definitely have like these new skills are going to learn and day-to-day will be very different.
25:02 So that will be fine. I agree with you. I think it puts pressure on kind of the bullshit we've all been hanging onto a little bit.
25:11 It's just like they're still going to still do this on a day-to-day. Still going to put up with maybe it's something that feels really heavy and that's kind of something that got to a point where Welsh was feeling heavy for me and it has nothing to reflect on the business, it's just that, that's just
25:27 where I am in my life. And as a founder and as an entrepreneur is, is letting go of that chapter and taking everything that I learn from it.
25:35 And when I let go of it, it's already created because I energetically let go of it and allowed like, okay, buyers to come in.
25:43 Yeah. Like, it's allowed so much creative space to open up like I feel so much lighter and I feel so much more creative.
25:53 And it just feels like holy shit. I've learned so much. And now I just get to like really step into that and like create from that space.
26:03 Yeah. While bringing in this new baby and then it's just so much more exciting because it's like, wow, like if I could teach my child anything, it would be this process.
26:13 It would be to, you know, do what you go after what you love created. And when you realize that it's time to let go of it, let go of it and then do something else and it's and there's nothing wrong with that.
26:27 And so it's just it's so crazy how like this little human can just kind of like shift all of your perspectives upside down.
26:36 You question everything and it just and if you're willing to kind of look at it and really like dig into it and ask the questions and really get to the root of it The other side of it, I think is just going to be so much more powerful for you and for for the baby and and for what like we kind of just
26:55 teach the baby as being ourselves, but as being a mom totally. Yeah. So last little thing and I mean, we could probably have a whole other episode about this, but like tell me tell me about how you've been planning okay I'll tell you to give you a little break so you can get your breath back.
27:12 So I was obsessed with my maternity leave because I was struggling with the thought of not knowing because like you said, there's so many different experiences, there's moms that get the nanny, there's moms that become full-time moms.
27:27 So I let myself explore kind of all the options. And I allowed myself to say, look, if I suddenly, I was like, this is not going to happen.
27:37 I'm not going to want to become full-time mom, but I just let myself like, if that happens just go there.
27:43 But I did plan and maternity leave where I was working less hours. I had my team covering like the basics.
27:51 We had client deliverables that we had to you know kind of obviously deliver. But then everything else was like automated.
28:01 I I think I recorded three months of podcast which I'm so proud of like I was able to kind of stay fairly consistent with what the company was putting out at the time.
28:13 And then there were some things I scaled back, absolutely. And then what happened? So for me, my experience was I think I took probably like almost a month, I would say I was almost fully offline, but never fully, because I was checking it was my team.
28:32 And then after the month, I started to kind of get back in. But it was very, very chill, like from my phone, I would check in with my team.
28:39 And I think probably at the to feel that itch to kind of get back into things. And now my daughter just turned, she's a year, so 14 months, approximately.
28:54 She'll be 14 months next week. And now I'm working 15 to 20 hours a week. And I am really focused on handing all the things.
29:05 So kind of like you, the questioning was like, what are the things I really don't feel like doing? And I'm in the process of just getting as honest as I can about that and then off-boarding, training, interviewing people.
29:18 And what I'm realizing is that I should have done this earlier of just being honest of like, I don't want to do this stuff, because there's a lot of shame around like, well, I should be able to, as an SEO expert, it's like, well, I should be obsessed with, I don't know, exporting and data reporting,
29:34 data reporting, you know, sort of technical things there. And it was like, well, what if I'm not? Like, and so now I interviewed someone who loves that, and I was like, well, this should have happened way longer, you know, before because this is going to serve my clients.
29:51 So I realized like, just taking myself out of that, kind of like what you did, but realizing the company, you know, needs different types of roles and people, and you don't have to be all of that.
30:02 So, but my question is, yeah, what is your maternity leave looking like? What have you planned? And what are you, like, what's your vision for it, I guess, at this point?
30:14 Yeah, no, I think your story is such a great example for someone who wanted to sustain their business and, like, keep it going at the level of capacity it was all waiting at and I'm a big believer in outsourcing.
30:26 Like, I, again, went back to Washington. I built a foundation for it to really run, like, kind of on autopilot.
30:33 And that's kind of how it's running right now to be honest. Like, I really don't do much behind the scenes, other than kind of like managing things.
30:43 So yeah, I mean, for, I definitely thought we would be farther along in the selling process by the time I'm about to have to be.
30:52 But there's a lot of conversations going on right now and it is gonna take time. It's kind of a big transfer.
30:58 So I think for me, it's just my maturity leave. I'm really leaving it very open and really wanting to create that space where I can be super present in the here and now with the baby and giving that my full attention and that's really my number one priority and I feel like even already as I said like
31:27 energetically letting go of woe and like being in this creative space it's already calling me to be very like here now present and very much just like I'm in this like observing kind of phase where certain like people or conversations or just kind of things that keep happening.
31:49 I just know that they're like they're just so meant to be happening right now for this next phase and for what's coming and I feel so creative.
31:59 So like there's days where I'm just like in Google Docs just like creating like business concepts. And like my husband and I have, we kind of have a few things in the works right now that we're still developing and like kind of trying to bring to life.
32:13 But I'm really letting go of that like timeline where I felt with woe, it was like, here's the big picture.
32:20 This is the concept that I have for woe, and this is where I want to take it. And I was basically taking that big picture and kind of going backwards and building it that way.
32:30 Right. With this next phase and this next kind of entrepreneurial journey that I'm on. I'm kind of reversing that. I'm starting with like the here and now the little details and really like just taking these baby steps that come in the day to day and just like what do I feel like doing?
32:47 What do I love to do? You know where do I want to be spending my time and taking that approach into my maternity leave with the baby but also balancing alone time and balancing time for work and creativity, and that space to kind of create this next iteration or this next idea.
33:09 Which I think in my mind is gonna be very multifaceted. And yeah, I just feel like that's kind of my mentality going into it and really allowing it all the kind of unfold in front of me, rather than me setting like, this is how I kind of want it to be, or this is how I see it and working back step by
33:28 step. It's kind of like, you know, people set the goal and they're like, okay, here's the 10 steps that are going to get me there.
33:34 I'm like, I'm just going to be at step one and I'm going to hang up there and I'm going to like absorb and react and pivot and adjust as needed and I feel like that's what's going to get me into this kind of next iteration of being of who I am as a mom and then I am as an entrepreneur and I feel like
33:56 that's kind of the, I don't know, the, yeah, the approach that I want to give example to to my baby as well.
34:03 I love that. No, you're, you're, I feel like that's what ended up happening for me in many ways, but I was struggling with there was a control thing.
34:13 There is a control thing I'm working on it. And I think that could be just how, you know, you run your business on going, like again, like with or without baby.
34:24 But yeah, I think there is this obsession with the steps. And I don't know if that's exist anymore, like there's just so many variations online.
34:34 And so it's really an opportunity to just find your way and really focus on what feels good. But also what's like feels the most satisfying.
34:46 Like when you're helping others with whatever problem you solve for them, right? I feel like babies teach you so much.
34:54 Like I am just so excited to absorb who this little human is gonna be and kind of, and referring back to that cocoon, like we haven't found out the sex of the baby because I really didn't have to like, that's exciting.
35:06 Kind of like, you know, think like you're like kind of projecting who this person was me and like I want them to come into the world and like show me who they are and like I just want to absorb who they are and what they are here to teach me and you know a decision I make today is probably going to be
35:21 very different when they're in my life like physically and so I just yeah I just feel like just allowing that space to kind of just unfold without any pressure and and again I'm grateful that I'm in a position that I can do that and I know that in some In some scenarios like my attention is going to
35:39 be called to this sale and I'm going to have, you know, a lot of work to do to get a business ready to sell.
35:46 There's definitely going to have to be some some kind of balancing with that, but I think that will all kind of unfold as as it needs and and when it's ready and just trusting the timing of things so honestly it's.
35:59 Yeah, it's kind of like if we can let go of that grip a little bit, there's so much to be learned in this journey, rather than always thinking that you're always thinking about that final destination.
36:09 Totally, yeah. Yeah, I looking back, all the things I was worried about, like nothing came true, but it was also even, it's not even that, like, to me it was helpful to have like, plan A, plan B, plan C, whatever, But like it was almost like a whole other dimension opened up and It's not that I wasn't
36:35 ready for that, but it was more about that day-to-day because even if I had planned Like it's almost like the end-up the result now of what we've built or what I've built Has been a kind of combination of many things and but and it's still being built That's the other thing, right?
36:50 Because you'll find something that feels good this week, but then next week It's like you're gonna constantly being a dab because the baby grows really fast and you know, they one day They're you know, just lying there on the floor under, you know, you got some toys, whatever and then in a couple months
37:07 They're walking or they're moving and so you you have to be flexible and I think that's the I you're gonna be so fine.
37:14 Oh, my god I'm gonna go so fast and like yeah, even the pregnant And I want to absorb it all and just take all the lessons to be learned and I know that that's such an essential part of what is next and what I do create and the the babies probably going to have the biggest impact on that that I can't
37:39 even fathom right now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I keep talking about this. There's so many good pockets. Well, it was so great thanks for sharing and opening up and if you want to, I know you're in the middle obviously of a transition but if someone wants to fall you in that transition, I'm sure there's
37:58 a lot of people who are in this or planning or you know thinking about it and it's just great to have different voices speak their experience.
38:08 Yeah I agree with you. Yeah you anyone who's interested I've kind of more turned on a personal brand just to kind of share the journey so far as we out of that cocoon phase.
38:19 So you can follow me on Instagram at Cassandra, S-E-A-S-A-N-D-R-A, Ventrete, V-A-N-T-R-I-E-T on Instagram. And then you can fully shop, explore, woosh on our website, which is woosh W-O-A-S-H.
38:33 Wellness.com, and everything's available there as well. So yeah, I'm excited to just kind of reconnect with the world as as I took that kind of year break off Instagram and just, yeah, reconnect in this new phase.
38:46 And I think it's really exciting to share stories. When we're ready and in the space then, capacity that we can.
38:53 So yeah, we'll have to catch up once the baby arrives and once you're feeling the inspiration to speak again, because I've also, like I mentioned to you, I did two episodes on my on the post, baby.
39:09 And I, yeah, it's been great. No, I'd love to reconnect again and then we'll see how much of all this alliance.
39:18 Yeah, well, thank you, Cassie. Thanks for having me.
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