Step Back In. Lead Forward.

Returning to work after parental leave is more than ‘picking up where you left off.’
It’s a leadership transition, one that requires clarity, confidence, and a new definition of balance.

For many parents already back at work, the challenge is ongoing:

• Trying to be everything to everyone - at home and at work

• Meeting the high expectations of a demanding workplace while managing the invisible load of family life

• Saying “yes” to everything but feeling like you’re never doing enough anywhere

• Rushing from meeting to school pick-up, from bedtime stories back to late-night emails

• Constantly stretched thin and still feeling like you’re not making any real traction.

This cycle can leave even the most capable leaders feeling overwhelmed, depleted, and questioning if they’re showing up as the leader, parent, or person they want to be.

At collabbWAY, we believe leadership growth should recognise both sides of life, because how you think and feel at home directly impacts how you lead at work, and vice versa. That’s why we use the Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI®), a globally recognised tool for leadership effectiveness and life satisfaction, paired with personalised coaching to help you:

• Break out of unhelpful patterns (like perfectionism or people-pleasing)

• Rebuild confidence and clarity about your leadership identity

• Create sustainable strategies to thrive at work and at home

• Guidance on how to have constructive conversations with your employer, naming the areas where you feel stretched, exploring potential solutions, and building confidence to advocate for the support you need.

Because leadership growth isn’t about doing more, it’s about a deeper understanding of self and leading differently.

Group Coaching for Parents Balancing Work & Family

Best for: Parents who want collegial support, shared learning, and community alongside coaching.

What’s included:

• Small-group format (6–8 participants) - a mix of returners and parents already navigating the juggle

• A blend of LSI® insights and group coaching discussions.

• Topics include:

  • Re-establishing professional identity after leave.

  • Balancing home + work demands without losing yourself.

  • Building influence with confidence (even when energy is stretched).

  • Managing boundaries, overwhelm, and sustainable leadership habits.

• A peer network for encouragement, accountability, and shared strategies.

Outcome: You’ll gain practical tools, renewed confidence, and the reassurance of a supportive community that truly gets it.

1:1 Coaching & LSI® Development

Best for: Leaders and aspiring leaders who want a personalised, deep-dive reset.

What’s included:

• LSI 1 (Self) & LSI 2 (360 Feedback) assessments.

• Comprehensive Debrief: unpack results, highlight strengths, identify growth areas.

• Action Planning: create a tailored Leadership Roadmap for return or re-balance.

• Follow-up Coaching: 3–6 sessions to build confidence, embed changes, and navigate challenges in real time.

Outcome: You’ll walk away with a clear leadership identity, practical strategies to balance work and family, and renewed confidence to accelerate your impact without burning out.

Why collabbWAY?

About Me

Hi, I’m Brooke. I live on the coast in Geelong, where I’ve been since I was 15. Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked across community services and, more recently, branched out on my own as a Leadership Coach and Organisational Design Consultant. But my most important role is being mum to three amazing girls.

The seeds of collabbWAY began with them.
The need to show up in different ways for my family.
The pull from structured professional roles to creativity and freelancing.
The decision to stop holding myself back and instead, show my girls that with courage and hard work, anything is possible!

I know first-hand how big the step back into work can feel after maternity leave. I’ve navigated that transition three times and each time reshaped not only how I saw myself as a leader, but who I was as a person.

• The first time, I felt like I had to start from scratch and prove myself all over again.

• The second, I was stretched thin, balancing leadership at work with the invisible load at home.

• By the third, I realised returning isn’t about picking up where you left off; it’s about redefining who you are as a leader and stepping into this 'new' with greater clarity and confidence.

That insight is at the heart of collabbWAY.

I coach and co-create with women and parents in re-establishing their leadership identity, rebuilding confidence, and creating strategies that work both at work and at home. Using the globally recognised Life Styles Inventory (LSI) framework and tailored coaching, I help leaders step back into the workplace with clarity, presence, and renewed energy.

Because returning to leadership isn’t just about surviving the juggle.
It’s about leading forward, moving into your new with impact, confidence, and balance.

Returning to Work & Leadership Stretch Quiz

This quiz is designed for parents who are stepping back into leadership (or aspiring to leadership) after taking parental leave. It highlights strengths, stretches, and the supports that can help you thrive — both at work and at home.

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