From Maternity Leave to Making It Happen: Laura Struys’ Business Journey
Ep 4: How One Mum Turned Redundancy on Maternity Leave into a Launchpad for Ambition
Motherhood isn’t the end of your dreams—it can be the launchpad to chase them. In this episode of Not Just A Mum, Maggie sits down with Laura Struys, founder of Wollongong Women, to explore how being made redundant on maternity leave became the unexpected spark that pushed her to reinvent herself and build a thriving community for women in the Illawarra region of NSW.
Laura shares her inspiring story of pivoting from running a fitness business in Canberra to starting fresh in Wollongong, all while navigating early motherhood. She opens up about shifting her lifestyle from night owl to early riser, learning to prioritise health without guilt, and balancing business ambitions with the messy, beautiful reality of raising little ones.
We cover:
How redundancy on maternity leave opened the door to a new chapter
Why Laura created Wollongong Women and what community means to her
The identity shifts of becoming a mum and finding something beyond parenting
Transitioning from night owl to morning person (and how it transformed her days)
Making space for health and wellbeing without mum guilt
Biggest lessons from growing a business while raising a baby
Why motherhood can make you a stronger entrepreneur
Encouragement for mums with ideas, passions, and dreams they’re scared to start
💌 Resources Mentioned:
Follow Laura Struys & Wollongong Women: @thelauraaura_ / @wollongongwomen
💬 Listener Takeaway:
As cliché as it is, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Being made redundant on the first day of your maternity leave may seem daunting for most, but with the right lens, it can be an opportunity to something better.
🎧 Listen to the Episode Now:
Hit play on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
And don’t forget to follow the show so you don’t miss upcoming episodes where we unpack identity, motherhood, and finding YOU again.
Remember, it’s ok if you have ambitions outside of parenting. You’re allowed to want more. You’re allowed to grow.