[EP24] How Maturn Is Evolving The Narrative Around Maternity Leave | Jen Murtagh

[EP24] How Maturn Is Evolving The Narrative Around Maternity Leave | Jen Murtagh/h1>

In this episode I’m joined by Jen Murtagh. Jen is the Co-Founder of Maturn, Founder of Brave Leadership For Women, an ICF Leadership Coach, Keynote Speaker and Workshop Facilitator. We spoke about her own journey as a corporate leader, entrepreneur and a Mom and how it inspired her to co-create Canada’s first comprehensive maternity leave program.

I have known Jen for over 10 years now and she has a very special place in my heart. Firstly, she hired me for one of my first paid speaking gigs back in 2010 when my “business” was more of a “hobby”, which inspired me to keep moving forward on my own journey. And, secondly, her commitment to service (family, friends, community, clients, etc) is why everyone that comes in contact with her is lifted by her passion, leadership and infectious laugh.

Episode Topics

(Click Links Below To Watch In Video)

4:11 | Why imperfection is a perfect addition to authentic content (listen for the dog 🙂
6:43 | How Jen’s first pregnancy cause her to question her own identity, vision & purpose
11:39 | Jen shares her perspective on transitioning from “survival work” to “soul aligned work”
14:23 | Why the best mentors and coaches are ones that have stumbled along the way
16:57 | Why the “death” of one’s identity is so challenging to face (and the underlying cause)
20:47 | Jen explains the inspiration for creating Maturn – Canada’s first comprehensive maternity leave program
26:24 | How Trevor’s wife (Sharmila) struggled with shame and guilt as a new Mom and what helped her navigate through it
30:54 | Jen speaks about how corporate leaders are embracing the Maturn vision in their organizations
35:34 | Trevor asks Jen her opinion on paternity leave and why they’ve chosen to focus on supporting women only
39:11 | Trevor speaks about the role that men get to play in raising awareness and supporting women in today’s world
41:28 | Who is the ONE person/mentor that has been most influential in your life (all time)
42:19 | Who is the ONE person/mentor that is the most influential in your life (right now)
43:30 | What is the ONE philanthropic cause that means the most to you and why?
44:48 | What is the ONE thing you are most grateful for in your life right now?
46:07 | What is the ONE thing that you are most curious about right now and wanting to explore more in your life?
47:35 | What is the ONE thing that scares you right now that you know you must meet with bravery?
50:51 | Where can people find out more about you and connect with you online?

Episode Quotes

“What I’ve done in the past few years is transition from “survival work” to “soul aligned work”. I think that’s where I see a lot of people get stuck. They feel like they need to know where the final destination is in order to take the first step” – Jen Murtagh

“I love what Rumi says – what you are seeking is seeking you. It became so clear to me, but unfortunately I had to get to the point where I hit a brick wall before I realized that. Burnout over and over and over again until I was like – ok world, what are you trying to tell me, I think I’m ready to learn the lesson now” – Jen Murtagh

“From grief comes growth. Sometimes it does require a complete unraveling. Sometimes it requires parts of your old self to die so you can expand more into who you really are” – Jen Murtagh

“I’m a big fan of working with coaches because you can’t become yourself by yourself. You need people around you to support you, hold up a mirror and help you dust yourself off as you continue your own growth journey” – Jen Murtagh

“Maturn is Canada’s first comprehensive maternity leave program. It really is to support mothers in a deep and meaningful way. But it also was created to advance gender equity. Maternity leave and the year surrounding it represents the single largest point where women offramp from organizations” – Jen Murtagh

“I saw what was happening to my wife as she became a first time mom and struggled with shame and guilt. Her healing began when she found a community where she was able to express her feelings out loud, not be judged, be seen, be heard and feel normal for the first time – in her case – in 2-3 years” – Trevor Turnbull

“There is a massive stigma around maternity leave and women are being penalized for growing the population and growing our economy. We need to look at this period as – not a pain in the butt for employers – but how do we support women through this time so that they feel more excited and ready to come back to work” – Jen Murtagh

“This is about flipping the motherhood penalty on its head to create the motherhood opportunity. There’s 375,000+ women that go on maternity leave every year in Canada. So I think we have an opportunity here to elevate the consciousness of what that actually means for women” – Jen Murtagh