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Chelsea Castle is a mom and the Senior Director of Content at Lavender. She’s a journalist turned content strategist with a flair for wearing multiple hats. Her insight is incredible and inspiring. Watch the full interview below or check out the written Q&A.

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Could you introduce yourself? What should we know about you?

I'm currently the Senior Director of Content at Lavender. 

I actually studied journalism in school. I used to call myself a former journalist, but it's still so much a part of what I do. So now I say I'm a journalist turned marketer. I was the editor-in-chief of two magazines for a few years, and then I pivoted to the agency world, where I worked at a marketing and branding agency. I worked on the marketing side as well as the client-facing side, creating websites for clients. And then I got into tech. I worked at Emma/Campaign Monitor for several years. Then, I went to Chili Piper, where I was the director of content and the first full-time content hire.

There, I really built the content program from the ground up. Now, I'm doing something similar at Lavender, although we're at an even earlier stage, and I'm helping with a myriad of things across marketing and the entire organization as well. And I really love it. 

I was pregnant in 2021, during my time at Chili Piper. I actually was pregnant twice in 2021. I had a miscarriage, and I will forever be grateful for how leadership and the co-founders gave me space to grieve during that time and how they supported me through it. And I mention it now just to say that's a big part of my journey of being a mom. I think it's important to talk about. I don't shy away from it because it's so common. About one in four women have a miscarriage. So I'm a big proponent of talking about it if you're comfortable. 

Later that year, I got pregnant again with my daughter, Lennon. She was born in June of last year, so June of ‘22. 

Did you share your miscarriage with your team at the time?

I did. It’s just the nature of how I lead my teams. 

I'm so glad that you had support during that time. I always think about that in terms of team structure. There does have to be a level of trust and vulnerability because you are doing life together. You're together every day. And so I really respect how you approach that. 

Yeah, I agree. Thank you. I saw a chart recently that shows how much time you spend with different people in your life and plots them on a line chart. You actually spend the least amount of time with your kids because they leave after turning 18. Parents were the next lowest, then your partner, so you spend the most time with them. And then your coworkers are there also, second to your partner. We spend a significant amount of time with these people. So that's something I think about a lot. And that has a lot to do with how I approach work. 

How did you approach telling your team and planning for maternity leave? 

I was definitely lucky to have empathetic co-founders. So, as I mentioned, I was the director of content and reported to the CEO, but our co-founders happened to be husband and wife. They were very empathetic. That doesn't mean they didn't expect us to be professional and get our work done, but they understood that life happens, and they also had kids. So I told them that I was pregnant both times early on because I wanted to be transparent. That's a core value of mine. 

Obviously, when you're pregnant at various stages, it impacts how you work. I was really sick and wanted to explain why. You don't stop being a mom when you’re at work. You don't stop being pregnant when you’re at work. We don't stop being who we are. 

How did you approach planning for leave?

I included my team in the planning. I tried to keep it collaborative and get their perspectives. What did everyone want to own? Where did they feel comfortable stepping up? What were they not comfortable doing? Then, I looked at what gaps might be left over from those conversations. I didn't want anyone to feel like I was dropping stuff on their plate just because I was on leave. I also worked closely with my boss to make sure everything was covered.

So you went from Chili Piper to another startup, Lavender. Startups are super hard. Parenting is super hard. How did you balance finding your place in this world as a parent, while also essentially helping brands find their place in this world?

It was hard when I was in between Chili Piper and Lavender. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the right next move because my perspective on life and my career had changed. You're a new person. I didn't really understand that before having a baby. It probably took me until a few months ago to feel like myself again—this new version of myself. 

When I was figuring out what I wanted to do next in my career, I really focused on purpose. We all have to work. I want the thing that's taking me away from my daughter during the day to be something that is fulfilling and that I enjoy. And also with people that I enjoy. I found that in Lavender. The people are amazing and inspiring. They’ll be forever friends. I love them. And the work that we're doing helps people, and it's also fun. But like you said, it's early stage, it's building, and it's a lot of work. 

For me, I think I would be bored at a company where I'm one of 1,000, and I clock in and clock out. Maybe that'll change in a year. There's nothing wrong with that. Just me where I'm at in my space and career right now. I love the building, and I love getting to help and take action. So, the biggest way I balance it is by having a team that understands and by giving grace to myself. 

Could you thrive in the same way if you had to go into an office every day from eight to five?

That's an interesting question.

I don't know. I would be a different version of myself. I did like going into the office here in Nashville, but I still think there's so much wasted time. I definitely have empathy for people who don't get to work from home. I think I would still be me. I would just be a different version of myself because I definitely get a lot more time with my daughter now than I would if I had to go somewhere. And the same thing with my husband. 

Even though it's so freaking hard not having any help, we’re very active and present with her and not missing out on this time in her life. So I'm very grateful to have that flexibility and be here.

Do you have any advice for new mothers who are trying to navigate it all? They want that promotion. They wanna crush their careers. They also wanna be good moms. What would you say to them?

The balance looks different for everyone. I don't think there's a right or wrong. That's important to acknowledge. It can be really easy to feel guilty because you want to focus on your work and go after that promotion or whatever it is that you're striving for in your career. You always feel like you're doing something at the expense of something else. We can do anything, but we can't do everything. 

My advice is to do your best to give yourself grace. I used to cringe when people would say that, but you really have to because you can feel so shitty about yourself sometimes and just feel guilty. 

For a long time during the newborn stage, I actually felt inversely about my career. I didn’t want to think about anything else besides my baby. I just created a human, and it's mind-blowing when you experience it. I think it's important for everyone to find their own balance and not compare yourself to someone else's. 

It's always going to be a push and pull. Sometimes, I spend more time with my daughter, and sometimes I focus more on my career. It's not an all-or-nothing. It'll keep changing, and who you are and what they need will keep changing, too. 

Any other thoughts or things we didn't touch on?

It took about 15 months until I started to feel like myself again. It takes time. And it looks different for everyone. The more we recognize that and have these conversations and lean on moms as friends and not comparisons or competition, I think the better off we'll all be.

I felt a lot of insecurity and uncertainty. When I felt like myself again, it also probably corresponded with when I was finally losing baby weight. So then I was excited to think about things like how I wanted to dress. How do I want to talk? How do I want to show up? What do I like? I felt less foggy—almost like when you go to the doctor and you get new contacts, you're like, oh, that's so clear. It was almost that feeling but across all aspects of myself. I think I'm still exploring some of these things. 

I’m learning to stand in my power again.

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