Life’s biggest moments deserve meaningful support: Meet Nicole

Balancing work and family is rarely straightforward, especially when you’re navigating pregnancy alongside the day-to-day realities of being a parent.

For Nicole Patrick, Client Director at LS Eleven Media Services, preparing for her second child has felt very different to the first time around. With a three-year-old already at home, life is busy and often unpredictable, from nursery drop-offs to last-minute calls and everything in between.

That sense of understanding has come through in small but meaningful ways – regular check-ins from her manager, space to be open about how she’s feeling, and a team culture that makes it easier to ask for what she needs.

Having been through maternity leave before, Nicole also brings a different perspective this time. After returning to work in 2023, she not only settled back in, but went on to thrive and was promoted within the year.

“That experience gave me confidence that my career can grow alongside being a parent. It’s made it much easier to see this as a temporary shift, rather than something that will hold me back.”

With enhanced parental leave now in place, she’s planning to take a full year off – something she didn’t feel able to do the first time.

For Nicole, it’s that combination of flexibility, trust and long-term support that makes the difference – not just during leave, but in the lead-up to it as well.