My Husband Is an Essential Worker, and I Have No Childcare — Pandemic Day in the Life (Kelsey Kerslake)

#160 — A Day In The Life with Kelsey Kerslake of Pinegate Road

You all have been asking to hear how other moms and small business owners are navigating the pandemic right now. I’ve been interviewing working parents about how they’ve been affected by the pandemic. Today we take a look at Kelsey Kerslake, the founder of Pinegate Road. She runs a design agency as well as a coaching business, and has a young kiddo at home. Her husband is an essential worker, so she hasn't had a minute of childcare or backup help throughout all of this.

A year ago, Kelsey became a mom for the first time. Today, we talk about her experience getting pregnant, the challenges with IVF, dealing with postpartum depression, getting support as a new parent, and finding her rhythm as a business owner who adores working and loves her job. Then, we dive into how the pandemic has shifted her work schedule and what's changed—and how she's dealing with it all.

In this episode:

• The signs and clues of postpartum depression, and how she and her doctor talked about recovery.
• How she wished she'd prepared for motherhood and the postpartum period, knowing what she knows now.
• The breath work practice she learned before having kids, and how she leaned on the breath and bodywork to help with some of the most intense experiences of early motherhood.
• What a day in the life of the business looked like pre-pandemic, and how she's shifted her schedule and work around now that her time is extremely limited.
• How long it took to build the business, how much money she started with, and what the financial picture looks like today.

Show notes, episode sponsor, and quotes all at startuppregnant.com/160