My Story

Hi, I’m Ashley — San Diego born and raised, and now a mom to three wild little boys: Maverick, Crew, and Beckett (all five and under — yes, it’s as loud as it sounds)!

I’m married to my best friend. The one who’s been my anchor through all the chaos and the person who pushed me to turn this passion into something real: helping working moms and businesses navigate the complexities of California’s maternity leave programs.

Why? Because I’ve lived it. I’ve been the confused, stressed, exhausted mom trying to figure out a system that no one really explains.

With baby #1, I was at a tiny startup with no HR and zero support. I thought I had to go back at 12 weeks — so I did. I was anxious, sleep-deprived, and nowhere near ready. I left money and a lot of time on the table simply because I didn’t know what I was entitled to.

By baby #2, I was the first California hire at a Midwest-based company, and their HR had no clue about CA state leave laws. I did endless research and ended up educating them, building my own leave plan, and taking six months off — paid!

Then came baby #3 — and a curveball. I was let go at seven months pregnant, while carrying our family’s health insurance. It was shocking and stressful, but this time I knew what to do. I used every tool available, was off a full year, got paid the entire time, and The Maternity Guru was born (no pun intended)! It was a blessing in disguise and I made memories with my last little man I’ll always cherish.

Motherhood is already a full-time job. Figuring out how to protect your income, your job, and your mental health shouldn’t be another one.

That’s where I come in — to help make sense of the confusion and bring moms and employers in alignment for a positive leave experience.