I Burned It All Down After Maternity Leave— Then Built a Business That Felt Like Home

Oct 8
2 min read

By Natty Bernasconi

Founder of The Digital Hive Studio

The power move that changed my business wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t a six-figure launch or some viral post. It was deciding to start again—properly, intentionally—after becoming a mother.

In early 2024, I relaunched my business after an 18-month maternity break. I’d spent over a decade freelancing in digital marketing while living around the world. But when I returned to the UK and became a mum, everything shifted. My identity. My priorities. My capacity.

I knew I didn’t want to be a ‘freelancer’ anymore. I didn’t want to stay stuck behind other people’s brands, building empires I didn’t believe in. I wanted to lead something. Something of my own. Something that supported women the way I needed to be supported — especially neurodivergent women and mothers trying to do business differently.

So I turned down client work that wasn’t aligned. I quietly rebuilt from scratch. New name. New business model.

New systems. I took everything I’d learned from a decade behind the scenes and began building The Digital Hive — a brand and marketing agency focused on creating powerful, personality-packed ecosystems for women-led and neurodivergent-owned businesses.

But here’s the part most people don’t see: I was doing this in 90-minute nap windows. With no childcare. With ADHD. While still working out who I was as a mother and as a woman.

And yet — something clicked.

Once I decided to own my vision — to stop waiting for the ‘right’ time or the perfect circumstances — the momentum built fast.

Within a year of the relaunch, I was named one of the UK’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs by Small Business Britain. I became a finalist in four national award categories. I built a community of clients I genuinely respect and believe in. I created a scalable business model with boundaries and breathing room.

The power move wasn’t just starting again. It was choosing to design a business around who I am now — not who I used to be.

My business isn’t “successful” in spite of motherhood. It’s successful because I stopped trying to run it like someone who didn’t have a baby to get to nursery, or a brain wired differently, or a deep craving for quiet, meaningful work.

I stopped following everyone else’s blueprint. I built my own.

Today, The Digital Hive helps women do exactly that — create ethical, values-led brand ecosystems that feel good, work hard, and grow sustainably.

I teach clients how to use tools like Squarespace, email marketing, and strategic content to build demand and connection. But more than that, I help them feel at home in their business again.

Because the truth is, most women I work with don’t need to “scale fast.” They need to feel safe. Seen. Supported. They need permission to build in a way that honours their life — not drains it.

So no, I didn’t raise millions or go viral. I simply chose myself — fully, for the first time.

And that move changed everything.

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