RETURNready LIVE

Our very first RETURNready LIVE brought women together for a morning of honest conversation, personal stories and fresh perspectives on a topic so many could relate to: finding your way back to yourself through life’s changes.

Hosted by Janine Plum, the morning featured two very different perspectives.

• Dr Katherine Iscoe, author of The Self-Respect Playbook, explored identity, self-respect and the ways we can reconnect with ourselves when life changes how we see who we are.
• Zainab Abbas, founder of Million Little Things — Therapeutic Art Space, joined Janine for an intimate fireside conversation about the experiences that shaped her life, the changes she navigated and what rebuilding has meant to her.

What made the morning particularly special was everything happening around the conversations themselves. Women recognising parts of their own experiences in someone else’s story, asking questions, sharing perspectives and continuing their conversations long after the sessions had ended.

A beautiful first chapter for RETURNready LIVE, and a reminder of what happens when women have the space to speak, listen and connect.

Hosted and facilitated by Janine Plum, relauncHER was created for women navigating the often uncertain space between a career break and what comes next.

Rather than beginning with CVs, job titles or the pressure to have a plan, the workshop focused on the part that often comes first - reconnecting with who you are now, recognising the strengths and experience you may have stopped counting, and rebuilding the confidence to move forward.

Through guided reflection, practical exercises and honest conversation, women explored where they were in their return-to-work journey and began to see that they weren’t starting again from scratch - they were returning with years of experience, growth and perspective to draw from.

Highlights included:

• Exploring the emotional stages of returning to work
• Guided exercises to reconnect with strengths and identity
• Honest conversations around confidence, uncertainty and what comes next
• A room of women sharing experiences, perspectives and encouragement

A morning none of us expected — and one we won’t forget.

There are some rooms you walk into and instantly feel something shift. Our Return to the CONFIDENT YOU event was one of those mornings.

Women shared openly - some for the first time in years, about where their confidence had cracked or quietly faded. What was meant to be a conversation about confidence became something deeper: belonging, understanding, and the relief of not carrying it all alone.

Our panel brought together three incredible women who each approached confidence from a different angle:

• Deema Ghata-Aura — Confidence Coach & Mentor Spoke about the quiet ways confidence slips and how to rebuild trust in ourselves, one decision at a time.
• Sarit Shefer — Personal Stylist & Founder, Styled by Sarit Showed how reconnecting with how we feel can often start with how we show up in small, everyday ways.
• Stephanie Martin — Speaker & Founder, SHESPEAKS™ Shared how confidence lives in our voice — not just in what we say, but how we say it, and whether we let ourselves be heard.
• Moderated by Janine (RETURNready) Guiding the room through honest, raw conversation rooted in her own journey of losing confidence after a career break and slowly finding her way back.

What made this morning unforgettable wasn’t the structure, it was the courage in the room. Women laughed, cried, shared quietly, listened deeply, and held space for one another in a way that felt rare.

Many described it as:

“The safest I’ve felt sharing my story in a long time.”

“Exactly what I didn’t realise I needed.”

“The most meaningful event I’ve attended.”

It was connection in the purest sense. It was community. It was Ubuntu — “I am because you are.”

The kind of morning that reminds us confidence grows when we’re surrounded by women who see us, hear us, and support us. This event wasn’t just about confidence. It was about returning to ourselves.

Our first Speaker Event Series brought together a powerful community of women navigating their return to work journey. It was a morning filled with rediscovering what confidence, clarity, and purpose truly look like.

Hosted by Janine Plum, and joined by an incredible panel of speakers - Nityashri Bhatt, Mirna Bolmanac, and Aisling Gray - who shared their expert insights and experiences that reminded us that the return-to-work journey is about so much more than updating a CV.

From personal stories to practical advice, each discussion centred on rebuilding self-belief, reframing career gaps, and finding the courage to start again, on your own terms.

Highlights included:

• Thought-provoking panel discussions
• Real, unfiltered storytelling moments
• A room full of women supporting women
• Honest reflections, laughter, and connection over coffee

This event marked the beginning of RETURNready’s ongoing Speaker Series, designed to empower women to rebuild, refocus, and return with confidence and purpose.

This workshop was deeply grounding, a space to come back to ourselves.

With Veronika Knight guiding us, we explored how mindset isn’t just about how we think… it’s about how we see ourselves. The stories we’ve carried. The doubts we’ve absorbed. The ways we’ve dimmed our light to fit into roles that no longer serve us. What unfolded was raw, honest, and humbling. Women shared not just where they’ve been, but where they hope to go, and it was a privilege to hold space for that kind of truth.

This is what RETURNready is about. Creating spaces that are safe, supportive, and softly powerful. A place where your story belongs, just as it is.

This was our very first workshop, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Together with Maya Mattar, we explored what holds us back during life and career transitions. We spoke honestly about the fears, the doubt, and the invisible weight we carry when standing at a crossroads.

What made it powerful wasn’t just the tools we shared; it was the connection in the room. The way women leaned in, nodded, and said, “me too.”

This was the start of something meaningful. A reminder that you don’t have to do any of this alone.