Expert Parental Leave and Career Support with Stork & Spark
Stork & Spark is a coaching and community platform dedicated to supporting career-ambitious, expectant parents as they navigate pregnancy, parental leave, and return to work. Kelly Ling, the Founder, CEO, and mom of 2, has navigated her own career throughout these critical stages, and I wish I’d had her in my corner during this transformational journey of parenthood.
Prior to founding Stork & Spark, she spent 15 years in corporate roles focused on strategy, innovation, and learning & development. She’s also an ICF-certified executive coach and received her MBA from UC-Berkeley Haas.
Kelly believes “pregnancy and new parenthood can be a career growth opportunity, instead of the default assumption that it requires a pause or step down. I founded Stork & Spark to support the parents who are choosing to prioritize both parenthood and career growth.” And we’re so glad she has!
what is the stork & spark program like?
Stork & Spark offers a blend of community and hands on coaching. For those interested in community building, we have small cohorts which include virtual group meetups, 1:1 coaching, and a group chat for asynchronous connection.
For those who are looking for more dedicated support, we offer 1:1 coaching and support. For professional organizations, we offer parental leave coaching as a benefit, which extends to managers, teams, and partners.
how can new expectant parents prepare to work with you?
Below are some of the ways new or expecting parents can prepare for our cohort or individual program:
- Think about their ideal state as a parent and working mom.
- Think through what anxieties they might have around sharing pregnancy news at work, planning their leave, and having a smooth return.
- Come with a growth mindset, and get comfortable knowing you’ll ultimately be advocating for your needs at work and home.
WHERE IS YOUR BUSINESS HEADED NEXT?
I’m still tinkering with “where” the Stork and Spark Community is, but I like to think about it like a “Constellation Community”. I want to be able to meet you where you are. Given that, there are a few ways to plug in with the community before joining a cohort or becoming a coaching client.
- Facebook Group – Career-Driven, Expectant and New Parents Community
- LinkedIn Group – Private Community – Support & Networking for Expectant and New Parents, Mid-Senior to Executive
- LinkedIn Page – Stork & Spark
- Low-key support and networking meet-ups on Luma (next one on April 17th)
Our next Coaching and Community Cohort starts in April 2025 with a small group of career-ambitious professionals who are pregnant or new parents, navigating their career growth and identity while embracing new parenthood. The program cost is $500, and participants will have access to bi-weekly virtual meetups over a 3-month period and two 1:1 coaching sessions.
what’s one thing you wish parents knew about your business?
One “aha” moment that many moms I work with have is that maternity leave is also an amazing time for professional development and networking. If you are fortunate to have a leave that is 3 months or longer, most of the physical recovery happens in the first 6 weeks, which leaves some time before going back to work.
You may find you actually have a little time to take an online course, and network with other working parents. In my experience, I got my coaching certification during my first leave and started Stork & Spark during my second!
Are you looking to expand your services in the future?
I am looking to expand partnerships in a few ways. I would like to partner with organizations to design returnship talent programs to bring in talent returning to work from a career break. I would also like to partner with fertility clinics and benefits providers to offer education classes and workshops on driving career growth while family planning.
What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring mamaprenuers?
Get out there and talk to your ideal clients! Listen, give value freely, and be open and authentic. This is the best way to work off of your clients needs rather than your assumptions. And you’ll meet amazing humans and be inspired along the way!
To learn more about Kelly and Stork & Spark, visit her website: https://www.storkandspark.com. Follow the business on LinkedIn and Facebook to get in the know with resources and upcoming cohorts!
