Welcome back, Valerie: What a baby does to business. #LTM150

Episode 150 is a special one – and a very personal one. Valerie is back after four months of maternity leave, and to mark the anniversary, the two take a moment for an honest look behind the scenes.

They talk about what it was like to steer a business through a time like this - for Ingrid, who held the wheel on her own, and for Valerie, who learned that being pregnant and being a founder in Germany comes with almost no systemic support. The fact that it worked anyway comes down to a strong partner, a team of ten women working behind the scenes - and a business structure that can withstand phases like this. They speak openly about why they kept the pregnancy quiet for so long, what they learned about trust in business, and how motherhood changes the way you work.

An episode about partnership, reliability - and what really keeps a business standing when it matters most.

There's this German saying, let five be odds.

Yeah.

It's like, come on, don't take things that seriously.

Things don't have to happen at an exact time.

Sometimes you can just give people a bit of lenience and a bit of understanding and then everything works out just fine.

Let's talk Marketplace.

The Marketplace podcast with Ingrid Lomar and Vanna Ritistu.

Hello and welcome back to let's Talk Marketplace and to our episode 150.

Can you imagine?

Just give me a second.

I have to play that one because I think this is really fitting because after all, look who's back.

It's Valerie, fresh from her maternity leave and I'm really happy that she's here again.

So, Valerie, welcome home.

I would say.

Thank you.

How are you?

Thank you.

Feels pretty like before.

It's good.

Yeah.

I'm back and I've changed.

I think that's what you do if you.

Yeah.

Become a human being.

Right.

And if you are born a baby boy.

Yeah.

Quite excited about that.

150 Episodes.

Wow.

Yeah, it's really amazing at that point.

Let us just hand out huge thanks to our listeners because that's all due to you, that you want to listen to us and that you have been following us for 150 episodes and also through the last month in which it was just me behind the mic.

And now the dynamic duo is back.

Yeah.

So how was it for you, Ingrid?

Yeah, that was.

That's an interesting question and one that might be interesting to our listeners as well.

So, yeah, why don't we do a more personal episode today?

You know, talk about how things were for you for the last four months and for me and how you.

Yeah, you navigate a startup such as Marketplace universe through a special time like that.

So, yeah, so today, dear listeners, it's going to be more personal and not the usual Marketplace business things, I guess, but a lot about Valerie and me.

Yeah, yeah.

But, you know, first let's talk about you, I think, because that is the right order of things.

This is because you had this life changing thing happen in.

In your life.

So how was it for you to step back and step into a completely different role?

And because everyone knows you as being very active, very energetic, very engaged in everything that is happening in our industry.

How was it to take a step back from all of that?

Well, to be very honest, while I was pregnant, I really tried to hand over everything as best as possible, but it really stressed me out, to be very honest.

So because there is like, you.

You think like you have the same energy, but you have, you don't.

And yeah, so that was challenging and a lot of like feelings of like ups and downs and yeah, stressful.

We also had a place the backup for December topics like webinar or our final round of the community.

And we were quite lucky with that because the baby boy arrived two and a half weeks earlier than expected.

And so I was really happy that we were prepared for that one.

And you know what I realized as well?

I mean, many of you don't know how many people we are in the background.

So it's not just Ingrid and me.

It's a huge team of all women.

So we are in total 10 women, most sometimes more, sometimes less.

And I also thought about the past almost every time someone is pregnant.

So anyone in this team is always, that's true, actually is always pregnant.

So that's.

That's really something we are somehow used to now, I would say.

And what's also interesting is we.

And this is what I can now confirm even more.

I really love to work with moms.

So why?

Because they are on that line.

We don't care when they do their work.

So if you do this when your baby is sleeping or whatever is in the kindergarten or whatever.

And we are all so efficient because we have to, we must be efficient.

And this is what I think changed for me a lot.

I don't do doom scrolling while I work on, I don't know, Instagram.

Sometimes you do this, right?

Like, okay, I need a break.

But my breaks are nursing my baby now.

And then I work in between the breaks.

I mean, luckily I am allowed and able to work from home and online.

So I don't need to travel somewhere.

And yeah, travel is a big thing, which is changing right now for me.

That's also changing.

But I try to take part on some events already in Munich and I felt that.

So for example, at the TikTok shop anniversary, I was at a behind closed door event.

I was somewhere else as well.

We had our own event already.

We were on the miracle Summit.

So I really felt this passion again of like, ah, yeah, okay, I'm back there.

And it's still the same feeling of like connection with all our audience, listeners, clients, et cetera.

So this is what I really love.

But.

And to be honest, I was not working in December and January.

But then on the background I always had a look on my emails or LinkedIn or something and it's time to step back.

If it's your own company, yes, it's.

Really, it's so different.

Nothing at all.

Yeah.

So you always have an eye on it, I would say.

Yeah.

But this is also important.

But I also was not so well on track what really happened in the marketplace industry.

So I think also that when I was not there, as present as I used to be, I missed some topics, definitely.

So what I realized is that we both did a good job.

Everyone did usually the things where we are really good in.

So you have your strength.

I have my strength.

And then I realized on the marketplace took a summit, there were like, people asking like, hey, what's your turf and opinion about Joy Buy?

And I know that we wrote something on my profile on LinkedIn some weeks before, and I was like, well, yeah, I have no clue.

Ask Ingrid, please.

Because, yeah, you did all the work in the background, so.

And our team, obviously.

But I'm.

I'm quite glad I had this four months to really take care about my baby.

I also think I changed.

I became more relaxed and more empathetic.

Yes, that's the word.

Yeah, yeah.

But at the same time, much more focused on really getting things done.

And I really have no patience for bullshitting.

Well, to be honest, the patience was already wearing thin before that.

But.

But that's even like, smaller.

What do you want?

Tell me now.

Yeah, it's like, don't mess around.

Let's work with us.

No, maybe not.

I tell you in four weeks, it's like, okay, then come on, get going.

Yeah, get going.

Or let it.

But don't waste my time.

Right?

So, yeah, I would say, like, wasting my time.

I get really fast, really unpleasant because I don't have much time anymore.

Right.

Yeah, that's absolutely understandable.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So tell me, tell me from your own mouth.

Because you know what pissed me off?

Two things pissed me off.

Nothing about you, but when.

When we first announced that you were pregnant and, and that was quite late,.

We have to say, quite late in November.

In November.

And beforehand we were really, really relying on that.

We have a remote business and people don't.

We can always show.

Show you just from, you know, top the waist.

So no one would be with them, much the wiser.

But in the end, we, we communicated in November and then I got a few messages like, congratulations on what your business partner is doing.

How do you feel about it?

It's like, yeah, okay.

So that was the first thing that pissed me off.

I'm going into a bit more detail why that pissed me off.

Just a minute.

But the second thing, and that one pissed me off even more was People in February, March, when they were contacting me, and I was like, yeah, that is a topic that is more on Valerie's desk.

And she's going to be back in beginning of April.

And then you can talk with her about that in.

In the mean meantime, here's what I have to say about it.

And then I got some reactions that were on the lines of, yeah, let's see if she comes back.

Let's see.

I mean, yeah, you know, people can talk a lot about coming back.

And, yeah, and things change completely.

People change completely.

And who knows?

Yeah, that really pissed me off.

And two reasons for that.

Because first, of course, I knew what was coming.

It was not like you were coming to me, like, by the way, I'm pregnant.

Bye.

Bye.

Yeah, that's not what happens.

This is when we formed the company.

You told me about your plans and I knew sooner or later it's going to happen, that you're having a baby.

And I had a good think about it.

How can we manage?

How will I manage?

And we talked about it very much, very much.

And you spent a lot of your time during the pregnancy to prepare for the four months that you would be away, to really enable me to know everything that I needed to know, to have all the information that I needed available.

So there was a lot of preparation going on.

I didn't stumble into this completely unprepared.

Just definitely the opposite.

That was the one thing.

And the other thing which pissed me off even more is, yes, as you said, a child changes you in some way because it gives your life a new perspective.

But I hate this idea of that.

Women, I don't know, transform into a completely different person just because they are a mother.

So they are now, before they have been one of the most reliable people that I know, then they would just turn around completely and not be reliable at all, or not keep their promises or keep their.

Their deadlines or whatever.

I know, of course things can happen, especially when it comes to health or something, but if everything is working out fine, why should I consider that you would not keep to your plan?

Because that was the plan.

And we have always built our relationship on openness and transparency and reliability.

So, of course, I. I was not surprised that you wrote me end of March, so next week I'm coming back, because that was our plan.

And as thankfully your baby boy is healthy, everything is fine.

There was no need to ever doubt you on that.

So, yeah, come on.

I think that's.

That's quite important, to be very open upfront and this is, as you said, what we did before we built our company together to really put everything on the table and to say, like, okay, this is how I will evolve in the next five years.

And you.

And the good thing is, you know, and this is also what I realized when I was pregnant already, that you have also kids and that you have a much bigger understanding compared if you would be a man, for example.

Right.

Obviously.

And that right now it's also, yeah, supportive and helpful because sometimes there are moments where I was in a conference and had some health issues and you supported me with like, hey, can you, like, go to the pharmacy?

So.

Or now when we sit in the car between one event and the other and I need to breast pump to, like, you know, it's like just another.

Day at the office.

It's much easier to share this with another women.

And yeah, I'm.

I'm just so happy that this is like both coming together.

What I see also why we kept so quiet about my pregnancy is really the thing of, like, I had in the beginning of my pregnancy a experience with one of our coaches, which was quite bad because I was quite transparent about what's happening and that I'm completely overworked and I need to focus and like to cut down some things because otherwise it's not possible to prepare for leaving and to work still in the daily business and.

And so on and being pregnant.

So it takes time.

It's like a job, like a side job.

Would you like to share why we were reluctant to share your pregnancy?

And they shared that really late and firstly, just in, you know, small circles and not openly.

Yeah, well, to be honest, in the beginning, I was quite open about sharing it, especially with one of our coaches.

And we're very open about like, okay, pregnancy is like a side job.

And then you want to do a good handover.

Oh, I moved houses in between as well, and I moved in together with my boyfriend and my maybe time if you're getting a baby.

And.

Yeah, and I want.

I worked on the operational business.

Right.

So it was really tough in timing.

And then that was really like, there was no understanding.

And what I realized is that other mothers can much more relate than if people are not mothers yet.

And now I can tell this because I'm a mother now too, luckily, but that was really a bad experience.

And then we talk with our clients in person and told them, but at every event, we said to our photographer, like, okay, you're not allowed to show baby.

Baby bumps, so take care.

And that worked out quite well, yeah,.

And it's also good that you always used to wear flowery dresses anyway.

That was very good.

There was no change, right?

Yeah, now I still wear them, but.

Hovering theme.

Yeah.

And.

And then officially we announced it in November and the feedback was really quite positive.

But in the end we also have to say that we are both personal brands, right.

And our business is related to us as person.

And yeah, this is what, what we somehow could see a bit, I think.

And also who is doing which job?

Because yeah, if you don't know, for example, Ingrid is doing all the newsletters, LinkedIn posts, et cetera.

So everything was content wise.

Strategy, storytelling, news, figures, everything else.

Like my LinkedIn.

My LinkedIn posts were perfectly done because I knew Ingrid's.

That's Ingrid's turf, right?

But sales or finance or I don't know, some like networking with people, this is really like my turf.

And I really tried to hand over Ingrid everything as possible.

And she needed to go to the Berlin conference alone.

And I was like, I would love to go as well, but it really was not possible.

And then she was like, do I really have to ask them if the dog is okay of this person?

I was like, that is just, you.

Know, that is one of the stories that Valerie likes to share.

Because this.

Yeah, that is true.

I'm not, I'm not a natural networker.

I'm a learned networker.

So by now I know how to do it.

But I still connect with people mostly through hard facts, you know.

Did you know that?

Have you read about this?

There's some interesting tidbit that I learned that I want to share with you.

Stuff like that.

So factual based.

The journalist conversation, I would say in.

A way, in a way more manly, if you want to say.

So put it like this.

But of course there is a very personal area that you also need, especially if you're in this business where you are where people are connecting with us because they believe in us as persons and our personal brands.

There is a lot more of that going on.

So I think the dog story came up and I was at one time sending you a voice message.

It was like, I have to rent now because sales is exhausting.

It's exhausting.

People want to talk all the time about things that are not related to business and it fucks me up.

It's like, come on, can we just, you know, go back to business?

No, first we have to talk about this and then we have to talk about that and then, yeah, whatever.

And then you have to retalk and have to find another talk.

Is like, come on, this is such a long process.

And yeah, but it's not a real process.

You know, the thing is like, for me, it's much about relationship and the people I connect to is really.

Because I like the people and the person itself and I'm interested in that.

And so I'm connected with some of you on WhatsApp or I don't know, like Instagram, et cetera.

You don't even have Instagram.

And I was with my baby boy like garter in March.

And then I realized one of our close clients, Lisa from ebay, she's also around Italy doing a road trip.

And then we were like, hey, I'm here.

And she was like, yeah, we are there.

And we are like coming, let's meet.

And I was like, sure, let's meet.

Foreign coffee and ice cream.

And that's what we did.

Right.

So she came by, we had a coffee, they met my baby boy and I met her boyfriend.

Was really nice for, I don't know, two, three hours and then that's fine.

And I thought about you, you.

And you were like, what?

How on earth would I meet someone from my business life in my private home?

No, because, you know, I like people from the business, don't get me wrong.

But in the business, very, very good.

I have very, very nice relationships with people that.

From.

From our business, from the industry.

And I like meeting them at business events and I like meeting at business conferences and talk about business.

You know, that's fine.

I like that.

But if I would meet any one of them in a holiday context, I think I would turn the other way.

That is just.

Yeah.

Because I'm so focused on that side and which is really helpful if you are focused on content and news and stuff like that.

Not so helpful if you're focused on relationship that are building up to sales.

So yeah.

But anyway, I. I did manage over the time, but I realized, you know, when people always talk about you have to move outside of your comfort zone because growth only happens outside of your comfort zone.

That's true.

You don't have to like everything that is happening outside your comfort zone.

Not everything that is happening there is nice.

Comfort zone is also nice.

So.

Yeah, yeah.

So of course I now know I can do it for a while.

I can learn, I can grow, I can acquire new skills.

But still they are required, they are not natural.

And we both work best together if each of us does that.

Where she is a natural.

True.

And I think also growth is often painful.

In the beginning.

Still.

Yes.

It's this, like, pain of growth where you think like, oh, this is so exhausting and it annoys me and it frustrates me sometimes and.

Yeah.

But now I'm back.

And I think you're quite happy that I took back some topics, like sales or making offers, writing invoices.

If Ingrid would do the business, you would never write invoices.

So maybe you are happy if I don't come back.

Write a few invoices during the time that when you were away.

I did write a few.

Not as many as you would have, I think, but I did.

I did.

I also fixed a few offers.

That's fine.

As I said, I can manage.

It's not fun, but I can.

Yeah.

But to be honest, if you have to get out of your comfort zone every time, then you have less time for the things you're.

You're really good at.

Yes, it's exhausting.

It's just, it's.

It's.

It's more time consuming because you have to put a lot more effort into it than into things that flow naturally.

So it takes a lot of time.

And that is where our team really came in, because I had to pull away from the stuff that I normally do, which is more in my comfort zone, because I had to use the energy for the things that are not in my comfort zone.

So that is where our team stepped in.

And our editors and graphic designers and the ladies in the background that you don't see really helped us out and stepped up marvelously, really, and helped out again.

We always took them into the boat.

We always said, okay, this is going to happen, and this is what we need you to do.

We've been very open and transparent about that in the months before, and that really helped, I think.

Yeah.

And there were also additional changes.

Right.

Like, we had a new team member as well in January.

From January onwards, then the LinkedIn algorithm changed, which is also challenging.

Yeah.

So so many things happening at the same time where you need to adjust fast.

And I think we did it really well.

Now, as I said, I'm back.

And what are we, like, focusing on right now?

Well, at the moment, I think we are looking forward, planning the year, especially our events that are coming up and the next events.

And we are also, as you said, adjusting to a new schedule for traveling.

Yeah.

Probably won't be at as many events together as we were maybe last year, so we are spreading that out a little bit more.

But we still want to be present with Marketplace Universe.

So we are Working on that, working on having more connect events, having more speed connect.

So that is everything that is going on in there is on your desk normally.

So that was more or less on hold over the last month because event planning is a totally different beast.

That is something that I could not have shouldered additionally.

But to be fair, over the winter not much is happening in that area anyway.

So, yeah, that's why we're starting.

So, yeah, you're happy to get back into the events business?

Yeah, I really love the event business.

And also going back to conferences next week is the ECD from tripart in Munich.

So, yeah, if you're there, just come up to me, let's talk.

Yeah, I think for me changed a bit in terms of like logistics.

So how do I squeeze in the time for nursing my baby?

And also how do I do the logistics when I'm away, like two nights away, for example, while K5 in Berlin, et cetera.

So, yeah, it will work out somehow.

The boys are making it.

So I'm happy to have a good dad for the baby boy who has parental leave because this is what was really difficult in Germany.

If you have your own company.

You are kind of fucked as a woman who's getting a baby, to be very honest, because there is no real support while you are on this maternity leave, which is usually protected, but it isn't really when you have your own business, because who pays your salary?

It's your own business.

So if I would not be working together with you, Ingrid, that, like, how on earth could I have done a leave of four months?

Not at all.

We can't just be so happy that we are, both of us, that we can work remote and online.

But imagine if you have like a store where you have rent to pay and where you meet people on the floor, etc.

And I don't want to imagine this one, really.

And that's if you're just on your.

Own, you know, no partner backing you up.

Yes, that is really difficult.

So I have a good partner who has like parental leave till January because he has like a.

He's an employee.

Right.

So.

And I also think I am.

Well, I'm really happy to be back.

Would I. I have made a longer break if you were employed?

If I would have.

Yeah, pretty sure, yeah.

If I'm also happy to be back.

Yes.

But it's a challenge to balance everything.

So what I really see now is I really need to prioritize so much harder.

So if you are coming up to me, it's like, hey, do you want to hear about this idea?

I was like, tell me about it before.

And if I see there's a win win situation in like a meeting, then we can talk.

But otherwise, no, no when.

Right.

So my day has less hours or at the same hours, but less time available.

And so you have to make the most of it.

Yeah.

To really fit in.

5, 6 Working hours a day is tough and energy wise.

I mean, I don't sleep the night like a baby and without any break.

So there are many breaks, to be very honest.

So I really need to take care about my energy level.

And I have also this, I don't know how it's called nursing dementia.

Sometimes I really need to ask, like, what was this name again?

What was like, really bad sometimes.

Luckily we have really great clients where they say, sometimes like, okay, ah, the baby's crying, look, you can just bring them on the call.

I was like, sure.

I was like, yeah.

And then he's looking in the, sitting in the car like, hi, I'm here.

So.

And then it works somehow.

So you really need to be flexible.

Right.

And this is what we see as the whole team of women and mothers.

We always need to be flexible.

Like in the call.

Ingrid also got a call here in the Wilder podcast, also need to leave now to pick up her boy.

So, you know.

Yeah.

And I think it's much about empathy, understanding each other, supporting each other and.

Yeah, yeah.

And I mean, there's this German saying that 5 be odds.

Yeah.

It's like, come on, don't take things that seriously.

Things don't have to happen at an exact time.

Sometimes you can just give people a bit of lenience and a bit of understanding and then everything works out just fine.

Because we are still working, both really dedicated to what we are doing and we can trust in each other that that is the case.

And so of course that's not a problem.

If you say, let's postpone the meeting for an hour because I have to take care of the baby at the moment, that's fine.

And last week I went on a much needed holiday for a week where I just told.

Told you, yeah, I need a few days off, is that okay?

And so you gave me that lenience as well.

So I think that works out for me.

The best thing about you being back is actually that I have the sounding chamber again.

You know, someone to talk to, someone to vent to, to rant to if need.

Because that is the fine thing about a partnership.

You can back each other up, but you can also go through the lows together and celebrate the highs together.

And that is what actually was.

I missed the most over the last.

I can imagine after this week already.

Yeah.

Because that is just something that is, it's so helpful even if the other person doesn't have anything to add to that situation.

But still it's just, it's helpful not to be alone.

Yeah.

And you sit in the same boat and you understand each other.

Right?

Yeah.

Or the other one, push the other one forward.

Right.

To say like, hey, I know how you're feeling.

And then sometimes that's already enough because you really know.

You understand each other.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I guess that's it for our very personal episode.

150.

Thank you again, everyone.

I hope you liked our small deep dive in how Marketplace universe has been functioning over the last four months and.

Yeah.

How many years, Ingrid?

Three.

Four.

Four.

Marketplace universe.

It's two, but cast.

It's.

Yeah, right.

Amazing.

And the podcast was our original growth start.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That was where it all began.

Here we are back again.

And from now on, sorry, it's going to be you and me again behind the mic.

Yeah.

So.

So, yeah, we are happy if you follow US and on LinkedIn but also on our website, marketplacemanageuniverse.com there we will also share our newest events webinars.

We will have a lot of them in the near future.

What else?

Our blog posts, et cetera, on the website.

But yeah, our podcast here on Spotify, Apple Podcast and YouTube.

Yeah.

Thank you for listening to us, for connecting with us and we are happy to start the next 150 episodes with you.

That's what we're going to do.

Bye bye for now.

You listen to let's talk Marketplace.

The Marketplace podcast with Ingrid Lommer and Valerie Dichtel.