Whether you’re already trying to combine a career and a family or starting to think about having children, being a working mother can sometimes seem like an impossible balancing act.

That’s why Tobi Asare, founder of My Bump Pay, doesn’t talk about ‘the juggle’ or finding ‘balance’; instead, she focuses on ‘the blend’.

Research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies found that by the time a woman’s first child is 12 years old, her hourly pay is, on average, 33% behind a man’s, creating what is known as the ‘motherhood penalty’.

Taking to the Work Life with Google stage with Stylist editor Alix Walker on day three of Stylist Live, Asare shared her best advice for navigating the motherhood penalty at work while continuing to thrive and further your career.

Tobi Asare, founder of My Bump Pay, on how to navigate the motherhood penalty at work