What happens when life throws you a curveball, right after maternity leave?

In this episode, Coach AnnaJo sits down with Tonye Medley, a seasoned biomedical scientist and project manager, who shares how she navigated a company-wide layoff just five months after giving birth to her second child. With honesty and strength, Tonye walks us through how she created structure in chaos, building a job search system, tracking her progress, and stepping outside her comfort zone to find her next role.

We also explore Tonye’s personal path to motherhood later in life, the challenges she faced with infertility and hormonal shifts, and how she stays grounded through community, movement, and mindset.

This conversation is about more than bouncing back, it’s about rising with intention and becoming a role model for what’s possible.

What we cover:

• Strategic job searching after a layoff

• Juggling career, motherhood, and personal healing

• Vulnerability and leadership in the corporate world

• Why self-care, dance, and systems matter

• The power of showing up when it matters most

Tonye’s story is a beautiful reminder: resilience isn’t loud, it’s consistent, thoughtful, and deeply human.

Follow Tonye Medley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyebriggsmedley/