Amy Alves’ Post

Today I turned the page to the most important chapter of my personal and professional journey: motherhood. No, baby’s not here yet! But I’ve officially begun maternity leave. I’m sure I’ll share more reflections later about matrescence and balancing parenthood and work. For now, this post is about appreciation for my new employer. Many of you know I started at SonderMind on January 5. What you didn’t know is that my relationship with this team began last summer, just days after I found out I was pregnant. That opportunity didn’t pan out at the time, but they came back in the fall… when I was already halfway through my pregnancy. And they fully knew it. Recruiting someone who’s pregnant shouldn’t be a big deal. And yet, it often is. My team knew I’d be on leave within three months of starting. It didn’t matter. They believed I could build relationships and make an impact quickly—and that I was worth the investment. And they’ve backed that up every step of the way. Yes, the family-friendly benefits are incredible (16 weeks fully paid parental leave starting day one?! Come onnn.). But what’s mattered most is how my team has shown up: encouraging rest when pregnancy insomnia hit hard, scheduling around afternoon walks so my back and pelvis could survive the workday, accommodating my many doctor and chiropractor appointments without hesitation. Even today: I wasn’t planning to start leave until next week, but my body said otherwise. My transition plan wasn’t perfect. My manager, Will Ferguson, simply said: “I got this. You go.” These may seem like small things. They’re not. How leaders show up during the pivotal moments in someone’s life shapes how that person shows up every day after. There’s no single formula for employee engagement. Compensation matters. Meaningful work matters. Connection and belonging matter. But so do these moments. So I’ll leave you with a question: How are you showing up for your people?