
Appearing as a guest on the Diversity and Inclusivity Finance Forum (DIFF) podcast, Tucker spoke about her social media presence, where she shares the ups and downs of her career. She said it was important for women looking up to her to see both sides so they could see they were “all feeling the same”.
Tucker said returning to work after having her third child and now as CEO, she felt the same feelings as before such as “insecurities”, “trying to be enough” and “still feeling like you’ve got to prove yourself”.
“I keep thinking, ‘when dot, dot, dot happens, I will feel enough. When I am CEO, I will feel enough. When This Morning asks me [on to the show] more than five times, I will know that I’m enough’.
“It’s rubbish. I’m not going to feel enough, it’s just the way it is. None of us are. The day I do, I imagine I’ll be a grown woman that’s lived her life and finally looks back and goes: ‘You were enough all along, sweetheart’,” she said.
Tucker said she felt like, deep down, she knew she was up to standards for her position because her biggest goals had been ticked off and she still felt the same doubts.

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“I still want more. I still doubt myself at every turn,” she added.
She said this was especially the case in her role as CEO, particularly as a woman, saying: “As soon as I bought the business, I thought: ‘Why’s anyone going to bother [to] follow me?’”
Tucker said she had a phrase, “new level, new devil”, saying that because she always tried to push herself to the next level, that was why discomfort followed.
“If you are someone that wants to do better, wants to achieve certain things, this whole ‘when I do dot, dot, dot, I will feel’ – you won’t because this new devil will be waiting for you,” she added.
Tucker said it was good to feel this way because there were people still taking their first steps in their careers, so it was important for CEOs to speak about these things, because there was no ‘CEO course’ and there would always be doubts.
No one-size-fits-all maternity programme
Tucker said she revised The Mortgage Mum’s maternity leave process after having her third child, to consider how to maintain the confidence employees had in their role without putting them under pressure.
At the point of maternity leave, employees have the option of another year of flexi-working or a whole year off, depending on what is right for them and their families.
She said this would be without meetings to keep them at the level they once were, so they can figure out what the ‘new normal’ looks like for them with regards to earning and business levels.
Tucker said it was okay for working women with children to miss work, “it’s okay if you love work… it’s okay if you want to cut your maternity leave short and go back to work”.
She said she had a new understanding that not everyone wanted a year off and they had a right to choose how maternity leave looked for them.
Resuming on the career path
Speaking about returning to work having just given birth, Tucker said it was important to be surrounded by the right people who could keep you accountable.
“I think the inner work that you need to do, you can’t shy away from,” Tucker said.
She added: “Whatever it is that gets you back to you is a really important part of what you’re going to bring to your career.
“Trust the wisdom that you’ve gained from each child, because each child brings you wisdom as well as growth and challenges and joy. They do, they make you better. And trust what you’ve learnt in that period of time.
“If you feel different at your desk, it’s okay to reassess and ask yourself: ‘Is this still right for the woman I am today?’”
She said people tended to believe these changes in feelings meant they were not enough for the role because they no longer felt motivated or aligned with the job, “then we make that our problem… it’s okay for something not to fit anymore”.
Tucker said women should trust any change they may have gone through and bring it to their job as it could be a “real gift” to the business.
Listen to and watch the full episode [45:39], hosted by Danielle Moore, operations director at AE3 Media, with guest Sarah Tucker, CEO of The Mortgage Mum.