London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 17, 2026

CEO Secrets: 'You can run a business and have a baby'

CEO Secrets: 'You can run a business and have a baby'

"There were certainly eyebrows raised," says CEO of Heka, Steph Hind, who, while in the process of trying to raise money for her company found out she was pregnant with her first child.

She describes some investors' negative reaction as "quite shocking and surprising to have such prejudice, especially when there's a movement now to have more female founders in the entrepreneurial world."

Heka is a rapidly growing firm which organises health and welfare packages for the employees of companies - such as gym memberships and organic food deliveries.

Started in 2016, the firm now works with 300 companies across the UK and has an annual turnover of £400,000.

Ms Hind dropped the prospective new investors who had raised doubts over her capacity to lead the business after having a child, and instead stuck with her existing investors, who had been supportive.

However, she says the experience showed her that she needed a robust plan in place to guide Heka through the period she would be taking-off for maternity leave.

"As the CEO and a co-founder," she says, "the business relies on you heavily. So you have to show confidence with investors, assuring them that the business is in a strong position and that you can carry it forward."

She appointed a stand-in CEO for her company and adjusted her projections for the business' growth.

Her advice for women entrepreneurs is not to worry about becoming pregnant but plan your leave meticulously.

"You have nine months to prepare," she says. "Use that time to make preparations and be sure to bring in a good replacement. Take your plans to investors and your board with confidence. Investors react well to confidence."

Ms Hind has now returned to work after having her child, Lilly, and is back at the helm as CEO. She says Heka is on course for a turnover of £1.2 million by the end of this financial year.

"Investors are not like characters on Dragon's Den," she adds. "They have put their money into the long-term success of the business and as long as you have chosen investors who can see things that way, you taking one month off is not a problem."


WATCH: Steph Hind, CEO of HEKA, reveals her CEO Secrets


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former UUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for historical child sex offences
UK ministers adopt independent commission blueprint to fast-track AI in the NHS
Labour leadership orders local councillors to end power-sharing deals with Green Party
UK government considers regulatory intervention in proposed Sky and ITV merger
Environment Agency declares severe drought across six English regions as reservoirs hit critical lows
NHS England issues new guidance prohibiting transgender women from female-only wards
Norwegian teenager sentenced to 20 years for part of Iran-backed assassination plot in Britain
UK government threatens complete visa ban on Eritrea over refusal to accept deportees
UK Treasury lobbies UBS to move global headquarters to London amid banking sector tax threats
MI5 Warns of Growing Russian Sabotage and Espionage Threats Across Britain
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Plans Brussels Talks to Renegotiate Post-Brexit Trade Deal
MI5 Warns of Rising Russian and Iranian Sabotage Threats to British Military Facilities
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties as MI5 Reveals Russian Brexit Interference
UK Orders Security Review Following Reported Killing of Former Politician Ann Widdecombe
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets German Chancellor Merz to Strengthen European Security Ties
Nearly 100,000 NHS Patients Treated in Hospital Corridors as England Braces for Winter Pressures
UK Government Rejects US-Russia Diesel Agreement and Reaffirms Sanctions Against Moscow
UK and Germany Agree to Deepen Security and Economic Cooperation Following Berlin Talks
British Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties During Visit to Germany
UK Announces New Sanctions on 17 Russia-Linked Entities During Foreign Secretary's Ukraine Visit
UK and Germany Finalize Kensington Treaty to Strengthen Defense and Technology Cooperation
Britain Maintains Diplomatic Mission in East Jerusalem Despite Israeli Closure Deadline
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
×