London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 26, 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
Royal Navy Diving Squadron Honoured for Global Bomb Disposal Efforts
UK State Pension Set to Approach £13,000 Per Year Under Triple-Lock
Rolls-Royce Wins Multi-Million-Pound Engine Contract with Philippine Airlines
TfL Questions Future of Heathrow Express Amid Proposed £33 Billion Expansion
Ed Miliband Warns Iran Against Hostile Operations on British Soil
S&P Global Manufacturing Index Signals Stabilization Amid Rising Fuel Costs
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches National Centre for Information Defence
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Surges to £21.1 Billion
OECD Upgrades United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast to 1.1 Percent
Bank of England Faces Policy Challenges as Energy Prices Push Inflation Projections Higher
IMF Urges UK and Major Economies to Reduce Public Borrowing and Debt
UK Government Concedes Chagos Islands Sovereignty Deal is Dead Following Trump Opposition
Prosecutors Seek More Than 10 Years in Prison for Former DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson
UK Provided £66 Million in Emergency Security Funding for Mosques After Southport Disorder
Manston Inquiry Examines Role of Government Decisions in 2022 Overcrowding Crisis
Justice System Capacity Pressures Raise Concerns Over Release of Sex Offenders
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21.1 Billion
UK Releases Climate Security Findings Previously Withheld Under Starmer
TalkTalk Races to Sell Consumer and Broadband Businesses as Administration Threat Looms
NHS Bodies Impose Minimum Two-Year Waits for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Andy Burnham Pledges £210 Million to Revive Boarded-Up High Streets
UK Borrowing Reaches £18.3 Billion in August Ahead of Autumn Budget
Vistry Cuts Profit Outlook as Losses Deepen and Private Home Sales Weaken
Reported Assaults on Great Britain’s Railways Rise Sharply
Far-Right Activist Daniel Thomas Arrested After Channel Dinghy Slashing
Ukrainians in Britain Face Greater Homelessness Risk as Host Payments Are Cut
Scottish Drug Deaths Rise as Synthetic Opioids Spread
UK Diesel Prices Approach Record High as Energy Costs Intensify
UK Food and Drink Trade Deficit Widens to Record £21 Billion
Britain’s Largest Planned AI Supercomputer Delayed by Power Grid Constraints
NHS Boards Impose Minimum Waits of Up to Two Years for ADHD and Autism Assessments
Police Arrest Far-Right Activist After Migrant Dinghy Slashed in English Channel
Synthetic Opioids Drive Renewed Rise in Scotland’s Drug Deaths
Reported Assaults on Britain’s Railways Rise 20% in a Year
Vistry Cuts Profit Forecast as Losses Weigh on UK Housebuilder
TikTok Drops Appeal and Accepts £12.7 Million UK Data Protection Fine
Russell Group Urges UK Government to Drop Proposed International Student Levy
Legal & General Plans to Cut 1,000 Jobs by Mid-2027
UK Health Bill Would Remove Independent Governors From NHS Foundation Trusts
BMA Raises Patient Safety Concerns Over Advanced Practitioners Filling Doctor Rotas
UK’s Largest AI Supercomputer Delayed by Power Supply Constraints
NHS Orders Security Cameras in Neonatal Units Following Thirlwall Inquiry
Post-Brexit Trade Barriers Cost UK Economy Up to £6.5 Billion a Year, Analysis Says
UK Parliament Launches Inquiry Into Bank of England Monetary Policy Independence
Global Bond Selloff and Higher Oil Prices Narrow UK Budget Options
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Addresses UN and Holds First Meeting With Donald Trump
Royal Navy Commandos Complete Maritime Operations Training With US Navy SEALs
Vistry Profit Warning Adds to Concerns Over UK Housebuilding Conditions
UK Commits £343 Million to Major Expansion of Community Mental Health Services
Five Eyes Partners Back UK-Led Campaign Against Global Fraud Networks
×