Mums in Tech ft. Hannah Zora Strong
As part of our ‘Mums in Tech’ series, we caught up with Hannah Zora Strong, Founder & Google Ads Manager at Zora Marketing.
The purpose of our 'MotherBoard’ content series is to highlight incredible working mums within tech & data, as well as individuals and businesses that are supportive and progressive within their approach to creating more inclusive tech & data teams for women.
Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?
Building upon 8 years PPC experience as head of department at North East digital marketing agencies, I started my own Google Ads & LinkedIn Ads consultancy, Zora Marketing, following my second maternity leave in 2022.
I’ve grown the business from side hustle to Ltd over the course of 3 years, and am a big fan of solopreneurship over scaling...for more peace and less burnout! My client niche is working with brands who have local customers - whether ecommerce brands selling to the UK, or service providers operating within certain catchment areas.
Motherhood caused a pivot which I hadn't previously considered - from career ladder climber, to small business owner - and I've loved working for myself under the Zora Marketing brand ever since!
If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?
Reframing the “mum-guilt” in order to inspire the next generation.
While I work away sometimes - for visiting clients and speaking at conferences - I want my kids (especially my daughter!) to look back at their childhood to remember a mum who loved helping other people, as well as being there for them both. They’re only 5 and 3, but we frequently chat about the fact that “mummy and daddy work hard to buy nice things, tasty food and go on fun adventures”, so that means we can’t always be there for every teatime and every bedtime.
“Going from working in agencies to solopreneurship was freeing, but initially lonely.”
How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?
Thankfully, my husband is self-employed too. And while that presents its own challenges (no salary to rely on, no sick leave for us or when looking after the kids, and no holiday pay), it does give us both the flexibility to attend all school assemblies, parents evenings, plus ‘out of hours’ business events (i.e. networking) as my husband can tag in as primary parent.
He’s very supportive and encouraging of my career aspirations, so is happy to take over as primary parent and do the lion’s share of the housework while I bring home the bacon!
While I’ve been away presenting, or have to lock the kids out of my office while I’m a guest on a podcast or YouTube channel, I love being able to show them the recordings afterwards; “Look, it’s mummy on the TV”! Even they don’t understand what I do, I hope they’re proud of me.
What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?
Going from working in agencies to solopreneurship was freeing, but initially lonely.
I have frequent client calls, so am speaking to people regularly, but missed the office atmosphere. Nowadays, I work with a Newcastle-based agency, so I can hot desk there if I feel trapped in my windowless garage conversion. And I’ve joined a few local and national communities for weekly virtual networking or in-person coworking which has made the world of difference.
“The first few months returning to work is a scary time - will I still be respected? Who are all these new people? Has there been a restructure? What are my new KPIs? How will I juggle my OOO days if I switch to part time? How flexible is my role around childcare?”
What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?
Efficiency!
I expanded my business from side hustle to sole income when my son was 6 months old. My husband had him for 3 months of shared parental leave, then he was in nursery for 3 days a week from 9 months old to 3 years. During those 3 days per week - I was outputting the equivalent of a FT role! It was very much “head down and crack” on for 7 / 8 hour days - and I definitely didn’t have time for the networking and presenting, but those early days of juggling my son and clients make the 5-day week of today feel much more relaxed!
When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?
When I returned to my employer after having my daughter, I was in a new role with a new team, so it felt quite jarring from the Google Ads optimisation and team management role I knew.
I was no longer working for clients, I was now the overall Marketing Manager for the agency. This meant my job role was very broad, and very unknown. So having someone to shadow during those first few months would have been useful, despite working directly with the MD.
“Find your community - whether that’s through work, online, in-person, hobbies, courses, regulatory bodies in your industry! Anywhere you can find solace, be heard, feel safe, supported and be inspired.”
What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?
The first few months returning to work is a scary time - will I still be respected? Who are all these new people? Has there been a restructure? What are my new KPIs? How will I juggle my OOO days if I switch to part time? How flexible is my role around childcare?
I think having a meeting with HR and your line manager, and having a company culture that is open and transparent will help alleviate concerns when a mother returns to work - because their expectations and trepidations will vary from woman to woman. Introducing a buddy system, so the new mum is partnered with someone who has also returned to work in the last 1 or 2 years could help the new mum adjust to her new fit within the old company.
Lastly, don’t pay your mothers based on the percentage of the week they work! My role was strategic and my FT salary would have been £40k, so they docked me to £24k as I worked 3 days per week. Don’t do that - I brought more value than £24k! Especially when managing 2 staff who oversaw the implementation of my marketing vision.
Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?
Find your community - whether that’s through work, online, in-person, hobbies, courses, regulatory bodies in your industry! Anywhere you can find solace, be heard, feel safe, supported and be inspired.
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