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FROM PERSONAL INSIGHT TO ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AT CHERRY

When HR Director Danni Buxton returned from maternity leave, she experienced first-hand the challenges of balancing new parenthood with professional identity. Coaching gave her the space, support, and accountability she needed — and inspired her to embed parental coaching across Cherry, making it a standard part of how the organisation supports every parent.

A WRITTEN CASE STUDY
HOW CHERRY TRANSFORMED PARENTAL
SUPPORT THROUGH COACHING

A conversation with Danni Buxton, HR Director at Cherry

The Unexpected Reality of New Parenthood

When Danni Buxton, HR Director at Cherry, a full-service healthcare creative agency, welcomed her first child in February 2024, she thought she was prepared. After seven years in HR, she'd supported countless employees through their own parental journeys. But like so many before her, she discovered that understanding the process professionally was vastly different from living it personally.

"I was quite naive to what it would be like to be a parent, and what the experience of maternity leave would be for me," Danni reflects. "Hindsight is 20-20. Coaching isn't something that I'd considered as a support mechanism for parents, having not been through the experience before."

The reality hit hard. Despite describing herself as "quite strong as an individual" and someone who "will say things as it is," Danni found herself experiencing unexpected anxiety about returning to work, stress about not being at work, and the overwhelming challenge of managing a new baby while maintaining her professional identity.

It was a moment of realisation. "I thought, 'Wow, if I'm experiencing these feelings now of insecurity and anxiety, I can't be the only one. And I need to do something about this, not only for me but supporting other parents in the workplace as well.'"

The Coaching Journey: Creating Space for Vulnerability

What followed was Danni's introduction to parental return-to-work coaching, an experience that would fundamentally change not only her own transition but also how Cherry supports all its working parents.

"For me, it was really important to have the space to work through what I was feeling and experiencing at the time," Danni explains. "Having somebody who doesn't know me and has no preconceptions of who I am or the experiences I've had, to just have the space to be really quite vulnerable."

This was particularly significant given Danni's role as HR Director. "My role is to be that person for everybody else and to create that space for others. So what coaching allowed for me was to have that experience where I was able to really work through my feelings."

The coaching provided more than just emotional support, it offered crucial accountability. "While I was still on maternity leave, ramping up to go back, it was really helpful to work through those feelings of anxiety, 'Is it going to be the same place? Can I do this?' The mum guilt and everything that comes with that. And then once I was back at work, that accountability of 'you said you were going to have that conversation. How did that go?'"

This accountability proved transformative. Danni was returning to a slightly different organisation with different leadership and a new manager, changes that could have felt overwhelming. Instead, the coaching helped her see this as an opportunity to "really carve out, well, what does this mean for me now?"

Organisational Transformation: Making It "Just What We Do"

Armed with her personal experience and a deep understanding of the gap in support, Danni didn't hesitate to advocate for coaching to be offered organisation-wide. The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive.

"As soon as it was something that I recognised needed to be offered to all parents, it quickly became something that we offered to all parents who were going on parental leave. It was never a conversation that needed any debate," Danni recalls. "It was so well received at the senior leadership level, and I think being able to talk to my own experience helped."

The implementation was seamless because it aligned perfectly with Cherry's broader commitment to supporting their workforce. As a business with over 70% female staff, Cherry had already been taking proactive steps around gender equity, including voluntarily publishing their gender pay gap information and forming a gender equity working group focused on removing barriers for women.

"We recognise that staff may go on maternity leave, but that shouldn't hold them back from their career. So how do we then support them during their time on maternity leave, and then how do we support them to re-embed, not at speed, but at a pace that works for them?"

What's remarkable is how naturally coaching became integrated into Cherry's support system.

"It's not something we talk about. We've recently had two members of staff go on paternity leave, and the service is offered to them as it would be our female staff. It's just part of the process. The expectation is there now, this is just what we do."

Danni Buxton, HR Director at Cherry

Beyond Return-to-Work: Supporting the Ongoing Journey

Cherry's approach to parental coaching has evolved beyond the traditional return-to-work model.

Recognising that parenting challenges don't end after the initial transition back to work, they now offer coaching support to any working parent who needs it, regardless of where they are in their journey.

"It's not just something that we do when someone's about to exit for parental leave," Danni clarifies. "It's something that is available for staff should they feel that they need some additional support as a working parent."

This holistic approach acknowledges that parenting presents ongoing transitions, starting school, changing childcare arrangements, or simply navigating different phases of child development, all of which can impact working parents in various ways.

The Broader Impact: Investment in People and Culture

The success of coaching at Cherry extends far beyond individual support sessions. It represents a fundamental shift in how the organisation views and supports its people during significant life transitions.

"I think the juggle is real as a working parent. There is guilt everywhere you look, I'm not a good enough parent, I'm not good enough at work," Danni observes. "What coaching has allowed me to do, and our working parents, is to work through their experiences so that they can bring their best selves to being a parent, and they can also bring their best selves to the workplace."

This investment sends a powerful message throughout the organisation. "Demonstrating that investment in your staff goes so far beyond the actual coaching.”

The coaching initiative has become part of Cherry's broader strategy to reduce their gender pay gap and support career progression for women. Combined with increased paternity pay and other policy changes, it demonstrates a comprehensive approach to supporting working parents.

A Message to Other Organisations

Danni's advice to other organisations considering similar support is unequivocal: "Do it. Just do it."

Her recommendation comes with practical wisdom: "If you have working parents, people going on parental leave, ask them what support they need. I think the first thing to do is say, 'How can we help you as a business?' And coaching is a really fantastic thing to be able to offer your staff."

The key, she emphasises, is understanding that this isn't about fixing problems, it's about providing support during one of life's most significant transitions. "The transitions are challenging, even for the most robust of individuals.”

Lessons in Leadership and Change

What makes Cherry's story particularly compelling is how personal experience translated into organisational change. Danni's willingness to be vulnerable about her own challenges, combined with her position to create change, resulted in a support system that benefits all working parents in the organisation.

This newfound perspective has fundamentally changed how Cherry approaches parental support, creating a culture where coaching isn't an add-on benefit but an integral part of how they support their people through major life transitions.

The Continuing Journey

As Danni reflects on the journey, both personal and organisational, there's a sense of satisfaction in having created lasting change.

The transformation at Cherry demonstrates that sometimes the most powerful organisational changes come from leaders who are willing to share their authentic experiences and act on the insights they gain. What started as one person's need for support has become a cornerstone of how Cherry supports all its working parents.

Watch the full conversation between Laura and Danni above, and learn more about implementing parental coaching in your organisation. Danni shares more insights about Cherry's approach and the practical steps they took to make coaching an integral part of their parental support system.

Watch the conversation