The first month of motherhood broke her—yet rebuilt her into someone new and even more beautiful.
If you’re struggling to adjust to motherhood and running your business, you aren’t alone. In this episode of the Called to Both podcast, guest host Julie Fried shares about her first life-changing month of motherhood. Julie became a mother through adoption, and her story perfectly captures the tension that women feel between their families and their work.
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Search for episode 146 of Called to Both on your favorite podcast player!
Meet Our Guest Host: Julie Fried
Julie Fried is the creator of The Entrepreneur’s Death Folder and host of the podcast The System for Everything. A former wedding planner turned operations expert, she’s now focused on helping small business owners protect what they’ve built—without the doom and gloom. Julie is also a mom through adoption, a champion of practical systems, and a firm believer that real life deserves just as much strategy as business.
Getting the Call
Julie and her husband started the adoption process in December 2023, and their home study was approved in April 2024. They expected to have a long wait to match with a baby, especially since they are Jewish, and statistically, it takes longer for Jewish couples to be chosen for adoption.
However, that wasn’t the case for Julie and her husband. They received a call from their social worker on December 27th, 2024, that a baby had been born two months early to a Jewish mother three hours away. They immediately put their application for adoption in, and the birth mother chose them the very next day.
They drove from Dallas to Austin to meet their baby girl, who only weighed three pounds and eleven ounces. She was in the ICU until January 6th, 2025. Thankfully, she wasn’t medically fragile, but she was extremely small.
The ICU experience was full of both joy and grief. Julie never got to be alone with her daughter, and every moment of her baby’s life was observed. Julie felt more like a visitor with a wristband than a mother.
Going Home
Throughout the ICU stay, Julie continued to run her business. She worked from the family waiting room and cafeteria, frantically emailing clients and trying to be there for her daughter. She assumed that when they were discharged, they would find their footing and she would figure out how to balance motherhood and her business.
That wasn’t the case. As soon as they got home, Julie started stress vomiting. She learned later that a mix of sleep loss and pre-existing GI issues spurred the vomiting. Her system was shutting down, and she couldn’t eat, respond to messages, cook, clean, or even wash her hair. All she could do was care for her baby, Ellie, and sleep.
Ellie was only four pounds when they took her home, and Julie was terrified for her well-being. She and her husband would take shifts watching her sleep at night, which sent them into deeper sleep deprivation.
Accepting Help in Survival Mode
The adoption was so last-minute, and the time in the ICU was unplanned, so Julie and her husband planned for him to go back to work as soon as they got home. She was also convinced that she’d get back to work right away and simply serve her clients with a baby strapped to her chest.
Of course, that’s not what happened. Julie wasn’t able to work, and she had to accept a ton of help. Her husband stepped up to the plate, taking an extra month off, and they hired a nanny. Julie also upped her antidepressant dosage to help her navigate such a difficult season.
Getting Back to Work
With their nanny’s help, Julie was able to go back to work. She finally feels more like herself again, and she feels more motivated to create than ever. At the same time, her time away from Ellie needs to matter, so she looks at her work from a new perspective. Her ambition is sharper rather than louder.
Connect With the Guest
Instagram: instagram.com/dallasgirlfriday
The Entrepreneur’s Death Folder
The System For Everything podcast
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