#1 in HOT NEW RELEASES
You stepped away for good reasons.
Now you’re ready to define what’s next—
with clarity, confidence, and a story that’s yours to tell.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your professional identity still exists beneath the years of parenting, caregiving, volunteering, and managing everything for everyone else, We’ll Be Right Back… is your guide home.
Inside, you’ll discover how to:
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Remember the capable, ambitious woman you were before your career break
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Understand the emotional realities of the pause—confidence loss, isolation, grief, and body changes
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Recognize the powerful skill set you developed while away from paid work
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Translate those skills into a language employers understand
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Build a compelling return narrative that highlights growth, not gaps
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Create a 90-day plan to refresh skills, rebuild networks, and step into your next chapter
Through research, storytelling, reflection exercises, and practical tools, Dr. Ann Marie L. Peters shows that returning to work isn’t about making up for lost time—it’s about reclaiming your future.
Your professional story isn’t over.
It’s waiting for its next chapter.
"Dr. Peters speaks with an honesty that feels personal, almost as if she’s sitting beside you, urging you to take ownership of your story, decisions, and journey. She draws in readers naturally, not with force or preaching, but with warmth and lived experience that make her message land more deeply. If you are seeking an empowering, authentic voice to guide you toward self-trust and agency, read We’ll Be Right Back."
Karen L. Goers,
Global head of talent acquisition at William Blair
"This is the book I wish I had read when I was drowning in my own pause. It’s an affirmation that you are not alone, in addition to being a guide on how to confidently step back into a career after becoming a mom. I found myself nodding, and smiling, and feeling deeply understood as I read what Dr. Ann Marie L. Peters has created. What a gift this book is to women everywhere."
Diane Callaghan Husar,
Author of Missionaries, Mercenaries, and Misfits: A Woman, an Island, and Life’s Big Lessons and A Mighty Village: Reflections on Parenting, Disability, and
Building Community
"This book speaks to the heart of every woman who has stepped away from her career to
wholeheartedly serve what she values most. Through thoughtful reflection and practical
support, We'll Be Right Back helps women recognize that the years spent nurturing others were never a pause at all—they were a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and love. A beautiful guide for the journey back to work and back to oneself.
Joëlle Lydon,
Relationship coach and author of
Unbreakable Us: Removing the Barriers to Love
What I love most about We'll Be Right Back is that it doesn't just tell you you're not alone—it reminds you through relatable stories that so many women have walked a similar path. The reflection exercises invite you to slow down, put pen to paper, and reconnect with the woman that is still inside of you. It's the perfect blend of feeling understood by others while rediscovering yourself. This isn't just a book you'll read; it's one you'll experience.
Megan Weisheipl
Best-selling author of The Selfish Hour,
mindset coach and keynote speaker
I love how Dr. Ann Marie Peters helps the reader take back the narrative on the story around leaving and re-entering the workforce through reflective exercises. As women, we often find ourselves having to make tough decisions related to our level of engagement in the workforce. This book provides practical advice for anyone who must step away due to caregiving responsibilities.
Tracy Imm
Executive coach at Tracy Imm Worldwide and host of the Brave Girl podcast
About the Author
Dr. Ann Marie L. Peters is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and organizational psychologist who knows firsthand what it means to pause a career—and find your way back. After stepping away from a successful corporate career to raise her three children, Ann Marie later returned to work, an experience that inspired both her doctoral research and this book. Grounded in both original research and lived experience, We’ll Be Right Back reflects her belief that career pauses are seasons of growth, resilience, and possibility.
Today, as Founder and CEO of AMP Consulting, she empowers organizations and individuals to navigate transitions with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose. Ann Marie resides in Virginia with her amazing husband of thirty-seven years. She is the proud mother of three children, and a smitten grandmother. Her family is her greatest joy!
My doctoral research focused on women who stepped away from paid work and later returned to the workforce, particularly into nonprofit and mission-driven careers. In interview after interview, I heard the same quiet question: “Am I the only one who feels this way?”
As women shared their stories, I watched something remarkable happen. Simply taking the time to remember their careers—their accomplishments, strengths and contributions—helped them reconnect with parts of themselves they hadn’t thought about in a long time. They spoke honestly about the joys and challenges of motherhood, caregiving, identity, confidence, and finding their way back to meaningful work.
That's why I wrote We'll Be Right Back… I want every woman who reads it to know this: I see you. Your feelings are real. Your experiences matter. And your story isn't over—it's simply entering a new chapter.
And I am here to help you transition to your next chapter, whatever that is!
Throughout life, women take on many roles. Some are chosen with joy, while others simply become part of what is expected of them. For women who pause their careers to raise a family, or care for a loved one, the roles of mother, wife, partner, daughter, caregiver, and countless others can become so consuming that they lose touch with the woman they were before the pause.
We'll Be Right Back... is about rediscovering that woman. It's an invitation to remember the talents, passions, dreams, and identity that were never lost—only set aside for a season. Coming back to yourself isn't about becoming someone new. It's about reconnecting with the person you've always been, recognizing the gifts of your pause, and moving forward with renewed confidence and purpose.
There is a body of research that demonstrates the barriers faced by women who have paused their careers and seek to return to the workplace. So I expected to hear a lot about concerns with resume gaps and challenging interview experiences.
I was surprised to learn that many of my research participants were not actively seeking employment when they returned to work. They were recruited by someone in their network who saw their talents and capabilities, often in community service roles, and thought they would make a great employee.
But when I reflected on it, I was not surprised at all. These women, like many, were superstars in their careers, they were superstars on their pause, and they showed all the signs of being superstars when they returned to the workplace. And no surprise – they were!
Your next chapter does not have to be figured out in one day. Start by turning one “page” at a time. Confidence is a muscle, and small steps and wins help build it. For example, a small step could be reflecting on your previous career and making a list of what gave you energy, fulfillment and a sense of pride. This can help identify the type of work that aligns with who you are today.
Reach out to people you know whose paths are interesting. Simply having coffee and asking them about their journey and passions can be a great way to learn and discover your own passions.
Even the smallest steps are the difference between feeling stuck and making progress.
One of the most important ways to reconnect is by first remembering. The opening chapters of We'll Be Right Back are designed to help women do exactly that.
I encourage women to take time to look back at who they were before their career pause. Write down your previous roles, responsibilities, accomplishments, awards, and the moments that made you feel energized and proud. So many women have forgotten the capable, confident, accomplished woman they once were—not because she disappeared, but because life became focused on everyone else's needs.
Then, I encourage women to ask a different set of questions: What brings me joy? What values matter most to me today? What kind of impact do I want to make in this next season of life? The answers may not be the same as they were 10 or 20 years ago—and that's okay. In fact, the Kaleidoscope Career Model identifies this as a common pattern for women’s mid-career journeys.
Reconnecting with yourself isn't about returning to the exact person you used to be. It's about honoring who you've always been while embracing who you've become. When you stop measuring yourself by society's expectations and give yourself permission to follow your own values, purpose, and passions, your next chapter becomes much clearer.
My journey included every stage—building a full-time career, balancing part-time work while raising children, and stepping away from the workforce to be a full-time mom. Along the way, I experienced the loss of professional identity, the joy of being present for my family, and the uncertainty of wondering if I still had what it took to succeed professionally. Like many of the women I interviewed, I believed I was alone in what I was feeling.
When I returned to work as an entrepreneur, I wrestled with many of the same fears my research participants described. I questioned whether I still belonged in the professional world. I worried about learning new technology, rebuilding skills that had changed over time, and overcoming imposter syndrome. I also worried about whether pursuing my own goals would take something away from my family.
Those experiences shaped not only my research but also my heart for writing this book. My doctoral research confirmed that these feelings are incredibly common, yet so many women believe they're the only ones experiencing them. I have been there too!
A career pause does not just interrupt a resume, it can disrupt a woman’s identity, confidence and a sense of professional belonging. It is important to recognize those challenges and to acknowledge that you are not alone in those feelings.
It is also critical to know that the time spent on a pause from paid work, is still a time of valuable growth. Caregiving, motherhood, managing a household, volunteering, and serving in the community are just some of the ways that women on a pause build and practice skills that are valuable to employers. They are developing and practicing resilience, problem-solving, organization and countless other strengths. The challenge is having the language and confidence to translate those experiences into professional terms. We’ll Be Right Back… helps women recognize, articulate, and own the value they have continued to build.
Women who are returning to the workplace after a pause often do so with greater clarity about what matters, stronger resilience, and a wealth of transferable skills. When they learn to identify and communicate those capabilities a career gap is no longer seen as lost time. It becomes a period of meaningful growth and valuable experience.
Many women relate that they do not want to go back to the “hamster wheel” they were on before their pause. There are also elements related to identity, purpose, confidence, and redefining what success looks like after a life transition.
They want to work again, but they want work that is meaningful, aligns with their values, and fits the life they have built. They are looking for balance, not a crazy 60-hour work week or constant travel. And even when their children are teenagers or grown, they want the flexibility to be present for their families and the people that matter most in their lives. Success, for many, is more about creating a career that complements the most valuable parts of their life.
We'll Be Right Back is for any woman navigating a season of change and wondering what comes next. While many readers will relate to the joys and challenges of motherhood, this book is equally for women who have stepped away from paid work for a year or more for any reason—whether to care for family, address their own health, recover from burnout, relocate, pursue other priorities, or simply respond to life's unexpected transitions.
Many are asking the same questions: Who am I now? What do I want next? How do I rebuild my confidence and tell my career story? This book reminds them that they are not alone, that their experiences have value, and that a career pause does not diminish their potential. It offers encouragement and practical guidance for rediscovering their strengths and confidently stepping into their next chapter.
The book is about more than returning to work. It's about rediscovering yourself, recognizing the value of your experiences, and creating a purposeful next chapter.
It also speaks to husbands, partners, and other men who want to better understand and support the women in their lives, as well as employers, HR leaders, coaches, and organizations committed to helping women successfully return to the workforce.
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I love the water and my favorite activities are scuba diving, snorkeling, and boogie boarding.
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I have enjoyed fishing since I was a little girl and found a new fishing passion—fly fishing—during the time we lived in Idaho.
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I love to sing and had the chance to renew that love as an adult, participating annually in a Battle of the Bands fundraiser.
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