Long before she became pregnant, Justine Sterling Converse was worried about the impact motherhood would have on her career in event strategy.

Because of the demanding hours and long weekend shifts, Converse's industry friends slowly dropped out of the workforce. Often, it was after a short maternity leave period. They would struggle to balance their newfound roles as mothers with their work.

"It kind of hit me like a ton of bricks," Converse, 40, told Business Insider. "I really did have the thought of 'Do I need to shift careers?'"

At the same time, she loved what she did. After working as a staff assistant to former president George W. Bush, she became the director of strategic programming at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, organizing events with the Obamas and Clintons.

In 2019, she started Brigade Events, a Texas-based event strategy and management company owned and operated by women. At the time, the company had six full-time employees and promised to support working moms. There was no official maternity leave policy in place. That changed quickly.

"Our first person told us she was pregnant, and then we proceeded to have five pregnancies within 13 months," Converse said. She knew Brigade needed to establish a policy they were proud of to retain staff. The problem was striking the balance between ample time off and growing as a new company.

Converse knew from experience that poor leave policies would lead to a loss in workers — one she believed would cost her business more in the long run. She landed on a 16-week maternity leave policy, partly paid for with short-term disability benefits provided by the state. Brigade also offers a fifth, 50% transition month, in which mothers work half of their normal hours for half their pay.

She said the company has been profitable except in 2020, when most events were shut down due to the pandemic. This has inspired Brigade to keep lengthening its maternity leave policy, with the ultimate goal of reaching six months of paid time off.

Converse began her research on parental leave by reading "The Fifth Trimester" by Lauren Smith Brody, a guide to help new moms transition back into the workforce. She also spoke to friends, comparing their experiences with the maternity leave norms in most jobs.