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Team Transition Plan: Paula's Maternity Leave & Role Realignment

Created: February 16, 2026
Prepared for: Kristin (Partner Relations)
Timeline: February 2026 → July 2026+
Status: Ready for 1-on-1 rollout

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This plan orchestrates three concurrent transitions:

  1. Paula's maternity leave (April 2026) with smooth handoff and flexible return options
  2. Carmee's expansion from pathways into design responsibilities (with pathway automation reducing her baseline load)
  3. Charlie's focus shift from administrative burden to strategic brand work (with Minnie AI automating routine tasks)

Key principle: Automation and delegation enable growth, not add burden. Carmee gains design work because pathways become automated, not because she's suddenly doing both. Charlie gains strategic time because Minnie handles admin, not because she's scrambling.

Success = 3 things:

PHASE 1: FOUNDATION (Feb 16 - Mar 15, 2026)

What This Phase Does

Automate what can be automated, document what must be handed off, and get Carmee ready to learn design.

Paula's Responsibilities Audit

Lead: Paula + Kristin in 1-on-1
Timeline: Week of Feb 17

Paula documents:

Output: Transition checklist (shared doc)

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "We need to know exactly what lives in Paula's head right now. No surprises during leave."

Minnie Automation Sprint (Charlie's Admin)

Lead: Quan + Charlie
Timeline: Week of Feb 17 → Mar 8

Minnie takes over:

Charlie's freed time: Target 8-10 hours/week by March 15

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "This is about Charlie actually seeing the time freed up. Test it. Have her report back on what she can do with the extra 8 hours."

Pathway Automation Foundation

Lead: Carmee + Quan (AI arch)
Timeline: Week of Feb 17 → Mar 15

Audit current pathways for automation:

Target: Reduce Carmee's pathway work by 20-30% by March 15

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "Carmee needs to see her freed time before she takes on design. Otherwise she'll just fill the gap with more pathways."

Carmee Design Onboarding Begins

Lead: Quan + external design mentor (TBD)
Timeline: Week of Feb 17 onwards (ongoing)

Carmee needs:

Jedi Council (Tue/Thu design sprints):

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "Design is hard. Carmee is smart but this is new. She needs a mentor, not just training videos. Budget for external design support (freelancer or agency retainer for complex projects)."

Valencia Fulfillment Handoff Prep

Lead: Tin + Quan
Timeline: Week of Feb 17 → Mar 8

Determine what Valencia will handle:

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "This frees Tin from repetitive fulfillment work. Check in with Tin on what this does for his capacity and morale."

PHASE 2: SOFT LAUNCH (Mar 16 - Apr 10, 2026)

Paula's Transition to Leave

Lead: Paula + Kristin
Timeline: Two weeks before leave (~mid-March)

Paula trains/hands off to:

Two-week overlap post-announcement:

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "Paula needs a clean handoff, not a 'please monitor from home' vibe. Make the boundary clear."

Charlie's Brand Strategy Launch

Lead: Charlie + Quan
Timeline: Mid-March onwards

Charlie now has capacity for:

What Charlie stops doing:

Success metric: Charlie reports at least 2 brand strategy initiatives launched by end of April

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "Check in on whether Charlie actually shifted mentally. Sometimes people keep the old task 'just in case.' She needs permission to stop."

Carmee Design Ramp-Up

Lead: Carmee + Quan
Timeline: Mar 16 onwards

By March 31:

Portfolio goals by April 15:

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "Design takes time. We're looking for progress, not perfection. Ask Carmee what's working and what's scary."

Social Media Coverage Goes Live

Lead: Coverage person (TBD) + Kristin
Timeline: April 1

Whoever's covering:

Backup plan: If coverage person falls behind, escalate to Quan.

PHASE 3: PAULA'S LEAVE (Apr 11 - Jun 30, 2026)

What the Team Does While Paula's Out

Assumption: Paula on full maternity leave starting April 11 (~12 weeks)

Social media continuity: Coverage person keeps it live, minimal changes
Community building: Hold position, don't grow aggressively (Paula can catch up)
Social-first projects: Defer until Paula returns (avoid major pivots)

Carmee: Continues design work + pathways (automation sustaining her)
Charlie: Continues brand strategy (no regression to admin)
Minnie: Keeps running automation (Quan watches for gaps)

PHASE 4: RETURN OPTIONS (Jul 1 - Aug 31, 2026)

Paula's Return Scenarios

Lead: Paula + Kristin + Quan
Timeline: Start conversation mid-June

Paula can choose from:

Option A: Full Return (Jul 1)

Option B: Phased Return (Jul 1-31)

Option C: Part-Time/Contract (Jul 1+)

Option D: Delayed Return (Aug 1)

Key: Decide by mid-June, communicate to team by end of June

Notes for Kristin's 1-on-1: "This is a conversation with Paula, not a decision made for her. Start early. What does she want? What does the team need?"

SUPPORT STRUCTURE

Jedi Council: Design & Strategy Sync

Purpose: Unblock Carmee, elevate design quality, catch problems early

Attendees:

Frequency: Tuesday & Thursday, 60 min each

Agenda:

Outcomes:

Success metric: No design project stuck for >3 days waiting for feedback

Minnie Automation Governance

Purpose: Keep AI automation working, catch new automation opportunities

Weekly check-in: Quan + Minnie (Wed AM, 15 min)

Monthly review: Quan + Charlie + Minnie (last Wed, 30 min)

Valencia Fulfillment Partnership

Purpose: Smooth handoff of RMA/shipping, maintain quality

Kickoff: Week of Mar 1

Weekly check-in: Tin + Valencia manager (Mon AM, 15 min)

RISK MITIGATION

Risk 1: Carmee Overload (Design + Pathways)

Scenario: Pathways automation doesn't deliver, Carmee drowns with both jobs

Prevention:

If it happens:

Risk 2: Design Quality Issues

Scenario: Carmee ships designs that need rework, projects slip

Prevention:

If it happens:

Risk 3: Paula Return Uncertainty

Scenario: Paula doesn't return, or returns only part-time. Coverage person wasn't trained as permanent.

Prevention:

If it happens:

Risk 4: Charlie Regression to Admin

Scenario: Urgent admin tasks come up, Charlie "just handles it" instead of saying no

Prevention:

If it happens:

Solution: Protect Charlie's calendar (Quan blocks Tuesday/Thursday for strategy, no meetings)

Risk 5: Tin's Fulfillment Load Doesn't Actually Reduce

Scenario: Valencia takes work but gaps/delays require Tin to backfill

Prevention:

If it happens:

SUCCESS METRICS

Track these weekly (Kristin reports to Quan):

Charlie (Brand Strategy Release)

Carmee (Design Ramp-Up)

Paula (Maternity Leave + Return)

System Health (Quan + Kristin Track)

KRISTIN'S CONVERSATION GUIDE

Use this when holding 1-on-1s to roll out the plan:

With Paula

With Carmee

With Charlie

With Tin

With Steve & Klansys

TIMELINE AT A GLANCE

Feb 16 - Mar 15    PHASE 1: FOUNDATION
├─ Minnie automation sprint (Charlie's admin)
├─ Pathway automation foundation (free up Carmee)
├─ Paula's responsibility audit (handoff docs)
├─ Carmee design onboarding begins
├─ Valencia fulfillment prep
└─ Jedi Council starts (Tue/Thu)

Mar 16 - Apr 10    PHASE 2: SOFT LAUNCH
├─ Paula transitions to leave (final 2 weeks, then PTO)
├─ Charlie brand strategy launches
├─ Carmee design projects in progress
├─ Social media coverage goes live (Apr 1)
└─ Valencia testing begins

Apr 11 - Jun 30    PHASE 3: PAULA'S LEAVE
├─ Coverage person runs social media
├─ Carmee + pathways maintain baseline
├─ Charlie focuses on brand strategy
├─ Minnie keeps automation running
├─ Mid-June: Paula return conversation starts
└─ End of June: Return decision finalized

Jul 1 - Aug 31     PHASE 4: PAULA'S RETURN
├─ Paula returns (full, phased, part-time, or delayed)
└─ New coverage/social model implemented

Sep 2026+          STABLE STATE
├─ New team roles operating normally
├─ Carmee design team growing
├─ Charlie brand strategy delivering
└─ Automation supporting everything

NEXT STEPS

For Quan (CEO):

  1. Review this plan, make edits
  2. Designate design mentor (internal or external freelancer)
  3. Confirm Valencia partnership timeline with Tin
  4. Approve Minnie automation scope with Charlie

For Kristin (Partner Relations):

  1. Schedule 1-on-1s with Paula, Carmee, Charlie, Tin (week of Feb 24)
  2. Use conversation guide above
  3. Track metrics weekly (template below)
  4. Flag risks early (don't wait for crisis)

Metrics Tracking Template (Weekly Report to Quan):

Week of [DATE]:

CHARLIE
├─ Admin hours freed: [X] hours
├─ Brand projects: [In progress / Completed]
└─ Morale: [Notes from 1-on-1]

CARMEE
├─ Pathway hours: [X] hrs/week (target: -30% by Mar 15)
├─ Design projects: [In progress / Completed]
├─ Mentor engagement: [Happened? Notes]
└─ Morale: [Notes from 1-on-1]

PAULA
├─ Handoff status: [% complete]
├─ Coverage person readiness: [% ready]
└─ Return decision: [Pending]

SYSTEM HEALTH
├─ Minnie status: [Working / Issues?]
├─ Design delivery: [On track?]
├─ Team morale: [Overall pulse]
└─ Valencia status: [On schedule?]

RISKS / ESCALATIONS:
[Any red flags?]

This plan is ready. Kristin has everything she needs for 1-on-1s. Quan reviews, approves, and we roll it out week of Feb 24.